Grand Canyon University Reviews of Master's in Education

GCU's Masters Degree programs do not instill learning but rather instill arduous, meaningless busy work to try and change your learning style to match theirs. Every single class structure is the same... (2 discussion board posts with 3 replies to each discussion board that MUST be posted at least one day apart as well as one paper a week.... EVERY week) It reminds me of past elementary schools that educated students to become factory workers with their one way or the highway approach. The courses... Read More do not allow for creativity or divergent thoughts, just turning in work on time. For example, in one class, I submitted the entirely wrong assignment for the week and realized it a day later. Panicking, because it was worth 100 pts, I attempted to resubmit. After logging in I realized that my professor had not only graded it, but I received a 100, for a paper from an entirely different class, one year prior. It was then that I realized that GCU is not about furthering your knowledge and allowing for diverse thought, but rather providing their students with boring, regurgitated assignments that will only lead to imposed deadline syndrome. Enjoy.

If you are not a self-starter and not stay in contact with your advisor. You will be just a number if you fail to communicate. You as a student are paying for it, you have to build a relationship with GCU staff to communicate, it is like this any where else. Those who claim that they know of no one has completed a degree program, well I have. I have completed a Bachelors, and two Master's degrees, because I was self-motivated, did not make excuses as to what went wrong. Of course I some issues at... Read More GCU, but having open communications will help, no matter what school you attend. The people who complain are the ones that will not get anywhere and still not have at least one degree. People who complain needs to stop and start setting their goals and just do it, get your degree. Online is not for the complainers and those that are not self-starters or self-motivators. Learning online is much harder and some people except to be baby sit, and let the university do all the work for you. You want a degree and if you are serious about your education, just start and get it done, when its over, you have a degree you can apply on your resume.

I read some rough reviews for this school before I started and thought, "the staff can't be that bad." Well I should have listened. They are terrible at their job. They don't actually teach, they just grade things. And the advisors leave out all the pivotal information that is needed for you to start teaching. You only find out once they told you that you missed a deadline by a month...which they never actually told you there was a deadline, or a process. This school is a total joke. PLEASE attend... Read More any other university. This for-profit school just wants your money. The first people you talk to are great, then once you're in, the forget about you and you become $$$ in their eyes. STAY AWAY.

I choose GCU to obtain my graduate degree because of its Christian heritage and values. Majority of the online instructors are very knowledgeable, supportive, and very responsive to the needs of online students. As in any education endeavor, one must be invested and have realistic expectations. All my expectations were met. I also attended the graduation ceremony and had the opportunity to tour the campus. I did not use the financial resources offered by the school, and therefore, I cannot make any... Read More recommendations in that regard. There are a to of online resource and help, as well as the student advisor, which are all helpful throughout the entire process and duration of my studies. I would recommend this university to all students who are adult learners, and highly motivated.

I begin my career at GCU in August 2009. Everything started out pretty good no main complaints and no issues. It wasn't until I had a death in the family (my father) that I first started to notice that there was an issue. When my father died, my grades suffered but I was still in great academic standing. My Student Services Adviser SSA was out on maternity leave and her substitute called me and told me that "she didn't think I would be able to graduate on time because my GPA is not where she would... Read More have liked it" After getting that issue resolved, I proceeded to complete my Bachelors degree with a 3.0 average. When I decided to go back to further my education with my Graduate Degree, I naturally thought about going back to GCU. That turned out to be a big mistake and a huge waste of time and money. From the time I initially contacted them to let them know I wanted to come back as a Graduate student, my enrollment counselor asked me several times "and what school did you attend for your Bachelors" I kept telling her over and over that I went to GCU and that I graduated from GCU. Thinking no more of it, she helped me pick out my program and I began. It started off fine until my third class. In my third class, I realized that my scheduled class looked very familiar to a class I took in my undergrad. I contacted GCU and they said that "the classes are different because one is a Bachelors level and the other a Graduate level" They went on to say that I should "monitor the class because it is going to get deeper and more in depth". Needless to say, that never happened. I wound up using the same pages and papers that I used in my bachelors program for my Graduate program wasting over $2,100 dollars. I kept calling, emailing and reaching out to my adviser, her boss and his boss only to either get the same "its going to get deeper" response or in some cases no response at all. I finally decided to contact my Dean and expected an immediate response. She opted not to respond either. As a result I finally had to contact the Better Business Bureau and finally was able to get my money back. I say all that to say this... GCU looks good on paper but if you are a Bachelors student looking to forward your education at a GCU Graduate Program ensure that your adviser and enrollment counselor knows exactly what each other are doing. This experience has soured me on ever recommending or attending GCU ever again.

Do not waste your time with this university! I have spent 10 years studying online with various universities and this is by far the WORST! I was a 4.0 student when I started and had no real issues till it was time to start my practicum hours. Instructors are not on the same page when it comes to grading practicum paperwork nor is the university willing to work with you if any family emergencies or issues arise. I feel that they are all about the money as I have wasted $40K and have nothing - no degree... Read More or credits that are transferable. Advisers and staff are robots only there for the Money and have no emotions yet most instructors claim to be CHRISTIAN People. My advise as a grad student - do your research on each university you want to attend - this doesn't always help as most of the issues with GCU begain after I started in 2011.

I am very frustrated with GCU. There is NO support at all. The instructors take a lot time to answer your questions, and sometimes do not answer it before the deadline to post your assignments. The loudcloud is very weak. It doesn't have a spelling check, and the font is very small that you even can see your mistakes. It is just a busy work. I did not learn anything answering discussion questions and posting brochures and power points. The advisors are really unprofessional. They do not give you... Read More the support you deserve, but they are very nice during the enrollment. Advisors are very difficult to reach, they don't answer your questions or help you solve problems. Advisors most of the time just discuss finances with you, and it its all about "punish you with money." After I graduate, they sent to the district that I was applying an official transcript with "enrollment status", not "graduated status" and I lost the job I had applied. Took five weeks to me to receive my diploma after I finished my classes in June, but I had to pay it in March. You can't pick your classes or interests, that's all that interest to them. They say that they will accept credits from another colleges, but it is not the true. People are not polite with you on the phone, make you feel stupid, like you don't understand the rules, but there is efficiency in any thing. I would not recommend GCU to my enemy.

I am enrolled in a cohort with a group of women that I know well. There have been some issues as I am sure many students have and GCU has been involved in rectifying the issues. The Tempe campus however, feels much more distant than it should. I do not feel a part of the GCU community.The campus staff has not made students feel apart of GCU. It is quite expensive and I loved the idea of being an alumni, I just wish they would do more for the students off campus.To give you an idea of what I mean,... Read More our campus is a call center for GCU with a small number of classes. Parking is mainly for staff as is everything else. It also seems that they have had trouble securing relevant facilitators. Looks as if there is a strong need for educators in this field and I am willing and ready to fill that gap!