Amberton University

[kevinmane]

I wanted to give an update on my Amberton University journey. My original thread has veered in all kinds of different paths thus a new thread. 

I have completed my first session. Each session is 10 weeks long with a 2-3ish week break between sessions. The University is closed on holidays and there are no assignments due on those days specified by the University which is a nice change. I previously had assignments due on the 4th of July and Thanksgiving at CSU Global and that was VERY challenging. 

I had 3 grad courses with 3 different professors. 3 courses is full time for grad degrees. We're now in the Summer Session and I have 3 classes again. For the Fall Session I am hoping the Dean will grant me permission to complete 4 grad courses so I can graduate in November. 

I found the grading to be very fair from each professor. Each professor is responsive when they are emailed or contact through Moodle. Some professors host weekly option Zoom meetings which have been interesting and helpful. They're a great time to ask questions and get an immediate response. Most are recorded so they can be watched later if you're unable to attend. We also know the Zoom meeting schedule at the beginning of the session. 

Amberton uses Moodle. It seems to be an older version of Moodle. So far I am finding this to be the only downside. I am just not a Moodle fan. It always feels dated compared to Canvas and Blackboard. Then again it's just a website where our assignments are displayed so it's not like we are using it to create a cure for cancer or something similar. 

The online library is awesome. Amberton does a great job with showing students how to access their digital library. There are YouTube videos for it as well. Professors share a wealth of info about the library at the beginning of the sessions as well. I don't think I've ever attended an online program with as much emphasis on the library as this school. When I attended an info session about the University the head librarian was part of the session which I've never experienced before. He was incredibly knowledgable about what online students need. There is a chat function that is available when the library is open and a librarian at the University responds. It's not a bot or someone overseas via a third party. It's someone physically in the library which is pretty amazing. 

Amberton is a Christian school. However, I have not had religion been an issue. It's not been brought up. Someone may say God Bless or talk about something happening in their church and how it relates to the topic of discussion but that's really it. Nothing like Charleston Southern University where I had to write papers on religion in every class. 

Every class does require textbooks. I've been using the Kindle version whenever possible so I can read wherever I go. Some classes do have a great deal of reading. Every class I've taken thus far has papers. Only 1 class has had an exam. That was brutal! Open book exams are not nearly as easy as they sound. 

Grading is interesting. An A is a 92 or above. So if you want that 4.0 you have to work for it and stay on top of the deadlines. Every class has deadlines every week. Some professors do not accept late assignments. Some do but with serious point reductions. 

10 weeks feels like the perfect length for a session. 15 weeks like a semester is sooooo long and drags on. 7-8 week sessions felt too short like you always had to cram in a ton to get courses done. 10 weeks feels like there's time to breath and it's not go go go rush rush rush. 

When I applied I was in the MS Agile Project Management degree. I have since changed majors to the MBA in Strategic Leadership. I will be sticking around and completing the MA in Professional Development because there's so many courses I'm interested in and the 60ish grad credits will help me with my future doctorate. Feel free to ask me about Amberton. I'm happy to share my experience.

Have you thought about getting/transferring 12 VESI graduate education credits (at $100/credit) to make up your last 12 credits to get the Professional Development MA now instead of later?