15 Best Msw Programs In Des Moines, IA (2022 Updated)

I am a former student of Kaplan University, Des Moines. I received an AAS for Medical Assisting and then went on to study for my BS in Healthcare Administration. At this time I have only 7 courses left before completing my degree. My experience during my Medical Assisting program was not easy but well worth it. I was not a traditional student; I had kids, 2 jobs at times and even a sick mother. Sounds like everyone else's story, huh? Well that's the thing, it was everyone's story, and I had to choose to change my story and graduate so that I would be able to give my children an opportunity of a better life. So while it wasn't an easy road, I was able to have two GREAT instructors that supported and encouraged me and my other classmates to finish and become members of a great occupation. So to Cheryl DeBartolo and Emily Noel, I say THANK YOU! Both of you were great in aiding me to complete my goal. My journey with the BS in Healthcare Administration has not been as great. I have had to stop and restart a few times due to over extending myself with work and obligations of being a mother, nothing new to any of us. Sometimes we are just not ready to focus on ourselves to gain what is needed to be successful. With that being said, the last time that I was enrolled in 2013 I was ready to finish. I knew that in 1 year I would be a graduate and that I was ready to make it happen. The course catalog at the time required that 750 points out of 1000 be obtained for credit for the course. I obtained 742 in one class and 718 in the other. So of course, I failed the courses. Only to find out that within a few months of me failing, Kaplan decided to change the policies and grant a passing score of 600 out of 1000 to the students. Obviously there were a lot more students failing the programs and retention must have become a huge issue. I understand that there are policies to be followed, but to make a change like this and not allow the ones that were most affected by it a chance to recover these credits is completely ridiculous. Maybe others didn't speak up, maybe others could afford to retake the classes, but that is not my story. This change made a huge impact in when and if I will ever be able to finish my degree. Do I take ownership for my part, oh yes I do. Every day I face the fact of how a few extra points or maybe a few extra minutes on an assignment might of changed everything. However, I will also ask Kaplan to accept ownership in their decision to change the policy and not grant an exclusion for those that were within the new guidelines. Give those credits back to the students and allow them to move on. This has affected GPA's and FA ability and Scholarship opportunities for many. I continue to look for ways to fund my degree through trying to save and look for scholarships and grants, but I have yet to be successful. I am determined to finish my degree, Kaplan will you help me? All I am asking for is the recovery of the credits that were lost and the opportunity to allow those credits back into my degree program so that I can finish in the amount of time agreed upon when I last attended.Francess Hawkins

This week is Veterans week, and as a Veteran I thought I would share how Kaplan has helped me. I served on active duty for over 10 years as a Hospital Corpsman in the US Navy. When I received my honorable discharge, I found myself in unfamiliar territory…no license, no security….all of my experience in medicine and I couldn’t even find work as a CNA in long term care, I was unqualified. I soon went to school at the local community college, but found long wait times and several hoops to jump through in order to get my nursing degree. Thankfully after 2 semesters I saw a commercial for Kaplan and decided to check it out. The enrollment staff was incredible and I soon found myself in the ADN program, finally on my way to get my RN. Throughout the ADN program, the educators/professors were amazing and actually cared about my success. As a result I found myself not only completing the program but excelling, even finishing with summa cum laude honors! I couldn’t stop there and immediately enrolled in Kaplan’s ‘RN to BSN’ program. With this program I often found myself feeling comfortable with my employment as a RN, and thought about quitting several times. However the DON from my ADN program Mylissa Belieu kept following up with me, pushing me to keep going (even though she didn’t have too) and with her support I finished my BSN in May of this year. Today, I start my next journey at Kaplan with my Master’s program in hopes to one day fulfill my dream of becoming a practitioner. With the family I have gained at Kaplan, I have no doubt that I once again will succeed! So as many people thank me this week, I take this time to thank Kaplan and everyone involved for helping this veteran find a home, outside of military life!gary darr

