The mods should put a sticky on this topic. Good info in here.

I am currently working on an MBA with a Marketing concentration from Andrew Jackson University. I was not looking for an MBA program at this stage of my life (age 51) but the low cost and the Marketing concentration did the trick. The degree is NA which isn’t a concern for me because I own and operate a business that does government contract work. The government recognizes NA degrees. It’s also timely because, I am already applying some of the advanced Marketing principles and the excellent suggestions contained in the text. I will also be pursuing an RA Masters, so this MBA is a cost effective way to supplement my business experience.

The total cost of the degree if I take three courses a semester should come in under $3000 with the sponsored tuition. I started Business Ethics, Business Communications and Organizational Behavior Sept 1, 2008 and finished in around eight weeks. I am now taking Business Law, Consumer and Buyer Behavior and Marketing Research and Analysis. The format is self paced in the sense that you can complete the 16 weeks sooner if time and workload permits.

The format is pretty straightforward. You have a series of modules that include open book quizzes and plenty of writing assignments. There are plenty of case studies which are interesting and useful, as it brings you up to speed on current issues. There is a proctored midterm and final which are done via webcam, which is very convenient and efficient. The format requires critical thinking and plenty of writing which is very helpful for honing or developing those skills.

The professors range from very good to outstanding. No complaints there. A fellow student has a PhD and is looking to complete the MBA as a supplement to her other degrees. I think that for her and I, the price made it irresistible. After testing out of the Excelsior BS Business, it is satisfying to get a more thorough look at each of these subjects.

I also just completed a Certificate in Distance Education from Indiana University with a concentration in System Planning and Management Indiana University Online and Distance Education School of Continuing Studies Certificate in Distance Education Program The program prepares you to design a distance learning program for either a university or private business. The resources and knowledge gained from this course were worth many times more than the cost. It also looks good on the resume. If Indiana University lowers it’s out of state DL tuition for its Adult Education Masters, then I’ll strongly consider that.

I will be starting a Masters in Nonprofit Management from UCF in January. I’ll take this one slower as the primary subject areas that I am interested in are Grant Writing and forming Non Profits. UCF CE - Master of Nonprofit Management

There are plenty of really good Masters Degree programs out there and I would strongly suggest, as others have, to go with a program that interests you.

[QUOTE=Geezer]I am currently working on an MBA with a Marketing concentration from Andrew Jackson University. I was not looking for an MBA program at this stage of my life (age 51) but the low cost and the Marketing concentration did the trick. The degree is NA which isn’t a concern for me because I own and operate a business that does government contract work. The government recognizes NA degrees. >>

Geezer, this is the same program my husband will start when he finishes up his bachelor's- I hope it is still free tuition 7 months from now!!

Hi Jennifer. It is my guess that the affordable tuition program will remain in effect in one form or another. After hubby gets his feet wet with OB, Ethics and Bus Comm, I'd encourage him to move right into the concentration courses. BTW, I have enjoyed reading about your Harvard journey.

Geezer Wrote:I am currently working on an MBA with a Marketing concentration from Andrew Jackson University. I was not looking for an MBA program at this stage of my life (age 51) but the low cost and the Marketing concentration did the trick. The degree is NA which isn’t a concern for me because I own and operate a business that does government contract work. The government recognizes NA degrees. ...

What is NA? Sorry if I am unfamiliar with this acronym, but I have a hunch it's important.

bobaloo000 Wrote:What is NA? Sorry if I am unfamiliar with this acronym, but I have a hunch it's important.

It means Nationally Accredited. If you check out this forum: Distance Learning Discussion Forums - Powered by vBulletin , you will find numerous debates on the merits of national accreditation versus regionally accredited schools.

Here's a really long debate on the topic:DETC and RA - Distance Learning Discussion Forums

I'm pretty interested in the AJU program, because of it's low cost. I do plan to pursue something else after, though. Just not sure what yet. This thread was a really good idea. Keep the input coming for those of us out here thinking about it!

Being mindful of wanting a degree from a regionally accredited school, I'm thinking of taking 15 credits at Andrew Jackson University, then transferring them to American Public University. They accept up to 15 graduate credit transfer credit from nationally accredited schools. Since they are both nationally and regionally accredited themselves.

norema Wrote:Being mindful of wanting a degree from a regionally accredited school, I'm thinking of taking 15 credits at Andrew Jackson University, then transferring them to American Public University. They accept up to 15 graduate credit transfer credit from nationally accredited schools. Since they are both nationally and regionally accredited themselves.

EXCELLENT idea- in fact this is the covert plan my husband is doing as well. Shhhh. For those who are interested, the APUS system (American Military University and American Public University- same school) are both Nationally and Regionally accredited- which is a SUPER rare find. So, they accept NA credits and launder them into a RA degree. It isn't expensive at about $250-$300 per credit (from memory), however, the Andrew Jackson University credits are $0! Without debating the merits of NA vs RA, it is worth pointing out that the big 3 are all regionally accredited (RA) and many would argue that going from RA to NA is a step down. For me and my husband, it's simply a mater of practicality. We both teach at a community college, and you can't teach in regionally accredited schools without a regionally accredited degree while you CAN teach at nationally accredited schools with either a regionally or nationally accredited degree.

This is a good thread...

I am just about complete with my first semester of my MBA program at JSU. JSU is an RA, AACSB accredited school, which was the reason that I chose it.

The program is 30 hours - $300/credit hour. It is the cheapest AACSB MBA program that I know of.

The school is a little new to the distance learning trend, so there have been some difficulties...but, overall I have been very pleased.

If you have aspirations to teach college in business subjects or have aspirations towards government work, then I would highly recommend JSU.

I am home on leave right now from Iraq and I'm interested in Andrew Jackson University for my master's degree. I will be done with my B.S.L. from Excelsior in December. So, anyway, I called them today. The rep I talked to was Tammy, ext. 107. She was EXCELLENT. I haven't had customer service that good in years.

The whole process for active duty military sounds very simple and AFFORDABLE. The books are free for AD. They are using ebooks right now for textbooks she said. The cost for me per semester hour after using the Army's tuition assistance program is $100, or $300 total per class, for a grant total of $2700 for a master's -- not bad at all. It's certainly cheaper than Excelsior. They can also defer the cost of tuition until you receive your reimbursement from the Army.

The exams are proctored via web cam and the rep told me she has several students in Iraq taking courses that way right now. They even provide web cams for free if you don't have one. It doesn't get much better than that. I would say I'm about 90 percent sold on going to AJU at this point.