University of Central Arkansas's Online Ph.D

[ifomonay]

I wouldn't recommend Cumberlands. I can't remember if it were this board, but I recall someone mentioned that the graduation rate for Ph.D. programs there is an abysmal 15%. Normally, reputable schools have graduation rates above 90%, so clearly there is a problem with teaching effectiveness. If it were me, I'd go for the Ph.D. from UCA or TWU. You can't go wrong with a state school, and the Ph.D. title just sounds better. I haven't heard of South College. Where is that? Texas Woman's University. Public school that's good. The degree looks intriguing as well. I think you can't go wrong with either UCA or TWU

[MrPanda]

TWU accepts men since 1972.

1972 — Men are admitted into TWU’s graduate programs and undergraduate and graduate health sciences professions programs in Denton, Dallas and Houston.

https://twu.edu/about-twu/brief-history-of-twu/

[bjcheung77]

@EducationSeeker, that's right - both MrPanda & smartdegree are correct, Texas Women's U is in fact co-ed.  Here are the details on their webpage, they've got most of the quick facts info on their About TWU page here https://twu.edu/about-twu/ | It's interesting they've got about 16.5K in student population of 89% Women and about 11% that are Men. 

Hmm, basically or coincidentally... It seems they focus on the same paths or subjects as WGU, Business, Education, Health/Nursing, Teaching, and have added "Liberal Arts & Sciences" in addition to those. TWU seems like a very good school in Texas and recognized nationally too. They've got a WIKI page here as well https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Woma...University

@ifomonay, In regard to U of Cumberlands, that was just an inquiry to see what institutions or interests OP has for similar programs offered elsewhere and if they've started looking at more institutions.  I usually recommend a couple or three as main options and another two or three as backup options just in case the top 3 choices don't go through. 

@mohelena02, I think you've pretty much listed your top 3 choices and I believe the order is UCA, TWU, then South College.  Just curious, have you thought of completing the WGU MBA when you get a different position that has education assistance or reimbursement then decide to complete the PhD afterwards?  Or are you shooting that off the to do list completely?

[sanantone]

I wouldn't recommend Cumberlands. I can't remember if it were this board, but I recall someone mentioned that the graduation rate for Ph.D. programs there is an abysmal 15%. Normally, reputable schools have graduation rates above 90%, so clearly there is a problem with teaching effectiveness. If it were me, I'd go for the Ph.D. from UCA or TWU. You can't go wrong with a state school, and the Ph.D. title just sounds better. I haven't heard of South College. Where is that? Texas Woman's University. Public school that's good. The degree looks intriguing as well. I think you can't go wrong with either UCA or TWU

I would assume that University of the Cumberlands has a very high acceptance rate, and they've become popular with non-traditional students. That usually comes with lower graduation rates. 

South College is a little-known for-profit college in Tennessee that now has competency-based doctoral programs.

[mohelena02]

@EducationSeeker, that's right - both MrPanda & smartdegree are correct, Texas Women's U is in fact co-ed.  Here are the details on their webpage, they've got most of the quick facts info on their About TWU page here https://twu.edu/about-twu/ | It's interesting they've got about 16.5K in student population of 89% Women and about 11% that are Men. 

Hmm, basically or coincidentally... It seems they focus on the same paths or subjects as WGU, Business, Education, Health/Nursing, Teaching, and have added "Liberal Arts & Sciences" in addition to those. TWU seems like a very good school in Texas and recognized nationally too. They've got a WIKI page here as well https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Woma...University

@ifomonay, In regard to U of Cumberlands, that was just an inquiry to see what institutions or interests OP has for similar programs offered elsewhere and if they've started looking at more institutions.  I usually recommend a couple or three as main options and another two or three as backup options just in case the top 3 choices don't go through. 

@mohelena02, I think you've pretty much listed your top 3 choices and I believe the order is UCA, TWU, then South College.  Just curious, have you thought of completing the WGU MBA when you get a different position that has education assistance or reimbursement then decide to complete the PhD afterwards?  Or are you shooting that off the to do list completely?

@bjcheung77 - I will be going back to work with my old company which does not offer tuition reimbursement, so the likelihood of the MBA in the near future doesn't seem like it's going to happen. I want to save all my pennies to go toward my Ph.D. since I will be paying out of pocket (taking loans.) Looking for scholarships and anything I can find to help and assist with the financial burden.

[Aflyer]

I wouldn't recommend Cumberlands. I can't remember if it were this board, but I recall someone mentioned that the graduation rate for Ph.D. programs there is an abysmal 15%. Normally, reputable schools have graduation rates above 90%, so clearly there is a problem with teaching effectiveness. If it were me, I'd go for the Ph.D. from UCA or TWU. You can't go wrong with a state school, and the Ph.D. title just sounds better. I haven't heard of South College. Where is that? Texas Woman's University. Public school that's good. The degree looks intriguing as well. I think you can't go wrong with either UCA or TWU

I just need to slightly correct you. According to the US Dept. of Education website, the national average graduation rate of all universities is 58%. This includes all schools from Ivy League on down. Also, the graduation rate for University of The Cumberlands is 57%, so right about the average. 

