As a current doctoral student at California Southern University, my personal experience and those of my peers highlight significant systemic problems with the university's handling of doctoral project courses. California Southern University's doctoral program is plagued by faculty delays and a lack of accountability. My assigned chair went on vacation, causing me to retake the class and pay extra fees, even though the delays were not my fault. Many students have signed this petition for reform: https://chng.it/G4fNfVT9JX Choose carefully and stay away. read more

Beware this school is not accredited and I did not find out until it was too late. My guidance counselor was argumentative and wouldn't let me withdraw when I had a bad feeling about a teacher. It's just a money making scheme. The staff works for the school and not the students. Highly unsatisfied!!!​ read more

I agree with all the reviews both positive and negative. My overall experience and thoughts are that this institution is a SCAM!!! I withdrew after completing three chapters of the doctoral project because my health was at risk due to their incompetence, lack of support and ongoing efforts to milk students out of their monies. When I started the PsyD program in 2020, everything was great. After I completed all the required and elective courses, the nightmare started. At the beginning of my doctoral project, the department Chair self elected to serve as my chair rather than giving me the option to choose. Throughout the first three chapters, the Chair never critiqued the content (problem statement, of my project but directed her focus on formatting, periods, commas, etc. when I would submit my work, she would immediately reject it for reasons that weren't present on my end. I'd contacted the IT department and Microsoft who both confirmed that my submissions were correct. IT even logged in as the Chair and confirmed my submissions were accurate. When I informed her of this, she became angry and told me that she will move my project forward when she's ready. One committee member went missing for more than 30 days, at a time when feedback from her was needed and toward the end of the course. I had to pay for an extension, and she never responded, all at my cost. I had to repeat and pay for the course again. The Chair couldn't provide an explanation as to where and why the committee member went missing and that I must wait until she returns at whatever cost to me that was. After the long wait, the Chair went ahead and approved the Chapter and off it went to Academic review. During the Academic Review process all three chapters were disapproved by another staff who was not part of my committee. The Chair was scolded by this person who indicated that the Chair hadn't provided support starting with the first chapter, and that she needed to provide support me with the project. I sent three emails to request support which, she never responded to. At this point I was notified by another Department head, who thought it was in my best interest to choose another Chair. The Chair again, that was provided to me was selected by the institution. The new Chair, required me to start the entire project over starting with Chapter 1. This experience was so frustrating and exhausting and can affect one's mental health. If the committee members are truly professional educators, they should be in parity with one another and students should not have to redo work if they are competent. Because, I didn't see an end to this madness, I withdrew and chalked it up to a $60,000 lesson learned. If I can give one half star I would. read more

My experience was fantastic but I also graduated in 2020 when it was still based in California. If you're highly motivated and have not even one procrastination bone in your body, you'll be fine. I will say, it's not an APA-accredited degree which will painfully limit your career options, even as a licensed clinician. read more

I have been a student since 2018. Since it has been sold off to a large corporation it has increased it fees alot and the services are horrible. They do everything they can to make you pay more money. Profit Profit Profit. You will see if you go. They lure you in with low cost but find incredible inventive ways to jack your bills up. The quality of the teachers, the support servcies all have gotten really bad now they are 100% online and all about the MONEY. Staff turn over is horrible I have had so many different people to talk to I can even keep up anymore. Avoid this school. I wish I would have never gone. For you own sake trust me on this its really bad now. read more

The PsyD program requires a high level of maturity. For this program you need to be able to study on your own. I remember when Dr. Garcia came to our practice. Though she was a Psy Assistant she was able to pick up with individual CBT therapy, Saturday group therapy and psychological testing . She had a good foundation. She graduated from this university. Therefore, I recommend this program for someone interested in enhancing his, or hers psychological skills. This university is accredited, and the price is an opportunity of a lifetime. The bottom life is: You need to make the degree work for you. read more

Love it. I do study in this university and also my partner and almost to finish the career and get the degree. read more

No, no, no, NO! Run as far away and as fast as possible. #bait-and-switch, #scam. Find somewhere actually invested in your advancement and success rather than avarice and pretense, and bait and switch. read more

