Western Governors University?

MCPWannabe

Okay,

Here is another question for anyone out there...

Has anyone heard anything about WGU offering a Master's with an emphasis in Database Design or Programming? That's what I want to see.

Acoustic_Ruby

Hello,

I've been following this thread today. All exchanges were great. Particular MCPWannabe and Skrprune.

I've been enrolled at WGU since Sept 2007 and completing my BSIT/Network Mgmt Dec next year if not sooner.

My experience with WGU has be a good. But WGU works for me because I'm especially a self-directed learner and its learning model plays to my strengths, goals and lifestyle. I'm currently a Sr Storage Technology Architect for a leading Storage Technology company. I have 11+ years experience in IT. I have several certs, some MS, some CompTIA, some industry specific.

I was able to knock out a decent portion of my technical requirements using my certs. But the eval process for that must occur during the transcripts eval. I transferred in some of my other credits and they were rejected. I was told that the version of my microsoft cert had been recently discounted about two months prior to my enrollment (MCSE Windows 200). So it looked like was not going to be able to leverage much in the way of prior schooling or work experience.

I pressed on however. I filed and appeal and gave a compelling reason (using my Industry experience of certification) why my certification was still quite valid beyond what I considered and artificial guideline set by the school. Besides, why retire my exam when MS had no retirement schedule for my certification? Anyway, after about two weeks they reconsidered. In the meantime I proceed with my enrollment and new student coursework (my choice to continue).

I'm very glad I continued. To be honest though, had things not gone my way, I still would have continued on...I just would have had to adjust my attitude and energy about how my progress would have to unfold to meet my goals. But after much Googling, reading information, sending away for school program info, talking to admissions of various schools...it was clear that WGU was the school for me.

I read so many reviews about WGU and other onlines schools and brick-n-mortars. I've been rather encouraged by the overall reviews for WGU. Many people have positive feedback. No school is perfect. We know that. So there will be negatives. I take negative comments into consideration as as well. In the end we all go with what meets our goals.

I'm not in WGU for a elite degree but I do understand the concern for respect. That is important. For me, it is about realizing a dream, and my personal evolution as a person. I want to become a better human being and through my education create new opportunities for myself and contribute greater value in my areas of interest. So for now and unless something says otherwise, I'm good to go.

Of greater importance to me is that the school has the proper credentials and "I" respect my degree and my degree program and enjoy a challenging degree earning experience.

WGU is not just another online school. They have from the start set themselves apart from the pack. Indeed they are one of the best universities you've never heard of in adult education. I don't think elite degrees will every change in terms of the level of esteem afforded those who have them but I do feel that online education will be considered just education like all other universities and the focus will be on what degree you earned and how you can put that education to work for you.

While everyone's mileage may vary with any educational institution, WGU will work for you if it is for you. WGU is also slowly building a solid profile and I think the certification and assessments program for IT makes it better than most. Much more challenging than the stuff ever I did at Marlyand University.

As far as degree in the eyes of employers: one company wanted to hire me. The took a look at my career experience and I also put on my resume that I was in the process of completing my degree at WGU in Information Technology. They'd never heard of the school before BUT...they googled it and were quite pleasantly surprised by the program I was enrolled in terms of curriculum. How do I know this? They took the liberty of raising this issue up during my 2 hour interview. This was for a six figure annual salary. Will all responses be like that? Of course not. I don't expect them to. I also don't expect my degree to work magic all on it's own.

It is about the combination of skill, experience and education coming together as "value" (so stated by MCPWannabe).


My WGU education has be challenging and rewarding. My registration process was good but not perfect. The learning model is great. WGU is not an easy degree for IT but their learning model puts getting a degree soo much closer to attainment for those who can navigate curriculum. There can be a disconnect with processes or you may not like your mentor or (pick your gripe). I've attended the University of the District of Columbia and Maryland University in my journey (a few others also, sad to say). Perhaps my age and experience has prepared me more for the WGU experience but I highly recommended for those who are so inclined.