I am highly considering them for their DBA program, which is IACBE accredited.

[sanantone]

I wouldn't recommend Cumberlands. I can't remember if it were this board, but I recall someone mentioned that the graduation rate for Ph.D. programs there is an abysmal 15%. Normally, reputable schools have graduation rates above 90%, so clearly there is a problem with teaching effectiveness. If it were me, I'd go for the Ph.D. from UCA or TWU. You can't go wrong with a state school, and the Ph.D. title just sounds better. I haven't heard of South College. Where is that? Texas Woman's University. Public school that's good. The degree looks intriguing as well. I think you can't go wrong with either UCA or TWU

I just need to slightly correct you. According to the US Dept. of Education website, the national average graduation rate of all universities is 58%. This includes all schools from Ivy League on down. Also, the graduation rate for University of The Cumberlands is 57%, so right about the average. 

I am highly considering them for their DBA program, which is IACBE accredited.

That's their overall graduation rate. What is the graduation rate for their doctoral programs?

[ss20ts]

I wouldn't recommend Cumberlands. I can't remember if it were this board, but I recall someone mentioned that the graduation rate for Ph.D. programs there is an abysmal 15%. Normally, reputable schools have graduation rates above 90%, so clearly there is a problem with teaching effectiveness. If it were me, I'd go for the Ph.D. from UCA or TWU. You can't go wrong with a state school, and the Ph.D. title just sounds better. I haven't heard of South College. Where is that? Texas Woman's University. Public school that's good. The degree looks intriguing as well. I think you can't go wrong with either UCA or TWU

I disagree with Cumberlands. If you're looking at "reputable schools" (whatever that means), you need to look at the FULL picture not just that 90% of their PhD students graduate. You need to look at the ages of those students and what the school is providing them with. Most doctoral students in programs such as typical state school on campus programs are not classified as adult leaners which is what 95% or more of this forum is made up of. Few if any of us can quit our jobs and move to a college to be a doctoral student. Cumberlands and many other schools offer opportunities for adult learners that most state schools simply don't offer us. What's UCA? What's TWU? Where I live no one has heard of any of these schools. I have heard of South College and not just on this forum. I also don't live anywhere near South College which has multiple campuses, but their DBA and EdD programs are online attached to their Knoxville campus. Texas Woman's University is a public school? The name definitely doesn't sound that way. Another case of where the name doesn't mean much? Possibly.

[mohelena02]

I wouldn't recommend Cumberlands. I can't remember if it were this board, but I recall someone mentioned that the graduation rate for Ph.D. programs there is an abysmal 15%. Normally, reputable schools have graduation rates above 90%, so clearly there is a problem with teaching effectiveness. If it were me, I'd go for the Ph.D. from UCA or TWU. You can't go wrong with a state school, and the Ph.D. title just sounds better. I haven't heard of South College. Where is that? Texas Woman's University. Public school that's good. The degree looks intriguing as well. I think you can't go wrong with either UCA or TWU

I disagree with Cumberlands. If you're looking at "reputable schools" (whatever that means), you need to look at the FULL picture not just that 90% of their PhD students graduate. You need to look at the ages of those students and what the school is providing them with. Most doctoral students in programs such as typical state school on campus programs are not classified as adult leaners which is what 95% or more of this forum is made up of. Few if any of us can quit our jobs and move to a college to be a doctoral student. Cumberlands and many other schools offer opportunities for adult learners that most state schools simply don't offer us. What's UCA? What's TWU? Where I live no one has heard of any of these schools. I have heard of South College and not just on this forum. I also don't live anywhere near South College which has multiple campuses, but their DBA and EdD programs are online attached to their Knoxville campus. Texas Woman's University is a public school? The name definitely doesn't sound that way. Another case of where the name doesn't mean much? Possibly.

UCA is the University of Central Arkansas.

[sanantone]

I hadn't heard of South College until I discovered their competency-based programs, and I live in the South.
I had heard of South University because it's a for-profit that runs a lot of ads. I wonder if South College is well-known in Tennessee considering that it's a pretty small for-profit college.

Texas Woman's University has three times the student population of South College. This forum is rather peculiar. Some are more familiar with non-traditional schools than traditional schools. Among the general population, people are generally more familiar with large, traditional schools. When it comes to reputation, you have to consider the membership of this forum because it's not reflective of the general population. This is the same forum that said that some low-ranked, podunk school is more world-renowned than University of Texas at Austin, which is on the UK government's short list of prestigious universities.