The Tale of WGU

I've been doing some research on WGU, and what really stuck out was it was non-profit and the certifications were included in the tuition. That said, they won't accept me because I don't have (a) any certifications, (b) no verifiable work experience in the field, and (c) no associates degree in the field.

I don't have any questions about it, but it would've been nice if they would've posted those requirements before I started the entire application process.

Either way, back to self-study I go.

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Comments

olaHalo

Clearly listed in the Admissions page
Online Admissions | College of Information Technology | Western Governors University Online

Good luck with your studies =D

NetworkNewb

Yea, they really make those requirements tough to find...

Online Admissions | College of Information Technology | Western Governors University Online

Edit: damn, someone beat me to the link!

itsgonnahappen

Clearly stated. Now go out and work to meet those requirements.

cyberguypr

I'm assuming you were interested in the College of IT. Requiremetns are clearly spelled out at Online Admissions | College of Information Technology | Western Governors University Online

Special Requirements for WGU’s B.S. IT Programs

Possess a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Demonstrate IT experience either through:
An associate’s degree in IT or equivalent (A.S. or A.A.S. acceptable).
High-level IT coursework completed within the last five years:
Two or more upper-level networking courses; OR
Two or more upper-level object-oriented programming courses (Java, C#, etc.); OR
One or more upper-level operating systems courses; OR
One or more upper-level information security and assurance courses.
Hold transferable IT certifications earned within the last five years. Click here to see what IT certifications may transfer to WGU.
Submit a resume showing three-plus years of IT work experience.

We require these prerequisites because our research has determined that students entering these programs need to have demonstrated strong IT abilities in order to handle the rigors of a difficult IT curriculum.

Edit: These guys beat me.

srabiee

Obtain the CompTIA A+ and then reapply.

What is your background? Which program of study are you interested in?

markulous

Just grab a cert then jump into it. Not too difficult to get one of the certs to get admission.

aspiringsoul

Yeah, just study for and pass the latest version of the A+.

Watch the free videos here:

Professor Messer's CompTIA 220-801/802 A+ Training | Professor Messer - CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Linux, Microsoft Technology Training

markulous

Looks like they are still accepting the MTA cert, so I'd go that route. Much less info to study and much cheaper cert. Take the A+ when you get enrolled.

ssnyderu2

^ Take the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA): Windows OS Fundamentals exam. Cheap and super easy.

Chuynh22

Good luck on your endeavor

jerseyIT92

xD Lucas wrote: »

I've been doing some research on WGU, and what really stuck out was it was non-profit and the certifications were included in the tuition. That said, they won't accept me because I don't have (a) any certifications, (b) no verifiable work experience in the field, and (c) no associates degree in the field.

I don't have any questions about it, but it would've been nice if they would've posted those requirements before I started the entire application process.

Either way, back to self-study I go.

I agree, it's idiotic. I got accepted, but decided to go somewhere else. I think it's dumb they have these kind of requirements. People go to college to learn.. If you have certs or 3+ years of experience, you don't need that school lmao.

Mitechniq

A person with no job experience should not go to WGU. WGU alone will not place you ahead of the crowd, when that is all you have on your resume. The uniqueness of WGU, is that the school structure is geared to individuals who have the experience and technical expertise but does not have a degree to advance in their career.

Curchel

xD Lucas wrote: »

I've been doing some research on WGU, and what really stuck out was it was non-profit and the certifications were included in the tuition. That said, they won't accept me because I don't have (a) any certifications, (b) no verifiable work experience in the field, and (c) no associates degree in the field.

I don't have any questions about it, but it would've been nice if they would've posted those requirements before I started the entire application process.

Either way, back to self-study I go.

Take that dumb Project+ exam! That's how I got in. A few days of study and you have a pretty useless certification that will get you into WGU.

Danielm7

jerseyIT92 wrote: »

I agree, it's idiotic. I got accepted, but decided to go somewhere else. I think it's dumb they have these kind of requirements. People go to college to learn.. If you have certs or 3+ years of experience, you don't need that school lmao.

Good luck with all the companies that have hard requirements of a 4 year degree.

Nemowolf

Curchel wrote: »

Take that dumb Project+ exam! That's how I got in. A few days of study and you have a pretty useless certification that will get you into WGU.

Says the person who is not a project manager and knows nothing about them. You do realize that this is one of the few Project Management focused certifications. The only one better that i can think of is the PMP which requires THOUSANDS of verifiable hours of project work to even qualify to take the test? You must not know that Project Management is one of the top 10 most desired skills for IT professionals even who are not Project Managers AND these positions typically earn well over 100k even with little experience?