I started in the Psy. D program at CSU in 2016 with enthusiasm and completed all coursework for the program in 2022. I did benefit from the school in the beginning for it's curriculum and flexibility. I am a disabled veteran and attended the school using GI Bill money and was able to continue with Veterans Affairs Voc Rehab funding. However in 2023, the school merged with AIUS and notified me and all other veterans that the school no longer accepted Veterans Affairs funding. I was administratively dismissed for not paying tuition that I could not afford due to CSU taking away my funding source. Now I have returned to CSU to finish as I have no other options and they are making me take two additional courses because I "left the program". The communication has been marginal at best and the policies particularly towards veterans is far less than acceptable. Being a disabled veteran is difficult enough however the school does little or nothing to help and actually makes things worse. I am trying to stay motivated to finish however it is difficult. I feel very badly as well for all the veterans that were discarded and ignored by this school. read more

I was a veteran student there. I had a very pleasant experience at CalSouthern until the Fall of 2022. I received an email from university staff explaining that the school was changing their location to Arizona. Veteran students were in limbo for several months because the school was allegedly waiting for the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to approve their Arizona location. They said it would only take a few months, but it is now 2024. It turns out that they lost their VA approval due to things they will never disclose. They never regained their good-standing with the VA. This means the VA does not deem them to be a trustworthy institution. In other words, the VA does not trust them with their money. It is clear that CalSouthern kept their veteran students in the dark to prevent a mass exodus. That was extremely shady, and I will never return to this sketchy school. read more

I continue to work on my PsyD dissertation. I must say this is not an easy program, but it can be done. This university is extremely supportive of U.S. veterans. Moreover, now that the university is part of American Intercontinental University system, it appears that this university is becoming stronger in Clinical Psychology. I am extremely appreciative of the opportunity to continue to learn under the premise that knowledge conquers everything. read more

I am currently enrolled in the Psy.D program. If you have higher education, work in the field of psychology, or have licensure in psychology or a closely related field, this may be the school for you. I have had numerous advisors. My current advisor, Raenell Jones, has been an advisor and advocate. I have no complaints concerning her professionalism. However, I have had advisors who did not return emails, phone calls, or make introductions as my new advisor. Regarding teaching and instruction, if you are a new/returning student, please understand that there is no classroom instruction. You interact with peers in discussion posts. My experience has been that when I wanted to speak to a mentor, either she was on vacation or had little time for appointments because of his/her part-time status with the school. The mentors do not teach or instruct. They grade papers and give feedback, and that is pretty much the extent of it. Again, unless you have professional experience in a related field, you would probably be better off taking your money, time, and other resources elsewhere. The books are way too expensive for the amount of material that you will use. read more

Get ready for a pushy Sales Pitch in EVERY interaction and direction (After you sign the contract! And years into the program)! Seems they operate like a corporation and somehow the paying students are not even seen as consumers with actual rights!! Most instructors are demeaning, authoritarian, and out of touch with real-world doctoral professionals. Way too many unaddressed formal complaints . Offers little of value, and use of manipulative tactics to get students to delay graduation, pursue courses they don't need and pay for unnecessary extentions Etc... absolutely no feedback on the work (usually just pulling teeth with unqualified instructors about grading but having ZERO progress, mentorship, guidance, feedback about the actual content in the assignments (I doubt they even read them), licensing tracks, and dissertation! Absolutely no expertise having to do with the industry it boggles my mind!! Just sales sales sales!!! Now I'm stuck $70k in and feeling like having to manage the emotions of incompetent instructors constantly (more like assigned names to random courses) and having no real direction or actual help!!!! Please pleaaase reconsider! read more

I started a PsyD several years ago before the ownership change. Since then the entire system has been in chaos. Everything changes constantly including the leadershi, support staff and faculty.k policies and procedures. My initial doctoral chair was impossible. After a year I finally was reassigned to someone who provided feedback and guidance. Now my chair and a committee member are being replaced. The Dean keeps changing. In the research class I took to prepare for the doctoral project I received zero feedback. It's a nightmare. Avoid at all cost. read more

This is a fantastic educational institution offering relevant degrees. I started my doctorate at Catholic university and finished up here. Both were great experiences. Took me five years and my dissertation was published. read more

Excellent online university with an extremely flexible, creative pathway to successful remote learning and degree achievement. I especially appreciated the manor in which mentors take the time to work with students to ensure the learning process occurs. read more

