Aspen University

Overall I had a pretty good experience with the entire program. I was able to take my time and truly go at my own pace. I completed each course successfully and every professor I had was prompt not only on grading but did answer me with 48 hour time period (kind of stunk for last minute questions but that’s what the open discussion board is for). It definitely did seem like a lot of papers and endless maybe even some useless PowerPoint assignments however most of the courses really did have clear... Read More objectives and the schools program does not really advertise a hands on experience. If you want to learn and be able to really take the time to understand the content to apply it to your role as a nurse in improving your work ethic, this course is for you. The weekly assignments are more than doable and yes they really focus on APA formatting but the update you with workshops and use cite machine as a citing source (just check capitalization before submitting assignment). Although I took my time as I have a now two year old and within the program a complicated pregnancy, I was able to graduate with a 4.0 and now have a new role as a nursing director. The final proctored exam is the only exam through the program and is extremely doable if you know the content and prepare based of their study guide. Super affordable was for me with monthly payment plans (my car payment is more!). Get to know your professors they are great sources and use your academic advisor (that’s what they are there for to help you succeed). Good luck to you no matter what path you decide to take!

Aspen University was an excellent choice for me because it met four main priorities: it was accredited, affordable, did not require campus attendance, and most of importantly, no work was expected on the Sabbath day of rest. I was also blessed to have excellent instructors and advisors throughout the program. The assignment instructions were clearly relayed, and were mostly graded in a timely manner. The few times assignments were not graded within the specified time frame, the instructors clearly... Read More communicated the reasons for the delay. The only significant glitch experienced in the program was during the transition from the physical Proctor to the online Proctor where the new system did not function as expected and presented barriers to successful completion of the final proctored exam. Otherwise, the experience overall was excellent and I am happy to have chosen Aspen University for pursuing my educational goals.

Aspen University is a good choice for students who are looking for a program that allows flexibility, yet is predictable enough that the student will be able to enter each new class with confidence. If you are a poor test-taker (like me), you may prefer this program (RN-BSN) because every class is assignment-based. There is only the 60 question final exam at the end of the program that essentially encapsulates all ten courses in the program. Challenging, but doable. I decided to take my time with... Read More my coursework and was able to accomplish many other things while still in the nursing program; world-travel, musical pursuits, getting married, having a child, working full-time, etc. and am grateful that I was able to still have a full personal life while simultaneously pursuing my BSN degree.

This program is ehhhh, not great. Too much busy work to actually learn anything. They really should post the requirements of the classes online so potential students can decided before they start if they’ll have enough time to make it work. Instead, they have you start the first class, which is a basic writing course, where you only write one paper throughout the entire course along with the weekly discussions. But then every class after that you can expect to write a weekly 2 page discussion post,... Read More plus another 2 pages responding to classmates, in addition to a PowerPoint or 4-7 page APA essay. It’s a lot of work if you’re employed and trying to do both. I wouldn’t really recommend this program to a friend even if they weren’t working.

I loved just about everything at Aspen. My Academic Adviser became one of my friends as they were someone I talked to the most during the whole program. The only department I had trouble with is the registrar's office. Getting a call back from them is impossible and when they did reply to my emails, the information was wrong or not helpful. The worst was when it came to my proctored exam. Thankfully my adviser was able to make sense of everything and help me out. But the education, advisory, professors... Read More are all top notch!

It took me a little over 2 years to get my BSN. Some instructors are better than others - some graded quickly, others graded at least 2 weeks after the assignment was submitted. Some instructors responded quickly to my email's and others, not so much. I can honestly say I didn't not learn much, if anything. You will spend lots of time writing papers using APA format (used PERRLA) and it wasn't until my last class that the instructor said I was doing it all wrong. She said the format that I was using... Read More was all wrong. Well thats funny, the last 9 other instructors thought my format was just fine. I forwarded her comments to PERRLA (who specializes in APA format) and they said she was wrong. At that point, I just did'nt care anymore and took the hit on loosing some points. I had another class that I had questions about and emailed the instructor. The instructor emailed me back and said she was not teaching the class. I had to call my counselor who looked into it and said, she was teaching the class. Two weeks later I got another email from this instructor who said, there was some confusion and she was teaching the class. Turns out, me and another 16 students were in a class, with no instructor. My biggest issue with Aspen was the proctored exam. They now require you download Proctor track which I had issues with. This company requires you give them assess to your computer. I have issues with this. I attempted to file an appeal with Apsen and was told I could however, it would take at least 30-45 days for somebody to hear my appeal - which was going to be denied. Forced to give this company assess to ALL my computer files, I took the proctor exam because I want to be done with Apsen. I then could not delete the program from my computer - I tried everything and I couldn't get it gone. I ended up taking my computer (Mac) to work and had our IT department get rid of it. They said the program was "hidden", thats why I couldn't find it. I give Aspen University a BIG FAT F on the exit exam and process.

