Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts : Southfield
Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts : Southfield is a established in (unknown). The campus is located in and hosts students with an endowment of .
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16 Student Reviews of Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts : Southfield
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When it comes to Specs Howard, the graduates elevate the school far more than the school elevates its graduates. Don’t get me wrong; Specs Howard has its value, but it is best viewed as a potential bailout option for people with no other options, or with people who have inadvertently squandered other opportunities.
For example, if your interest is in broadcast reporting and you attend a four-year university, major in communications or journalism AND volunteer to participate in the on-campus television news program, you should be able to learn everything you would learn at Specs Howard without spending any additional money. In light of this, the $17,000 in tuition and fees required by Specs Howard is probably better spent toward the first year or two at a four-year public university; just make sure you participate in a television, radio or news program while you are there.
Depending on what you are looking to get out of a program like Specs Howard, you should weigh your alternatives. In this era, there are online coding and web design certificate programs offered by major universities (e.g., Washington University and Oregon State University) which cost between $2,000 and $6,000. For the same expense as Specs Howard attendance, you would be able to complete multiple certificate programs from schools with far more national recognition AND have money remaining in the bank. To acquire a certification attached to a wider range of general business skills, the University of Georgia offers a nine-month online executive certificate in entrepreneurship for around only $1,000!
Finally, before you attend a school like Specs Howard, you should consider all of the variables. If you are tied to a family, you probably will not be able to travel and perform the jobs you qualify for with a Specs Howard diploma. In fact, in the absence of a four-year degree sitting on your resume alongside the Specs Howard diploma, your number-one asset you bring to the table will probably be your willingness to live uncomfortably for a few years for the sake of acquiring experience.
Speaking quite generally, it is difficult to recommend Specs Howard’s programs to people if you fit any of the following criteria:
1. You are a parent, single or otherwise.
2. You are over the age of 25.
3. You need to stay in the city you already live in for any reason.
4. You need to take out student loans.
This final one may be the least considered and the most important. Most Specs Howard broadcasting graduates qualify for minimum-wage broadcasting jobs… IF they are able to acquire them. This means, in order to financially justify the expense of the school, the student will need to make an additional $1,000 per year as a result of the Specs Howard education than they would have earned without it FOR 17 YEARS just be BREAK EVEN on the financial equation.
I wouldn’t be surprised if for every Specs Howard success story, there are AT LEAST two former students (and probably even more) who feel taken advantage of because they didn’t weigh the risks, and didn’t realize they were in no position to capitalize on the window of opportunity Specs Howard is able to open for people lacking other, better, less-risky options.
With all due respect to MKwolf, it is obvious that he is blathering about how hard people tried and if those people fulfilled EVERY criterion given to them BY SPECS they would be mediocre at best at every aspect of the field they want to be in. Also, shilling would be the nice way to put it.
Specs Howard School was a great experience. I’m from the old days, (1982) and the instruction was amazing. They really did a great job to show you the radio business and help you along the way. Internships and noon paying radio gigs is a must along with starting in small town. I’m fine with all that. What I would challenge Specs Howard on is that I would love to see statistics of people that they find the first job for and then leave radio after that. Specs placement does a good job in getting you that first position but helping you after that is non existent. You’re in a small town doing radio where you are away from family and not knowing a lot of people in the radio business. It would be nice to lean on Specs Howard to help you with that second gig. My guess is the people that don’t move on after their first gig is probably about 80%.
With all due respect,
The majority of comments on this review were posted by an insufficient group of people due to their lack of effort. If you want to learn how to shoot footage, edit, write scripts, graphic design, apply audio, become an overall professional this IS THE PLACE TO BE. Here is a tip, go in to something that you want to do!!!!! I have experienced many struggles in my life and my experience at Specs (which is currently happening) has been nothing but enthusiastic, REALISTIC, and EXCITING. People go here and think a job will be handed to them. Here is the main point, they will teach you how to be GOOD at what you want to do, and then it is UP TO YOU TO MARKET YOURSELF. Clearly you people are NOT SELF SUFFICIENT!!! SPECS HOWARD IS AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT FALSE PROPHETS THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO KEEP IT REAL!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!!!!!
Do NOT go to this school. the program is laughable. The instructors are… mediocre (one or two are alright). They won’t help you find a job. They want your money and that’s it.
