Western Governors University Questions and Answers / Threads related to WGU

erpadmin

LinuxRacr wrote: »

I transferred in credits from both I.T.T. Tech and UoP. Nine credit units from UoP (since I had only done a year's worth of classes), 10 units from I.T.T. Tech, and 6 units from my Security + cert for a total of 25.

I had 28 credits transfer in myself. If you can do ~30 CUs a term, a year and a half is reasonable.

erpadmin

myedjo24 wrote: »

I dropped out of WGU in October to pursue a different school and that school is having difficulty evaluating my courses. The new school wants course descriptions of the various classes that I have passed with WGU. I've searched WGU's website and various other websites and have not found anything vaguely helpful. The closest thing is WGU's own course catalog but it doesn't give individual course descriptions. It just gives domain descriptions. I'm going to contact WGU about getting me a better course description for my classes, but do any of you know off the top of your head where to find this info without contacting them?

Do you still have access to the WGU Portal? You're gonna have to send them a PDF of the Course of Study for each class you did at WGU. Barring that, you're probably gonna have to give them a call.

astrogeek

I keep going back and forth not really sure about joining this school, I'm having a really hard time making a decision.

Right now I'm working a contract that has about 2 years left, after that I don't know what type of job I'll be doing or if I'll even have time for school. Right now I have the time so I'm just worried I'll end up changing jobs and not having time to finish the degree. I don't think much of my current education can transfer over, mostly I've just bounced back and forth between 2 community colleges taking mostly basic classes that aren't really relevant for the degree in Network Security I'm interested in with WGU.

If I do sign up to WGU I won't start until next summer, I'm just worried what would happen if I didn't finish all of the classes and get the degree before my job situation changes. I know some people can burn through these courses really fast, but I'm still pretty new to IT and don't have much experience so I'm expecting myself to be going at a much slower pace.

Anybody have any thoughts on this? What would happen if I got towards the end and had to stop school because of time constraints?

petedude

erpadmin wrote: »

Do you still have access to the WGU Portal? You're gonna have to send them a PDF of the Course of Study for each class you did at WGU. Barring that, you're probably gonna have to give them a call.

Why not try sending the program guidebook?

petedude

I keep going back and forth not really sure about joining this school, I'm having a really hard time making a decision.

Right now I'm working a contract that has about 2 years left, after that I don't know what type of job I'll be doing or if I'll even have time for school. Right now I have the time so I'm just worried I'll end up changing jobs and not having time to finish the degree. I don't think much of my current education can transfer over, mostly I've just bounced back and forth between 2 community colleges taking mostly basic classes that aren't really relevant for the degree in Network Security I'm interested in with WGU.

If I do sign up to WGU I won't start until next summer, I'm just worried what would happen if I didn't finish all of the classes and get the degree before my job situation changes. I know some people can burn through these courses really fast, but I'm still pretty new to IT and don't have much experience so I'm expecting myself to be going at a much slower pace.

Anybody have any thoughts on this? What would happen if I got towards the end and had to stop school because of time constraints?

WGU is somewhat self-paced. If you get off to a good start quickly, you could slow down if necessary once you've developed a good relationship with your mentor.

You could also take a small number of "term breaks" between terms if necessary-- someone else here is probably more familiar with the policy on that than I am.

erpadmin

petedude wrote: »

Why not try sending the program guidebook?

The current ones has changed course codes. LAT1 is now something else and is 3 credits, for example.

astrogeek

I don't know if taking a break would help, its hard to see 2 years in the future but with planning for the worst case scenario where I wouldn't have any free time to finish school, I'm just wondering what would happen if something like that came up.

I was also wondering what certifications that are relatively easy I should take before enrolling to save money/time? I already have CCNA, CCNA Security, and hopefully CCNP when/if I decide to enroll, but what else should I get to save money and time? Does this degree require Net+ or A+ certification, or just the understanding of that material? I know the material I just don't care for getting the certs because they cost money and seem redundant with what I already have.

erpadmin

astrogeek wrote: »

I don't know if taking a break would help, its hard to see 2 years in the future but with planning for the worst case scenario where I wouldn't have any free time to finish school, I'm just wondering what would happen if something like that came up.

I was also wondering what certifications that are relatively easy I should take before enrolling to save money/time? I already have CCNA, CCNA Security, and hopefully CCNP when/if I decide to enroll, but what else should I get to save money and time? Does this degree require Net+ or A+ certification, or just the understanding of that material? I know the material I just don't care for getting the certs because they cost money and seem redundant with what I already have.

With that type of attitude, in all honesty, you'll never finish. Take it from someone who knows.

