Aspen University

This was my first online learning experience and I was surprised at how much I've learned during this program. Instructors are approachable and encouraging. The online availability was the reason I chose Aspen. The flexibility allowed me to work full-time while completing my degree. Another bonus is that they will finance with no interest. This is unheard of in Canada where I live. I am very satisfied with my overall experience and recommend anyone else who is thinking about advancing their education... Read More to enroll with Aspen University.

Aspen University has allowed me to pursue my lifelong journey of education in nursing by enabling me to complete online courses at a time that worked for me to obtain my MSN in administration and leadership. An MSN was a benchmark for excellence and my personal growth, as I can now pursue other jobs that value my competence. My practicum and capstone experience faculty members challenged me to be the change agent, step outside my comfort zone, and use the skills and knowledge acquired to create innovations... Read More for our practice and someday transfer this wisdom by mentoring others. The cost allowed me to obtain my MSN where other schools would not have been an option at my stage in my career; Aspen provided an affordable payment plan! Aspen prepares the grad nurses of the future.

I started this program about 2 months before the Covid 19 pandemic, and I just completed it. I took off quite a bit of time in-between. Everyone was so accommodating. This was such a great program, it got me back to writing papers, something I hadn't done in over 25 years, since that's the last time I was in school. The instructors were great, and a few were a little tough, but it all paid off. My least favourite subject was research and I dropped that class twice before completing it and getting... Read More an A. The instructor was amazing. I was able to use a lot of what was going on in the pandemic during my program as well. I have to say if they offered a FNP program, this would have been my choice in school. However they do not, but my goal is to return and do the DNP program.

I got both my Bachelor's and Master's in Addiction Psychology from Aspen University. Overall, my experience was good with most professors being knowledgeable and kind. Furthermore, Aspen charges substantially less than other colleges allowing a student to get a degree, even a Master's, and not be drowning in debt. My issue with the program was the final proctored exam for my Master's. All other proctored exams were either done at a local college or during Covid they were online with a Word document,... Read More a timer, and questions for essays you couldn't see until you started the timer. My last proctored exam, however, was done online like the others except it was in a simple format like a comment box for an Amazon review. No way to change headings, have correct headers, no font change for size or style, no double space, no options at all in fact, yet they wanted full APA format. Copy pasting from Word didn't work either it would paste but wouldn't keep the correct format and looked all scrambled. I went back and forth with the college leadership on what to do with promises it would be fixed but nothing was changed. I asked why not go back to using a Word document but they claimed with a Word document the time limit could be manipulated or you could have another person write it for you. I argued that was an absurd excuse because you could still type it beforehand or have another write it for you and paste it into the box so what would be the difference besides actually being able to use APA format? No dice, these people were adamant on using the simplest window box for a final proctored test on a darn Master's degree like I was simply leaving a review for an electric pencil sharpener! Eventually, using the spacebar and enter key I got double spacing and indents close and the headers centered enough that I passed on my 3rd try. I also had to pay for the 2nd and 3rd attempt out of pocket. The experience with the higher ups while trying to get this issue resolved was terrible. I was kind and patient for months and it got me nowhere. The people I talked to were rude and not helpful in the least. In one instance they gave me a contact email for help, and it was the email of the instructor that graded my previous test which they then scolded me for because it was unethical to contact the grading instructor! They gave me that email and I had no way of knowing it was for the instructor who graded my test. Absolutely horrific experience at the end of my Master's which is why I do not recommend this school.

Don't bother. The DNP degree is a joke. We do a "project" as though we are third grade science fair entrants (which is not the fault of Aspen, rather, that is the idiocy of the AACN). However, the IRB requires hack "projects." Anything with any type of originality is shot down immediately. Also, unless you are affiliated with a corporation, you don't have a chance to obtain your degree. The DNP through Aspen is solely unpaid quality improvement (and weak, at that!) for your employer. Go the PhD route,... Read More not the DNP route. The DNP degree is useless, actual education or learning is discouraged.