New FlexPath Doctorates from Capella

[sacredrain]

There is a current class action suit against Capella for (alleged) misrepresentation of how long it takes to finish a doctoral program.

https://capellauniversitylawsuit.com/
https://www.twincities.com/2019/05/08/ju...-students/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capella_Un...troversies

"He says a recruiter told him by email that “our typical learner will complete their PhD program in 3 years.” In fact, as Capella disclosed to the federal government in 2016, the average student takes 75 months to complete the program — more than twice as long."

Something to keep in mind - but it also doesn't mean your results would be the same.

I find that both the university and the student are at fault here. I have colleagues who have obtained their PhD's from Capella, both finished on time and had great experiences. At the same time, the university is at fault because they are more than likely admitting anyone to their doctorate programs, without any requirements. This means that you may get students who would never be able to complete a dissertation or undertake the level of research required for a PhD.

We have had similar complaints from students for our bachelors degrees to our masters degrees. For example we have a student in one of our accelerated bachelor programs, who is on year #5 and complaining that it is the university's fault why he has not been able to pass certain courses in the program. 

The university is a large public state supported university that offers bachelors to doctorate degrees. We have also had complaints from time to time about our master degree programs, where students are taking up to 3 years to complete them. This is rare but it happens. As for the university's doctorate programs, we require standardized testing, entrance essays, and references for both of them. These items do not necessarily guarantee doctorate course work capability, but it helps to weed out students who are capable of handling doctoral level work, from those who are incapable possibly.