University of the Rockies review: Not accredited as promised 37

Yeah.

Super student 2009

I am so Happy you are a happy student at The Rockies. I am a licensed Psychologist in New Jersey and unfortunately some students have come to my hospital trying to get an intership but were turned down. I know this because I was the one who turned them down. This school PsyD program is not approved by the APA, therefore I cannot help them. If you are already at a job and do not want to practice Psychology and need this degree to move up in your current company than this is the degree for you. If you want to teach at a community college than this is the degree for you. the bottom line is that thos degree will not get you to the level as somone who studied at an APA approved program. They are making you pay for a false hope and dream. Shame on you University of the Rockies!

@superstudent20092009

Sorry, but your post is the most clueless thing I have read in a long time.

> The University of the Rockies is a regionally accredited university just like USC,
> Harvard, Yale and all the others.

RA is garbage. Any school can get a RA if they pay the fee. The difference between proper schools and the degree mill known as U of R is real schools take part in peer reviewed research. The quality of work that comes out of those institutions and the for profit places like U of R isn't even comparable. It's laughable at best to say your degree will be considered in the same breath as any of those schools you mentioned.

But when it comes down a real test, like APA accreditation, U of R doesn't pass muster. In turn, U of R loyal sock puppets will parrot phrases like "we're RA", "APA is too expensive", or "we're an applied school, none of that other stuff is necessary".

You could take your post and substitute any corporate owned school's name in your talking points.

I had the same discussion with someone from U of Phoenix not too look ago. They were trying to tell me their business degree was accredited. It's NOT! They said U of P is regionally accredited. Fine. I'll give them that. But U of P is NOT on the AACSB list. AACSB is the only business accreditation which matters. Heck, due to the proliferation of degree mills, many employers aren't offering tuition assistance to non-AACSB schools anymore.

That's what RA means -- squat! When U of R meets APA requirements, I'll retract my statements.

>the school offers 6 week classes which is practically unheard of.

Right, it's unheard of because REAL colleges don't offer such schedules. Only degree mills push their students through in such a manner. It's all about turnover; academics take a back seat in such programs.

> If you are looking for an easy degree, then go somewhere else because this is not it. This is
> a serious Psychology program for serious students.

You may be serious about your education... however, serious programs offer accredited clinical programs. U of R does not.

> Chapman University is a regionally accredited school in California and is also highly
> respected

No they're not highly respected... those resumes go in the trash too. They're no different than what Colorado Tech has become since they got rid of published research requirements, or Phoenix, or DeVry, or ITT, yada yada yada.

The University of the Rockies is a degree mill. They have promised APA accreditation to all enrolling students for years. It is now owned by Bridgepoint, they have been known to change catalog requirements and drastic curriculum changes have left students stranded. Students looking for internship sites have struggled because of lack of APA accreditation. Not a great place to be after 4 years and $75, 000 student loan.

Avoid this school and be sure to check with the Colorado Department of Education for complaints. Any information by current students is not worthwhile. Not only are they biased but who wants to believe after investing years and thousands of dollars that they picked a school not worthy of being in business.

By the way, the fact that they are accredited by the HLC should not be misconstrued as a sign that they are operating with any sense of integrity. Remember, even Argosy is under investigation. Anybody enrolling in a private insitution should have the catalog evaluated by an education attorney.

I agree wholeheartedly, Real Deal. In fact, we probably know each other.

I came into the program before the school was bought out by Bridgepoint Education, and have been appalled to see the dedicated founders and professors of the school fired, forced to resign, or leave in disgust.

They have not been forthcoming and have been investigated numerous times for breach of contract trade deception. They do not follow their own catalog, which continually changes. Much of this is explained away by the Polly-Anna's of the school as "growing pangs." However, when they try to get rid of faculty and students that pose a threat, it begins to appear that they have no interest in people- just how much money the bring in.

Most staff and administration are at the school only here because they need their job like everyone else.