This is my second attempt at a doctorate. My first attempt (over 20 years ago) was at a traditional face-to-face, publicly-funded university. I am a senior administrator at a community college and I really wanted a program that would catapult my career and deepen my leadership knowledge. Overall, so far, I would characterize my experience at Aspen as reasonably positive. I have found the overall structure of the program and more specifically the course content to be very helpful in terms of learning... Read More progression and its relevance to my work. It's not at all unusual for me to use something I have learned in my work or to share a course resource with a colleague. Anyone who suggests who suggests this is not a legitimate degree honestly doesn't know what they're talking about. I have found the course workload to be very demanding. I spend about 15 - 20 hours per week researching, reading, and then writing my discussion posts and a weekly paper. Every course has a culminating assignment in the last week (module) which can extend that workload by another 5 hours or so. In my first doctoral degree attempt, there was nowhere near this level of time commitment for any course. Typically there, we might write one paper (approximately 4,000 words) at the end of the course. At Aspen, I generally write a 2,000 word paper every week for every course - that's 16,000 words per course and that doesn't include discussion posts which add up to about another 1,000 words per week! While Aspen offers extreme flexibility in terms of start dates (every course has an intake every two weeks), once you start you have eight weeks to complete the eight modules. The modules are released weekly so you have limited ability to work ahead and you are penalized if your posts or assignments are late. You also cannot complete more than two courses concurrently. My second and biggest criticism is the relatively poor level of faculty engagement and the complete lack of formative assessments. Generally, faculty feedback is formulaic and not very constructive. I'm in the process of completing my ninth course and I have yet to have a professor provide me with any specific feedback related to the content of my writing. What you will get are generic comments like "well-done" or "great use of resources" or "be careful to use proper APA format." Discussion prompts are typically 'canned' questions. This is about as self-directed as it can get within a structured program. if you can function within that reality you will learn a lot an do well.

I am about to finish my BSN at Aspen. I have taken online classes at other universities, but I felt that Aspen does a better job. Each class is set up into doable modules which you work through one week at a time. There is a lot of material to work through though, so it does take work. Do not think that you can coast through the program because each class has discussions and some sort of major assignment such as a paper or Powerpoint presentation that will need to be done on a weekly basis. In nursing... Read More it has become increasingly important to have a bachelors degree, so I am glad that I chose this program. I expect that it is more work than attending a local school, it offers much more flexibility. Financially they have a monthly payment plan which I like, they were cheaper than other school that I considered, and they made an effort to reduce the financial burden of the degree. For example, they supplied me with even lower cost alternatives for completing credits. I already had a fair number of credits, so to get my degree I will need to finish 10 classes and then take the final examine. I am almost done, and I have been pleased with the experience.

Aspen University from day one was the perfect fit for me while working and going to school full-time. The advisors and all of the academic staff displayed professional attitudes. I was extremely nervous about this educational pursuit due to the fact that I had been out of school for well over 20 years. I had 10 classes to complete for my BSN. Each time I reached out to the professors for guidance I was amazed at how quickly I received feedback. I truly did not expect this type of assistance from... Read More on-line learning. At times the weeks were very challenging but I always felt the support of the instructors when needed. If you are looking for an on-line nursing program that will challenge you, while increasing your professional views and knowledge in the nursing environment, then Aspen University is for you. This comes with caring, knowledgeable and professional instructors that will hold you accountable for learning and expressing nursing in words, and yes that is at Aspen University. After completing all of my classes and starting the prep work for my proctored exam, I was assisted by the professional staff at the testing center at once again, Aspen University. I am so proud to be a graduate of Aspen University.

I was a little hesitant about starting a Master's degree because of the costs involved, but Aspen University offers a monthly payment plan that made the financial aspect manageable. That was the initial selling point. However, as I moved through the courses in the MSN program, I was impressed with the quality of work expected and challenged by my instructors to think critically and deeply analyze each question posed. I was able to apply what I learned throughout the program to my work and began to... Read More think and look at things differently. I would highly recommend Aspen's MSN program to any nurse looking to advance his or her education. Although it was more challenging at times than others, it is a journey I am glad to have taken.

Would NOT recommend this school. Instructors abide by their own set of rules, assignment requirements listed in multiple places within online classroom and all listed differently. Makes it hard to know what to follow. Advisors not at all helpful. If you contact the school/ instructors for any reason, you may not hear back at all. Assignments are graded late and you may or may not get feedback before the following assignment is due. All around poor institution. Would not choose aspen if I could go... Read More back and do it over again.

I would not recommend Aspen University, unless all you care about is getting a piece of paper. Each Professor gets to set their own rules, sometimes completely deviated from APA Format. Grades and feedback are often returned last minute or late, not allowing the student to review feedback before submitting the next assignment. Most professors take more than 48 hours to get back to you, if they get back to you at all. The assignments are poorly written and full of grammatical errors. Buyer beware.... Read More