Liberty University

This is my first started post on this site, and it is in reference to Liberty University. My Bachelors of Science in IT Management is being conferred on August 15th and I am looking at various Masters programs that will not cause me to spend too much money. I am currently in the Army, and Liberty University charges $250 for every semester hour, all the way up to their Ed. D. and Ed. S. degrees.

I am particularly interested in the MSIS with a cognate in Information Assurance. This program is relatively new and I have not seen anything on this post, nor anywhere on the web, about anyone starting the program and providing feedback. Has anyone taken any of the courses in this program, and was the information pertinent to real world? Also, aside from being a predominantly religious institution, does this school carry much name recognition? Preferably better recognition than places like UoP, Strayer, Devry, etc. Thanks to anyone that can provide me with any input!

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curtisc83

LU's MSIS program is very new. It just popped up on the tail end of last semester. So if someone claims they did it I would question them.

Im enrolled in LU's Masters in Management and Leadership, Aug 16th is my last day. It should be conferred sometime after. I think LU is solid and its rep is better than any for-profit or fully online program. They also play NCAA D1 sports and aren't half bad. Making the last March Madness tourney says something. The Christian aspect of the Uni gets under my skin sometimes but I get the $250 tuition so I can deal with it.

typfromdaco

I figured no one would have actually completed the program yet, I was mostly looking for input on courses that may have been completed thus far. From everything I have seen and read so far, the school campus looks very nice and having a school with a sports team are very compelling. We have a school that is similar to Liberty down here near Fort Hood called University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, but each of their graduate courses are two credits and each credit is around $950... and they only have D III sports.

I have read through the syllabus on a few of the classes when they refer to incorporating bible versus in essays about IT, and I am not sure how that will work, but for that price I don't see how I could pass up this school as my primary choice. Thanks for the response Curtis!

curtisc83

I live in Georgetown but work overseas. Never heard of that Uni but Texas has a bunch so that's not unusual. I'm a firm believer that sports adds prestige. I did some research and enrollments do increase at schools with winning seasons. I suppose sports is really a marketing tool. But it does work. LU's campus has reached baller status. Look it up they have invested millions in making it a mini resort and they are still building.

Also it is a ranked Uni. It's 65th in the regional south rankings but given its age (1971) that's not half bad.

Liberty University | Best College | US News

typfromdaco

Thanks for the additional information, and I completely agree that an increase in win percentage directly correlates with increased enrollments. I saw on their Facebook page that they opened the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre recently, that is ridiculous that they can open ski slopes for their students. If only I could get moved closer to the D.C. area I might actually get to experience the campus and the amenities.

I did not know that they ranked so high, I am sure that this school would definitely carry more weight than my other options of Fort Hays State University and American Military University in order to stay at or under the TA amount. You can't go wrong when Tim Tebow, Mitt Romney, and Donald Trump come to the school to speak!

NetworkVeteran

does this school carry much name recognition?

No. A nationally-ranked school, if possible, is a better choice for name recognition and overall quality.

Preferably better recognition than places like UoP, Strayer, Devry, etc.

I don't see any indications that it's a particularly bad school to attend.

Liberty University website wrote:

\LU is an independent, fundamentalist Baptist university... Liberty University, Training Champions for Christ since 1971,

This might be a concern if you're a non-Baptist. Indeed, I see complaints from folks who are non-Christian and from other Christian denominations. However, they state this on their homepage, so I doubt you missed it in your research.

curtisc83

typfromdaco wrote: »

Thanks for the additional information, and I completely agree that an increase in win percentage directly correlates with increased enrollments. I saw on their Facebook page that they opened the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre recently, that is ridiculous that they can open ski slopes for their students. If only I could get moved closer to the D.C. area I might actually get to experience the campus and the amenities.

I did not know that they ranked so high, I am sure that this school would definitely carry more weight than my other options of Fort Hays State University and American Military University in order to stay at or under the TA amount. You can't go wrong when Tim Tebow, Mitt Romney, and Donald Trump come to the school to speak!

I plan on flying down to VA and watching the LU vs. VMI football game. It's the last game VMI will play in the Big South Conference so it should be awesome.

Not sure if your aware but they are also building a medical school. Not for nursing, they already have that but a medical doctor one. Oh and check out the new library it has a pretty awesome automated book retrieval system.

NavyIT

Liberty is a good name. My dad has his PHD from them and is now the Vice President of a well-known state university. So I think it is a pretty good school. I am considering them for my Masters also.

typfromdaco

They are going to have medical school for doctors? That's pretty awesome. I am hoping that I will be able to view some of their sports games on television, although I doubt they will air down here in Texas.