Jesus the misinformation. Please for the love of IT, check the link. No certification is worthless, only the person that holds it and doesnt do anything with it. If you had learned anything from the Project+ it is that you can scale the methodology from the practice of Project Management from your daily tickets to multi-million dollar projects.

joelsfood

I dunno, my Certified Netware Administrator 5 is pretty worthless. And lets not talk about my Novell Specialist Certificate in Integrating Netware 5 and Windows NT.

markulous

jerseyIT92 wrote: »

I agree, it's idiotic. I got accepted, but decided to go somewhere else. I think it's dumb they have these kind of requirements. People go to college to learn.. If you have certs or 3+ years of experience, you don't need that school lmao.

This isn't the only college that has requirements. And 3+ years of experience isn't going to bypass jobs that require degrees.

TR4V1STY

jerseyIT92 wrote: »

I agree, it's idiotic. I got accepted, but decided to go somewhere else. I think it's dumb they have these kind of requirements. People go to college to learn.. If you have certs or 3+ years of experience, you don't need that school lmao.

This is the most idiotic statement that I have read on these boards. Congratulations.

see below:
Prerequisite | Definition of prerequisite by Merriam-Webster

xD Lucas

Okay, guys, I didn't mean to start a crap fest. I completely overlooked those requirements, and I take the blame.

That said, I'm still studying for my A+. I feel I'm really close to being ready for the 820-801.

srabiee

No harm done. Good luck on the A+ exams. It's not a difficult exam at all, especially if you grew up building gaming PC's in the 90's and 00's like a lot of us did.

xD Lucas

I've decided to take the MTA, pass it, and retry admission into WGU. I want all those certifications, and a degree in the process. Again, I appreciate the response, folks.

markulous

xD Lucas wrote: »

I've decided to take the MTA, pass it, and retry admission into WGU. I want all those certifications, and a degree in the process. Again, I appreciate the response, folks.

Best route to take IMO. It's cheap and easy and you're goal is just to get admitted, so no reason to spend a bunch of money/time on a cert they'll give you there.

Danielm7

xD Lucas wrote: »

I've decided to take the MTA, pass it, and retry admission into WGU. I want all those certifications, and a degree in the process. Again, I appreciate the response, folks.

Smart choice, good luck.

On a Mission

Good luck! I was in your shoes before I got in. I ended up doing my Net+ to get in. I have about 30 credits left and no regrets. I think that the certs I've gained while attending have opened doors for me and I've got nothing but good to say about my experience with the school.

Mike-Mike

WGU is legit. It got me 10k more at my current role. I applied before my degree was complete, and I was told the pay range. I didn't get that position, they called back a few months later for another opening. Same company, same location, same job. This time I had completed my Bachelors and the offer was for 10k more than the previous.

Dakinggamer87

Mike-Mike wrote: »

WGU is legit. It got me 10k more at my current role. I applied before my degree was complete, and I was told the pay range. I didn't get that position, they called back a few months later for another opening. Same company, same location, same job. This time I had completed my Bachelors and the offer was for 10k more than the previous.

That's awesome shows the value of WGU and a Bachelor's degree!!

I'm hoping for the same after I finish my BS - IT: Security degree at WGU only 4 classes from graduation!!

Curchel

I never see Project+ listed in job requirements. If they want a project management certification it's almost always PMP or SCRUM. Project+ is barely recognized

Danielm7

Curchel wrote: »

I never see Project+ listed in job requirements. If they want a project management certification it's almost always PMP or SCRUM. Project+ is barely recognized

True, but you generally don't get an IT degree to immediately become a PM either. The project+ was boring, but there have been a number of situations at work where I was able to use the material I learned in the project+, it's just the equiv of a basic project management course.

xD Lucas

Well, I passed the exam for an MTA certification, and they're still giving me a hard time because I told them I don't have IT experience. I told them that it states on their Admissions page that it takes one of the following:

An IT degree
Demonstrated IT experience
An IT certification (listed as acceptance)

jerseyIT92

xD Lucas wrote: »

Well, I passed the exam for an MTA certification, and they're still giving me a hard time because I told them I don't have IT experience. I told them that it states on their Admissions page that it takes one of the following:
An IT degree

Demonstrated IT experience

An IT certification (listed as acceptance)

Yup, I'm currently having this same issue right now. It's friggen BS man.