I went to Kaplan and excelled. I was so happy to be involved with professors who seemed to care about my progress and accomplishments. I had issues with some classes and I wrote Kaci (now the president of Kaplan) an email explaining the situation and my frustration. She never responded back and when confronted she waved me aside because she doesn't care about the students or if they stay at Kaplan. This place is a business and only wants your money. I was told to get where I want, I would need a degree. Come to find out, employers cannot discriminate against you for not having a college degree. Clearly to become a teacher, nurse etc. you would need the proper schooling. However, the business degree is generic and a waste of time and money. The only thing Kaplan did for me was put me in debt $40,000. These people will pass you because it's a diploma mill. Not saying students that go here are not smart, but if you go there or are planning to go there, know that you don't need to do much to get a diploma. Thanks Kaplan for wasting my time and money. I like how they say "Kaplan University cannot guarantee employment or career advancement." They guaranteed it when I attended, but look at those graduates and see where they're at now. Making the same amount of money they were prior to Kaplan at a nowhere job. I understand that people make their own choices, but Kaplan did nothing to help us grow.Kate Di Santis

I went here for one year. Most of my professors were quite professional, but 2 of them were absolutely atrocious, and a mix-up my professor made landed me with a permanent F on my transcript, while my GPA each semester is no lower than a 3.5 . If you ever have a major illness or a tough life situation, or need helpful suggestions from your professors, THEY DO NOT CARE AND DON'T MAKE AN EFFORT TO HELP. Not sure if my experience was just a fluke, but I'm reading all these other comments about how amazing the faculty are, and this is NOT TRUE! Petty music directors, irresponsible professors, lazy office workers. It's the best school you can get in a small, boring town in Iowa. Tuition is also through the roof, especially for the level of education you receive, and tuition just keeps climbing (for what, I'm not quite sure. There is nothing at this school that is worth the amount you pay). Housing is also awful and not accommodating in the slightest. They hardly have enough and don't let people live off campus, most likely because they are losing students and need everyone's money. The only two things I loved about the school were the perpetually mating tortoises in the science courtyard and the W recreational facility. But overall, the campus feels like a glorified high school. College students act like immature teenagers, not a lot of food selection on campus or off campus, and you have to drive 40 minutes to get to a town with anything to do (which STILL sucks). If you like a small-town college with very little to do, cliquey students who NEVER leave campus, small, repetitive food selections, and selfish professors (at least in the music department), this is the school for you!Mimi W-Harms

The faculty committees that govern are dysfunctional and inequitable. All foreign professors, female or with accents do not get tenure and are let go for unjustified reasons (I know of 5 examples in last 10 years). Black professors have received racists TEVALs. The community here is open and diverse on paper only, but not in every day life. If you are in any way different, liberal, foreign, not religious, be ware, do not move to Waverly or work for the University. If diversity means locals and foreigners meeting in the middle, then you, as a foreigner will be required to go all the way and beyond and the existing residents will not meet you half way, be it with social customs, openness to different fields, openness to different ideas. Noone will ever ask you what it is like where you are from, and even though some faculty are friendly, most already have friends and unless you start with many new hires, your social life will be v. limited. The students never leave campus, so it does not have the atmosphere of a college town. The University is not listed in the AAUP directory and should be black listed, as a place, where tenure and promotion rules are not followed. Go to Luther, Simpson or a different liberal arts college. They are in better towns, too. Make sure programs are accredited, some of Wartburg's programs are not accredited by their respective fields.R H Studio

I graduated from Wartburg in 2016. I had a blast and I grew so much professionally, spiritually (and I'm even Catholic!), and as a person. Wartburg will always be a home for me. I brought my boyfriend (who is from Ohio) to Wartburg for homecoming and he was amazed at how much of a family Wartburg is, and even though he new no one, how welcomed he felt by students, faculty, and staff. President Colson and Christie truly care about their students and you can see that by not only how many events they go to, but how he speaks with students and spends the time to listen to them. Thank you Wartburg, for everything.Angela

I attended a class With Diane as the instructor. I was asked to leave after the 3rd day. While I attended the class she asked me if i “took my medication this morning”? Not only was this embarrassing but I would assume a HIPPA violation. I could be wrong. I payed $800 to take the class that I got no refund on.Kayla Marvelli

Had to take the OWI 1st class. As embarrassing as this situation has been for me, I actually found this class extremely informative and non judgmental. This would be a good class for anyone to take. Diane was a very good instructor.Nichole M

not recommended still waiting for my refund after refusing to provide services. this place is proof that ethical treatment of people is not needed is run a place that has people lives in their hands.ryan Stensrud