The school still doesn't answer phone calls to address any issues. They switched to a 3rd party financing company to make payments. With this transfer they did not apply my overpayment of over $500. I am lucky that I happened to stumble upon this, because they would not have accounted for this (although they promised they would when I brought up my concern about them switching to a third party). Then I reach out to accounting and they try adding a course (which has been paid for) to my balance. I reached out due to concern of the inaccurate, incomplete, and unclear accounting system and I wanted to make sure that all my payments had been applied. Instead the try adding to my outstanding balance (which shouldn't be outstanding until I actually ENROLL in courses, just like every other school). Still beware. They don't care. They don't answer their phones EVER. They just want to bring money into the school. RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN!!!!!!! REPLY TO MCKENNA: The influx is probably due to the inaccurate and incomplete documentation of payments vs charger. Meaning I have been making payments that haven't applied to my account. Meaning the school is essentially stealing from me. read more

I would not recommend their behavioral sciences courses. Their directions are not very clear with regard to instructions on receiving credit for the clinical conferences nor for deadlines to meet the required hours. As such, due to a technicality, they would not allow me to register for the next course. To be specific, some documents required my supervisor's signature however she had a family emergency. They didn't have enough common sense to at least enroll me in the next course late, allowing my supervisor to get back from emergency leave. They preferred for there to be a month without seeing the clients I had already established trust with. read more

After being associated with CSU for about 12 years, it has gone from a great place to be....to terrible after the merger. AVOID working or attending this "place" at all costs and do yourself a big favor and GO somewhere (anywhere) else. What a terrible shame to go from a great online University to the bottom of the barrel!! read more

A bogus joke having taken three courses there. The third course I had to fight for an A having claimed F deemed work. Bad experience that you should avoid online at ALL costs. read more

This has been such a horrible experience. I have attempted to withdraw several times, but no one is able to guide me in the right direction. I just went over the finances, and they added almost $600 more even though they told me that my account would be on hold due to my withdrawal request. I am still waiting on an answer. read more

I am not here to offer a review, as I am not yet a student at Calsouthern (CSU). Unfortunately, I was unable to submit this post until I gave it a starred review, so I gave it a 5. I am hoping that someone from the university and students alike could respond to a few questions I have since I am interested in pursuing a Psy.D. at CSU. I understand CSU used to be regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) since 2015. When did CSU relinquish its WASC accreditation? Why did CSU relinquish it when, in Mid-2020, WASC had granted the institution 6 more years of regional accreditation, according to the university president? Why did CSU partner up with American InterContinental University (AIU) in Arizona who, as far as I can tell has had a questionable reputation? I understand that AIU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for Bachelor and master's programs. This raises two questions: Is CSU's Psy.D. accredited by HLC? Is HLC regionally accredited? I hope these questions do not come across as an interrogation. I am just trying to get some answers so I can make an informed decision on what school/program to pursue. Unfortunately, I have tried to call CSU's main number, and no one seems to pick up. It goes straight to voicemail, and no one returns calls. read more

If you're self-motivated and too busy to attend a brick and mortar school, it's a great option. All instructors and staff were available and supportive as needed. I was well-prepared for CA state licensure for MFT. read more

I registered for MA in Psychology. There are no real instructions. All you get is a forum and a few preprinted assignments. They tell you to go read a few pages of one of the chapters in the textbook and resolve a deep psychology issue of a woman with abandoning issues and then offer solutions for her troubling marriage. That is, you already need to be an experienced psychoanalyst to be able to do that. As for the teaching you will receive a few links to 5-minute YouTube videos by some of the psychologists out there. If you have issues, your mentor will never get back to you. They demand certain things on the assignments but Whatever you submit they will give you full passing score. This is a good school if you are only after a degree but I hope that public is informed about this issue. read more

Place did exactly what it was supposed to do. Regionally accredited online access to classes that provided me with the foundation to register with a state board at a fair price. And I did not have to spend in person face time with people who I chose not to spend time with. See negative posts below for a good example. I went through all the changes that are discussed here. platforms, covid, building changes, staff leaving before during and after covid. Meh, so what. No one ever said you are not a doctor because your school sucks. None of that background noise prevented the original deal that I started with from happening. I get that most people come here to rant and post bad reviews when they are angry or upset. I would do it again. Knowing that even in the brick and mortar world people will post good and bad reviews. just got to roll with changes and keep an eye on the prize. read more