Is you really feel WGU is the school for you, press through the initial difficulty. I was quite picky at my start as well. One needs to be! It's a big investment! It will be worth it though. Remain objective and expect the most out of yourself above all else. At the end of the day it will be up to you to finish your degree. This applies to whatever school you choose. There will be issues. Some programs may have more issues than others.

The question is can you look beyond the issues in your particular program to the goal of completing you degree program?

WGU is certainly worth consideration.

Just my .02

Apologies for the long ramble. Still more to say...wisdom dictates I full stop here.

Best,

Acoustic_Ruby

cacharo

Ruby,

Thanks for the post and your opinions. That is quite the hello to the forums.

Welcome!

-Cacharo

loss4words

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry if this doesn't belong in this thread but I just have a quick question. I just recently got my Associates Degree in Network Administration and was fortunate enough to find a job right away. I really want to go back to college and do my Bachelors but the colleges that I'm interested in don't have just evening/weekend classes that I could attend. I was wondering if online education and WGU specifically could be good for me. I've read on this forum that people would only advice going to WGU if one is interested in getting a Masters, but not for Bachelors. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks.

Natdream

Hi this is a really good and informative thread. I am considering going to WGU; however, I have no background in Information Technology. My BS is in Computer Animation and I was going to get a 2nd bachelors degree in IT. My question is would WGU or any online institute be a good fit for someone with no background and no certifications under my belt? Also, because I work full time job, taking classes online or in the evening is the only option I have. I would really appreciate some advice. Thanks

MCPWannabe

Acoustic_Ruby wrote:

Hello,

I've been following this thread today. All exchanges were great. Particular MCPWannabe and Skrprune.

I've been enrolled at WGU since Sept 2007 and completing my BSIT/Network Mgmt Dec next year if not sooner.

My experience with WGU has be a good. But WGU works for me because I'm especially a self-directed learner and its learning model plays to my strengths, goals and lifestyle. I'm currently a Sr Storage Technology Architect for a leading Storage Technology company. I have 11+ years experience in IT. I have several certs, some MS, some CompTIA, some industry specific.

I was able to knock out a decent portion of my technical requirements using my certs. But the eval process for that must occur during the transcripts eval. I transferred in some of my other credits and they were rejected. I was told that the version of my microsoft cert had been recently discounted about two months prior to my enrollment (MCSE Windows 200). So it looked like was not going to be able to leverage much in the way of prior schooling or work experience.

I pressed on however. I filed and appeal and gave a compelling reason (using my Industry experience of certification) why my certification was still quite valid beyond what I considered and artificial guideline set by the school. Besides, why retire my exam when MS had no retirement schedule for my certification? Anyway, after about two weeks they reconsidered. In the meantime I proceed with my enrollment and new student coursework (my choice to continue).

I'm very glad I continued. To be honest though, had things not gone my way, I still would have continued on...I just would have had to adjust my attitude and energy about how my progress would have to unfold to meet my goals. But after much Googling, reading information, sending away for school program info, talking to admissions of various schools...it was clear that WGU was the school for me.

I read so many reviews about WGU and other onlines schools and brick-n-mortars. I've been rather encouraged by the overall reviews for WGU. Many people have positive feedback. No school is perfect. We know that. So there will be negatives. I take negative comments into consideration as as well. In the end we all go with what meets our goals.

I'm not in WGU for a elite degree but I do understand the concern for respect. That is important. For me, it is about realizing a dream, and my personal evolution as a person. I want to become a better human being and through my education create new opportunities for myself and contribute greater value in my areas of interest. So for now and unless something says otherwise, I'm good to go.

Of greater importance to me is that the school has the proper credentials and "I" respect my degree and my degree program and enjoy a challenging degree earning experience.

WGU is not just another online school. They have from the start set themselves apart from the pack. Indeed they are one of the best universities you've never heard of in adult education. I don't think elite degrees will every change in terms of the level of esteem afforded those who have them but I do feel that online education will be considered just education like all other universities and the focus will be on what degree you earned and how you can put that education to work for you.

