Duquesne University Reviews

  • 58 Reviews
  • Pittsburgh (PA)
  • Annual Tuition: $45,376
74% of 58 students said this degree improved their career prospects
79% of 58 students said they would recommend this school to others
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Student & Graduate Reviews

Awful disorganization and lack of empathy
  • Reviewed: 8/6/2023
  • Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Psychiatric-Mental Health)
"I had requested on several occasions and was not offered any additional resources. We experienced a death in the family and they were less than empathetic. Horrible catholic university. Requests to meet with program director and instructor were ignored."
Tom Johnson
  • Reviewed: 5/2/2023
  • Degree: Nursing
"If you excel at paying an exorbitant amount of money for self-taught learning and useless busy work then this is the school for you! Honestly one of the biggest wastes of time I have partaken in my life. My professor…YouTube. The education system as a whole is so flawed. This university and its professors offered me nothing except busy work and unfair tests. I am deeply embarrassed for this nursing school and my status as alumni."
Truth-EDRN
  • Reviewed: 10/19/2022
  • Degree: Nurse Practitioner (NP)
"Avoid this school like it's the plague! I wouldn't even suggest this even for my worst enemy because of the emotional anguish I have experienced no one should. I mainly chose this school because it was recommended by my Dean of nursing from my ASN and BSN. It is not worth the stress you will have. They market saying you can work while doing this which is a lie- maybe casual at most. You teach yourself, and there are no clear answers provided by the professors when asking questions from the exams because it's considered cheating. No test reviews and you can't discuss the test because it's cheating- how can you know what to fix if you're not allowed to ask where you went wrong? You have to find your clinical sites and preceptors, and you have to do special steps with UPMC or AHN, or else you are threatened with being kicked out for failing to follow protocol. Go to St. Francis if you're in a high UPMC place- they have an agreement with them!"
truth
  • Reviewed: 10/19/2022
  • Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Family)
"Do not go here for the FNP program. I am very disappointed, to say the least. You teach yourself pretty much everything. I have failed a course once, and I had to withdraw from another course because I missed the mark by 1 question. No test review exists because you may cheat, even though I offered to drive two hours for an in-person test review. Still no. You are better off going to St. Francis if you want to stay in-state."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 2/26/2022
  • Degree: Chemistry
"Avoid this place, especially the graduate school for sciences. There are no actual standards for advancing in the program. They change them every year and then if you bring up concerns with moving the goalposts they gaslight you and tell you that you're actually the problem and not their unclear course manual (which changes every year instead of normal ones that remain constant) or their passive aggressive "advice". You are told to be greatful for a cost of living adjustment (if you get one) and additional proctoring/teaching duties because they refuse to pay adjuncts enough to keep them on. Also, don't expect any students you teach to be held to anything. They'll push anyone through the school. I've seen kids pass that outright failed every exam due to rediculous curves and even if they never turned in any lab reports. There were students in senior level labs that couldn't do basic dilutions and would cry if you didn't spell out methods for them step by step and prep things for them. Deadlines for them were suggestions at best. If you're a grad student they are concrete...unless you are in certain labs that are treated like royalty and you can do no wrong. There's no standards, no prestige, and everyone is miserable. Avoid at all costs."
Calli
  • Reviewed: 11/5/2019
  • Degree: Psychology
"Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit was the best institution for me to possible be able to attend for my undergraduate career. Residence Life made me feel like my concerns were met and my academic advisors and professors, along with tutoring services made me feel like I could achieve any goal that I set for myself. Professors were always willing to set up meeting to discuss papers who exams, and staff members were flexible and made sure that I knew they were there to help me."
Cassandra
  • Reviewed: 6/29/2019
"I enjoyed my time at Duquesne due to the quality of instruction provided, location of the campus, and opportunities provided to me. Duquesne allowed me to grow as a future educator and professors were always available and encouraging. The small class sizes were beneficial to me and my future career. You get the feel of being in the city but are also secluded while on campus. Since the campus is smaller, everything is close by and walks to class are not time-consuming. Duquesne prepared me for my career and had me in a variety of schools throughout my time there."