I had 9 different advisors. They approved me to start my research project and in the middle of it told me that I had to take 2 additional courses. It always takes 5 to 6 emails to get anyone to respond from accounting or admin. When asked justification for a break down of an additional 1500 fee, no one could give a reasonable explanation other than " admin stuff" and "scheduling". I was told by the Dean " it is what it is". Education is decent, the admin and leadership is horrible. *Update... since complaining to the Dean about the services I was being provided, I was told that my chair will be replaced due to being on too many chairs. I am on the last 2 chapters of my doctorate project.. and they replaced my chair person. The person I have been working with the entire time on my project! I was told there would be a fair review process of my complaint and would have a student representative to talk to. No one talked to me to understand my complaint, rather I was sent a letter that stated that the "University is under no obligation to provide me with a consistent chair through out my education". There are many options for schools, pick any other option! The people at this university do not care about the students. The Dean of psychology told me that when they made the decision to replace my chair, that my perspective was not considered. In the letter I received, they literally told me what is "in my best interest" ...with out even consulting me about MY education. Do not waste your time and money read more

This online university staff is real responsive and there is a bit of a personal touch. Their process is good and they get you on track right away with classes and all. They accepted 21 of my 36 units, and they helped me get started with their program. They are WSCUC(WASC) accredited. My class work is challenging and I have learned a lot so far. read more

California Southern University, online degree program claims that it prides itself on "... helping working adults accelerate their careers for more than 40 years. A pioneer in online learning, we are one of the few regionally accredited universities to combine 100% online programs with world-renowned faculty, monthly class-starts, and a personal touch highlighted by one-on-one guidance.​"Unfortunately, this is a false statement. In December 2021, I contacted California Southern University and requested assistance twice for copies of transcripts. The response received was also a false statement from the university. Deliberately refusing to assist a former student, they said, "...We understand that you are requesting eleven-course syllabi for potential transfer to another institution. Given that it is the learner's responsibility to download and save all syllabi for their own records, it is CalSouthern's practice to release syllabi only to other educational or licensure institutions directly. We will be happy to release these syllabi to the receiving institution upon receipt of the contact information requested; i.e., name, title, phone, and email address, for the representative at that receiving university. We look forward to receiving this information so that we may fulfill your request." This process would never have happened if California Southern University had been supportive of my needs when I was a student. First, they did not accept my request that I needed these copies, but I needed them for multiple purposes, including applying to a different university(ies). They had no clue the previous versions I had were destroyed. They had no idea why (e.g., because of water, fire, or other possible causes). Instead, California Southern University blatantly refused, pushing my need for their help off their desk by saying we will send them to the institution that needs them. Instead of respecting a former student's request, they brushed my needs aside as no longer a priority. Seriously! This is how California Southern University treats former students of their institution? This is what you call an institution with world-renowned faculty? Again - very much a false and misleading statement. The public needs to be mindful of this institution's practices. But if you research, you will find the reviews of California Southern University have been tarnished severely for years. For example, one current student wrote on GradReport in December 2021, saying, "I have completed a few online degrees and worked in higher education, and this is by far the worst learning environment I have had. The library is a canvas course, and I am currently in an "interactive" class of one. My resources were poorly explained to me as a new student, there is no such thing as live supports, and the learning systems are lacking." Another student graduated from California Southern University's School of Behavioral Sciences in 2020 and said, "I graduated about 8 months ago, paid my account in full, and still has not received my diploma, despite the fact I reached out to them several times and was left with no response. I am looking into my other options to escalate this issue. This is revolting, and I feel indignant." I also wrote in September 2020, "The experience had its ups and downs, but at the end of my program where I needed to test for the qualification examination, the university was missing-in-action the entire time. No support, by the way, regarding internship and practicum placement. Plus, they do not support APEX placement at all! I studied for three months in preparation for the qualification examination, and the university's resources were minimal. I did not pass by one point and reached out for support for study materials to be successful, and the Assistant Dean of Behavioral Health directly refused to help me. At this point, do you really think after five years I am going to having any positive to say after thousands of dollars spent on this university? HELL NO! Find somewhere else, but do not attend this PSYD Program. You will regret the end."During my time at California Southern University, I never had an advisor who knew about my background, understood my needs as a doctoral student, and had four different advisors while attending. Again....not worth paying to attend. Strongly suggest that you value your time and attend another university offering online education. read more