I had a house fire and insurance issues that I had to deal with for months AFTER I started my first term. I remember that I had to take the CLC1 exam in the morning but because of technical problems, it didn't start until later. Then I had to run to meet out a contractor. I didn't plan for the fire, but it was now a part of my life issues. I could have taken a "term break" but to what end?

What I'm trying to say is, if you want to make time for school, you will. You can even do it without killing yourself. If you really feel that you can't, then don't do it. OTHERWISE, you will end up dropping out. You don't need to be the smartest guy to complete a WGU degree, but you will need to be among the most disciplined ones to make time to knock out courses/certs.

I felt this way a year and a half ago (just about...) and I still do. I didn't kill myself.

To answer your question about Net+/A+, yes you will need those certs to pass those classes. I had barely made the 5 year cutoff for mine. Another certifications that's considered "easy" is the CIW 1D0-510 exam. You will want to check the program pdf off the WGU to see if you need that cert...the programs have changed a bit. Actually depending on the program, your CCNA might take place of the Network+ exam....(MAYBE), but you'll probably may need A+ still.

demonfurbie

The 70-680 is required for all degrees as well so you coukd get that one done as well

astrogeek

erpadmin wrote: »

With that type of attitude, in all honesty, you'll never finish. Take it from someone who knows.

I think you're misinterpreting my cautious attitude with that of a negative one. The last thing I want is a college tuition payment without a degree so I have to plan for the worst case scenario. The reality is I have no idea what I'll be doing in 2 years and I don't know if that's enough time for me to complete a BA in IT Security. I don't want to start something I won't be able to finish, that's all I'm trying to avoid. I also don't want to wait 2 years then realize I could have finished it and had a BA, so I just need some better understanding of how much time is required for someone like myself to get through this. Some people here breeze through real fast, but I'm sure they have a ton more real world experience than I do.

Thanks for the advice on the other tests too, anything that can shorten the amount of classes needed is beneficial! I do hope I'm able to work this out and fit it in my time, I just turned 30 and not getting a college degree sooner is one of my biggest regrets! If I do sign up I'll definitely be 110% dedicated.

erpadmin

astrogeek wrote: »

I think you're misinterpreting my cautious attitude with that of a negative one. The last thing I want is a college tuition payment without a degree so I have to plan for the worst case scenario. The reality is I have no idea what I'll be doing in 2 years and I don't know if that's enough time for me to complete a BA in IT Security. I don't want to start something I won't be able to finish, that's all I'm trying to avoid. I also don't want to wait 2 years then realize I could have finished it and had a BA, so I just need some better understanding of how much time is required for someone like myself to get through this. Some people here breeze through real fast, but I'm sure they have a ton more real world experience than I do.

Thanks for the advice on the other tests too, anything that can shorten the amount of classes needed is beneficial! I do hope I'm able to work this out and fit it in my time, I just turned 30 and not getting a college degree sooner is one of my biggest regrets! If I do sign up I'll definitely be 110% dedicated.

After reading this response, I am going to say that I interpreted your worries perfectly.

Listen, you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone in two years. All you can do is plan for the best you can AND have contingencies (you word of the day) for things that might come up. I did...I had a contingency plan well before my house fire happened...because like you, and the other 6 billion people on the planet, life always happens to me. I planned for it, and am making due as best I can.

If you don't have a contingency plan for something like school (whether it's WGU or any other college), you will fail, plain and simple--all because life happened. Believe me, if I would have jumped ship at the first sign of trouble, it would have happened my first term.

astrogeek

erpadmin wrote: »

Listen, you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone in two years.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I do know in 2 years, my job situation will change, that is certain. Starting school and signing up for tuition payments when I'm not completely certain I can complete the degree would be both reckless and irresponsible. Why are you recommending I make such a rash decision without first making sure I can indeed complete the degree within the time frame I've specified? I'm not going to sign up to any school until I'm completely comfortable with the decision.

Signing up to any school is a big deal and isn't a decision anyone should make until they are completely certain it's right for them. There are thousands of people that file bankruptcy every year because they didn't take this cautious approach before signing up to a school and they ended up getting burned, whats wrong with trying to avoid that situation and becoming another statistic?

spamking98

Does anyone know if heald college credits will transfer into wgu, I graduated from heald college in 2003 with an Associates degree in computer technology and I am interested in attending WGU for the BSIT program in general information technology. THANKS

erpadmin

astrogeek wrote: »

I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I do know in 2 years, my job situation will change, that is certain.

Well, look, if you are very certain that your job situation will change, then certainly you need to weigh that in your decision-making. I would like to think my career situation changes in two years myself. I don't know, personally. But if you do, then more power to you.

astrogeek wrote: »

Starting school and signing up for tuition payments when I'm not completely certain I can complete the degree would be both reckless and irresponsible. Why are you recommending I make such a rash decision without first making sure I can indeed complete the degree within the time frame I've specified? I'm not going to sign up to any school until I'm completely comfortable with the decision.

