UMass Global Reviews

"Biggest mistake to switch from the online university I was attending to try Brandman."

"I really enjoyed my time at Chapman (before it became Brandman). The quality of my education was excellent, since we were only asked to write things that would be useful to us. This was a radical departure from my State University experience. My instructors were actually practicing in their fields, which again made a world of difference in the quality of my instruction. I hear negative things about Brandman/Chapman, but this is from co-workers who never attended. I wanted an education about my field of work, and my experience at Chapman/Brandman was positive enough that I have enrolled in the Education Administration program that starts this week (01/07/2013). In addition, while it appears much more expensive, when you consider the time invested in terms of being able to make a paycheck, it's not that much more expensive. Yes, my MA has opened multiple doors for me and I earned a promotion that I wouldn't have had without the MA."

"The program is flexible for working students and the instructors are well qualified and extremely dedicated to providing maximum learning for the students."

"The graduate program is excellent. The professionalism of the staff and faculty is fantastic. The understanding of that many students are working adults makes for a comfortable environment."

"I am a full-time Liberal Studies student with an emphasis in Culture & Media Studies and must say that Brandman offers a wonderful program that works you to the very end. I love everything about intercultural communication and the ways in which the media plays a role in our lives. This program focuses heavily on reading real-world articles (past and current) and stories that directly relate to how communication affects our everyday lives. I have found the information that I've acquired through the courses to be both informative and fascinating. I enjoy learning the material. It is very clear that Brandman faculty design their individual courses to go hand-in-hand with other courses that students in the Culture & Media major may be studying concurrently. The program requires a lot of reading and writing. Expect at least three papers a week, including two discussion posts minimum, and maybe a few exams here and there if you are a full-time student taking two 8-week courses. When I first came to Brandman, I enrolled in their Psychology program, which was more discussions and online exams. Every program is different and I think faculty tries to translate the material in the best way that they can for online learners. Writing may seem easy, but it's essential to the workforce. Many employees today can't even think critically. You'll be worked to think to the top of your intelligence. I learned a lot from both programs and enjoyed every minute of it.As far as workload goes, I do feel that as a full-time student you will be given a lot of work. Not sure if this is the best for adult students who have full-time jobs, but I've learned to adjust my schedule to make it work. The financial aid department is difficult at times and I've had issues with loans, but it has never conflicted with my education. I've also never attended a university (on-campus as well) where I haven't had issues with financial aid. Stay on top of them and make sure that your issue is solved, don't expect them to do it for you. My math class was whack. That was pretty much it, though. 4.5/5 for Brandman."

"Since Brandman is part of the Chapman University system, the education and instructors are very good. The curriculum is challenging and overall has helped me with my career. I was looking for a school where I could attend classes in person or online, while still working full time. Brandman University was great in addressing my needs and would recommend it."

"I have a BA in Psychology, and I am going for my Master in Organizational Leadership. I only recommend this school if you are very independent! The instructors are really hit and miss, but most know their material well. I will say that I like the online better than then on campus, because the online courses are pretty straight forward and organized a little better. The advisors are not very good, and some of the instructors seem very busy, so just try to figure things out on your own. While this school is no Harvard, it is a part of the Chapman University system and many of my teachers were from UCLA, UC Irvine, Chapman, ect… So I feel like I am getting a decent deal for the money. To be clear: this school is for the purpose of getting a job, not for people who want the college experience! Like me, this school is perfect to learn the basics to get into a new career field. This is a perfect alternative to Devry, Phoinex, ect.. This school has decent brand name recognition and the instructors are really much better than other online schools. Additionally, this school is non-profit and never had any problems with their accreditation (WASC) for the past 50 years, which many for-profit schools have such as Troy University, Grand Canyon, Agrosy, ect.."

"I have taken 6 classes over an eight month period and cannot believe the low standards for admission, the disorganization and low quality of the instruction, and the easy grading. This school seems to be admitting anyone, especially those who can get student loans and G.I.'s, and are just passing them through to feed on the money. Based on my experience, I am leaving this school and would not even consider hiring a job applicant that says he got a deegree from Brandman."

"I recommend Brandman for working adults who are like anything in life, DEDICATED. Going back to school is not an easy task with family, kids and work. But Brandman is geared towards those who get babysitters for one day out of the weekend to DEDICATE to their school work. No need to drive to school at specific dates and times, you as a student have to put in your 2 hours after work or after the kids go to bed or take your lunch hour to do some reading! If you cannot do this because like some other posts here, where other things are priority, then you will not be successful going back to school, any school.This school or format of learning is NOT for those out of high school who need school counselors, parents and greek houses. For those who say the eight week course are intense, yes they are! Keep up just like the 16 week courses at traditional schools. Those who 8 weeks is not enough time to "learn", really, what is the difference between reading 2 chapters a week versus reading 1 chapter a week? How are you not learning? And last point, let's face it, everyone in college is to get that degree to get that job. No employer is going to ask what you learned in that 16 week English class and compare it to the next candidate who took an 8 week class. Let's read these posts with a grain of salt and get the facts about the schools and what is important to you and your specific situation and be honest with yourself on your desire, motivation and realistic dedication to obtain that degree."

"I did learn a lot through the Brandman MBA program. It was great for me being a working adult as the professors were fairly flexible with assignments. I started my MBA at Ashford and that was a joke. Brandman was definitively more difficult and was just as difficult as my B.S. from Arizona State. Its a great price for an MBA and I just got promoted at my job to over 100k."

