Chatham University

I have only taken 3 courses so far but I can tell you that I have really had to advocate one way or another for myself in each class. The administrative staff is seriously lacking. Each student is assigned an "advisor" who is supposed to help you navigate through the online program. I rarely if ever receive the help I have requested from mine. I am supposed to be starting a class next week on June 28 and, despite repeated emails, have not been able to find out what the text material is so that I can buy it for the class. The teachers are definitely hit or miss. The misses will result in a healthy case of PTSD. I had to take a break after my last class because I was so frustrated. There are not many PWR programs out there for online students and so this may be the best of all possible evils, but know going in that it will be a perpetual exercise in inadequacy and frustration.

Living abroad, this has been an excellent way for me to work towards a master's degree in professional writing. Currently I have three more classes to go, and expect to graduate from Chahtam's program in August 2010. The program has definitely broadened my horizons and I feel that my writing has improved greatly. The difficulty of the coursework has been varied, but I would say that I have had to put in approximately 20+ hours of work each week to get my assignments done. The feedback on the assignments depends a lot on which teacher you have- many have been excellent, offering prompt replies and contributing to interesting online discussions. I can think of only two teachers who really disappointed me, but I still finished those two classes with the feeling that I had learned something. Would I do the program all over again? Yes, definitely. As a way to earn a master's degree online, you need to be committed to keeping on the ball with the assignments and discussions. However, since it reflects the way modern society runs, Chatham's online program is excellent training for the real world.

It's been a good experience. The biggest drawback is that the accelerated format of the classes made it difficult to delve deeply into subjects. Some of the professors I had were fantastic. Others were downright terrible and completely disinterested in the classes. However, I did learn a ton from the instructors who took time to be involved with the students. I started the degree in August of 2008 and will complete it in December, 2009. The classes weren't terribly difficult and if I had focused I could have earned my degree in under a year. I would recommend this program to people who want a solid foundation for improving their writing skills. I'm confident though that there are better programs which offer more bang for your buck.

I'm about half way through this degree program. I have been mostly happy thus far. The instructors are hit or miss, you have to do some research on them before deciding who to take a course with. I've had some that are great, very skilled and top-notch, and some that are not on the ball, un-organized and slow to respond. I have enjoyed what I've learned thus far and believe it will be useful in my career. Overall, I would recommend the program and university.

I have three courses yet to complete my degree. Overall, I found the faculty to be top-notch. Most are adjunct professors. However, I don't think that you would really want to have mainly PhD-types (who focus more on theory and academic writing) teaching this program. Most professors are professional journalists and writers with many years of experience writing for national publications (like Newsweek and The Economist). As a result, they bring practical insight into what an editor is looking for, as well as providing helpful career advice. The program also explores digital media and web design/development to help writers engage their target audience(s) more effectively, and to stay on top of current and future trends in writing. It is also great to take online education at a REAL university with a good reputation. The only real downside is that the courses are in seven week blocks and you don't always have time to cover all the topics and go into greater depth.

I just finished the introductory class (3 units worth) and I'm incredibly pleased with the material that was covered. The course work wasn't too challenging, but it really made me think about a lot of issues. Students generally take one course every seven weeks, so the classes seem to move along rather swiftly. Every single staff member I've interacted with has been professional, kind and more than willing to address any concerns I've had. I presently live in Asia and the people at Chatham have gone out of their way to make sure I got my textbooks on time, loans processed, and other issues taken care of. Although I've only completed one course with this university, I'm confident I made the right decision to pursue this master's degree.