Northeastern University – College of Professional Studies

I’ve been a student here for a couple of years and enrolled in an online program that I figured would be convenient for my current career since I travel out of state often for work. I think the professors are great as is the quality of instruction. My main issue is with the administration. My advisor is terrible and does not understand the importance of communication. I usually have to call and leave several messages before I get a return call. Even when I ask for a call, I get emailed. If I email, it usually takes a week or so before I can get a response. My advisor acts like it’s a burden every time I need assistance with registration. I understand that the staff are busy and have to address the needs of many students, but I think the CPS program needs to hire more advisors so they can address any concerns or questions in a more timely manner. Also, hire advisors who actually want to help students.
Disappointing experience as a student. I expected far better from NEU.

CPS recently sent out an email asking for students to rate them on Unilocal so I figured, why not?
I enrolled in CPS in January 2013 and am a little over halfway finished with my M. ED in Higher Education Administration. Overall I have been quite pleased with the experience and am pleasantly surprised by how much I have enjoyed the online format of my classes.
PROS: CPS offers six-​week, intensive online courses that are great for working professionals. You have to realize before you sign up that these are accelerated classes, so a 3-​credit course is going to wind up costing you about 20+ hours a week in homework. However, the classes go by quickly, and the online format makes them very easy to schedule around work. I have definitely been learning a lot, and even though I have more to go before I graduate, I feel like most of the skills I’ve learned are applicable to my career. My program advisor has been really wonderful and responsive. Another pro is that most of the classes I have taken have not required super expensive textbooks, so I have saved some money there. I also really like the online portal, it is very easy to use.
CONS: Northeastern University is huge and it is very easy to get lost in the shuffle. You really have to be organized yourself if you want to attend here – there is absolutely no hand-​holding from the administration (which is a good thing, this is grad school after all). Make sure you keep records of all of your correspondence with everyone at CPS and FOLLOW-​UP after requesting anything from the administration in case it doesn’t happen.
Another con is that I have had a few bad teachers. Definitely read through the evaluations before you sign up with a particular instructor because classes fill up quickly and it can be hard to transfer to another section if you wait until the first week of classes each quarter.
In all, I am really happy to be here and am looking forwarding to finishing up next January. I’ve learned a lot here and most of it has been applicable to my career.

I was so excited when I enrolled in the Master’s in Nutrition program, now, almost $ 40,000 later, I am learning how deficient it is. If you are already an R.D., you’ll do fine. However probably ¹⁄₃ of us are not R.D.s; I knew I would have to go on to get that credential – but the Masters in Nutrition is no help at all. You will not be able to use this to get into an R.D. program (or it will be almost like starting over). To get into a nutrition didactic and internship, in order to qualify for R.D. certification, you need a Verification Statement (verification of your nutrition classes). Guess what? NEU is NOT qualified to give you a Verification Statement; so you will need to attend another school, in order to get that, Before you can apply for internship programs, and someday, get an R.D.
I loved most of my classes, the teachers and students are great, but NEU doesn’t really care that the Masters is not ever going to be a pathway to official credentials.

BIGGEST JOKE when it comes to administration. I am a graduate student and feel that each quarter I am constantly battling with the student accounts office or finacial aid, or my advisor, who must not speak because despite multiple requests fora phone call I jsut get e-​mails instead. Also be advised that their finacial aid process is very antiquated. They still require students to request their refund then you must wait 10 days for it to be processed, then you must wait for them to mail you a check for those people who are on a budget and wait for this refund to purchase books, and then cannot they are being set up for failure. Since if you cannot purchase books you cannot keep up with class it’s pretty screwed up if you ask me.
The academics overall seem fine. I much would have rather taken my courses locally if the local University would not have discontinued the degree.

I wish I’d known what I know today, which is CPS doctoral program is only concerned about making profits and that they have a bad reputation for treating their doctoral students like dirt. They are only concerned with making a profit by enrolling as many students as they can, but they have horrible customer service, are unprofessional, and the departments do not communicate among each other. Also, because of the lack of communication, they will mess up your financial aid and other important resources needed to pursue an education and heaven forbid you attempt to leave, they will try to strong arm you by lying to you in your face so it appears you owe money that you don’t. Additional, I heard firsthand from a fellow CPS Student that they are discriminatory towards their minority students. What a mess!