While everyone's mileage may vary with any educational institution, WGU will work for you if it is for you. WGU is also slowly building a solid profile and I think the certification and assessments program for IT makes it better than most. Much more challenging than the stuff ever I did at Marlyand University.

As far as degree in the eyes of employers: one company wanted to hire me. The took a look at my career experience and I also put on my resume that I was in the process of completing my degree at WGU in Information Technology. They'd never heard of the school before BUT...they googled it and were quite pleasantly surprised by the program I was enrolled in terms of curriculum. How do I know this? They took the liberty of raising this issue up during my 2 hour interview. This was for a six figure annual salary. Will all responses be like that? Of course not. I don't expect them to. I also don't expect my degree to work magic all on it's own.

It is about the combination of skill, experience and education coming together as "value" (so stated by MCPWannabe).


My WGU education has be challenging and rewarding. My registration process was good but not perfect. The learning model is great. WGU is not an easy degree for IT but their learning model puts getting a degree soo much closer to attainment for those who can navigate curriculum. There can be a disconnect with processes or you may not like your mentor or (pick your gripe). I've attended the University of the District of Columbia and Maryland University in my journey (a few others also, sad to say). Perhaps my age and experience has prepared me more for the WGU experience but I highly recommended for those who are so inclined.

Is you really feel WGU is the school for you, press through the initial difficulty. I was quite picky at my start as well. One needs to be! It's a big investment! It will be worth it though. Remain objective and expect the most out of yourself above all else. At the end of the day it will be up to you to finish your degree. This applies to whatever school you choose. There will be issues. Some programs may have more issues than others.

The question is can you look beyond the issues in your particular program to the goal of completing you degree program?

WGU is certainly worth consideration.

Just my .02

Apologies for the long ramble. Still more to say...wisdom dictates I full stop here.

Best,

Acoustic_Ruby

A very well-done, excellent post..

MCPWannabe

loss4words wrote:

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry if this doesn't belong in this thread but I just have a quick question. I just recently got my Associates Degree in Network Administration and was fortunate enough to find a job right away. I really want to go back to college and do my Bachelors but the colleges that I'm interested in don't have just evening/weekend classes that I could attend. I was wondering if online education and WGU specifically could be good for me. I've read on this forum that people would only advice going to WGU if one is interested in getting a Masters, but not for Bachelors. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks.

Very valid concerns.. I think that you will be fine with your Bachelor's and it is definitely worth it. I'm personally going there for a second Bachelor's degree before starting a second Master's degree. WGU is a very good opportunity in terms of getting a degree when you have the constraints of working.

MCPWannabe

Natdream wrote:

Hi this is a really good and informative thread. I am considering going to WGU; however, I have no background in Information Technology. My BS is in Computer Animation and I was going to get a 2nd bachelors degree in IT. My question is would WGU or any online institute be a good fit for someone with no background and no certifications under my belt? Also, because I work full time job, taking classes online or in the evening is the only option I have. I would really appreciate some advice. Thanks

You know.. when you first start the certification trail, it can be kind of scary. I failed my first ever attempt at a Microsoft Certification exam. Quite frankly, I ddin't know how to study. At the time, I was working at a call center, and some of my co-workers told me to give up on the certifications without classes. But I didn't give up, and I eventually learned how to study for the certifications. It opened up lots of doors for me. The big thing with WGU is to assess whether you want to go the certification route and if you are confident that you can get a degree going with certifications.

There are plenty of online degrees that don't require one. All you have to do is complete the curriculum and you will get a Bachelor's degree. So, the most important thing that you can do is assess your confidence and time.

In my opinion, WGU is not for everyone. I could see a very high failure rate with requiring people to take 8 certification exams. That's pretty hard for someone just starting out with certification tests.

But the key is to have your confidence and know what you can do. Then, you should make the right call.

loss4words

Thank you very much for your response, MCPWannabe.