I started the PsyD Clinical Psychology program in May, 2021. I was extremely excited and encouraged two of my friends to enroll as well. After the first month, things became problematic resulting in me not having the support I needed as a new student. After paying for two extensions for my first class, I enrolled in my second class hoping things would go better. I felt I was alone, not having the support needed to be successful. I attempted to drop my current class by the cutoff date, but to my surprise, the system would not let me drop. I proceeded to make numerous calls (for over three weeks) to everyone. I sent emails as well. Finally, I received a phone call back which the person essentially explained that I needed to create a ticket and not to call). Ok. I'm so done with this school. I wish I would have never enrolled. Now, after spending over $3000 plus paying for a class that I dropped. Very disappointed . read more

Apparently my review wasn't enough for a genuine response from California southern university either. Just an automated template style response, which is exactly what you'll get from the university. Very detached from their students. Use to be able to email my advisor and get a response within the hour, now it sometimes takes weeks and it done through a ticket system. Imagine if the DMV ran a university, that's what you'll get. read more

I'm now locked out of my account and unable to complete my current course for reasons unknown. I did pay for an extension and verified my Office 365 email within the appropriate time frame. Issues such as this is unfortunately standard with this school. read more

Recent graduate of the Doctoral in Behavioral Sciences, I believe I have received a worthwhile education which will open doors for me. The mentor I had, Dr. Eggleston, was excellent! He was with me every step of the way when I started the dissertation process. My academic advisor, Malik Kadir, was awesome! He checked on me along the way as well. Dr Bajaj was an asset during my defense process. I recommend this University to those who are looking for quality education at an affordable price. read more

California Southern University is a great institution! The DBA program is quite rigorous, relevant and industry applicable. The faculty members are qualified and experienced professionals in the various fields and industries they belong. They provide the support expected at this level of studies. Each of the Advisors I have worked with have been so supportive. It is no surprise that the University has the key accreditations expected in great Business Schools around the world! read more

I have been attending California Southern University since 2017. I am currently enrolled in the Doctor of psychology program. It has been a very rigorous program, but well worth it. I recently was approved as a psychological assistant through the Board of Psychology. I hope to complete my Doctoral Project by the end of March 2020 and attend commencement this year. I plan to write an update to this review once I walk across the stage! read more

I am a doctoral student who pays out of pocket for every course, yet the university has decided to place a hold on my account because of some technical issue they have due to changing their financial provider. This is because they changed payment providers and I did not change my settings. Let me make myself clear of what a hold means at this university: it means that you cannot access course work, assignments, etc. At any university a hold means you cannot obtain your transcript, or can't transfer to another school, or can't graduate. Here they just block your access. And they take their sweet time exchanging one email per day, give you phone numbers that nobody picks up. And times passes, a term is 8 weeks and if you are blocked for one week is 12.5% of your time. Oh, but they offer extensions (for a cost) in case you could not "finish the assignments" timely! My advice is you don't need aggravation from your school as a working professional, while sacrificing your life to do school work on weekends and evenings. read more

I have watched this University move from a relatively decent experience to an absolutely horrid place to pursue academics. Sometime in 2018, they attempted to launch a new online platform, although the existing system was working quite well. It was such an abysmal failure that they abandoned the change and went back to their legacy system. Unfortunately, they followed up in 2021 with their second attempt to transition to 'canvas' and an online ticket system for everything and anything. The transition was the second worst I have ever seen in my thirty years as a professional. After several months, none of the data has been populated or transferred to this new system. Students can no longer simply email or call their counselors. Registering, paying for classes, and even finding a booklist is a science project. Students must put in a 'ticket' through a horrible online system for anything. If CalSouthern was an actual business accountable to their customers, they would be out of business. My advice to any perspective student is to go somewhere, anywhere else. Even if the tuition is 20% more, it will be worth avoiding this disaster of a school. I wish I could change schools, but I am halfway through a degree program and I doubt my credits would transfer well to a decent school. I may actually just quit because this system is so terrible. Do yourself a favor and go elsewhere until they get their act together... in several years at this rate. read more

