WGU

Jibbs

Hey guys, I am getting ready to begin taking classes at WGU with a network security emphasis. I already have a degree in an unrelated field from a 4 year university. I have been looking at WGU for a little while now and wasn't to sure how legit it really was, being an only online university. I have seen many others out there like it and they have always turned out to be a scam. I was just wondering if anyone has any info on WGU, how good of a school/program it really is, if it is really worth my time in going there or not. I would love as much info as possible before I start going back to school for another 2 years or so. Thanks guys.

dynamik

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, but have you searched for "wgu" using the search feature? There have been a decent number of threads regrading it recently, and most people have had favorable opinions of it. You should also check out Capella, as they have an Infosec masters. I'll most likely go with one of those two when it comes time for my graduate work.

Welcome to the forums

famosbrown

I would first decide where you plan on taking your career. If it will be purely technical, then a Capella or WGU might be okay. But if you plan to get out of the more technical and go managerial/executive, or even change flavors of I.T. or something, I would go with a more traditional school...even a local community college.

I'm not saying this to knock degrees from WGU or Capella. I know many colleagues, MBA classmates, co-workers, friends, and family that view WGU or Capella degrees as a joke and almost like an MCSE who dumped their way through. There are many PhD's at my workplace from Capella and they get no respect, unlike those with PhD's from a school like Duke University. The same goes for the Master degrees. Competition for jobs may come down to the school you attended...a Master from Capella might not be as valuable as a Master's from say Indiana University.

When you begin looking at Post-graduate education, the type and name of school plays a huge role in value. Undergrad used to be that way, but not as much anymore...depending on how big the company is the competition to get in.

Just my QUICK 2 cents and information sharing.

nato76

famosbrown wrote:

I'm not saying this to knock degrees from WGU or Capella. I know many colleagues, MBA classmates, co-workers, friends, and family that view WGU or Capella degrees as a joke and almost like an MCSE who dumped their way through. There are many PhD's at my workplace from Capella and they get no respect, unlike those with PhD's from a school like Duke University.

This is not the case everywhere unless you work with a bunch of snobs.

famosbrown

nato76 wrote:

famosbrown wrote:

I'm not saying this to knock degrees from WGU or Capella. I know many colleagues, MBA classmates, co-workers, friends, and family that view WGU or Capella degrees as a joke and almost like an MCSE who dumped their way through. There are many PhD's at my workplace from Capella and they get no respect, unlike those with PhD's from a school like Duke University.

This is not the case everywhere unless you work with a bunch of snobs.

Yeah, you could call them a snobs, but their view is based on their experience with them. some feel that they may have had a tougher road in getting a higher level degree than somone who purely took it over the internet with a bunch of open book or take exams/quizzes. Who know? I can't speak for all, but I worked for a guy who received his PhD from Capella in Information Technology and he didn't know squat. He actually told me that he had to write a few long papers, etc., etc., but stated that is was "cake." He no longer works for that organization...

I have family that have degrees from Capella and WGU, and they are very bright, so I'm not knocking the degree...however, they have hit roadblocks when trying to move out of the technical to the managerial side due to where they've received their degree from. One cousin went back and got his MBA during the evening from the University of Maryland after getting an online degree, and he said it was much more tough, but paid off...he's now an SES in the Federal Government and started as a MS guy...

Jibbs

Well my main concern is if i get a degree from WGU how tough would it be to get a master's from another university. I live in VA and James Madison Univeristy offers a great Infosec program that I would love to get in too. However, I am worried that if i get a degree from WGU it would keep me from getting into a MBA program at a state university.

famosbrown

Jibbs wrote:

Well my main concern is if i get a degree from WGU how tough would it be to get a master's from another university. I live in VA and James Madison Univeristy offers a great Infosec program that I would love to get in too. However, I am worried that if i get a degree from WGU it would keep me from getting into a MBA program at a state university.

That is a valid concern, but easy to answer. Contact someone from the Graduate Admissions office from the school you are thinking about going to and ask them if an undergraduate degree from WGU or Capella is accepted for entrance into their Graduate Program. Most nationally recognized accredited schools (AACSB) REQUIRE a GMAT with a minimum score for entrance as well. The GMAT is pretty much the SAT on a little bit of sugar.

Safest bet is to check with the school you intend on going to next first. It is good that you are considering the future and not just the NOW.


EDIT: Oh, since you are planning your Graduate school now, make sure to take note of the GPA requirements that many Grad schools require. I believe the lowest GPA I've seen from an AACSB Graduate school was a 3.0. Some require other stuff like a resume, references, etc. You are in good position now to get the grades that you will need to get into a good Graduate school .

skrpune

famosbrown wrote:

I can't speak for all, but I worked for a guy who received his PhD from Capella in Information Technology and he didn't know squat. He actually told me that he had to write a few long papers, etc., etc., but stated that is was "cake." He no longer works for that organization...

Regardless of the institution, there are many cases when complete fools graduate with regular or advanced degrees. I've seen it happen in more than one university and it's sad. Sometimes people are able to pass tests, write papers, shmooze professors, etc. and get their way through bachelors/masters/phd's...but when you put them in the real world with real people and real situations, they're obviously not all together and can't apply squat from what they supposedly learned. Then there are people who are accepted to & graduate from prestigious universities even though they don't have the smarts or academics to back it up, because of either their family associations or their athletic abilities, etc.

Just an example: I have a BS in geology, and some of the people I graduated with had a below limited understanding of the subject material, but were still passed and still went on to work in the field. (Which scares the bejebus out of me because it was an environmental-geared program and these folks who barely knew which way was up were sent out into the world to do environmental assessments, EEEK!) In the same token, there were those that actually applied themselves and did well in classes and graduated and went on to work in the field and HAD a clue. The folks who weren't clueless were out-numbered by the ones that were clueless, but this is the case in most fields. Not everyone can excel and be great, and not everyone will. Where you go to school has something to do with it, but what matters more are effort you put into it and your aptitude for the subject matter and your attitude.

All that being said, it makes total sense to guide your selection of school with the path you want to take career-wise. It's advisable to check out a school's reputation and accreditation. I'm looking to go back to school to get my second bachelors in IT, and I'm going through the school selection process now. I'm trying to make myself more employable (have a couple certs & a year's experience but no IT degree) and trying to also give myself flexibility to work at least part time and perhaps have a kid while I'm working on my studies, so online learning is the best path for me. Right now, WGU is on my list, as is TESC (Thomas Edison State College) and University of Illinois Online. All those schools are REGIONALLY accredited, and that's my first criteria. If you select an online school that doesn't have regional accreditation (i.e., the same accreditation/standards as "real" universities), then you're going to have a tougher time with convincing people that your degree means much of anything.

Just wanted to clarify a bit about the value of degrees from certain places vs the value of the person that holds those degrees. Even the most prestigious places can be diploma mills from time to time, and people do slip through the system. Just my two cents...