The thing that worries me a little is that from what I understand most people who consider WGU are people over 30 with full time jobs, families, and other responsibilities. I'm barely 25 at my first real IT job and far from having my own family. I can just imagine myself feeling so awkward when it's time to go to my graduation

Natdream

Hi MCPWannabe,
Thanks for your response. The reason that WGU looks appealing is that it has the certifications along with a degree and the cost is low. At first, I was going to just do certifications at a school I could find until I found WGU. I just never took online classes and wonder if there is a difference. For instance, how can a mechanic get certified in working on a car if he never touches a car. With that analogy, I have touch a car. I mean I have touched a computer, and I was wondering is it something like that when taking IT classes or not. Does that make sense? Oh and MCPWannabe could you recommend me to WGU? Thanks.

Pilot22

I start at WGU on January 1st. I am still trying to decide on Databases or Network Design. I don't know yet if I would enjoy one over the other which I do not think I would. As far as job outlook, which do you guys think would be better?

skrpune

my take would be that if you want to go to WGU for a bachelors, it might be best to knock a couple intro certs (like A+ &/or Network+ or a MS OS exam) out of the way before enrolling. Unless you plan on taking a lot of credits per term, it can work out to be cheaper to do them on your own. I already had the A+ when I applied, and it shaved off a little bit of the program requirements.

I think it's great that you an get a degree + a list of certs at graduation, but what I've been told is that the bachelors IT courses 100% have certs as their "final exams" - and I'm just not sure that any combination of certs is an equivalent for or a degree program. Personally, I feel like WGU is more geared towards those who already have experience and just need the certs/degree to back it up. I just didn't feel like it was a comprehensive educational program or a fit for me & what I was looking for.

The Masters of Science program seems pretty cool though. It apparently includes the Network+ & one of the Cisco wireless exams, and it looks like the rest of the courses have non-cert final exams.

An update on my adventures in continuing education - I officially got accepted to the local university, so I'm going to be attending classes starting this Spring semester. I'm hoping that I can stick with the schedule of having to physically go to the university - if I work hard & stick it out (and if the university class schedule works out as well), I can get my BS in comp sci by Dec 2010 or May 2011 at the latest.

petedude

Natdream wrote:

Hi MCPWannabe,
Thanks for your response. The reason that WGU looks appealing is that it has the certifications along with a degree and the cost is low. At first, I was going to just do certifications at a school I could find until I found WGU. I just never took online classes and wonder if there is a difference. For instance, how can a mechanic get certified in working on a car if he never touches a car. With that analogy, I have touch a car. I mean I have touched a computer, and I was wondering is it something like that when taking IT classes or not. Does that make sense? Oh and MCPWannabe could you recommend me to WGU? Thanks.

This is one of the common misconceptions regarding distance education. . . that because you're not sitting in some building in front of some teacher in a lab, you're not getting a valid education.

Admittedly, there are probably some career fields less suitable for distance education than others. I imagine it could be some time before you see, for example, veterinary medicine! But, that doesn't mean there aren't strides being made in providing presence-oriented programs to folks who are not located close to campuses. Traditionally presence-oriented programs such as education and nursing are being offered through distance education-- what people had to have were valid in-person experiences to validate their learning, and then have that validation submitted for the degree program. There are usually some sort of local arrangements that can be made.

WGU has programs that fit it well as they do not require hands-on labs in front of teachers in order to be valid. They are using the certification programs as their form of validation. If you haven't actually worked on the subject matter being certified (i.e. hooked up a PC to a LAN), you likely won't pass the certification exam. Thus, the methodology works.