Calli Palmer
  • Reviewed: 6/28/2019
  • Degree: Psychology
"I absolutely loved attending Duquesne University. Though Duquesne is a religious, private institution, it is a very warm and welcoming place. I always felt like even though I was not Catholic, it did not matter. I also met some of the best people I have ever known and found a love and respect for higher education which then pushed me onto a path to pursue higher education for my own career. The staff, faculty and administration are all extremely nice and want to see students succeed. If you are looking for a university in a city that has plenty of things to do and allows you to be in the heart of it all, this is the perfect place to be."
Jared Bonawitz
  • Reviewed: 6/26/2019
  • Degree: Information Systems
"Duquesne is a great school, with very challenging curriculum. Pittsburgh is a very popular area for health sciences and business majors, providing many opportunities for internships and post graduate employment. One thing to note is the tuition. It is quite high, but the upside is 95% of the people I graduated with had a job secured before our graduation date. The companies in the area have high respect for Duquesne and actively recruit from the school. The health sciences programs (nursing, PT, OT, and pharmacy) are top notch, so be prepared for extremely hard classes. I graduated from the business school, and can attest that the classes were challenging, but very rewarding. The culture of the campus is based on the catholic religion, so a lot of your general education classes will have a focus on it. It is just something you have to be okay with if you choose to attend a catholic school. Regarding diversity, I will say it is not a very diverse campus. However, the education I received outweighed the student debt I took on. Pittsburgh is a great city, too, and is a good option for young people to explore. I wouldn't consider it a major city like Boston, Chicago. and New York, but that is what makes it a great place to branch out. It still has the city vibe, but is also a very family oriented and overall safe city to be in. There are always sporting events, concerts, and endless breweries and restaurants to visit. Because it is a smaller school, I got much more 1 on 1 time with my professors. I majored in IT, so many of my classes were really challenging due to the learning curve from high school to college. However, I have actually used what I learned in my job now, which is not something you hear everyone say."
Tara Shipe
  • Reviewed: 6/20/2019
"Duquesne University School of Nursing provided me with a great deal of knowledge and opportunities. Duquesne University is in the heart of Pittsburgh and has incredible clinical opportunities. UPMC is a world renowned health care network and is ranked one of the best hospitals in the United States. They work on ground breaking research, procedures and technology to enhance the care that we provide our patients. It was an honor to have clinical at these facilities and work side by side with those providing this care. Besides clinical, students are taught by highly educated staff members, many who have obtained their masters and/or doctorate degrees. They have an immense amount of insight in various areas on nursing and they provide students with this knowledge. They expect students to work hard to achieve their goals, but they work just as hard with them. Professors are available if students have any questions or concerns and are always willing to help. Although my graduating class was a large class, professors got to know each and every one of us. This ensured that we would not slip through the cracks. This also aided in the relationships that students had with each other. We were a very tight knit group, who still keep in touch to this day. This enable us to work together in order to succeed. Duquesne University is an amazing university and I would highly recommend to anyone."
Professor Peej
  • Reviewed: 5/29/2019
  • Degree: Nursing
"Duquesne talks a great game but unfortunately doesn't deliver. Looking specifically for a doctoral program that focused on Nursing education I applied. They state they have a concentration in nursing ed and forensic nursing but it turns out that they really don't. And you have to arrange all of your own clinical experiences? Really a huge disadvantage! Tuition is very high and with the recent reorganization things are a bit muddled. Withdrew my app at my earliest convenience and have NO regrets. Choose carefully. The name isn't what it used to be."
