Bachelors from UMUC vs WGU

jah8887

Has anyone here had any experience with getting a bachelors degree at UMUC? or dealings with the college? I am looking around and saw where they offered a bachelor's degree in Computer Networks and Cybersecurity.

kaiju

The UMUC program is like a normal college so you will be writing A LOT of papers. UMUC also only allows you to use certs for lower level classes (200 and below). Example: you will have a 300 level class that is supposed to be CISSP prep but if you already have a CISSP you can only get credit for a 200 level class. UMUC will also take you at least 3 years to complete if you do not have any transfer credits. The UMUC Cyber program covers A LOT of NIST publications which is great for someone who wants to expand their knowledge.

WGU is self-paced so some people finish their degrees in less than one year. However, you may have issues with some higher institutions since the WGU programs is based off of certs and lacks the research & papers methodology of "normal" institutions.

UMUC - costs more, takes longer and concentrates on research.
WGU - cheaper, self-paced, certification based.

ypark

I've also attended both but have yet to complete a degree (3 classes away from graduating at WGU). UMUC tuition is pretty expensive compared to WGU. UMUC does offer some condensed courses such as 8 week / 12 week so you can stagger your courses during each semester.

Money was the biggest factor for me in transferring to WGU but I also wanted faster return on investment since I was already working in the field. I've already gotten a few promotions and tripled my salary (it wasn't much to begin with) in the last two years from all the knowledge and certs I've gained at WGU.

jah8887

My biggest issue is money and time. But I am leaning more to the WGU side since it seems more financially maintainable than UMUC. I am in the process of getting my transcripts from my AAS degree in IT Networking to see if any credits will be able to follow me over to WGU. I am hoping some will and if not I will just start from scratch then. Thanks for the advice both of you!

TLeTourneau

kaiju wrote: »

<SNIP>However, you may have issues with some higher institutions since the WGU programs is based off of certs and lacks the research & papers methodology of "normal" institutions.<SNIP>

Could you elaborate? I am just curious what you mean as WGU is a regionally accredited school.

kaiju

Some of the higher institutions do not recognize WGU because it does not utilize the standard format of lectures and GPA system. Regionally accredited does mean much on the national level.

jcundiff

kaiju wrote: »

Some of the higher institutions do not recognize WGU because it does not utilize the standard format of lectures and GPA system. Regionally accredited does mean much on the national level.

Any proof of this other than just you saying it is so? WGU is accredited by the same body that accredits BYU, UNLV, Reed, Gonzaga and many other schools. So forgive me if I don't take your word without a little more proof

johndoee

jah8887 wrote: »

Has anyone here had any experience with getting a bachelors degree at UMUC? or dealings with the college? I am looking around and saw where they offered a bachelor's degree in Computer Networks and Cybersecurity.

I will say this:

I have come to this post a few times and avoided it. So, here I am again-

The VA paid for a degree and a half for me. So, with my past circumstance I could have picked any university in the world and the VA would have paid for the tuition. I started at UMUC. When somebody else is paying, it doesn't matter the school or really the price. That is my UMUC disclaimer. I went, and the majority of it was paid by someone besides for me.

You said your biggest issue is money and time. If money is an issue go to WGU. That doesn't even require a thought process or a discussion post. It's like asking us which state is bigger Texas or Delaware....But, I'll play your game . WGU is cheaper and the sky is the limit with the amount of coursework you can complete. It's numerous posts where people finished degrees in various amounts of time. You can spend hours reading through them.

You are in Virginia. I was born in that wonderful state. Where I worked at one point in time in my life probably 43% of the workforce had a degree from George Mason. People had degrees from some very highly respected universities in the DC/Virginia region. In my personal opinion, the university you went to matters in "some" organizations (in Northern Virgina/DC). So, If I had to pick between WGU and UMUC in Virginia especially Northern Virginia I would say neither. Butttttt, if I had to pick one it would be UMUC. That university is on the NSA blah blah list and that list and this list. University of Maryland is a big name. Not a Howard University name but people are familiar with the university name wise. You have University of Maryland College Park, University of Maryland Baltimore, University of Maryland University College and a few others that probably start with University of Maryland. So, when you say University of Maryland...whatever...someone has more than likely heard of it in Virginia.

No disrespect, I don't want to get any negative rep (that means absolutely nothing, that I don't read) but I first heard of WGU on this forum. I considered it at one point in time. But, now.. I am back to completing a degree at a more well known resume blossomed eye-catching university. ..No it doesn't start with University of Maryland either. What works for one doesn't necessary work for another.

I think you already know the answer to your question.

If you are looking for reviews you can type in WGU Review in google and read (good/bad) reviews until this weekend. I just counted over 500. I am sure UMUC has an worth amount as well.

Have a wonderful day.

TLeTourneau

kaiju wrote: »

Some of the higher institutions do not recognize WGU because it does not utilize the standard format of lectures and GPA system. Regionally accredited does mean much on the national level.

Regionally accredited means everything on the national level, nationally accredited means little on any level. I have yet to hear of any school that has not accepted a completed degree from WGU. Individual course acceptance on a transfer is a different issue but the degree is just as valid as a degree from BYU or Northwest University.

OP - Sorry to derail the thread, I just do not think some of the specific information provided is accurate and wanted to clarify.

jah8887

No worries on derailing the thread, I appreciate all the insight that has been given to me in this thread! I too learned of WGU once I started here in these forums and before that I just thought I had to choose between brick and mortar schools for an education.

FSF150

I did my undergrad with UMUC, InfoSys Management. It was a great deal as I was active-duty so tuition was 100% covered and they had good support available on base. Overall I was very happy with the program, but I wasn't having to pay out of pocket for it.

Can't speak to WGU as I haven't attended, but as an outsider my perspective is that it seems to be geared to mid-career types who just need a degree.

If I were advising someone who was paying out of pocket for a distance ed degree I wouldn't try to steer them away from either school, but I'd also recommend looking for other schools that may offer similar products for a better price and/or stronger "brand name". There are many options out there.

TeKniques

kaiju wrote: »

Some of the higher institutions do not recognize WGU because it does not utilize the standard format of lectures and GPA system. Regionally accredited does mean much on the national level.

This is completely false ...