MCPWannabe

GUIDELINES FOR UNDERGRADUATE TRANSFER EVALUTION PRACTICES We evaluate your transcripts as soon as we receive all of your official transcripts sent directly to Western Governors University from the issuing institution. We do not perform “unofficial” evaluations, but the table below should provide you with a good indication of the credit you will receive via transfer. We will complete your official evaluation within 5 days of receipt of all of your official transcripts, excluding peak evaluation periods which may take several days longer. We will not award transfer credit for transcripts received after your initial term start date. The courses of study listed below are those that are eligible for transfer; see your program guide for a complete listing of your program requirements. COURSES ACCEPT BY TRANSFER: Must be college level from an accredited institution.
(Accrediting agency recognized by Council on Higher Education Accreditation) Must have been awarded a grade of C- or better. May not be used to fulfill more than one course of study. Must meet the competency unit and content equivalency. May not be used to fill upper division requirements.
LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
LAC1
Language and Communications Part I: Foundations
2
One course in English composition, equivalent to 2 units, excluding business writing.
LAE1 LAT1
Language and Communications Part II and III: Essay and Research
4
A second, sequential course in English composition, equivalent to 4 units, excluding business writing. LAC1 must be met before LAE1/LAT1 can be transferred.
LUT1
Language and Communications Part IV: Presentation
2
One course in general speech, equivalent to 2 units, excluding business communication.
QUANTITATIVE LITERACY CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
QLO1 MQTA
Quantitative Literacy Quantitative Reasoning and Communication
9
Either one statistics course and one mathematics course at the college algebra level or above (college algebra, trigonometry, calculus, linear algebra) or two math courses higher than the college algebra level (calculus, trigonometry, linear algebra) equivalent to 9 units. No partial credit will be transferred for this area.
HUMANITIES CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
THA4
Ethics Part I
3
One 3 unit equivalent course in any of the following areas: foreign language, literature, philosophy, religious studies, ethics, visual and performing arts, or 3 credits of production coursework. Excludes American Sign Language.
THC4
Ethics Part II
NATURAL SCIENCE CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
ISC4
Natural Science Part II: Lab - Life Science, Earth Science, Space Science, Physical Science
4
One 4 unit course in any of the following areas: biology, zoology, anatomy, physiology, botany, chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy.
SOCIAL SCIENCE CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
IOC4
Social Science Part II: American History, American Government, World History, Geography
3
One 3 unit equivalent course in any of the following areas: history, anthropology, political science, economics, geography, psychology, sociology or human development, excluding early childhood courses.
Western Governors University BSIT 200811 Revised 10-10-08
In addition to the core liberal arts courses of study above, see the appropriate degree program requirements below that may be fulfilled by IT certifications or, in some instances, transfer coursework. Note that all certifications or courses must have been completed within the past five years. CORE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
WFV1
IT Fundamentals I
3
CIW v5 Foundations, CIW Exam 1D0-510
TEV1
IT Fundamentals II
3
CompTIA A+ Essentials (220-601) or certification in one of the following areas: MCSA, MCSE, MCSD, MCDBA, CISSP, CCDA, CCDP, CCIP, CCNA, CCNP or a 3 unit equivalent computer hardware class.
TTV1
IT Fundamentals III
3
CompTIA A+ (220-602 or 220-603 or 220-604) or certification in one of the following areas: MCSA, MCSE, MCSD, MCDBA, CISSP, CCDA, CCDP, CCIP, CCNA, CCNP MCTS Web, MCTS Windows, MCTS Distributed, MCPD Web, MCPD enterprise, or a 3 unit equivalent computer operating systems course
