CBE Masters in IT Management from South College

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, how did you get 18K from Bachelors to Doctorate? I believe you mean, from the Masters to Doctorate... Let's do a quick calculation: Pretend we can finish UMPI BLS for $1500 in 1 session, plus the South College MSIT also in 1 session of $6,000, then finish the DBA in 2 sessions for $12,000. The minimum would be 19,500 plus whatever extra fees are needed to get you to that finish line. That's a very inexpensive route to go, heck, you can probably throw in the UMPI AALS as a freebie and have an Associates all the way to Doctorate for roughly $20K flat...

[Pats20]

Hmm, how did you get 18K from Bachelors to Doctorate?  I believe you mean, from the Masters to Doctorate... Let's do a quick calculation:  Pretend we can finish UMPI BLS for $1500 in 1 session, plus the South College MSIT also in 1 session of $6,000, then finish the DBA in 2 sessions for $12,000.  The minimum would be 19,500 plus whatever extra fees are needed to get you to that finish line.  That's a very inexpensive route to go, heck, you can probably throw in the UMPI AALS as a freebie and have an Associates all the way to Doctorate for roughly $20K flat...

That’s roughly a 2 year time frame.  Wow. Can you imagine completing an associates degree through doctorate in 2 years. That’s what I would call “movin!” 

[EverSpinning]

I did receive official literature about the IT Management Masters as well as word from one of the counselors. The assessment structure is identical to their Doctoral programs: Each course has 3-5 "summative assessments" which are major graded papers or projects, and several "formative assessments" which are informal evaluations by your 1:1 mentor to determine your progress toward that next summative assessment and whether you're ready to move to it. The class structure consists of nine courses, each 5 quarter hours, for a total of 45 quarter hours. You have access to the first two courses from the beginning and unlock the others one at a time:

1. INT 5010: Data Management
2. INT 5020: Network Architecture
3. INT 5100: IT Project Management
4. INT 5131: System Analysis and Design
5. INT 5140: Risk Analysis
6. MBA 5111: Business Organization and Management
7. MBA 5421: Leadership and Innovation
8. CST 5900: Research Methods
9. INT 5910: IT Capstone Project

I've decided to pass on the program and instead do my MBA in Cybersecurity Management from Touro University Worldwide, but I hope this gives good information to those considering different programs.

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Oh, one more thing. The counselor did say that Dr. Patrick, who oversees all CBE programs at South, anticipates that most students will complete the program "within 6-18 months" so long as they are fully motivated, which he defined as 10-15 hours per week.

To apply for the program, you would complete the general admissions application to the Knoxville campus.

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I expressed my interest in the program and expect to get some kind of official response from that Masters program soon. I'll report here when I do. The cost was not included in the original informational e-mail, but since the remainder of the term can be used toward their Doctoral programs (EdD and DBA), I must assume that the $6k per 6 months will be the same for the Masters program.
I have spoken over the phone to representatives for the Doctoral programs. Both those conversations and the most recent informational e-mail indicate that the college *has* had students complete the Doctoral program in less than 12 months, putting it at $12k for a full RA Doctorate for high performers. The average, they indicate, is 18-24 months.
So this is potentially a road from Bachelor to Doctorate in 18 months for $18k. I wish this (and the fast tracks to the Bachelor's degree) were available when I came out of high school!

As a South DBA student, I can verify what you posted about the doctoral programs.

It's important to note that the CBE MSITM program hasn't launched yet, so it is not known how the assessments will be shaped, so completion in a single term, while probably possible, will need to be proven.

Regarding tuition, there is a $1000 per term discount for the doctoral programs if you work in higher education that may apply to the CBE MSITM.  While not applicable for the doctoral programs, there was a $1000 per term discount for military-affiliated students, and it's possible that will carry over to the CBE MSITM program.  Also, don't forget the $295 per term fee when calculating tuition.

The information I received indicated 3-5 Summative Assessments for each of the nine courses. Is that on par with what you've encountered in their DBA courses?

[DrMacLeod]

The information I received indicated 3-5 Summative Assessments for each of the nine courses. Is that on par with what you've encountered in their DBA courses?

For the DBA, typically, there are five summative assessments at the end of each competency module, and each assessment can have multiple deliveries.  Prior to accessing a summative assessment, you must complete all of the formative assessments for that competency module.  I believe I have seen anywhere from two to five in a module.  So one course could have ten formatives and five summatives, each with a single deliverable, whereas another course could have 20 formatives and five summatives, each with three deliverables. It's really tough to gauge the amount of work required because the assessments vary in what is required.  One could be a short statement or personal reflection, another could be a multi-page paper.  They can also be very open-ended.  The rubrics aren't as direct as they were at WGU.  If you're an overthinker like me, it can be tough to rein it in and call it good.

[EverSpinning]

The information I received indicated 3-5 Summative Assessments for each of the nine courses. Is that on par with what you've encountered in their DBA courses?

For the DBA, typically, there are five summative assessments at the end of each competency module, and each assessment can have multiple deliveries.  Prior to accessing a summative assessment, you must complete all of the formative assessments for that competency module.  I believe I have seen anywhere from two to five in a module.  So one course could have ten formatives and five summatives, each with a single deliverable, whereas another course could have 20 formatives and five summatives, each with three deliverables. It's really tough to gauge the amount of work required because the assessments vary in what is required.  One could be a short statement or personal reflection, another could be a multi-page paper.  They can also be very open-ended.  The rubrics aren't as direct as they were at WGU.  If you're an overthinker like me, it can be tough to rein it in and call it good.

Thanks. Good to know. I'll definitely keep them in mind if I can't get into the PhD program I'm trying for.