I think the title of this last entry says it all..."Disgruntled current student." It seems that everyone who doesn't make it in some institution wants to turn around and bash them for the person's own failure. I have been in business for many years and I've seen it happen over and over again. I have a B.A. and a M.A. from two different universities where I attended classes on campus. The innovation of being able to earn a degree online is fantastic. I have visited every site I could find that claimed to have a grievance with this school and what I found were less than a dozen complaints overall. Most were just reprints of this site. I investigated U of R carefully and am now a very content student. Just because they are not APA accredited doesn't mean they are to be avoided. The universities I attended (not colleges but universities...there is a difference) didn't have all the accreditation that have been mentioned on this site but my degrees have been accepted in every employment situation I've been in. Some of us are getting our degree for reasons other than the extremely limited scope the naysayers have presented. If you disagree with something about the school an unemotional response is more believable but if you are vicious with your comments you appear to be someone who is just disgruntled.

Elated student, there is no "failure" on my part. I was promised APA accreditation, and they have failed to provide. I am an on-campus student, actually had to have a good GPA for admission, and went through an interview process. Don't talk to me about 6 weeks courses. A faculty member actually recently laughed about the rigorousness of the online programs. I also have a B.A. and an M.A., from top tiered schools. I chose to attend Colorado School of Professional Psychology, before it was acquired by Bridgepoint Education, when it was still a non-profit school. Now, as a for profit school, we cannot become APA accredited. There goes my goal of being an Army Psychologist. Yes, I am disgruntled and will finish continue the program this year.

University of the Rockies went through three academic advisors in just over a year while I attended. I felt that their enrollment advising was misleading: their degrees are worthless for either clinical or arbitration careers (which requires law courses among other things). While they admit this in the fine print of their enrollment agreement, this is not how it sounds when one speaks with one of the enrollment advisors (which apparently have a high turnover rate). They are skilled at marketing and even my contact person at the Colorado Commission of Higher Education admitted this to me on the phone. She said, basically, beware these online universities. They are great at "selling" you on the value, or lack thereof, of their degrees.

Do not attend this university unless you want a huge amount of loan debt that you cannot escape and a degree that is nothing more than three letters after your name. I mean that. I attended one of the actual Residencies and was floored at the lack of preparation and the lack of professionalism I encountered there. The only people who seemed professional and respectable were the PhDs they had instruct us (not PsyDs) and my fellow classmates.

I received this from the Shareholders Foundation via e-mail in December 2010. So anyone who has a complaint against a Bridgepoint university, such as the University of the Rockies, is welcome to contact the Shareholders Foundation at the phone number or address below. Thank you so much to the person who made that post above about the Shareholders Foundation.

Begin e-mail:

If you know any other former students who had the same experience I would appreciate it if you could forward my contact information to them or have them contact me.

Best regards,

T.A.
General Manager
----------------------------------------
Shareholders Foundation, Inc.
3111 Camino Del Rio North
- Suite 423 -
San Diego, CA 92108
Phone: +[protected]
Fax: +[protected]

I am a former student of U of R. It is NOT accreditated by the APA and is totally a waste of time and money. When I inquired about the accreditation by staff, I was told that they could not say but that I could go to a certain website and read. Why can you not tell students yay or nay? That was a sign that something was wrong. After a few students and myself did our own investigation, we found that we could do nothing with the degree if we planned on becoming practicing clinical psychologists. Why obtain a clinical psychology (PsyD) degree if you cannot practic clinical psychology? Needless to say that several of us withdrew from the program after our first and second classes. We didn't want to waste any more money than we had already wasted. The school is not reputable nor is it accreditated through the APA which renders the degree useless. I would have to say that it is indeed a paper mill school. Don't waste your time.