WJV1
Programming Fundamentals I
3
CIW JavaScript Fundamentals CIW Exam 1D0-435 or certification in one of the following areas: MCSD, MCAD, MCTS Web, MCTS Windows, MCTS Distributed, MCPD Web, MCPD enterprise, CSDP, J2EE DCP, JDCP, SCBCD, SCJDWS, SCJD, SCMAD, SCWCD or a 3 unit equivalent computer programming course
SPV1
Programming Fundamentals II
6
Sun for the Java Platform, Standard Edition, Version 1.0 (CX-310-019) or certification in one of the following areas: MCSD, MCAD, MCTS Web, MCTS Windows, MCTS Distributed, MCPD Windows, MCPD enterprise, CSDP, J2EE DCP, JDCP, SCBCD, SCJDJWS, SCJD, SCMAD, SCWCD or two progressive 6 unit equivalent object-oriented programming courses
TPV1
Project Management
6
CompTIA Project+ or certification in PMP
I27X
Operating Systems
6
Microsoft 70-270 Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional, certification in MCSE or MCSA, or CompTIA Linux +
TNV1
Networks I
6
CompTIA Network+ or certification in one of the following areas: MCSE, MCSA, CCDA, CCDP, CCIP, CCNA or CCNP
TSV1
Security I
6
CompTIA Security+ or certification in one of the following areas: MCSE, GSEC, GISF, GCWN, GCUX, CISSP, CCNA, CCNP, CCIP, CCDA or CCDP; or an MCSA with 2 of the following components: 214, 227, 350
WDV1
Database I
6
CIW Database Specialist CIW 1D0-441 or certification in one of the following areas: MCDBA, OCP, OCM, SAS CAP, SAS, MCTS Windows, MCITP Dev, MCITP Admin, CWD: Server-side, MySQL Developer, MySQL DBA, or Tech Specialist: SQL Server 2005
WSV1
E-commerce and the Internet
6
CIW Site Designer CIW Exam 1D0-520, 1D0-441 or certification in one of the following areas: .NET WDCP, .NET EADCP, VB .NET ADCP, MCTS Web, MCPD Web, or MCPD Enterprise
Western Governors University BSIT 200811 Revised 10-10-08
Effective November 1, 2008 DATABASE EMPHASIS CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
OSV1
Database II
6
Introduction to Oracle 9i: SQL: 1Z0-007 or certification in one of the following areas: MCDBA, MCITP Developer, MCITP Administrator, OCP, OCM, SAS CAP, MySQL Developer MySQL DBA, or Technology Specialist: SQL Server 2005
OFV1
Database III
6
Oracle 9i Database – Fundamentals I: 1Z0-031 or certification in one of the following areas: MCDBA, MCITP Developer, MCITP Administrator, OCP, OCM, SAS CAP, MySQL Developer, MySQL DBA, or Technology Specialist: SQL Server 05 NETWORK ADMINISTRATION EMPHASIS CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
I290
Networks Systems I
3
MS 70-290 Managing and Maintaining a windows Server 2003 Environment or certification in MCSA or MCSE
I291
Networks Systems II
4
MS 70-291 Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure or certification in MCSA or MCSE NETWORK DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT EMPHASIS CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
I290
Networks Systems I
3
MS 70-290 Managing and Maintaining a windows Server 2003 Environment or certification in MCSA or MCSE
I291
Networks Systems II
4
MS 70-291 Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure or certification in MCSA or MCSE
I293
Network Systems III
4
MS 70-293 Planning and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure or certification in MCSE
I294
Network Systems IV
3
MS Exam 70-294 Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure or certification in MCSE
I297
Network Infrastructure
4
MS 70-297 Designing a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure or certification in MCSE SECURITY EMPHASIS CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
TSV2
Security II
6
MS 70-298 Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network or certification in one of the following areas: MCSE, GSEC, GCWN, GCUX, CISSP, CCNA, CCNP, CCIP, CCDA, or CCDP SOFTWARE EMPHASIS CODE COURSE OF STUDY CUs REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSFER
SJV1
Software I
6
Sun for the Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition 5.0 (CX-310-055) or certification in one of the following areas: MCSD, CSDP, MCAD, J2EE DCP, JDCP, OOSECP, SCBCD, SCJDJWS, SCJD, SCMAD, or SCWCD
WPV1
Software II
3
CIW Perl Fundamentals CIW Exam 1D0-437 or certification in one o the following areas: MCSD, CSDP, MCAD, J2EE DCP, JDCP, OOSECP or SCJD