I am 54 years old and attending the MSRT program from Nebraska online. This program has been quite challenging for me, but I needed a challenge! I have been in respiratory care for over 30 years and the field has been a little boring lately. The program at Northeastern has opened my eyes and challenged me to think differently about my career field. It has given me new tools to explore and grow within the field of respiratory care. The instructors are top-​notch in their course presentations and fields of expertise. This is one of the best schools in the Nation for undergraduate and graduate programs. As a student, don’t be intimidated, they don’t use pressure tactics, just a solid education.
Dave, BS, RRT-​NPS
Nebraska

I reviewed the other Unilocal before posting mine. Keep in mind that those reviews are from 2010. The program has evolved and matured since then. Though, I found it interesting that one guy gave NU CPS four stars yet bitched more than praised the program. Wtf Jeremy?
If you need handholding, lots of reassurance and constant praise, like your parents give you, then this is not the school or the program for you. It has a lot of students, a lot of colleges, a lot of programs within colleges. They aren’t going to pat you on the back for a job well done. You have to do that for yourself. The assumption that NU makes of all their students is that you want to be there. You want a good education and everything else that comes with a major university experience in a big city. Hello! You aren’t in Kansas any more.
However, if you are independent, motivated and self-​assured, then you’d like NU and you’d like CPS. It also has a lot of options, a lot of resources and tremendous flexibility. You can take courses on-​line, in class or switch between the two. You can take 12 week classes or 6 week classes. You can skip a quarter. You can double up.
My undergrad is from NU and I attended the traditional way, in person lecture hall. Now I am attending CPS obtaining my Masters on-​line 20 years later. I just started the program, but I can say that I am getting more attending and feedback from my on-​line instructors and my fellow classmates than I ever received in my classroom experience.
CPS and its instructor are very well versed in on-​line education. They are keenly aware of the challenges and nuances of virtual classrooms and do a great job bringing the students together. I can enthusiastically recommend this program for student (undergrad and grad) who are mature and self-​managed.
One recommendation: If you are planning to attend NU classes in person and don’t live in the area, do your research on Boston and the local neighborhoods of NU.

I am currently enrolled in the M.S. in Nonprofit Management with a specialization in Project Management. Although I am only 5 courses in, I feel like they have been worthwhile and useful for my needs. I have thoroughly enjoyed each of my on-​ground professors as they are all very knowledgeable on their respective subjects and seem like nice, genuine, caring individuals — which can make or break someone’s experience! I have thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot from each of my professors.
However, i have taken one fully online course, and I was not as pleased with it as I was with my other courses. This professor did not interact with the class. I feel as though i could have taken the reading list and taught myself the material (it was a Leadership course).
Although i am enjoying my time here at Northeastern, getting here was a pain. The administration is awful– completely disorganized. This is known as the «Northeastern Shuffle»… as a passerby told me once. Apparently, no one here actually tries to help the students, they just keep them bouncing from office to office (and they will tell you to go to offices that they know are closed) till someone decides they can take their precious time to help sort out even the simplest of problems. Thus, although my actual learning has been enjoyable and very helpful, getting there was horrendous.

NEU gives my Americorps program, the Massachusetts Promise Fellowship, classes. This is so generous. My corps members and I then take what we learn to several non-​profits in the commonwealth.
The classes are easy to take with a full time job. Most the professors do a great job of giving their students an avenue to take their professional experience and build upon it in CPS classes.
Overall, a great experience.

why not, i was inspired and its a slow day.
pros: opened doors, many interviews, great rep inside and better outside of boston, very affordable (misnomer as NU is crazy expensive, and every other college with NU is the same ridiculous cost, oh yes, universities often have colleges within, harvard has 13, so when someone boasts their harvard education and its the extension school, well same thing kinda) quick to finish, my M Ed took 7 months full time.
cons: no cohorts nor camaraderie among your peers. too bad, i wanted to gain friends and contacts from my post grad, very minimal. everyone attending my program worked for NU, so you pay they dont, i felt really odd about that. quality of instruction runs from great to piss poor adjunct (guess that could happen anywhere) i also ran into a few tenured absent minded professors who i wished their class was over before it started. dont forget the famous NU shuffle, still prevalent to this day, 25k students floating around, administration cant handle procedures. lastly the services provided lacked big time. no career counseling, no programming, etc. i made honors but didnt show up for the pinning, so i cant claim i was honors, wtf NU?

During my time at NEU, I have watched several people get screwed by this school.
The degree requirements are constantly changing and you ALWAYS end up having to take extra classes right before graduation. A few of my friends graduated a year later because of this.
The cost of courses is ridiculous. They are money hungry and don’t care about the students. They are weasels that hide information and tell you when its too late to do anything about it… i.e. after you’ve paid them $ 50,000.
College of Professional Studies students are considered the ugly step sister of Northeastern University. You are not eligible for their clubs or scholarships. You have different College of Professional Studies offices and «special» College of Professional Studies people you have to speak to when you call.
Overall my experience at College of Professional Studies has been poor. I wish I could have saved some money and went to another school. But unfortunately, NEU is the ONLY school that offers engineering degrees at night.

I’m 45 and attend NU (I’ll graduate this year) online, on-​campus or hybrid a combo of both is what they offer. Close to the T, with a great reputation for excellence. I recommend attending this school!

I got my Master’s at Northeastern CPS — I had a great experience there, both personally and professionally. My undergraduate years were very theory heavy, which I loved at the time, but after being out in the working world for awhile I wanted something more practical.
If you are over 30 and want new professional skills I would definitely recommend CPS. Now if they would only offer a digital marketing certificate!