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Hello all.
I am an MD and PsyD from way back. I am sorry for all the problems you have experienced with UoR.
Having practiced medicine (addictions) and clinical psychology since the early 80's, I can assure you a PsyD at some schools is a fine degree. Unfortunately, UofR is not one of these. The skills learned in clinical practice cannot be achieved by distance learning in the guise of on-line, or meeting on a campus once amonth for a couple of days. You have been swept into the belief that a clinician is created through course experience and not mentoring in a close relationship. The Boulder/Va models were excellent ideas and are as valid today as the 70's. We live in a educational belief system that speed is equal to quality-it is not. Do want an instant surgeon? Or perhaps one who has trained in hands- on experience from day one for 6 or 8 years beyond classes-yes you critics, the PsyD was designed to be a rigorous degree with close mentoring relationships. What has happened is the rising of the for profit model, which did surpass the smaller college model first proposed as an adjunct to the brick and motar schools. The WWW does not a clinician make, I will testify to that. The sad decline of our colleges and higher education in general is being hastened with faculty earning these on-line PhD experiences and possessing none of the traits of a scholar or seasoned clinician; it will end the validity of our higher education. The advent of such programs as MSW's, and MA level therapists have sounded a Waterloo for the doctoral level programs; we are goverened by the economy and managed care is hear to stay, even in medicine. It is insane to graduate with debt approaching, or in some places exceeding medical college for a private school psychology degree. The market is, simply, not there. Those there, hang in there. The future is bright, as psychology at the terminal level is redefining itself, but many pains are to come before such programs are eliminated. As a gentle warning, not everyone can be a clinical psychologist, chef, actor or cartoonist-expand your horizons and stay out of the debt. The best therapist I ever knew had a BA when that was all one needed. He had more experience and wisdom than any MD or doctoral person I ever knew...we may be headed to those days. This is not meant to pat you on the back. I know having the title of clinical sounds important, and the APA is a dinosaur of the t-rex variety that has far too long dictated our paths. In actual reality I have seen many studenets without APA internships who are as well prepared as their APA friends. Do not hate the so called, mid-level practitioners, as many of my friends have experieced very lucrative careers with that and are superb clinicians. When you get to Olympus, and you will, don't just park yourself and look down on those making the climb. Actively involve yourself for the groups beginning to lobby for the end of the APA and creation of an a-political group for accountability... Be well. By the way, I taught in a PsyD program for 14 years.

I currently attended UofR and I am getting my MA. I do not want to continue on to get another degree, but I was hoping to use it to get a better job so I hope use my psychology BA degree from Wesleyan College. Do you think this is a complete waste of time? Since I am getting it in Mental health Admin. ? Or should i finish and hope it works?

University of the Rockies is a joke. I was studying for my doctorate. At first, the 'professors' seemed professional, however, as time went on, that was anything but the truth. What is the point of attending and PAYING the big bucks if you are in a laughable university. This place is laughable! Not to be able to obtain gainful employment, be hassled by unprofessional staff and then strapped with a huge education bill is ludicrous. Are we attending UofR because it was easy to 'get in?" Well, forget that! And, I totally disagree with the person who said no employment person has asked to see their transcripts or where they attended school. Obviously, he/she hasn't looked for a job recently because it has become standard practice.

The best part of my story is the enrollment counselor called several months later and wanted me to enroll again. How clueless is that? I said "check will your professors" they know why I quit and when is the last time anyone out there received a call from an enrollment counselor after you have withdrawn and wanted you to re-enroll? I have two Master's degrees and (not from UofR) and when I had to stop taking classes for awhile, NO ONE CALLED! This is a paper mill and worthless as far as I am concerned..it can't even be put in the same sentence with an accredited university like Harvard, Yale, whatever that person said.

STAY AWAY. I PAID $10, 000 FOR NOTHING AND I CAN'T EVEN GET AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT WITHOUT PAYING MORE!

Hi kids,

Sorry you failed classes and your financial aid stipends weren't as big as you wanted, but the whining about APA-accreditation stops here. Accreditation can take years and PER THE APA WEBSITE, University of the Rockies is under review at this time. You'll also note many reputable schools are also on this list. Loyola University Chicago anyone? Big time private non-profit religious school, under review just like UoR. Now stop whining about things you know nothing of, you're making the time and effort I put in at UoR look bad.

http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/programs/initial-accred.aspx

You mean 4.00 GPA and went to the Residency and saw that the online component was a joke in person. My entire cohort dropped the program except for 2 students. Just keep churning and burning, eh? More than 15 students dropped out of just one cohort. Even the Colorado Higher Learning Commission said it was essentially a "degree mill." Talk to a rep yourself. And you didn't address the other issues about this school. How about A's on papers that weren't even submitted? Taking advantage of the learning disabled and poor students, notably ethnic minorities? Epic fail for you.

