Aspen University Reviews of Master's in Nursing

When in a Masters Class the expectation from the student is higher... before I started my course I prepared myself and true enough my MSN in Education is challenging. I learned so much and was able to put my learning into practice/application. I have fellow nurses who completed their MSN in a school in classroom setting and I am proud to say that what I learned is not included in their course. My course will prepare me to be an awesome Nurse Educator of the future. Most of all Dr. B. and my advisor... Read More J. provided me with great support. I recommend Aspen University. Its affordable as well.

I completed another online program for my BSN and the difference is noticeable. If you are looking for an easy A then Aspen is not for you. There were a few times when I didn't agree with my grades, but I have always been able to talk to a professor or my assigned counselor Jessica. Jessica helped me throughout my two and a half years journey. She always responded and she always found an answer and a solution that benefited me! I feel prepared to lead as a result of the hard work I put in at Aspen.... Read More If you are ready to learn, Aspen is the place for you!

I would have to say from my experience I would definitely recommend Aspen University for those seeking to advance their nursing degree. I did my RN to MSN nurse education in 16 months. They have very flexible start times and a very user friendly website. They accept your course from other schools no matter how old they are. The instructors are very helpful and work with students in every way possible to help the succeed. Aspen university is CCNE accredited which allowed me to transfer to another... Read More school to pursue my nurse practitioner degree.

I started at AU in 2009. Left for personal reasons, came back in 2016 to finish up and graduated w a Masters in Nursing Education. Now...their cost cannot be beaten. They have a payment plan, but I paid cash so I don't know details of it. Professors: are AMAZING! ZERO FREE A's here kids! If you want a degree handed to you for payment alone, don't come here. You WILL WORK HARD for every single point. That is the way AU is growing their name and great reputation for excellence in education. Every professor... Read More repsponded to me within 1-2 days by email and cell phone. All of them gave me their personal cells to contact them anytime, within reason, that means no 2am calls, for those less less fortunate :) the director of nursing at the masters level is the BEST professor I've ever been exposed to. Having a masters, that's means a LOT OF PROFESSORS! Like I said, be prepared to work HARD for that A, or don't, for less. Administration is not very good to deal with. They are slow, and hide behind rules despite common sense. However, you NEVER get all three: fast, cheap, and good...EVER! So decide what's important to u. If you can't live without one of the three...choose Aspen! Good luck In your endeavors and may you find what you seek in life, love, and friends.

Pros: Aspen University is affordable and has a convenient payment plan. Accredited by the CCNE. The admissions representative was helpful. Cons: Aspen University seems to have grown too quickly. I used to recommend Aspen University to colleagues but am no longer able to do so. It takes several emails and telephone calls to receive responses from academic advisors. Course faculty will take days to respond to emails (if they respond at all). Some faculty take 3-4 weeks to grade discussion threads and... Read More assignments. The lack of prompt feedback makes knowing one's progress in a course difficult. This is even more frustrating given courses are now only 8 weeks long. In the majority of classes, faculty just assign a numeric grade without providing written feedback regarding strengths and weaknesses of submitted work. The Aspen MSN program requires students to complete a portfolio. The program handbook, courses and program discussion threads all describe portfolio requirements differently. I sent two emails to the program director requesting clarification. To this date, I have yet to receive any response. Curriculum is not innovative and involves a significant amount of "busy work". Each nursing course at Aspen typically requires the answering of two discussion threads (with additional responses to classmates' posts) and a 6-10 page paper each week. The papers are usually based on 2-3 questions listed in each week's module. Students are also assigned textbook readings. The discussion threads are ineffective at meeting course outcomes and in most courses, lack any facilitation by faculty. I can say with certainty, that the weekly papers have NOT been valuable in my education. The lack of varying instructional and assessment means is disappointing. I believe that facilitated discussions and 2-3 major papers/presentations each course would be more valuable/effective. Courses are clearly template driven and some appear to have not been updated in many years. I would bet that the coursework I am completing today is the same coursework that students completed years ago. For example, links in classes are often broken, the wrong documents are frequently uploaded into courses, course resources are outdated, etc. The Aspen MSN program is clearly based on getting the most number of students in the program. Aspen University should devote more time to ensuring their program is current, innovative and encourages a welcoming and engaging learning environment. While there are exceptions, the majority of faculty seem cold and distant. I truly feel as if I am just a number. There is little to no effort made to build any type of community within the classes. This is probably based on the lack of interaction with faculty and the limited course-related feedback. I completed my BSN online at another university and always felt supported and challenged. I often feel alone in the classes. If I weren't as far as I am in the MSN program, I would look for a different program. Aspen's MSN program clearly has opportunity for improvement. I would encourage Aspen to consider revamping their courses. With a few small changes, the program could be a great program!