Aspen University

I just completed my RN to BSN program at Aspen University. The program is laid out in a standard format in the classroom. Each assigned professor may sometimes make minor changes to the requirements. Each week has a discussion, responses, and an assignment (paper, power point, etc.) which are all completely doable even while working full time. The first class is "how to write and format a paper 101". After that, all you have to do is change the content. This is extremely helpful for those of us who... Read More have had a larger gap in education. I took one class at a time so as not to stress myself out. You can overlap if you like or even take time off in between classes. The payment program is very straight forward and reasonable. I even got a discount because my husband is prior military. Some classes were more helpful/relevant than others in my opinion. Overall, I learned a lot from the program. Yes, it does require you to study on your own and be diligent, but I think that is the point of higher education. No, the professors do not spoon feed you information, but they are quick to respond to questions or concerns. The professors do teach multiple classes at one time so there were a few hiccups with that occasionally. Overall, I only had one or two minor issues during the entire program. I recommend this program to anyone and even got my best friend to start. She struggled with her ADN in a traditional classroom but has found this program easy to manage. She is only one class behind me and is doing really well. I feel that if you put in a standard amount of effort, you will pass the program with no issues.

I began my journey at Aspen University in May 2021 striving to obtain my BSN in Nursing. The entire program is very doable, and the professors are knowledgeable and very responsive. The program definitely encourages self-learning and makes sure proper time management is utilized. I continued working full time in a busy acute care hospital while juggling my personal responsibilities of caring for my wife and daughter all while attending the program. I learned a great deal about nursing theory, nursing... Read More research, and informatics that I did learn in my ASN program. I have gained so much knowledge and a much better understanding of the history as well as the future of nursing. The out-of-pocket payment plan is fair, and it is difficult to get so much bang for your buck at any other online program! Obtaining my BSN is a steppingstone for my future dream of becoming a nurse practitioner. Thanks to Aspen I will be starting my FNP program this fall (August 2022)! So thankful to the university and the great staff that made this possible!

This is an entirely online course, and if you just need a bachelor's degree and can handle a lot of writing, it's a course you can do. The course is completely self-learning. when I graduate, I will be thankful for Google instead of my professor. The professors here basically copy and paste the syllabus no matter what you ask. Although there are one-on-one advisors, they can't help you much. I still remember one of my courses, half of the people dropped out after the first week. This is not a good... Read More choice for the kind of person who needs guidance from your professor.

The RN to BSN online program basically has you teaching yourself as there is no class, just papers and PowerPoint assignments every week. The course is set up to make it easy to find your weekly module discussions and assignments. They have a library to use online to find journal articles for your assignments. This is a lot of work but i followed their "take 1 module at a time" advice. I work full time and have kids, but I made it work. The instructors are fair. I feel i learned a lot about the culture... Read More of the healthcare system. Im happy I completed the program. I am hoping to use my BSN degree for more nursing opportunities.

Aspen is a great school if you know what you're looking for. I wanted a DNP for the leadership and teaching opportunities it provides. I have finished all the coursework and am now in the DNP courses. The classes are tough and the content is very relevant. The instructors are responsive and you feel like you are important. You must meet deadlines and be self-motivated to be successful. There are many students who aren't ready to be online graduate students and then criticize the university for not... Read More meeting their needs. You see it everywhere in education. I have found in some online, open-access programs that allow weaker students in, and then when those students can't perform the students blame the university. I have been in 3 different online universities and have experienced this in all three. You don't get what you pay for, you get what you PUT INTO IT. Low-cost tuition doesn't mean low quality. Aspen does a great job and I am lucky to be halfway through. My employer respects them and it will definitely help my career goals.

Run for the hills. I would not recommend this institution to my worst enemy. After completing my prerequisites in the BSN pre-licensure program, Aspen University lost its credibility with the Arizona State Board of Nursing. The school claims to care about the well being of their students, but their actions speak otherwise. Administration is snarky and arrogant to their students who have suffered greatly due to the schools incompetence. The administration refuses to compensate students for the thousands... Read More of dollars wasted on an education that is respected nowhere. Some credits may transfer to another nationally accredited school, but no school will take them all. Therefore, I am stuck starting half way over, I’m out thousands of dollars, and have exhausted a significant portion of the states allowed financial aid. The school has taken no ownership for their failure, and has left their students out to dry. Please do your research, and do not consider Aspen University for your educational needs. You get what you pay for, and I now see why their tuition is half the price of other for profit nursing programs.

I received my BSN from Aspen and cannot say enough good things about it. I do not understand why it is nationally accredited because the course work was extremely hard and I earned my degree. I went on to get my MSN in Leadership and am now in the DNP program and very excited about having a Doctorate. I really can't say enough good things about this school. Online school gives you back the effort you put into it. My advisors have all been amazing and I have been able to advance my career and earning... Read More potential almost double. Always do your research, but Aspen is very transparent about being nationally accredited. They are CCNE accredited as well and I can vouch that your education is not subpar because of this. I love Aspen so much that I am going to get my 3rd degree from here and will tell anyone I can that Aspen is the way to go!

I had a great experience at Aspen, earning a MSN in education. There are complaints of it not being regionally accredited, however, the school lists it's accreditations, so it shouldn't be a surprise. The price is excellent, the flexibility of not being in a cohort and having multiple start dates of each class to choose from works really well. I liked that each class was structured the same. It made it much easier to move from class to class. For working full time and wanting to get a higher level... Read More of education without going into debt, this was a great program.