I am enrolled in the Psy.D for Organizational Leadership and have found the program to be exceptional. I was never interested in clinical work as a therapist or counselor and was clear that the online program did not offer that. I am interested in research and work with organizations as well as teaching at the college level. I have been teaching for about 18 months now. I have completed 12 classes. APA certification only relates to clinical fields. The school is accredited regionally as all reputable colleges are. It is privately owned by a for profit company, which is common and frankly I haven't had any issues with it. The curriculum is challenging. The professors are knowledgeable and dedicated and the in-residence weekends have been great learning experiences. I am impressed with the faculty and the students that I study with. I recommend University of the Rockies and have many classmates who agree.

You may be satisfied with the Rockies, and you are entitled to be so, but there are dozens who are not. They promise hopeful students the world to get them in the door. I know because I have their private correspondences via email. And all of my advisors quit. That is a joke for a school charging the tuition they do for a doctoral program. Any brick and mortar is going to scoff at this "university". I was "had" like dozens of others.

I later spoke with an US Navy representative and he said that these degrees are not considered legit by the US armed forces. His own daughter was appalled at the parent company's (Bridgepoint's) policies, and she opted not to work for them because of their "churn 'em and burn 'em" ethos. What does that tell you?

I recommend you go onto You Tube and look up the video by TheLogicJunkie called "College is an Evil Debt Trap." Warm bodies and government money via student loans. That sums it up well enough.

My daughter has her BS from UCCS and her MA from University of Phoenix, she completed all of her classes at UR and when she took the examine they failed her, she asked the adviser to explain what exactly were they looking for. She paid to take it over and it came back failed again, she requested to transfer her credits and was told she could not. She does not want to pay another fee to redo the examine only to be told she failed and would be removed from the program, she made straight As she understands what she is doing she is not being told what the testers are looking for, everything is so vague. This is a nightmare. She will withdraw from the program before she has them do it .What a shocking end to 2 year journey. We will be speaking to an attorney.

This is so confusing with all this APA stuff. I don't even want to enroll in the Psych courses. I already have a Master's in History. The University of the Rockies told me if I get the Ph D in Organizational Development and Leadership, I could get a job as a History professor or a manager, or HR. My question is, if I get this $63, 000 degree, will I have a problem getting a job in any of these fields?

For those of you that say "oh you should have done your research." I did do my research and UofR, the Colorado School of Professional Psychology looked like the perfect school for me. During our orientation, APA accreditation was inquired upon, this was in 2004 and they said "Oh don't worry, we are working on it and will surely have it by the time you graduate." It is almost 2013 and they are no closer now than they were almost 9 years ago. I cannot get licensed in my state and moreover, the entire time I was in school I made it abundantly clear that I wanted to work for the VA, guess what? VA requires APA internship and program. I have an APA internship but no APA program so I can never work for the VA. It is so hard to get an internship and when you aren't from an APA program, you have to work that much harder to get what you deserve. It is exhausting and not what I was promised. If not being able to get any job you want because you aren't from an APA school, if making $30 to 40, 000 less than your APA peers, if not being able to get licensed or move freely from one state to another and be able to get licensed there is no big deal to you, then go ahead, sign up for UofR. I say all the time I wish someone had warned me but they talk such a great game and they make such awesome promises, I don't know that I would have listened, if you care about having a successful distinguished career, don't go here. If the above are not issues for you, I will say the teachers, the professors, are amazing and I learned a lot from them.

