Amberton business programs

[kalishakti]

Did anyone complete any of the MBA programs with Amberton? There are a lot of things I like about Amberton (ability to transfer in courses, Southern regional accreditation, variety of specializations, culture of the institution, etc) but I am starting to think none of these things justify the higher cost.

[dfrecore]

Did anyone complete any of the MBA programs with Amberton? There are a lot of things I like about Amberton (ability to transfer in courses, Southern regional accreditation, variety of specializations, culture of the institution, etc) but I am starting to think none of these things justify the higher cost.

I would say that their prices are VERY reasonable at $265/cr. The only issue I would have is that you have to plan out your courses wisely, because they aren't all offered each term online. I do like that they have 10-week sessions, rather than 16-week semesters (I loathe semesters, I lose steam halfway through).

APU is $350/cr, and they have 8-week terms, which start more often. They are RA, but also have ACBSP accreditation which Amberton doesn't have. ENMU is $286/cr (if you take 2 or fewer courses each term), is semester-based, and also ACBSP-accredited. Both will let you transfer in a couple of courses from another ACBSP accredited school.

I would say that if you like the competency-based model, then it's certainly cheaper - but only if you can finish quickly. For myself, I would not finish quickly, so I would rather pay course-by-course for a more traditional program.

[kalishakti]

I would say that their prices are VERY reasonable at $265/cr. The only issue I would have is that you have to plan out your courses wisely, because they aren't all offered each term online. I do like that they have 10-week sessions, rather than 16-week semesters (I loathe semesters, I lose steam halfway through).

APU is $350/cr, and they have 8-week terms, which start more often. They are RA, but also have ACBSP accreditation which Amberton doesn't have. ENMU is $286/cr (if you take 2 or fewer courses each term), is semester-based, and also ACBSP-accredited. Both will let you transfer in a couple of courses from another ACBSP accredited school.

I would say that if you like the competency-based model, then it's certainly cheaper - but only if you can finish quickly. For myself, I would not finish quickly, so I would rather pay course-by-course for a more traditional program.

Thanks for the input. I do like the competency-based model, I was comparing the costs with other competency-based programs like WGU or Patten. I agree the prices are very reasonable compared to more traditional programs.

[bjcheung77]

Did anyone complete any of the MBA programs with Amberton? There are a lot of things I like about Amberton (ability to transfer in courses, Southern regional accreditation, variety of specializations, culture of the institution, etc) but I am starting to think none of these things justify the higher cost.

Thanks for the input. I do like the competency-based model, I was comparing the costs with other competency-based programs like WGU or Patten. I agree the prices are very reasonable compared to more traditional programs.

Patten is the cheapest option, however; just for slightly more, I recommend WGU over Patten because of the ability to network
(I mean just alone in the forums, there are more graduates from WGU than Patten), that will open doors in the future for you.
When I look at the price of Amberton's degree, it's actually a very inexpensive degree and a pretty well known provider.
I also looked at WGU, they are the pretty well known as well, it's not just a "check the box" Masters degree you'll be getting.

[Thorne]

Patten is the cheapest option, however; just for slightly more, I recommend WGU over Patten because of the ability to network
(I mean just alone in the forums, there are more graduates from WGU than Patten), that will open doors in the future for you.
When I look at the price of Amberton's degree, it's actually a very inexpensive degree and a pretty well known provider.
I also looked at WGU, they are the pretty well known as well, it's not just a "check the box" Masters degree you'll be getting.

I actually live within a few hours of Amberton, and some people here have heard about them. I was honestly contemplating picking up a Master of Arts in Professional Development degree from them using VESi (& maybe that Certell thing people are talking about). Get my feet wet in graduate studies and see if I really want to push for an MBA or MIS.

Though, admittedly, Patten looks really, really good. Even if it took 8 months, that cost and format (one paper and one test per class) is a drop in the bucket compared to the 100+ papers and $30k+ some people talk about.