Is Bowling Green State University a good school

buddy810 · 08-08-2008, 03:58 PM

Hello Im thinking about applying to Bowling Green State University online Masters Degree program in Criminal Justice. I would like to know if anyone out there knows if the program is any good or the school.

I recieved my information packet from University of Cincinatti and they have a masters degree program for Criminal Justice online. I thought it was weird that they wanted me to sign a waiver stating that I would have to maintain a 3.0 Gpa or I would be kicked out of the 1 yr criminal justice online program.

Please Advise.

Somewhere2012 · 04-16-2009, 11:48 PM

My advice is to not go below a 3.0.

mantori.suzuki · 05-14-2009, 11:24 PM

I know this is way late for the original poster, but maybe it will be helpful for someone else considering good ol' BG. (I am a BG graduate in math.)

Whether BG is a "good" school depends very much on where you're from and how academically inclined you are. I was a National Merit Semifinalist who went to BG because of the full-tuition scholarship they offered Semifinalists at the time; I don't think they offer that anymore. I chose BG over Ohio State, Miami of Ohio, and Toledo. If money had not been an issue, either Ohio State or Miami would have been a better choice both academically and socially.

If you are from northern Ohio and don't want to go to college too far from home, then BG is one of your better choices. It is clearly better than some of the alternatives in the area; I would choose BG over Toledo, Akron, Cleveland State, Eastern Michigan, Wayne State, and IUSB. It is about the same quality education as Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Kent State, or Cincinnati. It is definitely not as good as Miami, Ohio U, Ohio State, Michigan, Case Western Reserve, or Notre Dame.

The good things about BG: Nice size (about 18,000 students total), which means lots of different majors without being overwhelming. Strong Greek system if you're into that. Large, well-maintained but not overwhelmingly huge campus. Nice row of bars and great pizza places close to campus. Respectable teacher college. Small enough that you can really get to know your professors if you care to. (I got to know mine, and they helped me get into some excellent grad schools.) Good undergrad business program. D-I hockey, basketball, and football. Town is boring but safe.

The bad things about BG: You will not be surrounded by the world's leading intellectuals. If you want culture, you have to look hard, although you will find it if you try. Two hours from the nearest decent city (Cleveland). (No, I do not consider Toledo or Detroit "decent" cities.) Go more than 100 yards off campus and you're pretty much in a cornfield.

Another good thing about BG, believe it or not, is name recognition. I don't know why, but everywhere I go in the United States, people say, "Oh, you went to Bowling Green? That's a good school!" I have no idea why people think this; maybe it's because it gets a lot of attention for the success of its football and hockey teams (national champs in 1984), or maybe because its unusual name makes it sound like a private school. Anyway, I've been really surprised and pleased with my ability to get job interviews based on the BG degree on my resume. Weird but true.

I hope these comments help. BG is not a bad school at all. There are many better choices, but you could do a lot worse, too.

mantori.suzuki · 05-14-2009, 11:32 PM

As for admissions, it has gotten a lot more competitive in the last few years. My brother was just admitted conditionally with a 3.0 unweighted GPA and 24 ACT. So it's not a sure-thing, anyone-can-get-in state school like Toledo or Cleveland State. (Conditional admission at BG means that you have to attend summer counseling, mandatory tutoring as a Freshman, and have a review at the end of your first year to determine if you're allowed to remain enrolled.) But it's not super-hard to get in, either, and once you're there, you'd have to try hard to screw it up. I've known people with 19 ACT or 2.8 GPA who got in because they were strong in some other area. So I encourage anyone who is a reasonably serious student with decent grades and test scores to apply.

weepingwillow · 06-07-2009, 12:19 PM

What about music program at BGSU? Especially the piano area? I have visited the campus and I like it.

mantori.suzuki · 06-07-2009, 08:42 PM

I was in Arts & Sciences, so I can't speak from direct experience about the music program. I can tell you that I took a couple of general music classes, and that the faculty were really friendly, and that the students seemed really engaged and happy. That doesn't mean a lot coming from me, but at least it was a good outsider's impression.

Where do you live? I'm sure the music program would be happy to host you for a day if you can get to campus again. That's a nice thing about BG; it's small enough that they can do things like that.

B723 · 07-22-2009, 08:26 AM

I am planning on getting my Masters in Criminal Justice at Bowling Green State University. Has anyone completed this program? Or even currently enrolled? I am doing this degree program online and it was between BGSU and Boston University. I wanted Boston initially but BU is twice the price so it isnt worth it to me.

I have read some good and bad about BGSU. I have heard its an easy school to get accepted into, or someone posted that the professors are lousy.

Any info would be great thanks!

mantori.suzuki · 07-22-2009, 10:11 AM

The CJ program has a good reputation within Ohio, but if you're looking at Boston U., then you're probably interested in a national program, not regional. BGSU is a fine school, but it's a big step down in reputation from Boston U. You may want to look into flagship state universities rather than BGSU.

B723 · 07-26-2009, 10:37 AM

I wasnt aware of the difference between a national vs a regional program. I ended up choosing BGSU over Boston because of cost. I have enough student loans as is stands now so I am paying out of pocket. Since I am paying without financial aid the BU program is just not affordable.

Should I be concerned about regional vs national when it comes to finding a job?

Thanks

mantori.suzuki · 07-26-2009, 01:03 PM

No, I wouldn't say you should be concerned about it. By all means, you should apply confidently to any job you are interested in. But you may find that employers in and around Ohio have a greater appreciation for what you've learned at BG and give more weight to your degree.

But if your dream job is in California or Alaska or anywhere else, go for it! Be sure to use BG's Career Center, who may be able to put you in touch with BG alumni in your field who are hiring. I'm sure there are BG grads all over the country who know the quality of the CJ program and would love to interview other BG grads.

I'm sorry, I did not mean to be discouraging. You did not waste your time studying CJ at BG, that's for sure! You should do fine!

B723 · 07-26-2009, 02:02 PM

ok, thanks for the info!