I’m a 2-time grad of Specs Howard and I’m very proud to state that. My experiences there were nothing but awesome. I had great interaction with the staff, instructors and career services. You must be willing to start out at the bottom and work your way up. This means unpaid internships and working for little pay. You will not get out of the program and get on the air in Detroit or any other major market. I have worked my butt off and I’m proud to say that I went to Specs. You have to have the passion and drive to succeed.
well I see why the comments are all negative below what I am about to write>This school Is a scam but I am so happy that I have my degree in law> I have never seen instructors are so cunning, cantankerous and intolerant to the students These people I would not allow to train my dog these are some I am referring to in the radio and broadcasting program. how can you be so unprofessional to the new future some of these old teachers need to retire. Stop pretending that you are there for the students I hope you all rot on earth as well as hell I will make sure I do my best to make sure you do
Total rip off don’t go here you will waste your money. Once you leave they don’t care about you they just care about your money and moving on to the next class.
If you enjoy spending a lot of money to make less in the field than you would being a pizza delivery driver than this school is for you!
They are quick to get you to sign onto the loan, but slow to return calls when it’s time for “job assistance.”
This school will teach you some of what you need to know for the media industry. But I felt I was misled by them. When I first interviewed it seemed like they were promising the world to me. But as I drew closer to graduation they were suddenly telling us that, “We can’t get you a job. You have to do it yourself. Use Craigslist….blah blah blah.” It was a totally different attitude than when they were trying to get me to enroll. I did end up get one job through them. But it didn’t last very long (they laid me off) and didn’t pay very much.
Also they tell you that after you graduate, you can still use the school’s equipment to work on your demo reel any time you need to, but they always gave me a hard time about that. Even just transferring my material from DVCPRO to Data DVD so I could send it to employers. They gave me a hard time about it and acted like they had no obligation to me whatsoever.
The career services department is not very helpful. They don’t return calls/emails, and it seemed like I had to be on them constantly, and then they acted like I was hounding them (which I probably was because I was out of work and needed a job!). Eventually they just quit returning my emails and calls.
So now I am on my own. I have learned more on my own than anything I learned in those classes. Looking back I can say this school is out to get your money, but when it comes time for them to deliver on their end, they are nowhere to be found. It’s more or less a racket, in my experience.
Don’t go! Take your hard earned money and put it into college. There are no shortcuts and this place is a money pit for the owners. Unless you look like Brad Pitt or you have a voice like Ross Mitchell you won’t make any money. I had a great time there but that was all it was. No job came from it and I only spent $5000. back then. Do your own research people.
Specs is a scam. This 8 month program is just that, a program, where they give you a diploma. Like any school, you really have to take advantage of every minute and network to get anything out of it. At specs this applies, but on steroids. I was sick and had strep throat for like, a month. Their attendance policy made it so I didn’t pass, then had to join another class. I knew how to do everything, if they gave me the opportunity I couldve shown them all…that in the 7 months I did an awesome job. Anyway, here is what I have to say: all companies want is HS diploma for the entry level jobs, and a Bachelors in the field with experience, or exper. In lieu of a 4 year degree. Specs’ diploma means nothing. It’s 12,000!! And its 8 months long. People hiring you probably think you’re crazy for spending that for 8 months, when a regular semester is generally 5 months at a real college. Its just a good idea at first, so unless you have 12,000 to burn and lots of free time, and don’t plan on getting sick, give it a try…. Also, like the others reviewed, only 3 people out of 40 I know of are working in radio, I’m one of them. I also bartend to pay bills!
Yes. My son went to check this school out and was schmoozed in to a graphics arts class (his bad for being suckered in) and was doing quite well, B+ averages but their on line submission system did not always work very well and I watched as he tried to submit his assignments on his school supplied Mac and it would not work so he was penalized and offered reinstatement for $1,500! It happened on more than one occasion and finally he just dropped. Now he owes over $5,000 with nothing to show. Any one know a good attorney?
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Specs Howard School of Broadcast Art is all about making money. They don’t care if you learned something or not. They will lie to you just to get you into there programs, and if you ask for assistance when you are in need they will try to avoid you or say they did not get your e-mails. The jobs offered after graduation are minimum wage jobs.
Unless you plan on moving to a no name town and working for next to nothing, please do not take the video or radio program at Specs. The job placement program is garbage and if it wasn’t for me being persistent i would not be working in the industry. There are 4 out of the 45 people in my class that are actually doing something in the field of broadcasting and none of them are making any more money than they were before they started.