A specific question about WGU

adrenaline19

Has anyone here pursued a Ph.D. using a Master's they've attained from WGU?
All info I found was related to their Nursing programs. I didn't find any related to IT.

Specifically, has any one been admitted into Colorado technology institute or a similar school with a WGU Master's?

I want the Ph.D., not need it. So, please don't derail the thread by saying Ph.D.'s aren't necessary in the field.

Danielm7

Not myself, but just googling around I found a few things here

https://www.reddit.com/r/WGU/comments/49fmjh/i_was_accepted_into_a_phd_program/

WGU Alumni Community - Educational Paths

TechGuru80

Danielm7 wrote: »

WGU Alumni Community - Educational Paths

Based on that list, it is doable...there are several schools that would be considered far superior universities to Colorado Technology Institute.

The good PhD programs are going to rely heavily on your GMAT/GRE score, with some focus on experience and additional education / academic contributions. Consider the programs when you are researching, because a PhD is based on the idea of you becoming a professor, thus there will be limited programs that benefit a practitioner.

adrenaline19

Daniel, we googled the same thing.
The first link is directly talking healthcare, not I.T.
The person received a B.S. in Health Informatics and the Healthcare Management MBA.
Different fields have very different requirements.

The second link has a list of schools, but it doesn't say if any of them are Ph.D. or Master's or even the major; extremely vague. A lot of those could be Master's/Ph.D. blended programs. I could pursue one of those, but I'd like to know all my options first.

I have no doubt I could get into a brick and mortar graduate program with a B.S. from WGU, but what about a Ph.D. specifically in I.T..

I asked a recruitment counselor and received a vague reply. I asked for clarification and received a canned response that barely seemed relevant to my question.

That's why I asked here. I trust you lovable bunch of neck-beards.

DatabaseHead

What's your GRE/GMAT score?

adrenaline19

Above 310 GRE, never taken the GMAT.

TechGuru80

310+ will get you into a lot of quality schools fyi...so you should be fine assuming you have no glaring issues.

adrenaline19

So, you think a WGU Master's and my GRE will be enough to get me into several quality schools for a Ph.D.?

I'm here just trying to find some concrete proof that schools will accept the WGU Master's in I.T. related fields. I haven't found any proof on any websites. That's why I asked here, since a lot of members here have attended WGU. I was hoping to hear from someone who has taken the path I've outlined, so I could get confirmation that it can be done.
Otherwise, I'll just attend a brick and mortar school with online classes. The Ph.D. is the goal, the Master's is just a step in that direction. I want the step to be helpful, not a hindrance.

TechGuru80

To be honest, if you want an online PhD program from a really good quality school, you will have challenges even finding that because again they are geared towards research and getting into education...so most require you to teach or work with a professor on research on campus.

It's true that some admissions boards might look down on WGU because it's not really a traditional school and the accreditation might be questioned...which you will never actually get told if I was to bet on it. On the flip side though, these admissions boards put so much emphasis on the GRE/GMAT score that it can trump other factors.

Additionally, the prerequisite courses you might have to take will vary from university to university, so plain and simple you will have to apply and get their official answer.

PJ_Sneakers

adrenaline19 wrote: »

Daniel, we googled the same thing.
The first link is directly talking healthcare, not I.T.
The person received a B.S. in Health Informatics and the Healthcare Management MBA.
Different fields have very different requirements.

The second link has a list of schools, but it doesn't say if any of them are Ph.D. or Master's or even the major; extremely vague. A lot of those could be Master's/Ph.D. blended programs. I could pursue one of those, but I'd like to know all my options first.

I have no doubt I could get into a brick and mortar graduate program with a B.S. from WGU, but what about a Ph.D. specifically in I.T..

I asked a recruitment counselor and received a vague reply. I asked for clarification and received a canned response that barely seemed relevant to my question.

That's why I asked here. I trust you lovable bunch of neck-beards.

That WGU alumni link has asterisks next to the schools that accepted a WGU alum into a doctorate program.

adrenaline19

PJ_Sneakers wrote: »

That WGU alumni link has asterisks next to the schools that accepted a WGU alum into a doctorate program.

Yeah, but which ones of them are for I.T.?
I have no doubt the nursing program has sent graduates on, but I'm looking for an I.T. Ph.D.

swamprat

The fact of the matter is, WGU staff and students can't keep track of which schools accepted PHD students with WGU MS or which still are, etc, as that's a moving target and not really anything they can track. I would suggest you find the schools you're interested in attending and then askt hem (and get it in writing) whether or not they would accept a WGU MS while pursuing a PhD with them.

PJ_Sneakers

adrenaline19 wrote: »

Yeah, but which ones of them are for I.T.?
I have no doubt the nursing program has sent graduates on, but I'm looking for an I.T. Ph.D.

So like... Call them, ask questions. That's what doctorate candidates do. They do research.

Danielm7

Two things, first a PhD in IT sounds very wide. At that level I'd think it would be super specialized, like a friend of mine many years ago was doing a PhD in robotics and artificial learning. Even an MS in IT is really wide, it's usually focused on IT management or some subset. Also, like the others said, research the specific programs you want and call them, I wouldn't trust that kind of info from a random stranger on a forum. I'd hate to see someone base their entire education and career path on something only to find out it was wrong then try to justify it by something like "But, BaconLuvr69 said I could do it!"

Always, ALWAYS verify.

DatabaseHead

Get you some Walden or Capella!

Doctor of Information Technology (DIT)

https://www.capella.edu/online-degrees/phd-it-management/

adrenaline19

I think at some point everybody missed the point of this post.

I'll ask the question again.

Has anybody here used a WGU Master's as a basis to apply and be accepted to a Doctorate program in the United States?

If so, may I please ask you some questions about the path you took.