Columbus State University

This program is advertised to be suitable for students to continue working full time. What should be advertised is that the school will do next to absolutely nothing to work with your schedule if you continue to work full time. Tests must be taken on specific dates, within specific hours despite everything being online and "asynchronous". There are no online lectures. The professors pull their powerpoints from those provided with the textbook and leave you to do 100% of the learning on your own.... Read More Clinicals are entirely outsourced, and don't expect any help from the faculty in finding a location. Oh and when there is a global pandemic, that is not a good excuse for not having your clinical site lined up. The majority of staff is seemingly only there to enter a grade for you. When you have questions, don't expect them to be answered for days to weeks. Overall, this is a low quality program that minimally assists it's students. You get what you pay for.

The most absolute worst program I have ever entered into. The instructors do not teach! The weeks powerpoints are from the book, no actual lesson plan is attached. Then they throw heavily weighted exams every few weeks to destroy your grade. The assignments along the way are pointless but extremely time consuming and end up only counting for 3% of your grade. The clinical course has busy work assignments as well. I WOULD NEVER RECCOMEND THIS PROGRAM TO EVEN MY WORST ENEMY!!! IF I hadn't put so much... Read More money into this program I would quit and go somewhere else.

The instructors do not interact in the courses in the FNP program. How is it again that they teach the students? Exams are limited on specific dates in 2-4 hour timeframes through online proctoring during the middle of the day (when you need to work or complete precepting hours). They have connectivity issues with their servers, so plan on getting booted out multiple times during the exams with very slowly connection on timed tests! Their solution, sit closer to the router when taking the test???... Read More Many pointless assignments without any learning attached to them. They do not help find preceptors. You will beg door to door for preceptors and might have to sit out one or more semesters if you do not find someone. Financial aid is a complete joke. Do not depending on them to help you. The director is also arrogant and will not help students or change policies to allow for better student learning.

I attended CSU for my MSN/FNP. I had a great experience. I graduated with a 4.0 while working every weekend, obtaining my clinical hours, completing my assignments, being a law enforcement wife, and being a mom to 3 school age children. It was a challenge to maintain a school/work/life balance, but that is to be expected with any full time masters program. I learned a lot and feel that I received a good education for my next step in my career. Instructors were available and helpful. As with the trend... Read More with all FNP programs nowadays, it would be great if there were contracted clincal placements and students didn't have to arrange them themselves, but again this is a nation wide problem. Overall I feel like the program was excellent.

Honestly, I would not recommend anyone go through this program. The courses are applicable to your teaching development and you learn a lot. Some of the positives are that most of the professors care about the students and they understand that most of the students are working professionals. Unfortunately, your graduation from the program is dependent upon whether you pass a 100 question multiple choice exam with at least an 80. Most of the students in this program are already certified teachers,... Read More meaning we passed several GACE examinations to show the state we are knowledgeable in the field of special education. However, this is the most difficult test I have ever taken, having taken it several times and being a point or few points away every time. I made A's in nearly all of my courses, yet these courses still did not prepare me for this exit exam. I am having to pay back student loans that I took out hoping would lead me to receiving a step increase/pay raise. Instead, I am caught in this seemingly endless cycle of paying technology fees and student loans without making any more money. Then retake a multiple choice test every semester. with a maximum of two attempts per semester. There is no feedback on what you should study or what you have gotten wrong, it's almost as if the coordinator of the program constructs the test without the input of the professors teaching the courses. The folks in this program are special education teachers, trying to improve their professional skills and make a little more money in a profession that is overworked and under compensated. This program sells dreams and only gets its students further into debt and a seemingly endless cycle of pay more fees and retest.