Capella University Reviews

I started Capella directly after graduation from Ashford University with honors. I was told by the advisor this was the best school for psychology and they have the only school that can allow you to actually can sit for the boards. (not true).

I had high expectations and was fully prepared to be very busy with my school work. To my surprise there is NO structure to the online system. They allow each instructor to set the course anyway they see fit. You have to be on their time zone for assignments, which is just impossible to adhere to. If you live in another time zone you have to basically wear to watches and keep up with your life in two time zones. I never had to do this at Ashford and I do not have to do this in my current school.

They also have these writing labs that are included in the classes that you are required to attend, which is no problem however they rarely functioned properly, the instructors would change the meetings or not show up, and they were on the schedule of the instructor's time zone so it could be 4am or 10 pm for me at times. And I felt the writing labs were just remedial at most. If a student is in graduate school they should not be taking remedial writing classes on APA format !!! It was so boring I could barely take it.

The outlines in the classes were so vague I could not really understand what I was supposed to be doing and would have to ask the instructors what they were supposed to be. I think I am a pretty intelligent person but felt really stupid because I could not make any sense of the assignment. I was so frustrated during the time I was enrolled with this school that I developed stress related high blood pressure. It has since went away and I am back to normal.

I would dare to say at some point this school could develop a better system for the online distance learner but for my time at Capella I was never brought to believe that was ever going to happen. The school feels like they are doing it all right. However I have many emails with other students that were also having the same problems I was having with the outlines and assignments.

This school lacks structure and leadership.

I completed my Masters with Capella and finished my first year of my PhD program and very pleased with the school. If you apply yourself and read the APA Manual, you will be fine.

To give perspective. I am a 50 year old male, retired from the USAF after 23 years. I was an aircraft structural craftsman. I retired as a Senior Non Commissioned Officer with some college. I am currently a certified dog trainer and own two businesses. I have attended two previous schools and I am a 4.0 GPA at Capella. I have completed 12 courses at Capella.

Capella is no different than other schools in that some of the students you will find don't belong in any college.

As others have said, Capella is not a hold your hand kind of school, you will have to be self motivated and expect to read a lot. There aren't many lectures like there are in a brick and mortar. Instructors cannot see how hard you are trying, they only see what you provide for them. There are student help center and tutoring if you need it. When I have had trouble with instructors it seemed as if they were concerned about my point of view. Some of the instructors are much better than others. My physics instructor is certainly arrogant and provides canned copy paste answers, but that has not been my experience with most classes. That is true of any school.

I've had no trouble with my grants, they give a military discount, getting the money sent to me that should be sent or paying any debt.

What I can say after three years at Capella. I feel like I have learned a lot, but question my ability to apply it. I will not be pursuing an Masters at this time.

Counslors have been helpful. So, I wonder how some of these people have been treating the Capella staff they have dealt with. I would not be quick to help some one being biligerant myself.

Overall I had a very nice experience with Capella. Yes it is relatively expensive but that should be expected when youre trying to get a higher degree (the higher the degree, the higher the price of tuition it seems...). The classes were nicely formatted and were very much appropriate to the healthcare field; all of the topics were relevant and very beneficial to both my individual and professional development.

I've noticed some complaining about the quality of the education and the design of the online schooling/courserooms but I personally feel that Capella has met or exceeded my expectations. The courses were challenging and often required you to complete different forms of coursework (i.e. online presentations, group work, course readings, individual research, research field projects). Additionally, please note that as an online school you only get out of it what you put into it therefore you need to dedicate yourself to learning the material and engaging yourself with other students/the professors; if you decided to not put forth your best effort or fully participate in the courseroom activities than no you most definitely will not get what youre paying for.

Ultimately Capella provides you with a great opportunity to gain education and experience, and it can only be seen as a tool to better yourself.

I completed my MS degree in Informational Technology from Capella University in 2012. The coursework was engaging. The students were amazing. The instructors, for the most part, were very helpful. As with all schools, some were more helpful than others.

The only down side to the school was that it is a bit more expensive than other schools. I chose this school partially because my employer recommended it. I also was looking for a quality on-line school.

I averaged 20 hours per week for each course I completed. Each course was 10 weeks long. In order to succeed at Capella, you must have a strong support system both at work and at home.