Amberton University

[ss20ts]

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.

[suzycupcake]

Thanks for sharing! This is really helpful!

---

Silly question because I have an open book exam to do this weekend.

Once you start it, can you save and go back in and finish or it’s an all at one time thing? TIA

[allvia]

Thanks for sharing! This is really helpful!

---

Silly question because I have an open book exam to do this weekend.

Once you start it, can you save and go back in and finish or it’s an all at one time thing?  TIA

In my personal experience on this it depends on the class, and the professor.  It is usually stated on the link page before you launch your exam.

[suzycupcake]

Thanks for sharing! This is really helpful!

---

Silly question because I have an open book exam to do this weekend.

Once you start it, can you save and go back in and finish or it’s an all at one time thing?  TIA

In my personal experience on this it depends on the class, and the professor.  It is usually stated on the link page before you launch your exam.

It’s the Ethics course with Jerry VanHamme that I think you took - it doesn’t say anything besides “start the exam” 

[allvia]

Thanks for sharing! This is really helpful!

---

Silly question because I have an open book exam to do this weekend.

Once you start it, can you save and go back in and finish or it’s an all at one time thing?  TIA

In my personal experience on this it depends on the class, and the professor.  It is usually stated on the link page before you launch your exam.

It’s the Ethics course with Jerry VanHamme that I think you took - it doesn’t say anything besides “start the exam” 

For that one I'm quite certain I recall it being a start and finish in one sitting.

[suzycupcake]

Thanks for sharing! This is really helpful!

---

Silly question because I have an open book exam to do this weekend.

Once you start it, can you save and go back in and finish or it’s an all at one time thing?  TIA

In my personal experience on this it depends on the class, and the professor.  It is usually stated on the link page before you launch your exam.

It’s the Ethics course with Jerry VanHamme that I think you took - it doesn’t say anything besides “start the exam” 

For that one I'm quite certain I recall it being a start and finish in one sitting.

Thanks for the response and message!

[Amberlinjeanne]

Did you transfer any grad credits ?

[ss20ts]

Did you transfer any grad credits ?

I transferred 6 grad credits from Charleston Southern University.

[bjcheung77]

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.

That's awesome, I love seeing how you're liking the course and the school as a whole and sharing that experience with us!  In regards to the grading, 92% for an A is common, most schools are 90-93+ for the A.  And I agree on the deadlines, time management...

Yes! 10 week courses are great as well, I also think the 7-8 weeks are a tad short, 10-12 weeks are best, 16 is just a tad long.  It all depends on personal preference but sometimes I get bored if the course drags too long and also feel rushed when it's short.

Ah, since you switched to that MBA option, your program will be ACBSP accredited as per https://www.amberton.edu/current-student...acbsp.html

[ss20ts]

That's awesome, I love seeing how you're liking the course and the school as a whole and sharing that experience with us!  In regards to the grading, 92% for an A is common, most schools are 90-93+ for the A.  And I agree on the deadlines, time management...

Yes! 10 week courses are great as well, I also think the 7-8 weeks are a tad short, 10-12 weeks are best, 16 is just a tad long.  It all depends on personal preference but sometimes I get bored if the course drags too long and also feel rushed when it's short.

Ah, since you switched to that MBA option, your program will be ACBSP accredited as per https://www.amberton.edu/current-student...acbsp.html

Amberton doesn't have + or - in the grading. It's a A or B. I can't get less than a B to remain in grad school. An A is a 92 or higher. A B is 82-91. This is definitely different than most schools. It's made me work harder to make sure I maintain a 93 or higher so I'm not on the border. There is no rounding either. 

I am definitely enjoying 10 week sessions. I feel like I have time to breathe! UMPI's sessions were about 7.5 weeks. They all started on a Monday unless it was a holiday and ended on a Friday. That last week was a hot mess with submitting Rough Drafts and waiting for professors to respond and getting that Final Assessment submitted on time. I never liked 15/16 week long semesters. They dragged on and on. If it was a class I wasn't interested in, it was like torture. LOL 

My original degree - MS Agile Project Management is also ACBSP accredited. The MBA didn't pigeonhole me into project management. It opens a lot more doors for me.