[/quote]

MCPWannabe

The guidelines above have been very helpful for me. I found out that I only have 3 certification tests left to meet the requirements for a degree: Project +, CIW Intro, and Security +.

So, I've decided to go ahead and take the tests before starting. I'm moving my my start date back to March so that I will have everything taken care of by the time that I start.

Also, looking at the curriculum above, I don't think that anyone has to be worried about being short-changed on education. That is a very tough and rigorous curriculum and is harder than many IT degrees. It just so happens that many of us have mastered the certification test taking process and that makes things go a lot faster, but there are plenty of people who wouldn't be able to finish a curriculum like this.

petedude

mklaro wrote:

I. . .
My worry is that, while accredited, a degree form WGU will not be respected or will not help me on my resume. A fear that people see WGU as a hoax or not a "real school" Also I concerned that I may not beable to transfer it to another school, such as a state university. I reside in MA so UMASS.

Has anyone here obtained this degree and if yes has it helped them? Have you gotten any negative feedback on it?
. . .

I realized MCPWannabe answered most of your questions, but I thought I'd pitch in my two cents, too.

If you're really worried about a distance learning program's reputation, go with one that is part of a known "brick and mortar" (B&M) school. That way, you won't have to worry about your sales pitch as much.

That's really what any distance education program will come down to, ultimately-- is how well you can sell it to a potential employer.

cacharo

I am looking for a referral to get my application fee waived for WGU. I sent a PM to Acoustic_Ruby but if anyone wants a chance at $50 from Amazon shoot me a PM. The information I will need is at the bottom of the form on WGU - Education Online - Refer-A-Friend Form

meadIT

cacharo wrote: »

I am looking for a referral to get my application fee waived for WGU. I sent a PM to Acoustic_Ruby but if anyone wants a chance at $50 from Amazon shoot me a PM. The information I will need is at the bottom of the form on WGU - Education Online - Refer-A-Friend Form

PM sent.

petedude

coffeeking wrote: »

One thing clicks me though, if there is a flat fee regardless of number of credits you complete, then you could actually take some time off work and put all your time into completing your credits and be done with it in no time, I think I have it right so far. But, wouldn't that be a loss for WGU to allow you to take an unlimited amount of credit hours for a flat fee?

I know this is an old post, but I had to pipe in on this. . .

WGU might lose a little money on multiple semesters, but they could make up for that in repeat business as students who could complete the program quickly would likely refer friends.

bradtechonline

Very good experiences so far.. I've had to retake my A+, and Network+ because they were older than three years.. Other than that my experience has been okay.. I was not thrilled with what transferred from my A.A.S degree but it's better than nothing, and I am determined..

petedude

jnwdmb wrote: »

Now, onto my question for you guys.....I am thinking that even if the university itself is not a "real college" per se....wouldn't having a degree from an accredited school be enough to pass through HR filters when applying for positions?

The best gauge of how well a given school's degree will fly is to look first at
Search CHEA Database of Institutions and Programs

That's a well-regarded databases of schools and their accreditations. I know the DOE maintains one online as well.

Many HR departments have these listings in book format, and flip through those to verify a school's validity. With WGU having multiple regional accreditations, there shouldn't be any question.

congomodel

I am very interested in WGU, but I have to admit, I am more than a little scared to attend, after reading everything in this forum. The program I am most interested in is either IT Network Design and Management or IT Security. Basically, I am new to the IT field, I already have a B.S. in Biology, I just want a career change. My question is whether through self-motivation, I can learn the fundamentals, as well as more advanced material, that a person from a traditional university, or for that matter, another online university, would learn? The posts I have read, seem to say WGU is for people with years of IT experience, but no degree, and suffice it to say, that is not me!! I love the cost of it, the fact that I can possibly go at a quicker pace than other online schools, and most of all, the cert's I would receive. The negative for me would have to be the numerous poor reviews I have read, but to be fair, the IT dept. seems to have mostly positive feedback. In addition, I am trying to get an IT internship somewhere, and most require a 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 GPA, and while I know competency relates to a "B," I don't know if they would even consider me if I went to this school. Also, I am looking at Baker College online, as well as American Military University, so if anyone has anything to say about those, I would appreciate it. Sorry, if I sound like I am rambling, but I would love any input.

skrpune

American Military University does get great feedback. I didn't keep it on my "short list" of schools for a couple of reasons - I'm not so keen on military stuffs (no offense to anyone in the military, it's just not my bag) and it didn't have a program that I wanted. Offhand, I think they offered some BA programs and I was really looking for a BS program.

