Emporia State University

I'm a recent graduate of the online master's of accountancy program. I noticed several recent, poor reviews of ESU and thought I would chime in. I received a job offer from one of the Big 4 accounting firms as a result of my enrollment at ESU. I was recruited by one of their campus recruiters for an accounting job with a Big 4 firm, which is a highly desirable outcome for an accounting student. I paid less than $11,000 for the entire degree and I have the same salary and job as people who spent 3x... Read More plus on their degrees. ESU's business school is also AACSB accredited. I already had an accounting job before I enrolled in the master's program, but it was with a very small firm. There is no doubt I would not be working for a Big 4 firm had it not been for my degree from ESU.

Stay away. Yes, there is an allure to their inexpensive online programs but they are only interested in getting your money. 1- Admissions process was a disaster. I had several calls and emails, jotted down the name of who I spoke to, was still given different answers or directions each time I spoke with them. Also enrollment and admissions are two different entities apparently. Enrollment appears to be more "sales" oriented, eager to get you moving and trying to accommodate, while admissions is completely... Read More indifferent, moves at their own pace and is uninterested in helping you. Also, admissions and enrollment do not communicate, so they have you bounce back and forth like a ping pong ball. 2- Would not tell me how much financial aid I qualified for until I committed to a semester and paid. Never come across this before. 3- Start date was pushed back despite assurances they had all my paperwork and were "working on admissions decision". 4- Many programs advertised as 12 months, but impossible to complete in that timeframe due to courses only being offered during select times of year. Degree path i was sent 18 months minimum going full-time due to this. All this for a small school that is relatively unknown....I ultimately decided on another university to pursue my grad program.

Very poor experience so far. Instructors were not very experienced and seemed to blame the class for a lack of organization on their part. Instructors use poor text books that have incorrect logic and definitions included, yet if your deviate from the text to look up the correct definition, or even just use a definition that you have previously memorized, you may be accused of cheating. Any "out of the box" proofs were also suspected of cheating. My instructors have always told me my proofs were... Read More out of the box and it was something I was once proud of. In these classes I'm terrified that if my proofs are not normal I will be accused of cheating. The registration process is also, as another reviewer stated, a "disaster." I'm currently trying out another university but I may have to take more classes from Emporia. If I do and they are of a higher quality I will happily change my review.

Online Instruction quality was average no better than any other school, and I was at least able to get a degree. Admissions to the online program is an absolute disaster. Enrollment will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you to fill out and pay for an application. Enrollment assured me I would be able to start the summer after high school graduation, but ended up processing my High School Transcript late and would not let me start. Even worse, I had NO COMMUNICATION on this until the day... Read More before classes started. Calls to the school were always met with "someone will call you back". I was only able to get a straight answer by emailing a different department. This set me back a whole semester in terms of my graduation date, and made it tough for me to finish in my desired time-frame. Additionally, certain classes are only offered in specific semesters, the courses I desired to start with were not available during that semester and I had to jump into much harder courses.

I did not feel like just a number at Emporia State. I was able to build a relationship with my professors and classmates. The ratio of teachers to students is small and in this environment I was able to strive. I was able to ask questions frequently, get help every single day, and my teachers cared about me as a person. I was lost my first year and by being in Emporia I found my calling. Not only is the school amazing but the town is great once you make those connections. My experience at ESU was... Read More one I will remember my whole life.

I started my graduate program in 2011. What I enjoyed most about the program was that it allowed me to take classes at whatever pace I needed to do. I started off taking a course or two each semester and then sped up towards the end of my involvement in the program. One of the things I struggled with is the advising. Often, my advisors were not available or did not get back to me in a timely fashion. Communication from the school counseling program about deadlines and requirements was horrible--I... Read More often had to rush to meet deadlines for comp. exams or internship paperwork. At times, it appeared that I should just "know" this information. If you didn't ask, you didn't know. I learned most from co-students and when the professors were questioned, they often didn't know the answers (for program requirements). The website did not have deadlines put in there. The best example of this is the post-diploma internship. There is little to no information about it on the website and when I inquired (because a fellow graduate mentioned it who also had learned about it from another student), I received no answer. Despite the communication gaps and issues, I really enjoyed my years at ESU in the School Counseling. I went in with little to no experience in education. I feared that I wouldn't be accepted and teachers would resent my presence. I did not have that experience. I learned a lot about the education field as well as how to be a school counselor in an environment dominated by educators. My fellow students really formed a community and helped each other out. I know that I have others in the field that I feel comfortable reaching out to for support or knowledge. I am completely satisfied with my Master's degree and enjoy working as a School Counselor.