Second Degree: My Patten University Experience

[Saharapost]

Continued:


Cost of Degree
Talking about the tuition fees, I think Patten is a juicy deal. The original Patten University Tuition was $5,250.00 and with a Tuition Discount of $2,862.00, My Total Tuition Responsibility was $2,388.00. Dividing 2,388.00 by the 56 credits I earned, brings down each credit to less than $43 INCLUDING COST OF STUDY MATERIALS.
This is a good deal for a(n) RA accredited university- for profit or not. One thing I learned when it comes to the tuition discount is- ask for it! When I applied to Patten, the usual discount wasn’t stated on the website. But before submitting my credit card details and indeed before creating an online profile, I asked an enrollment advisor about it via the CHAT NOW button. I am not sure whether one still gets the discount AFTER creating a profile, but the enrollment advisor who chat with me said she was gonna have to help me create a profile to be able to manually apply the discount against my name. If you are applying when they do not have the discount stated on the website, I think it makes sense to chat with an enrollment advisor prior enrollment, request for the tuition discount, and have them set up your profile with the discount applied. And, with a monthly payment plan of $199 spread over the duration of my entire 4 terms, I found it convenient paying the superbly-discounted tuition of $2,388.00.

Difficulty of Classes:
Patten University classes are no easy walk, but they are doable. I learned some new things along the way and I refreshed my mind with things I knew but had forgotten.
The project work (usually between 8 and 15 pages in length) might be the most tasking part of the journey especially if one was trying to earn as many credits as possible in a term. With papers to turn in in every class, so many pages of textbooks, journals articles, videos to watch, podcasts to listen to, and other online resources to study, one may soon get burned out if one was not motivated. But the rigorous, yet doable nature of the classes are what make me value the efforts I put into the classes and the degree itself...
My usual study pattern was to do the pre-test, go straight into studying each units, taking the practice quizzes and moving on to the next unit until all assigned readings for that class has been completed. Then I take the pre-final and the final exam. When I have to turn in paper, I usually turn in the paper before the final exams so I can concentrate on studying without thinking about the paper as I studied. Turning in the paper appears to also save me time which could have been wasted waiting for all grades to turn in so the next class can be unlocked. The most difficult class for me was the capstone. I guess I was already at the point when my energy level was down and just wanted to complete the class- so this affected my retention capabilities it seemed.
I have read few people complain that the exams are not taken from the textbook or study materials. Some likened the final exams to when someone gives you fish and asks you for a cat. From my experience, this programs tests for knowledge. Most questions are drawn from the study resources including journals, videos and podcasts. Someone who concentrated on the major texts alone and skipped the videos or podcasts or didn’t care to read the website articles as well as journals may find some of the questions strange, feeling as though they were not part of the syllabus. Even when questions are not drawn from textbook, one should be able to get a 100% in the exam if one truly knows the subject. I have never been dissatisfied with the study materials or exam format and I didn’t notice strange questions. If I were to rate Patten on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being Super-satisfied, I will give the university a 9.

Degree Awarded:

As someone living outside the US, waiting for the diploma will be my nightmare. Immediately the grade for my last class posted, I submitted an application to graduate form which, unlike at the Big Three, was free. On the 24 May, 2016, I officially became a Patten University graduate with a message from the Registrar's office stating:

Congratulations again! Your degree has been awarded and your diploma will be produced at the end of this month. We expect the diploma to arrive at Patten in about 8 weeks, and then we will mail it to you. Please confirm this is the destination address

Next Plan:

As you may recall, I was enrolled at ENMU MBA program where I took 2 classes before holding off to address the GPA issue via Patten route. It appears Patten has spoiled me such that I am already beginning to shop for another competency-based masters degree where I can complete my program. I would have love to go the WGU route just for the fun of having a masters from a different school than my undergraduate, but they don't accept individuals who are residents outside certain parts of the world. According to WGU:

WGU is only accepting applications from individuals living in the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as from U.S. military personnel and their families at overseas installations. WGU Washington is also now accepting applications from Canadian residents in certain select geographic areas.Unfortunately, we have discovered that we cannot always guarantee that the educational experience for students living outside the United States will meet our high standards for quality and convenience...

This doesn't speak well of a school which claims to be "designed with students in mind—particularly, the busy, working, adult student who wants to earn a bachelor's or master's degree but for whom a traditional university education simply won't do." In an age where the internet technology and online remote proctoring services have helped made possible what once thought impossible, an online university should not hide behind the excuse of not being able to guarantee the educational experience of students living outside of the United States.

If asked whether with what I know now about Patten I will do it again, my answer is a YES!