I intensely regret attending this college. The Game Design program I was drawn by turned out to be a swindle, cobbled together from unrelated, pre-existing courses. And those courses were little more than shallow explorations of ideas that anyone with an Iowan high school degree will have consumed and spat out long before being asked for thousands of dollars. In those instances where I did learn something new, it would (with alarming regularity) come in the form of a link to a YouTube video I could have readily found on my own. Many professors are regularly unprofessional, rude, menacing and/or flatly combative (though my experience with this sort of behavior was limited to the faculty in the English department). And the courses you pay for may not be the ones you end up with. In one instance, I was given an A for a class and told not to continue to come, when the professor decided that some of us should simply be moved to a different, internet based, turn-key course. In another instance, the class was informed that the course's name and subject matter were due for a change in the coming year, and that the course we were attending would instead teach to that new (and unrelated) material. The library is stocked with ancient, irrelevant books. The staff aren't required to use the school's provided grading and assignment system. I advise anyone reading this to turn away. Consider the near 100% acceptance rate as the warning I should have heeded- and that you still have time to do. If my experience is any indication, Grand View should only be mentioned in the same breath as Trump University, and in no other instance.Claiming Light

Completely my home away from home. Grand View is outstanding for adults who desire to go back to school. The professors are personable, understanding, and more than accommodating. I’ve had to bring my toddler to class with me on several occasions without so much as a second glance from instructors! My advisor is amazingly helpful and wants all of his advisees to succeed. I love the small class sizes and the professor to student ratio is spot on! Even in classes where I have struggled, I was given the extra help I needed because I feel the priority of the staff is having their students do well! I am a veteran and processing my education benefits has always been effortless. There are so many clubs, organizations, and extracurricular activities, students should have no problem finding their niche and becoming comfortable. Reading the few negative reviews sounds more like a reflection of the type of student attending the institution; not the school itself!Heather Jackson

There is a reason the acceptance rate is at 98%. Facilities are outdated. Freshman dorms are absolutely terrible and always had the smell of weed. They have a weight room area, but the weights are trashed and the space is extremely small. The cafetaria is okay the first week and then becomes the same stuff everyday, it is practically non existent on the weekend, the food also has no quality, basically tasted as if it was microwaved or drowned in grease. If you are looking to play a sport the lower level coaches are usually a joke and don't have any business coaching as discussed frequently within the teams. The class sizes are small and the professors are pretty good though. Not a very good atmosphere to be around.Luke Rincker

THE UNIVERSITY IS AN INTERESTING PLACE TO VISIT, I WENT TO STUDENT ADMISSION FOR INFORMATION ON SPRING COURSES, TUITIONS AND CLASS HOURS, I LIKE THE CAMPUS, THE STUDENTS ARE FRIENDLY, SECURITY ARE FRIENDLY, KEEP YOU UNDER SURVEILLANCE, AND UPDATE THE CAMERAS.EXCELLENT COURSES.KIDS I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST APPLYING FOR IOWA EDUCATION GRANTS THERE'S 10 MILLION DOLLARS AVAILABLE IT'S FREE AND AVOID THE FINANCIAL DEBT OF TUITIONKenneth Peterson

I went to school here and graduated from here onto Simpson College. Great place. Caring professors. Many opportunities to network. Very clean campus. Always a spot for free parking. People only rated this college negatively because they probably aren't very good students either. I know so many great people went to school here and graduate onto doing something amazing. Also provides a lot of jobs for students!Uomi

At the moment, DMACC is not operating as should be. I live just so close. Security is functioning regularly, but offices are closed to the general public as far as I am concerned. No in-person services now. But it's a cool place to study or browse using free wifi on campus grounds. I love the peace and silence I usually experience when here… DMACC, Iowa, USAEmmanuel Robertson

After three years of an ongoing issue with my now nine year old son, we were able to have hope again after working with Kari Smith in the physical therapy department at DMU. After seeing doctors, neurologists, and another physical therapist things weren't getting better. Now that we have found Kari, there is relief in sight! We will be forever grateful to her!Handy Family

