University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Reviews

"Norman is a great place overall, the majority of the people are kind, and it has an overall small town feel. The professors in the chemistry program are awesome, and even the ones that seem a little scary at first are nice if you get to know them. The downsides of this program are that you have to pay student fees out of your stipend, and the water in Norman tastes funny."

"the pros are the great teachers and the availability. the cons are that the technology could be better and the social life is lacking."

"The program was restructured recently from Community Counseling to Professional Counseling, and that has left a little bit of ambiguity as to which classes will be needed going forward from semester to semester. I'm sure this is something that will be ironed out in the not-so-distant future, however. That being said, I have had nothing but positive experiences with the faculty and the course work and am immensely grateful for not only the opportunity to pursue my passion, but to do so in such a supportive, understanding and knowledgeable atmosphere."

"The school is in a relatively conservative area of the country, lending toward a more homogenous student body with little racial and ethnic variation."

"Pros: Awesome university, great campus. With MOST other colleges in the university, I've heard very few complaints. Cons: College of Education is inefficient. In the 5 years there, 4 different advisers, and an interim dean. No consistency or reliability. Class credits and credit requirements are constantly changing, screwing students and their wallets over. Student teaching MUST be done through the Grad college, forcing students to enroll and pay Grad school hours for very little support. College of Education program is just terrible - I wish I went to UCO, I would have gotten more support for my money (and have had to take out less loans)."

"Pros: a wide variety of course options and a great network of professors willing to help you pursue your goals."

"The University of Oklahoma is full of opportunities and connections. The assistantship opportunities are wonderful here. The atmosphere is extremely inviting and supportive. Overall, I feel that I have gained a lot of valuable experience in my field."

"It's a pretty good program but a lot of the program is vague. I can understand the professors wanting us to think and create for ourselves but we get things wrong that we weren't told we could or could not do. It's kind of a new program (revamped) and it's still not up to scratch. Also we are coupled with the third year bachelor of architecture program so it's distracting to have class when we're not all doing the same thing."

"The University of Oklahoma's graduate program is, in a word, enviable. From start to finish this university is a resource. Staff and faculty go above and beyond to make sure that each student is able to get the most out of their graduate experience. This is enhanced by the ability to obtain graduate assistantships that increase the value of the education experience as well as allowing many students to afford their time here. While every program needs improvement, such as the University of Oklahoma's class availability, this one continues to improve and strives to reach higher goals. Overall the University of Oklahoma is a commendable institution."

"OU is considered the best school in the country for piano performance and pedagogy. As a reflection of that reputation, there are many positive aspects of the program. The greatest strength of the university is the amount of financial aid they are able to offer students. I held an assistantship which paid for my schooling and gave me a sizable stipend for living expenses every month. In addition to graduate assistantships, there are also a plethora of scholarships available. The rich funding opportunities at OU greatly ease the financial burden of attending graduate school. Additionally, being a prestigious program also allowed for valuable networking opportunities. There were many important performers and pedagogues that visited the school regularly to meet with students and share their expertise. Along with networking opportunities, the school as a whole is also very strong academically. In these areas, the piano program at OU is a top notch program. However, there are many aspects to that should be improved. First, the workload for the assistantship is way too demanding. Graduate assistants in other departments will make the same amount for much less work. In most every case, the piano assistantships require more than 30 hours of work a week. The second biggest issue with the program is the faculty. As a whole, they are not supportive and only care about their own success and reputation. One example of this lack of support happened at graduation where none of the faculty went to graduation to support and hood the graduating doctoral students. However, despite it's downfalls, OU is a great place to pursue the doctorate in piano performance and pedagogy degree."

"Great experience; brilliant faculty; difficult to keep up with workload and work full time."

"The program is competitive, but everyone is for each other. We work together and are coached by the faculty. The accessibility of the faculty and connections has been incredible."

"Fantastic and accessible faculty, great community and exceptional value for your money. OU will only to continue to grow in prestige and value."

"The program is not too rigorous so that students are still able to work and provide a living for themselves without going further into debt than is absolutely necessary. Faculty are friendly and always available to assist students. Environment is just, overall, friendly."

"Generally cohesive faculty with strong theoretical as well as thematic research foci. The university as a whole is very supportive of graduate student life and research. It is big enough to demonstrate to PhD students the demands of a professor working in an R-1 research university but also small enough to encourage the one-on-one faculty mentor relationships so valued at liberal arts colleges."

"I am a first year graduate student at the University of Oklahoma. I greatly enjoy my classes at OU. The professors are very helpful and kind. They are well-prepared for class and are always happy to help me when I go see them during their office hours. Unfortunately at OU, there are not very many scholarships for graduate students, other than teaching assistant ships, and their fees are quite high. This can be a financial struggle for students on a limited income. I have always felt very safe on campus. They have a great network of alert services to let all students know about emergencies on campus."

"Although there are definitely some downsides to this program if you plan on continuing to a PhD program, it's pretty good for practitioners."

"The best part of the Department of Communication at the University of Oklahoma is the uncompromising academic rigor. The faculty are dedicated to producing top tier researchers and university instructors. Every class challenges and stretches the student. The main "con" of being here is that Oklahoma is landlocked. I'm from a coastal state, and the ocean is so far away now. However, the quality of education is well worth the distance from a beach."

"University of Oklahoma is a great place to study and continue your education. With many programs to choose from, a small town to grow in, and many opportunities to network and advance your career."

"This is a really great school. However, the negatives involve Financial Aid and the lack of benefits provided to those who have moved to Oklahoma for work and will be attending OU while working."