If you're motivated, I don't think that WGU is necessarily a bad place to go, but it's entirely on you to structure your program and move your education forward. To some extent, that's the case with a degree program anywhere, but in most other places you have advisors or teachers who can help guide & shape your education, but at WGU it seems that's mostly up to you and there are no teachers - just a pool of graders. That kinda turned me off.

WGU to me seemed like a great place for those who just need a degree, not those who are looking to get a great education experience. Yes, they're accredited. Yes, you can learn plenty through self-study. But you have to do it all on your own and teach yourself, and that's just not what I was personally looking for. Granted, I'm pretty much teaching myself programming right now because my programming I teacher isn't all that great (she's a nice lady but just isn't the most organized or clear teacher), but at least I have a physical teacher to go to and the same person is grading all my work.

I say that if you're worried about being able to pass muster for an internship position, just call up a couple places that are offering current internships and ask them if they would consider a candidate attending a school that doesn't use a GPA grading system.

arwes

down77 wrote: »

Transfer Credits: WGU does have a list of the certifications that will transfer and what they can be applied towards. For example, my MCSE exempted me from the Network, Security, Workstation and all of the MCSE requirements since I am in the NDTM track. Additionally, my other various certs exempted me out of a few additional courses. My AA degree from a 2 year exempted me from all but a few Gen Ed classes. In the end, I was left with 14 out of almost 40 classes that I will be required to take (I am down to my last 8 courses now). Shoot me a PM and I can send the "blank template" they use as a guide to what will transfer and to which concentrations.

My apologies for quoting a message that's nearly a year old, but I've PM'd Down77 and he hasn't logged on to the site in over a month. Did any of you get that "blank template" thing from him? I'd like a copy of it if anyone still has it. I never could get a straight answer from the WGU folks about CLEP exams.

meadIT

arwes wrote: »

My apologies for quoting a message that's nearly a year old, but I've PM'd Down77 and he hasn't logged on to the site in over a month. Did any of you get that "blank template" thing from him? I'd like a copy of it if anyone still has it. I never could get a straight answer from the WGU folks about CLEP exams.

See if you can access this: http://kb.wgu.edu/utility/getfile.asp?rid=217

I'm not sure if you have to have a WGU login to get to it or not.

arwes

Looks like it requires a WGU login.

congomodel

Thanks for the reply....although WGU offers so many certifications, which I love, being new to the IT field, I just don't know if it would give me that great of an education. If anyone was in the same situation as me, not having prior IT experience, but still went to WGU, please tell me about your experience. Does anyone know anything about Baker College online? It seems like a great program, but I have read more than a couple reviews complaining about the teachers there. I know that every college, even the Ivy league, will have negative reviews, but I feel it is a little more important in online study, due to it being much more in the ways of self-study. In addition, while Baker does not give you cert's the way WGU does, apparently they put you in a great position to get them on your own. Thanks for any replies!

suncerts2008

hey all, i've been following this thread and others like it and i've decided that WGU would be a good fit for me. i'll be applying this weekend, so if anyone can offer a referral, it would be much appreciated. thanks in advance!

arwes

If you look over at Certification Magazine you can usually find a promotional code for WGU. WGU is a pretty big advertiser with them.

meadIT

suncerts2008 wrote: »

hey all, i've been following this thread and others like it and i've decided that WGU would be a good fit for me. i'll be applying this weekend, so if anyone can offer a referral, it would be much appreciated. thanks in advance!

I can refer you. Just PM me your First Name, Last Name, email address and program of interest (I'm assuming this is IT for you). I just need this info to fill out their referral form.