Capella University Reviews of Doctorates in Psychology

"Capella is not transparent. When there is a problem you receive absolutely no help. They hire some people that are not qualified to teach. There is administration is careless, uneducated and unhelpful. I received my masters degree in psychology and started my doctorate, but now I am switching departments, because I have already spent a lot of money in the doctoral degree in psychology. I could not be more unhappy!"

"I completed my Masters and PhD at Capella. It is a great school. My professors were helpful and professional. My mentor during the dissertation process was awesome! The residencies helped me to lay the foundation for my dissertation. It also provided me the opportunity to get to know some of my favorite professors. I completed my PhD in 3.5 years. I highly recommend Capella to others!"

"Capella us a RIP off. I finished the courses for the PhD in 1 1/2 years. I spent the next 2+ years trying to pass the dissertation phase. Also I think they should prepare students at the beginning of the program focusing on the dissertation. The residencies is a waste of time with no help in the process. Each Prodfedor has their own way of completing the format or editing. Then you have to start all over again. Then they change it again. I maxed out of loans. And so far paying 16,000 out of pocket. I do not encourage anyone to do this program."

"Caveat emptor (Buyer beware!) I received my Master's Degree in I/O Psychology from Capella and was encouraged to gain a General Psych PhD from them as well. I pursued the PhD in General Psych and was bored to death, tons of Statistics classes. I wanted more education so joined the I/O Psych doctoral program. Great classes. I was a presidential awarded student every single semester obtaining honor role status. My dissertation topic was a struggle as it was geared towards a qualitative design that I convinced could be a quantitative design. The founder of Appreciative Inquiry was intrigued with my effort and wanted to see the study completed. At some point, I was assigned a new mentor who disagreed with my design and failed my efforts in two semesters meaning I was kicked out of the program. I had requested a mentor change after realizing this woman and I did not connect on any dimensional level (mental, emotional or spiritual). She was a "NO" person! I also lost my academic advisor my first summer into the program and was never reassigned. Literally, my 100K+ in student loans will NOT be allowed to complete the degree. I am scratching my head wondering what happened. This woman literally was allowed to side swipe me no matter how much arguing I persisted with. It's as if the University has a "terminator" for firing maxed out students. They didn't know whether I had outside investment dollars to complete my education. Don't let this happen to you. I'm in debt and will complete my PhD elsewhere. Capella has grown too large too fast and the systems are breaking down from the pressure. Integrity has vanished from the moral fabric of the University. I normally do not write negative reviews, but this time something highly unusual occurred and the future PhD student needs to be cautious and aware. If you're assigned the "terminator" mentor all I can say is you were warned."

"Capella University is the best helping students and future learners to achieve their goals and dreams beyond what a student can think. The curriculum and courses are set to achieve the desired knowledge that you wanted. The professors, staff, and academic advisers are helpful and supportive in everything the student needs. They will work on your time. You will never want to stop learning. I graduated my master's degree in Psychology 2016, but I did not stop since I know it is doable in this University to continue my education in the Doctoral Program. I am in my dissertation phase now and doctoral candidate. I will never be going to achieve this success without proper help and support from our dedicated professsor. I am proud to be CAPELLA STUDENT! For those future learners that want to achieve their dream come and be Capella alumni."

"Capella University performed a formidable job recruiting me and promising a PhD in General Psychology within two years. Furthermore, they did an excellent job exhausting more than $100,000.00 of my Student Loans and in the end, using the excuse that I did not pass a Comprehensive Exam that they encouraged me to enroll three times to retake, they performed an Administrative Withdrawal. Within the four years spent at Capella, my doctoral level performance seemed superior, until I reached the COMPS-DISSERTATION phase. In the end, after thorough investigation, I, along 53 other learners in similar situation, discovered that during those years, prior to 2013, they did not meet the requirements to offer a PhD in Psychology nor did they have the appropriate statues in place, according to the Minnesota Higher Education Affairs. In all, Capella University is a scam and they certainly are the best in utilizing a switch and bait system to entertain you, and in the end withdraw you, making you feel like a failure, most certainly leaving you with thousands in student loan debt and without a degree."

"I wanted to wait until after I completed my program to write this review, but am confident I can give a fair assesment without having achieved my final milestones. I work in higher education at an online college, and I have earned other degrees at various online colleges. If you put forth minimal effort, that is what will show in your grade; online college is not for everyone. I chose Capella because at the PhD level they were slightly more affordable and they were regionally accredited, which is important to me. From their admissions rep, to advisors and financial aid, everyone was extremely accessible and I found thier SIS to be very user-friendly. Thier coursework was challenging, the instructors were experienced and knowledgeable and the coursework was reasonable for the degree program. The dissertation residencies were brutal, specifically the coursework leading up to it! But when I got to dissertation, I was totally prepared! I would highly recommend this college to others. In online education, it exceeded my standards. I am proud to say I attended this college and I look forward to graduating with my PhD this year (4 years after I began)!"

"This is my second degree with Capella College. I recieved my Master's degree in Human Behavior in 2017. The courses fit the degree and the instructors were very insightful. My experience with Capella was great which allowed me to advance my skills and knowledge as well as return to complete my PhD with them."

"This school is a poor choice. The instructors do NOT teach. You ask questions and they say read the syllabus or the book. They do not give you clear directions. And when you have an issue you get bounced around and no one ever helps you find any resolution. Sooo dissatisfied. This experience has cost me a lot of money (over 150k and still going) and even more anxiety and stress."