"The good part is that most of my classes have been excellent with top-notch teachers who are passionate and engaging. The material is often challenging so within the Liberal Arts degree, you can obtain a really stellar education that applies to the real world. The bad part (and why I'm actually leaving before receiving my degree) is that the student support is horrible. You have to work exclusively with the One Stop team who are absolutely incompetent on every single level. They are non-responsive to a comical level (by phone, fax, and email) and incredibly defensive when asked to correct their mistakes. I have never received an accurate student statement and right now they are trying to shake me down for nearly $200 that I clearly don't owe. You have zero grievance options and are completely subject to their whims. I would not recommend this school based upon this single reason because it will interfere with your education and undermine your ability to graduate."

"If your deciding to get your teaching credential through brandman university at folsom in californa be careful. The people that you hire to do all the background stuff like make your schedule and handle all your paper work are completely incompetent. D the "senior academic advisor" is worthless and will only cause you more hardships in the long run. I would suggest taking all your classes through the roseville campuse and having them plan you academic schedule.. that is unless you want to find out that you have several more class to take during you last term, or you want all your important paper work lost if thats what you want then folsom campus is for you."

"Brandman is great when you are apllying and dealing with recruiters. As soon as you start classes the problems begin. The online program is haphazard and frought with technical problems. Half of my professors do not even read their assignments or posted work. As soon as you have a problem, you will not here from student services again. I have spent more time dealing with technical and tuition problems than I have doing coursework. I will be taking my time and money elsewhere. If you want to spend a lot of money for nothing but a piece of paper, go for it."

"If you value your time, money, and a quality education, stay far away from Brandman. The "blended" format is a joke because there is no accountability for quality from either the students or faculty. Plus, Brandman/Chapman did not ensure their instructors were well-trained or the the new format was seamless before it was rolled out. The 8-week "semesters" are a joke. The time is much to fast to learn anything substantial. Plus, anyone whose credit card or check would clear was admitted, which means some of the students were lazy and poor contributors."

"Brandman makes the claim that it is geared toward working adults. It definitely is not. Many of the courses geared toward teaching require the student to do MANY observations and to tutor students. How is this possible if you are working full time? Does one have to continually take days off of work to fulfill those requirements? The new online component is a nightmare. Why is it necessary to meet face to face and online? It is not. The online component is often repetitive and with no value. Most students just get it done and the issues addressed are neither significant, controversial, or relevant; it is simply busy work.Many students are extremely unhappy at Brandman. I would suggest another school which values student input and appreciates the fact that we are working adults."

"I attended Brandman online to get my CLAD certificate. There were a lot of tech problems since the classes were the first online CLAD classes.The program worked well for me because it was accelerated and I could finish quickly over the summer. I did have good instructors in the ESOL department. I still keep in touch with Dr. Larson. She was an excellent teacher. The problems drove me crazy when I attended , but they will be worked out eventually. Anytime something is new it takes awhile to perfect it. I attended the Extended Learning program , so I do not know about the other departments."

"When I decided to apply for Brandman's online program, I was persuaded by a college recruiter that raved about the school and its flexibility for working students. As an aspiring actress, I thought going to Brandman would be great in case I ever had to go out of town and not be able to attend class (extras cannot attend on campus school if they want to work). I was only here for two semesters, and enjoyed it up until my final term. I'm not saying that this is a terrible school. For an online school, it's probably one of the best. I know people who've attended other online universities, such as Phoenix and Kaplan who constantly complain about the professors and class format. Brandman is entirely online, consists of some great professors with reasonable demands for assignments. The problem is, at least for me, because it works on accelerated terms everything moves pretty quickly. For some classes, this is great. I honestly didn't have a problem until my Statistics course came along. I found myself working every day for HOURS, only to rush to get things turned in Sunday nights. As an actress who is required to be on set for 12 hours a day, I found that my WORK interfered with school that I was worried I couldn't work and study simultaneously without sacrificing one. I considered dropping out many times, but since it is a required course and I needed it to transfer I stuck it out. After only three weeks I stopped caring about maintaining my 4.0. I thought the requirements for discussion posts was ridiculous (4 required posts, relating statistics to your everyday life and asking/answering questions in a Q&A section). It would be better if the Q&A was optional, or offered extra credit rather than being required. Sometimes I didn't have questions, and I got docked for it. If you struggle in math, I don't recommend taking this until the very end, or by itself. I only took it early because I wanted to transfer to a CSU. However, that may just be that particular professor, who is nice and extremely helpful. It was just the format I hated. As for the classes I did enjoy, the required English courses were great. I could get assignments done by Wednesday without worrying. I also took a Society/Culture and Literature course that required weekly film viewings and a lot of other fun assignments. My Personality Theories class was also very enjoyable, definitely my favorite. For the most part, the professors are helpful and answer your questions via email timely. If you have problems, or do an assignment incorrectly, they'll actually help you out. I recommend this school for those who are at-home parents or don't have a hectic work schedule. Otherwise you'll find yourself swamped in the more challenging courses."

"Chapman University College was definitely a great choice for me. I always wanted to study psychology, but was unable to because of commitments at home. However, the Chapman University College allowed me to complete my B.S. degree totally online. It did take a bit longer because I was not always able to attend full-time, but my degree was completed in about five and a half years. That is one of the great things about this school though- you can work at your own pace. The programs are not divided into semesters or terms, so you can start a new class whenever you are able. The instructors are also easily accessible if you need help, which is nice for those studying online. I guess the one negative thing about this school was the cost; it is a little expensive. However, payment plans are available. The classes are quite challenging, but the Chapman University College definitely prepared me for my future career."

"Chapman University encourages its students to not just learn the material but to excel at it. Classes consist of active participation with a free flow of ideas. I came to treat the faculty not as just teachers but as friends and mentors. My only complaint from Chapman was the food but being the son of a Chef, I am only used to gourmet meals. Chapman provided me with the skills and the confidence to land my dream career within months of graduation."