Re: inexpensive online masters in education

Lowie

Posted on 10/31/09

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On 8/26/09, lane wrote:
> What is the absolute cheapest online masters that anyone
> has heard of?

10-31-2009

I'm engaged in a similar search! So far, the most affordable,
accredited, online M.Ed. programs I've come across are those
offered by the American College of Education. The areas of
specialization include Curriculum & Instruction, C&I with ESL,
C&I with Bilingual, Educational Leadership, and Educational
Technology. I understand their current rate is $4,950 if you
apply by November 23 - after that it will be $6,950 (still more
affordable than most). I'd love to hear opinions from those
who've already participated in the ACE M.Ed. program! I'm very
interested in signing up but would like some anecdotal evidence
first. Here are the factors I've considered and researched so far:

1) Is the college accredited? Yes, ACE is accredited by the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools - Higher
Learning Commission. The original accreditation that Barat
College obtained in 1943 was continued in 2005 when ACE
bought Barat. ACE's most recent accreditation evaluation
(PEAQ) was completed in 2007-2008 and their next one is
scheduled for 2013-2014.

2) How can they offer an affordable program? Well, perhaps
it's because they're specialized: ACE only offers a variety
of M.Ed. degrees, nothing else. And it's all done online,
which must reduce traditional infrastructure expenses. And
ACE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Higher Ed Holdings, LLC,
a group that helps state universities provide online
learning for their own students. In order to sell their
services to the state universities, Higher Ed Holdings can
probably use its own wholly-owned online college as a model.
So it's in HEH/ACE's own best interest to have a robust
model in place, and affordable access is probably the best
way to encourage growth.

3) Do I have to wait until the traditional fall or spring
semester to get started? No. The learning is asynchronous,
so it's easy for ACE to provide monthly start dates.

Please do not confuse this for a commercial message - it's
not! It is an authentic response to an authentic question,
from one teacher to another. I hope the time and effort
I've put into this research can be helpful to other teachers
as well --

Sincerely,
Lowie
Spanish Teacher (and lifelong learner)
New Jersey

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