For those of you that say "oh you should have done your research." I did do my research and UofR looked like the perfect school for me. During our orientation, APA accreditation was inquired upon, this was in 2004 and they said "Oh don't worry, we are working on it and will surely have it by the time you graduate." It is almost 2013 and they are no closer now than they were almost 9 years ago. I cannot get licensed in my state and moreover, the entire time I was in school I made it abundantly clear that I wanted to work for the VA, guess what? VA requires APA internship and program. I have an APA internship but no APA program so I can never work for the VA. It is so hard to get an internship and when you aren't from an APA program, you have to work that much harder to get what you deserve. IT is exhausting and not what I was promised. If not being able to get any job you want because you aren't from an APA school, if making $30 to 40, 000 less than your APA peers, if not being able to get licensed or move freely from one state to another and be able to get licensed there is no big deal to you, then go ahead, sign up for UofR. I say all the time I wish someone had warned me but they talk such a great game and they make such awesome promises, I don't know that I would have listened, if you care about having a successful distinguished career, don't go here. If the above are not issues for you, I will say the teachers, the professors, are amazing and I learned al ot from them.

The University of the Rockies is regionally accreditted but it is not recognized by APA yet and do not know if it will be in time. I am currently a doctoral student working on the business degree specialization. But I do not recommend this school. The University of the Rockies is owned by Bridgepoint Education which also own Ashford University. Ashford is a great school for bachelor's and master's degree, but their sister school the University of the Rockies is a joke. My advisor is horrible and has no compassion at all, you are just a number to her. The instructors do not really teach any material, they make their mandatory 25% postings for discussions and get no further involved. The instructors are just mean with unreasonable with no late policies, if you or your family member gets sick or needs extra time they offer no caring or extra time. Your employer will treat you better than the instructors and academic staff at this school, it is just not worth it when there are more than enough schools that will provide a solid education. They keep telling me this is an advanced program, yeah it is but that does not mean they have to be unfeeling. I am in the process of changing schools because I would rather start over even though I am halfway done than to deal with rude disrespectful or insensitive staff, life is too short to be treated that way. I am spending a lot of money for an education and I expect my instructor to teach me something more than how to mean and cruel. I am over with this school and I would tell everyone to go somewhere else, there are better schools than this one out there.

The problem I have with all this backlash is why didn't you check whether it had APA before you signed your application for admissions? I asked these questions up front and decided UoR was not the school for me since I did want to be affiliated with APA. That has changed since then since I never realize clinical work is not what I want to do anyway. I want to go into Non-profit Management, so I really don't even need APA accreditation and . I love the field of Psychology and am thrilled I can blend Psychology and Non Profit Management in this program without having to complete all the extra work that is required by an APA program.!
But if you already had a BA, you should know to do your research on basics such as whether your graduate school aligns with the requirements of your career path. If you didn't know that you need APA to practice clinical psychology, why are you blaming the school? Did they falsely advertised or misled you in some way? It sounds like most of these complaints are just coming from students who signed up and then started doing their research to realize the school is not ideal. There is stil plenty of opportunities in the field of psychology without APA accreditation, but maybe not the school for you if you're wanting to practice as a clinician. Online would not be a good fit altogether in that case.

No where on the site does it state that it is APA accredited. It merely states that it is a regionally accredited school. There is a HUGE difference between regional accreditation and program specific accreditation. The school does not "promise" or state that they have or will ever have APA accreditation. As of 11/4/13 the website states "University of the Rockies is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association. Accreditation by the Commission.' It does state "University of the Rockies is an associate member of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, " but this is very different from accreditation from the APA.

@corn29- you seriously have no clue about the value of a school. RA is VITAL in determining the value of a school- without RA, the school is useless. You cannot compare APA accreditation with RA, they are totally different. APA is a program specific accreditation, RA is an accreditation for an University. Another thing you are clueless about. There are several Universities that offer 6 (or 8 week) courses. The University I obtained my Masters from (in Mental Health Counseling), which was a RA, NCATE, and CACREP accredited school had classes on Friday and Saturday, with courses on alternating weekends, lasting for 3 weekends for each course. The school that I obtained my MA in Criminal Justice. Each course lasted 8 weeks long. It is a common practice for Universities to offer 6-8 week courses. Nearly every University I have seen and/or been to have offered at least some like this. I really do not understand why you think that it is unheard of.

