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I feel the doctoral program in Curriculum and Instruction is extremely more in depth and answers the questions I still held after finishing the Masters program at Kent State University. Although I took the same program as a Masters student, the course work is completely different. Many choices of study focus on the individual students' interest and the work is enjoyable because of this important aspect. I have completed my bachelors, masters, and now working toward my PhD at Kent State and all of... Read More my experiences have been positive and completely different in all of my programs. I have stayed in the Education program and at first felt that I did not get enough support but I realize now that I was at that point just begining my career and was lost, confulsed and overall very overwhelmed with college myself. I do not know if anyone could really help me understand how to get through college but my own self. I would highly suggest Kent State to other students looking for a college to attend. The student body is very diverse and the professors have been extremely welcoming expecially as you continue your education at a higher level.

The M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications program is offered on-campus and online. It makes for a perfect balance for professionals who work full-time and are seeking an advanced degree. Although the workload and course assignments can be considered "intense," they are enriching and the interactions I have had with other professionals from around the nation have been insightful and beneficial towards my development as a public relations professional. Using Blackboard, the university oversees... Read More online interaction and professors are always available and helpful if I have questions. I've found the program to be a great help to my understanding of both practical and theoretical public relations strategies.

The program i went for was the LIS (library amd information science). The classes are really simple and the material is not difficult at all as well as workload for the majority of classes is no more than regular undergrad college coursework. The college offers many course online which is a great feature since librarianship is moving towards the digital age anyway. One complaint I did have is the lack of support and guidance in the program and towards a career. I have never met with my advisor and... Read More only received one email during my entire time there. I had no clue whether or not the courses I took would apply to my specialization and wasted time and money on classes that wouldn't help me. This would have definitely been a reason for me not to go here if I had known earlier.

Although I was enrolled at the main campus, most of my courses were in the Columbus branch, which isn't an option on the list to choose. So my comments on the area and transportation and safety are pretty neutral (although I'm sure the main campus in Kent is safer than the are in Columbus). My program was library science, and so the competitiveness of the school is pretty obvious, given that it is the ONLY library science program in the state. That said, they have created branches all around the... Read More state to carry the program and are increasingly giving online offerings so that people who are mid-career, like myself, can attend school full time and not need to uproot themselves completely. The program is very considerate of those who already work, offering evening classes that meet once a week, and the regular and adjunct faculty are very good, not only giving great instruction but serving as very good references and mentors. The program is also working very hard to stay current with technology and trends and is very concerned with keeping the content and the field competitive, addressing dilemmas and questions that we're facing on the front lines instead of just teaching out of old textbooks. I have only one quibble with the program, really, and that's that since it's so easy to enter--you don't even need a GRE score if you had an undergrad GPA of 3.0--it can be disheartening to see some who put very little effort or care into it coming out with the same credentials as someone who took a very difficult and intense focus, but that's more an issue with the profession than with the school. Kudos, KSU!

For my field of study (Applied Geology - Engineering Geology), Kent State is one of only a few schools that offer a comprehensive program dedicated to this discipline. The faculty is top-notch and well-respected by their peers, and national/international organizations. The department fosters a 'family' environment, and both faculty and fellow graduate students are always available and anxious to provide support. The only cons that come to mind are probably common at most universities and most departments--not... Read More enough funding for graduate research/teaching assistantships, outdated laboratory equipment (some, not most), and some of the classrooms/graduate student offices could use renovation.