Thanks for the reply NavyIT, I am glad that their degree is accepted in the workforce, I hear too often from people that receive negative comments because of their online degrees. What program are you considering at Liberty?

curtisc83

typfromdaco wrote: »

They are going to have medical school for doctors? That's pretty awesome. I am hoping that I will be able to view some of their sports games on television, although I doubt they will air down here in Texas.

Thanks for the reply NavyIT, I am glad that their degree is accepted in the workforce, I hear too often from people that receive negative comments because of their online degrees. What program are you considering at Liberty?

Home games are usually broadcast with LU's own TV network called The Liberty Flames Sports Network. Away games are on ESPN3. If you were local, LU LFSN would be on TV but its available free of charge and online for the rest of the nation. First game is against Kent State. Not many schools own a whole production, UT has the Longhorn Network. Below is the 2013 Football television schedule.

And yes it's for medical doctors. They are building it as we speak. Below is LU's complete upgrade plan (400 million dollar plan) and an online magazine. It is pretty informative about what's happening all over LU. This includes how far along construction projects have come. It's very interesting.

Liberty's 2013 Football Television Coverage Breakdown

Liberty Flames Sports Network broadcasts:
Sept. 7 vs. Monmouth
Sept. 14 vs. Morgan State
Sept. 28 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan
Nov. 2 vs. VMI
Nov. 9 vs. Presbyterian College
Nov. 16 vs. Brevard

ESPN3 exclusive broadcasts:
Aug. 29 at Kent State (through the MAC TV package)
Oct. 19 vs. Coastal Carolina (through the Big South TV package)
Oct. 26 at Gardner-Webb (through the Big South TV package)
Nov. 23 at Charleston Southern (through the Big South TV package)

Cox Communications broadcast:
Oct. 5 at Old Dominion

Links work, not sure why they say website error.

Liberty University - Website Error

Liberty University - Website Error

2013 Liberty Football Guide - 2013 Liberty Football Guide

curtisc83

Interesting paper from Harvard Business School about the The Dynamic Advertising Effect of Collegiate Athletics.

http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/13-067_99c551d6-c484-4245-9e49-964d2283cd98.pdf

blargoe

Long term, Liberty is trying to become to evangelical Christians what Notre Dame is to Catholics and BYU is to Mormons. I saw an article on that a while back. They sure do seem to be pumping money into the place.

I don't know about their academics, though.

curtisc83

blargoe wrote: »

Long term, Liberty is trying to become to evangelical Christians what Notre Dame is to Catholics and BYU is to Mormons. I saw an article on that a while back. They sure do seem to be pumping money into the place.

I don't know about their academics, though.

Here are a couple articles on LU. I think the NY Times one is the what your talking about.

Virginia’s Liberty transforms into evangelical mega-university - The Washington Post

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/sports/ncaafootball/in-virginias-hills-a-football-crusade.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

PC_Load_Letter

Anyone know anything about their Master of Science in Cyber Security? I am looking for a Masters that Military TA covers and this is extreamly close to that. I just don't know about the quality of the courses.

TomkoTech

PC_Load_Letter wrote: »

Anyone know anything about their Master of Science in Cyber Security? I am looking for a Masters that Military TA covers and this is extreamly close to that. I just don't know about the quality of the courses.

Check out

Online Master

PC_Load_Letter

I called WGU and TA does not cover it all. There will be some significant out pocket with it. LU is just $25 a credit out of pocket. I am currently in FIT for their MSCIS but really want a Cyber security degree that is covered by TA. I am just wondering if anyone has been through LU's Cyber program yet?

Thanks!

TomkoTech

PC_Load_Letter wrote: »

I called WGU and TA does not cover it all. There will be some significant out pocket with it. LU is just $25 a credit out of pocket. I am currently in FIT for their MSCIS but really want a Cyber security degree that is covered by TA. I am just wondering if anyone has been through LU's Cyber program yet?

Thanks!

Does your GI BILL not cover the rest?

PC_Load_Letter

Not according to WGU when I call the VA office there. AM I being duped? Do you know different?

ITSpectre

Liberty University is mainly a Christian evangelical college with academics but its more geared toward the christian population. If you are not religious or have beliefs like that, then LU may/may not work out....

Taken from Liberty universities website....

[h=1]Mission Statement[/h][h=2]Philosophy of Education[/h]Liberty University is a Christian academic community in the tradition of evangelical institutions of higher education.

PC_Load_Letter

Yeah, I have read all that and if I am an online student I don't see to much trouble with it. I even called and talked to the administration there about how pervasive the Christian aspect is. They stated a line or reference in a assignment or paper is fine. Not really sure how deep you can go with God and IT/Cyber... The biggest unknown is the quality of the classes in that major. I am kind of waiting for someone to chime in about them. If the education is good I can see going there.