@phillips01- I'm not a student, but I have looked into the program for a while. The Clinical page specifically states that it is NOT APA accredited. Anything can happen with accreditation, unless the school already is accredited, you shouldn't apply if it matters to you.

U of R is a great school and it is regionally accredited. I think people get the misconception that it is not accredited at all. As a graduate, I was able to register with the American Psychological Association as an Applied Researcher, and work for the government. As far as practicing, that was never my intention, but this is a good school to attend if you want to further your education.

I just graduated from University of the Rockies and here is my opinion.
Six weeks program is a joke. Some professors are good, but the majority does not give feedback on the assignments. I paid over US$ 2, 700 for each class, and I did not receive feedback on many of my assignments, just the grade! The textbook choice is terrible. The directions for the assignments are terrible. The UoR employees treat students like [censored]. You have the right of not making any complaint; nobody is going to listen, students are always wrong!
I am a transfer student, and my transcripts from the other school were lost in the UoR’s office for three months.
Students should never cite anything that is in disagreement with what they are trying to teach. I thought my critical thinking would be appreciated and I was destroyed by my professor who told me “You are not a specialist.” I have this email to show to anyone! I was citing an author who is a research associate at the Harvard Medical School. UoR is not a place for critical thinking, just agree with everything you read and receive an “A”. Also, do not ask questions, Professors are not being paid to teach, they are only being paid to grade assignments, and they will not feed your curiosity.
Because I was unsatisfied with the extremely low-quality education offered by UoR, I bought many clinical and sport psychology books, and I cited it on my assignments. One professor told me that I was intimidating my classmates. If you are a UoR student, be like the average, cite only the textbook.
I am ashamed of saying I have this degree. Maybe I should say “I graduated from UoR, but I am not like the average, I wasted my money to get this degree but I worked harder than the average to learn what the school was not teaching.”
For those who believe the UoR education is good, I have to say:
I am sorry! I was stupid when I chose UoR, but I am not stupid to believe I received a good education.
Some professors are good and nice, but getting the good professors is like winning the LOTTERY of online education. You never know who is going to teach you, so pray for the best!

I just graduated from University of the Rockies and here is my opinion.
Six weeks program is a joke. Some professors are good, but the majority does not give feedback on the assignments. I paid over US$ 2, 700 for each class, and I did not receive feedback on many of my assignments, just the grade! The textbook choice is terrible. The directions for the assignments are terrible. The UoR employees treat students like [censored]. You have the right of not making any complaint; nobody is going to listen, students are always wrong!
I am a transfer student, and my transcripts from the other school were lost in the UoR’s office for three months.
Students should never cite anything that is in disagreement with what they are trying to teach. I thought my critical thinking would be appreciated and I was destroyed by my professor who told me “You are not a specialist.” I have this email to show to anyone! I was citing an author who is a research associate at the Harvard Medical School. UoR is not a place for critical thinking, just agree with everything you read and receive an “A.” Also, do not ask questions, Professors are not being paid to teach, they are only being paid to grade assignments, and they will not feed your curiosity.
Because I was unsatisfied with the extremely low-quality education offered by UoR, I bought many clinical and sport psychology books, and I cited it on my assignments. One professor told me that I was intimidating my classmates. If you are a UoR student, be like the average, cite only the textbook.
I am ashamed of saying I have this degree. Maybe I should say “I graduated from UoR, but I am not like the average, I wasted my money to get this degree but I worked harder than the average to learn what the school was not teaching.”
For those who believe the UoR education is good, I have to say:
I am sorry! I was stupid when I chose UoR, but I am not stupid to believe I received a good education.
Some professors are good and nice, but getting the good professors is like winning the LOTTERY of online education. You never know who is going to teach you, so pray for the best!