Kathy
  • Reviewed: 12/10/2018
  • Degree: Physician Assistant
"I cannot say enough negative things about the PA program here. The ENTIRE class said the only competent professor is A. - every other professor is completely clueless. The program director is always MIA and unapproachable when she is around. The staff is catty, epitomize passive aggressiveness, unwilling to help when help is requested. So catty, they did exit interviews and everyone was too afraid to voice their actual opinions for fear we would not be able to graduate. A. is the only one that actually taught us and EVERYTHING else was self-taught. The staff is just unqualified and none of them even practice anymore. Totally unorganized. They literally added on another rotation a month before graduation that was mandatory to graduate. Half of their rotations were a complete waste of time, but they kept them because they couldnt get anything else. Yet when we tried to get our own rotations (only to attempt to improve our own learning experience), they yelled at us. Every day I wish I went somewhere else."
Monica
  • Reviewed: 4/19/2018
  • Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Family)
"My decision to attend Duquesne University was by far the worst decision of my life. The first year of the program was wonderful, however, they experienced a leadership change that has desimmated the ability of the school to provide a quality education. If you are looking to spend a lot of money and be left to educate yourself, find clinical sites without assistance (which most of them are deemed unacceptable by the professors) and work with a faculty that is engaged in making your student experience exceptionally awful, then Duquesne is the place for you!"
Anastasia Geonnotti
  • Reviewed: 3/31/2018
  • Degree: Early Childhood Education
"Duquesne University is an amazing opportunity for education. While I attended school there, I was invested in learning and the teachers were fully invested in teaching. This was something that was very important for me because I am dedicated to learning how to become an amazing teacher. I was a student in the Undergraduate School of Education and within my time there I learned so much about myself, the school and teaching. Being a student there was amazing because the opportunities were endless. I would recommend any student to look at this university if they are dedicated to learning and being apart of an amazing campus. The school as a whole has so much energy and life. There are endless ways to be involved and countless opportunities to learn more about so many things. Duquesne University taught me so much about myself. Any student will be happy with their decision to go there!"
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 9/1/2017
  • Degree: Biomedical Sciences
"Good first year experience with classes, became more difficult as I progressed into doing only research"
Erika
  • Reviewed: 6/2/2017
  • Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Family)
"Not really recommended at least until they become more prominent in the area. They are in the middle of a huge health system and because they do NOT have any good relationship, it is extremely difficult to set up contracts once the school is mentioned. Even offices 4+ hours away have no good comments on the school. they are EXTREMELY disorganized, their on-campus is a JOKE (no skills, just clustered chaos). The instructors are very unorganized, they do not hold them to the standards of the students, they are very inconsistent. Look elsewhere! You are only paying for the name and the "catholic" (only they aren't considered religious enough to reap the benefits as an employer as being a "religious institution") tuition is extremely outrageous for the rushed, unorganized and non valuable 'education""
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 5/22/2017
  • Degree: Mathematics
"Attendinf Duquesne University was an amazing experience. The professors were excited and helpful. My classmates were quality individuals."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 5/22/2017
  • Degree: Accounting
"Duquesne University was a wonderful school for accounting. The professors were dedicated and resourceful, and the classes prepared me for the CPA Exam."
Anonymous
  • Reviewed: 5/22/2017
  • Degree: History
"This was definitely a program where you get out what you put in. In other words, it's a program where students can coast through, but as a result end up with a superficial and cursory education. But there are resources for students who want to branch out from or delve deeper into the course offerings, and that will maximize the value of the degree."
Jocelyn
  • Reviewed: 3/31/2017
  • Degree: Education
"Duquesne University offers a unique experience as it is located just outside of downtown Pittsburgh. You get the city life, without having to actually live in the city. The university has recently put energy into reviving and renovating campus dorms and the dining experience. Everyone is able to experience the updated dorms, as the university has worked on freshman, sophomore, and upperclassmen living centers. Not only is Duquesne providing students with better living and eating areas, it offers a plethora of academic opportunities. As an Education major, studying abroad was never on my radar. That is until I realized Duquesne offered Spring Break Aways and student teaching abroad. Most education majors cannot study abroad without having to take an extra semester, Duquesne allowed me to study abroad without having to take an extra semester. Amazing location, renovated living spaces for all classes, and unique opportunities make Duquesne a fantastic choice."