My experience at California Southern University started off positive however, over the course of a few years getting my Doc Degree, I had 8 different advisors. Some times, I literally would get an email from a new one introducing themself, and then in a few weeks get a different one stating they were my new advisor. There is no way to ensure that you are getting the right information about your degree plan or have confidence that someone is keeping track and guiding your correctly. Case in point, I finished all my classes that were on my degree plan and then was granted permission to start my research. Half way through my research, a new advisor told me that I was missing 6 credits and never should have been able to start my research. After speaking to my advisor, their supervisor, and then the president of student affairs... I was told there was no other solution. No credits could be given for previous course work or my career experience in the field. I either had to take the course while I was doing my research or take them after. These were not core courses but merely random electives of my choosing. I then politely asked to withdraw and have my credits sent to another more competent university. I was told that unless I pay in full for the full program, I would not be allowed to have my transcripts sent. I then asked to withdraw and receive a refund for the 16k that I spent of a service that was not provided to me. I was told that wasn't possible either. I have read similar reviews online. The supervisors were not sympathetic and unwilling to find a solution. The course work is pretty much self-taught. You can youtube and google the subject and pretty much teach yourself. You will have many different advisors, dont bother replying to their emails. It will be a different person the next month. Don't expect them to work with you, even if they make a mistake. read more

I received my PsyD in 2015 at the age of 72 from this amazing university. It had been my dream for many years but illness and other life problems made it unlikely I would ever receive my doctorate. I discovered CSU through the NASW newsletter, a distinguished paper for the social work profession. I found that not only could I study at my own pace but I did not have to attend classes. The courses were all on line. The classes were not easy but all related to my clinical work . I took one course at a time and because one could take a course in eight weeks or less, I was able to complete all course work in 4 years. The tuition was so reasonable that I was able to pay for the entire program as I went along with no loans to saddle me after graduation. What made the experience so special was that everyone I spoke with - from the president, the dean, the librarian and every mentor wanted me to succeed. When I had to postpone the defense of my thesis because of a life threatening illness they were more than willing to help and assured me that no matter how long it took me to recover I would graduate. Recently I visited CSU and met with the staff and founder, Dr. Hecht. He had the wisdom and vision to found a university that was available to those students whose life situations would have made it impossible for them to attain a higher education. He has made my dream and the dreams of students worldwide come true. It was a moment to be remembered for a lifetime. Thank you Dr Hecht and all the wonderful staff at CSU. read more

One tuition rate is listed on the website, but was told it had expired a few days before I was able to speak to someone in admissions. Paid to have all my transcripts sent over, paid the application fee on a Saturday. Monday the admissions persons calls me to answer questions, puts me on hold, comes back and says the price went up.... Only decent thing was the application fee was refunded. It's probably better I did not go here because it's hard to find any reviews for the bachelors in nursing program. The only reviews I could find online were from either disgruntled employees or people doing other programs. I'm probably better off going to a more reputable school. read more

California Southern recently changed to a new learning platform named Canvas. It also adopted a new Self-Service system, where students can enroll in courses, pay their educational bills, etc. Additionally, a Learner Support System (LSS) was introduced where the student can raise questions and try to acquire answers to issues, etc. While this all sounds grand, the old system did all of this and much, much, more. The new changes have taken away the personal touch that the university once had. There is no longer any personalized academic support. Instead, a new 'team' approach is being used - you submit an electronic request about an issue or question (no phone calls!) - and you get a cold electronic response back within a couple of days or so. However, you never know who is attending to your questions, issues, or requests. No names are ever given on the electronic responses that a student receives, and hence, there is no accountability, no personal connection, and no trace of who responded to you. As for the new Canvas learning system, it is far less efficient than the old learning system. The old system had tabs and links for all the academic and learner community services you could wish for. In contrast, the new system requires at least three different websites - one for Canvas, one for LSS, and one for Self-Service (four if you include Office 365). I can understand that COVID-19 has made many companies have to down-size their operations, but California Southern is an online university - COVID-19 should not have had such an impact. All of these recent changes have turned California Southern University into a cold, impersonal, and complicated online institution where the student is left feeling insignificant. The personal touch has gone, the one-on-one support has gone, and the previous learning system, which was very effective, has been replaced by an overburdening haphazard array of hyperlinks. read more