University of the Southwest Reviews

"I did a lot of research before choosing USW as my choice for my DBA degree. Of all the things I was looking for they met all the requirements. Going into my third semester I can honestly say they have not only met my expectations but at times have exceeded them. Even with a minor issue I had recently the university staff was helpful and resolved the issue to my satisfaction. Great school so far!!!!!!"

"I started the online doctorate program full of optimism and motivation. I talked to several people at the school administration office who assured me this was an interactive program with zoom calls and instructor participation. Well - I was lied to. By week 2 of my first class, I realized this was not the experience I wanted. The instructor was MIA for most of the course. They will respond to emailed questions but these classes are very boring. The focus is on word count and APA vs a challenging/rewarding student experience. You are paying tuition to teach yourself. The school will say that you learn by reading the books, having a weekly discussion with your peers and getting grades back with comments from the instructor. There is no cohort, no teamwork, no team assignments, no student association, minimal student support and no support for your dissertation until more than a year into the program. They have less than 10-graduates of their program. I fear these guys are only in it to make money. They do not care about the student experience at all. The academic advisor for the doctorate program was defensive when I voiced concerns. The faculty brushed it off as "this is way online education is. It is NOT this way at all institutions. At $800 credit hour, I expect to have an instructor who is present and actually instructs us on something. Is that too much to ask USW? Save your time and money and go somewhere else. USW is a joke.Read Less"

"As a third year student at the university of the southwest I must admit as hard as it is to pay for the tuition, room and board, and other "USW" fees it has been nothing short of unacceptable. The school receives money for the academic work the students put in yet, they don't physically see any reward from their efforts. The school has not been descent in sports consistently, yet the coaches are still brought back and remains under low expectations. The school overall, is way to expensive for the limited resources, poor living conditions, and high amount of low caliber professors and staff. I am an out of state student and I'm trying to figure out how and why this school hasn't see a change in culture, one word to sum up the last few years would be "WOW". The staff and website lead you on to believe that the institution is Christian lead and whole heartedly encouraged but unless your taking a required course, no Christian related activities are assigned.Read Less"

"The MBA program is solid. They offer no prerequisites and no GMAT or GRE. You just jump right in. They offered the first class free to me (I dont know if that is still the case). They also provided a lap top after I completed 6 hours and it was very nice. The courses are offered on an 8 week schedule (online). Each course is set up very similarly. You have 8 weeks with two assignments each week. One discussion and one written paper or problem sets (finance and accounting). The professors grade the work quickly. One area that I would like to see improvement is that the professors don't interact in the discussion board. You get grading comments about your answer and that is it. Otherwise, I have had good interactions with my classmates. The rigor is appropriate for an MBA. The books are included in the tuition and are linked into the courses. Overall the MBA is a quality program. I recommend it.Read Less"

"Excellent school the professor and staff is very helpful. The classes are very challenging but well worth it. I graduated with two graduates degrees one in law enforcement and corrections and the other one in finance. They are in the process of starting a doctorate of business administration and I can not wait. I highly recommend usw. I am a mustang for life."

"Great School and Great Staff. I have gained lifelong experiences by learning how to be on my own and networking with friends and other business owners. This is not for everyone though, if you need more guidance then this will appear tough at first. Plus professors are more open to your own ideas than what they would normally believe in."

"The faculty and staff at USW were always so knowledgeable and helpful when I had questions or needed help. I feel as though they generally went the extra mile to answer questions and to prepare me for my future career. I had a wonderful experience at this university, and I've already recommended it to friends and family!"

"This school was a huge disappointment. First, their mission statement states Christian values and beliefs; however, the material and worldview is extremely secular with a negative view towards Christianity in the three classes that I took. I am in my fourth class now. The professors are very unorganized. The quizzes for 3 of my classes had questions on them that weren't even in the material that was being tested. I contacted the professor and he admitted that they were questions from other chapters and asked me to look through the book to see if I could find them. I ended up going on the internet for some. Also, in one class, I would be graded differently for different assignments. It seemed that an assistant may have been helping grade and didn't have the same grading criteria as the professor. I received A's in all my classes, but the time spent was not beneficial to learning and very inconsistent. Because I want a faith based education and want to attend a professional university, I plan to transfer to Liberty University after this class. I do not recommend this school!Read Less"

"The pros of the graduate program is that you can finish the program in two years or less. The cons of the program is just the price per course is a little high."

"Some of the pros of this program are that the teachers are very helpful and supportive. They are very interactive and great on feedback. Some of the cons are that it is 100% online and it is very expensive even with loans and financial aid I still have to pay out of pocket."

"This is not a good school to attend...they are very slow about getting things done. When you ask them too,  they want something from you. They expect you to get it done right then. In the financial department, they only have one person working on things that need to be done right away and when she decides to take a vacation, she leave for 2 weeks and no one else is there to help. The attitude of the staff is also terrible...I thought it was an Christian school but it is really not....If you can help please decide to look at other schools before you go there.Read Less"

"The pros of the program is captured by being easily accessible online. Further, the cons is not having the direct physical contact with the instructor."

"One of the cons of my graduate program is that it is pretty strict with regards to your grades. For example, you can only get 1 C in your entire program, which is a lot of pressure to maintain all A's and B's in your classes. But, with that said, one of the pros is that the professors are very supportive and they want you to succeed. They make themselves available to you through email, and I have even had a teacher give the class her cell phone number. If you communicate with them they can make accommodations if you need it. They are there to help you and that's exactly what they do.Read Less"

"Excellent school. Instructors are quick to respond and very interactive in their discussions. They are amazing and I am so happy to have found this school."

"I had a wonderful educational experience during my time as a student with the University of the Southwest. My professors prepared me quite well for my career."

"Great accessibility for coursework, programs have rigor and value to degree program. There are technology issues. Professors not as responsive on a timely basis."

"I love the ability to do what I want and study where I want. I would like there to be more financial Aid from the school besides student loans."

"I attend graduate school online. This is the second online program I've completed and I know that this form of education can be somewhat isolating. It's hard to feel part of the campus and "college experience" when you aren't meeting with classmates, interacting, etc. The staff and faculty at USW understand this far better than any program I've seen before. I was assigned an academic advisor, a retention specialist and a financial aid counselor. Any questions I have, I give to my team. They are FANTASTIC about communication? No phone tag, no unanswered emails. I have a question, I call... and they answer the phone. Sounds minor, but believe me: it is revolutionary. They know I'm busy with school, but they will send emails just to check in -- how are classes? Do I have any questions? Need help finding textbooks? I simply love this school and the SUPPORT I get. I thrive on feedback (especially in my program [Counseling], it's essential that I get it) and my professors have been attentive, constructive and knowledgeable. Some are better than others, sure, but they've all been collaborative and prompt with responses. I am happy to recommend my program to anyone interested in pursuing a 100% distance learning Masters of Counseling.Read Less"

"The mental health counseling program at University of the Southwest is filled with courses that challenge me to want to learn all aspects related to counseling and obtaining licensure. The program provides rigorous work which challenges me to go above and beyond your typical program standards."

"USW is a Private College so the affordablility should take that into consideration. Overall, however, I have never dealt with staff or faculty that was easier to get into contact with to deal with any situation that needed attention. They are open and accessible and made me feel welcome from the first moment that I requested information."