The Physical Therapy Clinic and Osteopathic Medicine Clinic are both amazing. I have experienced numerous other PT clinics and none use the thorough advanced methods that DMU uses. When the practioiner knows what they are doing (like they do at DMU) dry needling is a game changer in relieving pain and getting your body functioning better and optimally.Jean McCroskey

Vanessa (and staff) of the event coordinating staff were all incredible. The catering was spot-on, facilities were pristine, and the staff were all extremely attentive and professional. Our event couldn't have gone any better, and with much thanks to the staff for that.Random Fan

I cannot thank you enough for the services I received that helped me and my daughter to have electricity during a finically difficult time.Erica Willett-Six

Do NOT come to the office!! You'll HAVE to do everything with a computer, b/c the registrar CAN'T do anything in person. ONLY via a computer. The experience with the registrar guy is very poor 🙁 Please make sure to have everything you need in hardcopies and write at least 2 directions on two pieces of paper and an email with the same direction on it. Or else he won't do anything and will not bother to ask you if he needs anything from you. Make sure to say in the email that you need to know if he get your email and mails or not. to send your transcript to a designate school or program. Go to Drake's ordering transcript website. Do all of the work by yourself and attach whatever document you need to attach. Complete! BTW, it cost money to do so. And they WON'T send your transcript to a P.O. Box. The only option left is "mail" – no tracking, take a long time to get there. At DMACC they do everything for free 🙂yoom surber

Awful. Glad I transferred, because they do not care bout student's future. Also, their food is terrible, the school is ruled by Greek life only, it's dangerous, and it has a lack of support for student mental health. As a first year, my FYS was taught by someone with no experience and was an unorganized class that didn't follow it's syllabus at all.Begoniagirl

My band director graduated from here and graciously offered to give me a tour of all the places where he got hit by a car on campus. Also we saw like 20 emergency vehicles so 5/5 for keeping us safe! Go bulldogs!Phoebe Osgood

Fantastic Doctors, Physicians assistants, and staff! I was however very, very disappointed that while walking to and from the hospital, we walked on the sidewalk on hospital property and the fence between the sidewalk and hospital were lined with hospital staff members smoking right next to the "no smoking" signs. I was there for my wife who has stage 4 lung cancer, she never smoked a day in her life. Having to walk past dozens of University of Iowa hospital staff members smoking on the property while leaning on the fence that had signage stating that this is a smoke free facility. What a kick in the gut for my self and my wife with stage 4 lung cancer having to breath that 2nd hand smoke for a block and a half. I expected better. Absolutely disgusting and to be in the medical field and subjecting patients to 2nd hand smoke is a joke.Zach Cretsinger

Iowa's first and finest university, the Hawkeye State's flagship center of academic excellence. A proud liberal arts university that has pioneered many areas of study and advanced research of benefit to all of humankind. Home to multiple highly ranked areas of study and of course the world-famous Writer's Workshop (Iowa City is currently the only U.S. "City of Literature" as designated by UNESCO). Home to a superb health care campus where advanced research and top-notch, highly specialized patient care are points of pride. A priceless gem of incalculable value to the people of Iowa!Michael Sondergard

The conference in England 2018 was amazing almost fourteen thousands people were there.As well the marathon went great from all over the world with multi talented, brilliant, educated, and open minded people. Well we decided that the Olympic will be in Japan and next we think would be in France we would decide soon. I have met several the most amazing leaders who made me stronger. Can't wait to complete my graduate school. Still in Europe, and now am in Paris thanks to Tony Robbins and thank to God.Christy Cox

They will go out of their way to help you , going abive and beyond to help you in your personal journey to better yourself and your life. I feel like This is a great group of people and I'm excited to continue working with them .Stevi

I'm sure the staff at one point or another had the adequate empathy to work with the homeless but you go in there now and you just don't see it.Tanner “Fitch” Auten

The people are extremely helpful and polite, only if they were a little but easier to get hold of over the phone, that will be great.Bilawal Khoso

They like to secretly talk about a patient behind their back and enlist the mother of patient go on outings and meetings all done without patient so who is this really helping. Getting my mom to keep it from me and lie this is a joke some more money that could help us going in their pockets they don't care signed John p.Jb Motardman