"One of the best decisions I have made! After much research and evaluation of institutions which were willing to adjust to my busy schedule, but also with knowledgeable professors as well. Capella has proven to be the institution I have validated was an accurate choice. After completing my doctorate degree I felt that my professional career as a Business Coach has exponentially grown (intellectually and financially) and I have acquired a level of competency to service well organizations and C-level leaders. Thank you Capella."

"I attended Capella University because of time and convenience of distant learning. I have done both brick and mortar and distant learning as a student as well as a professor. My preference is distant learning. it is more intimate between the student and the professor. I have sat in b&m classes and the instructor never knew my name outside of being on a class roster. In each distant learning course I had contact, email, postings and telephone calls as well as Skype with my professors. Capella is the same accreditation as any brick and mortar school. Many b&m use distant learning in their course work as well. The quality of my education based on the Capella format I will compare to any other school. I'm proud of my degree and never feel any reservation about stating where I attended my doctoral program. If you go into this with the idea "I pay my money and I expect a degree" you are fooling yourself. This is a tough, rigorous, ethical, academic degree. You will only get out of it what you are putting in."

"I was looking for a program that allowed me flexibility, but that also challenged me. Capella University has done both. I feel have gained valuable information on my program and would definitely recommend it to individuals that are initiators. Magdalena"

"The PhD in I/O Psychology I earned at Capella University has served me very well. I went to a land based Masters Program so know what a graduate program should look like. It was extremely difficult. I was held to high standards by all teachers but especially by my mentor and dissertation committee which included a Harvard grad. I am mystified that people don't calculate the cost of their program until they are well into it. If you want to be handed a degree this is not the place but if you want well-qualified teachers who grade according to appropriate standards for doctoral candidates then consider this school."

"I enrolled at Capella University in June of 1999. I Graduated in 2004, and I am extremely happy that I was able to find professional growth. This academic institution will work only for those that are willing to put in hard work, and are dedicated to become an erudite scholar. Thank you for the opportunity!"

"Excellent academic institution (Hybrid Ph.D.). The best College Experience! In the Summer, I attended classes at North Western University, and Augsburg University. Capella University worked closely with these academic institutions, so that we could use their facilities, and me and my graduate classmates had the opportunity to dorm on campus. Capella University at the Graduate level is Hybrid, and yes you need to go to Minnesota! I strongly recommend this academic institution. There are many All but Dissertation (ABD) students, because they have failed to put in the hard work. If you decide to enroll, be ready to earn your degree. The grade, or the degree will not be given to you. In one occasion, I had an F in one of my courses, and I took it again. Do the work! putting in the time, learn, and prosper! Currently, I worked for the U.S. Government, and I teach as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Psychology. I have accomplished my academic goals, and professional endeavors thanks to this Academic Institution: Capella University AKA The Graduate School of America. Thank you for changing my life."

"CAPELLA UNIVERSITY was a great college exp. This Academic Institution was my vehicle for upward mobility. IT is fully accredited, and my diploma, transcripts have been accepted by other academic institutions, State Board of Psychology in California, and government institutions. Currently employed with a U.S. Govt. Thanks to all of my professors. Vivamus mi literatum and Semper Peterum!"

"From the first time I called Capella to the commencement, I only have positive comments. Capella was very challenging, yet staff and faculty cherished our successes. They were highly supportive from the beginning to the end. I can honestly say that I had the best academic experience at Capella. Very organized, challenging, creative, and supportive!"

"Capella University offers a rigorous psychology program. The program is comparable to other institutions with appropriate regional accreditation. The program could be greatly enhanced by obtaining the APA program accreditation. This accreditation speaks volumes in the industry. Faculty are extremely knowledgeable practitioners who share their experience in the classroom to enhance the students' experiences. I found the faculty to be quite helpful in guiding me through the course material and Capella expectations. Another area of improvement could be financial aid. Capella's financial aid consists only of student loans and a few in-house scholarships. It would be helpful if they had access to other scholarships to assist students in securing additional financial aid. Tuition is also a bit pricey."

"I am in the process of completing my PhD, just finalizing the dissertation. I've taken a lot of time lately to read through reviews of the university, and on the whole I am disappointed by the negative feedback. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so here is mine. I've been working on my PhD since 2010. I've plugged away steadily at it, class by class. I've had great, engaged professors, and I've had ones that were less than inspiring. I've made amazing friends (and met several in person) and I've also muddled my way through discussion posts with terrible grammar and obvious plagiarism. I have never once had a problem with financial aid, communication, or the administration. Not to say that there haven't been bad situations out there, but that has not been my experience. And it's not like the last six years have been stable. I changed jobs twice. I adopted my son. I got divorced and I got remarried. I relocated halfway across the country. I've managed my coursework from planes, hotels, on vacation, from my desk and from my kitchen table. Capella has been there through it all - making me better, pushing me past my limits, and helping me achieve a goal I set for myself when I was 10 years old. This is a university. It's an institution. You can approach it from the mindset that you should get what you pay for and play the blame game when it's not exactly what you expect, or you can step up and recognize that they are holding you accountable to a commitment you've made to yourself. You are expected to work. You are expected to have your act together. But they are willing to help you if you need it. Take negative experiences with a grain of salt. Everyone's experience is different, and nothing is perfect. Online learning is the only way I could be a doctor today, and I am immeasurably grateful for the experience."

"This degree was much tougher than my Masters from an Ivy-like brick and mortar university. The professors were generally great and very attentive to their students. I got a lot of guidance in writing my dissertation and in the research required to do so. The only downside is that they are not yet APA accredited. I did not use financial aid and paid for my degree myself so I cannot comment on the hoops required for this process."