BUYER BEWARE: THIS IS NOT A REGIONALLY ACCREDITED SCHOOL. If you are truly only attending a BSN program because your goal is to fulfill the BSN requirement at your job, but you have zero aspirations to further your career, then Aspen is just fine. The price is great, the time commitment is reasonable, and I actually enjoyed my classes getting a little something from most of them. (You get out of it what you put in.) I was, however, naive and did not investigate further that this school is touted... Read More as "Nationally Accredited." Sounds like a good thing, right? Nope! There are nearly NO schools that will accept my degree as it is not from a *regionally* accredited program!! I came very close to needing to repeat my BSN entirely in order to carry on for my NP. Thankfully, I found one program that would take it, so I am currently halfway through my MSN at another school, but it is significantly subpar to the university I had hoped to attend. That school was all set to accept me- until they realized my BSN was from Aspen. Regulations wouldn't allow them to make any kind of exception. If there is any possible way you may one day like to pursue an MSN or PhD in any capacity, I would highly suggest that you steer clear of this program.

I am currently in my 1st year at Aspen, and am completing my pre-reqs. At first, I was extremely satisfied with my experience, I was being challenged, I was able to catch on to what I needed to do quickly. However, I am in my second term and am finding that there is no standard amongst classes. Every instructor has a different idea of what APA7 requirements are, which seems odd considering we utilize the APA7 book. One instructor marked me for using headings, as it “wasn’t APA”, while another marked... Read More me for not using them. One marked me for not using page or paragraph numbers in my references, where others never mentioned this requirement. Some will mark you for the slightest mistake, while others will appreciate the effort, address the mistake, but give you the deserved grade. Some will say that “Retrieved on (date)” in the reference is wrong and mark you on your entire essay for it, while others view it as correct. Some utilize the Thursday / Sunday discussion deadlines, while others are okay with your work as long as it is completed before the next module begins. These inconsistencies have left me confused on what is expected of me. Some won’t mark you for one of these “discrepancies” for weeks, and then randomly decide to mark you down for it. This makes getting a 100 on an assignment or DQ almost impossible in some classes. Another thing, is you are not informed that this is a year round school. I was under the impression that I would have at least holidays off (because who has time for school work on holidays?), however that is not the case. You take 2 classes for two months, and then another 2 classes for 2 months, back to back, before getting a 2 week break and the cycle begins again. I can tell you that it is a struggle to not only work but to also celebrate holidays when you have up to 4 DQs, 8 DQ replies, 2 quizzes, and two 1,500-2,700 word essays all due that week. They also don’t give you much extension on things when you are sick. I got covid, bronchitis, sinus infection and pneumonia. Was bed ridden sick, couldn’t stay awake, couldn’t do much of anything let alone think straight, and wasn’t given much wiggle room for completing assignments at a later date when I was better and able to think. I am currently in my second term, which means I have completed 4 classes and am now in the process of completing my 5th and 6th. I found that my first four classes were invigorating, kept me engaged and struck me with interest. These new classes however, have left me feeling like all I do is repetitive busy work, so my motivation to do it lacks. I have no interest in writing a 10 page double spaced essay describing 8 soft skill… it’s easy, it teaches me nothing new, and feels like a waste of my time which kills my motivation to do it at all. I find that though it allows me to work full time, it is not as easy as it sounds. Currently I am required to research and reply to 3 discussion questions a week (250 words each), reply to 6 of my classmates with referenced research (100 words each), and complete one or two 2,000 word essays or 20 slide PowerPoints (with a written script) all in a single week on top of working 40hrs a week. Completing all of this with work, is quite the struggle, and quite frankly leaves little to no wiggle room for a personal life. I think the cost is great, and the flexibility has potential, but it is certainly accelerated and has no tolerance for falling behind. Overall I think the school has a lot of potential, however I think there needs to be a standard of what is expected of us, rather than winging it and hoping for the best. I also think that they really need to stress that it is a year round school, that you won’t get time off for holidays or being sick. I was painted this pretty little picture of what to expect and it certainly has not met those expectations by any means.

I do not recommend this school or its MSN programs. I should have trusted my gut early in the program and left but the low cost kept me enrolled. The program was very "cookie cutter" and I did not feel that the instructors were utilized appropriately. I did complete 10 of the 12 required courses but could not find a preceptor for the practicum course due to lack of agreement between the organization and Aspen, lack of regional accreditation, and/or Covid restrictions. When I contacted the practicum... Read More coordinator (several times) I was told to "think outside the box" and "keep looking as we do not find placement for students." I was not looking for Aspen to find me placement but wanted the coordinator to be aware of my situation and delay in completing the program and to see if she had any other ideas. I continued my practicum preceptor search for at least eight months and exhausted all prospects due to the above reasons. I decided to cut my losses and leave the program and Aspen. I am currently enrolled in a university in Pennsylvania that is both nationally and regionally accredited. Do your due diligence prior to attending Aspen University - cost is not the only important aspect to consider when considering higher education. I have wasted two years and $$$$$$ in the process.

I am nearly finished with Aspen's Bachelors degree in Nursing and I would advise anyone who is interested to steer clear of it. Since I am nearly finished, it makes more sense financially to continue however, if I knew then what I know now I would not be at Aspen. The first 4 or 5 classes are nursing related and nursing focused, however, the last few classes are all about your computer skills. You can have your nursing information and knowledge on point but you will get a zero for all assignments... Read More if your computer skills are not spot on. It got to the point where I had to hire a computer tech just to help me get through certain assignments. Even if you go into management, as a BSN nurse, you will not have to possess half the computer skills that Aspen requires. My opinion is that this is something Aspen includes in the program to give an otherwise mediocre nursing program a level of difficulty to give the student a feeling that you are "working hard".