You know your situation better than anyone. All I'm saying is that I know what it's like delaying a decision like going back to school. I was just speaking on what I've done and how I handled it. Much of it was my fear and trying to find a program that I could comfortably do in two years (up to three, if needed.) I sense that's your situation as well. Especially when I've read both of my responses to you trying to find where I suggested that you make rash decisions. All I was ever saying was if you don't have a plan, (where finances, career, family, etc., factor in your life) you will always succumb to worst case scenarios, like I did the past 6-8 years. You know your situation better than I or anyone else. All I was suggesting was that if you really want to go back to school, you probably could with proper planning. That's all.

astrogeek wrote: »

Signing up to any school is a big deal and isn't a decision anyone should make until they are completely certain it's right for them. There are thousands of people that file bankruptcy every year because they didn't take this cautious approach before signing up to a school and they ended up getting burned, whats wrong with trying to avoid that situation and becoming another statistic?

Bankruptcy will NOT help folks out with student loans. That debt will never discharge unless it is in the most extreme of cases. However, you're right in your overall point; college is an expensive endeavor, and finances/time should be factored in to your overall plan and how that will factor into your career goals.

KeithC

astrogeek wrote: »

... The last thing I want is a college tuition payment without a degree so I have to plan for the worst case scenario. The reality is I have no idea what I'll be doing in 2 years and I don't know if that's enough time for me to complete a BA in IT Security. I don't want to start something I won't be able to finish, that's all I'm trying to avoid. I also don't want to wait 2 years then realize I could have finished it and had a BA, so I just need some better understanding of how much time is required for someone like myself to get through this. Some people here breeze through real fast, but I'm sure they have a ton more real world experience than I do.

Thanks for the advice on the other tests too, anything that can shorten the amount of classes needed is beneficial! I do hope I'm able to work this out and fit it in my time, I just turned 30 and not getting a college degree sooner is one of my biggest regrets! If I do sign up I'll definitely be 110% dedicated.

I can relate back in 2008 I signed up for one of the MCSE schools that I took a loan out for. After I paid that off along with the test cost for the MCSE I vowed to never be in school debt again. Summer 2010 I started at my local community college after debating between that and WGU. I completed 8 classes with my last semester being in spring this year (horrible networking class) with a 4.0 GPA. I decided that saving money was not worth saving time (I would not finish my Associates degree until winter 2012).

I started WGU in August with 14 classes transferred (six from certification and eight from my community college classes (although two of my college classes did not transfer over), I have eight classes completed (EWB2, CLC1, WFV1, IWC1, IWT1, INC1, LET1 and MGC1) and my goal is to finish three more (INT1, ORC1 and QLT1) before the end of my term 1/31/2012 that will give my eight more classes to finish my Bachelor’s degree. My schooling has been paid out of my pocket with no loans, no scholarships, and no grants. I am somewhat confident I will finish towards the end of next year which is the same time frame I would have been done with my Associates.

I am 33 years old and while at first I would slack off a bit at first my motivation has stayed the same and I am reminded every weekday (get out of my current employer). I have taken 2 weeks off for vacation since I started at WGU (significant other loves that I am not tied to a weekly class schedule). While some classes I feel are not as easy as others have expressed here it’s all moot.

The school is structured where you have to complete the task and only you can do it. If you are determined and focused like you say then you should have no problem. If you require hand holding and get hung up a lot then this may not be for you. Although some of the course mentors I have had to talk to are helpful so are the communities as others have had the same hang-ups I have had. I think your biggest hurdle will be your limitation of starting since you are pretty stern about not starting until summer along with your hesitation due to time of what is going to happen in two years. I would suggest completing a class or two at Partner College Degree Pathways - StraighterLine that is the link for you to see what classes will transfer over. I would also suggest starting the application process so you can get an idea of what classes you have previously taken will apply to your degree along with your certifications. There is no commitment only hassle from the enrollment councilor emails and from WGU since you can be referred to bypass the application fee.

If you do not start your degree now do you think you will ever have for foresight of knowing that you will be employed for the next two years?

I am in the Network Design and Management program so that is where my point of view is coming from.

Good Luck with your decision

astrogeek

KeithC wrote: »

I think your biggest hurdle will be your limitation of starting since you are pretty stern about not starting until summer along with your hesitation due to time of what is going to happen in two years.

The reason I wouldn't start until next summer is because I'm currently taking a CCNP academy course and it finishes next summer. Right now Cisco certification is my primary focus so until I pass all CCNP exams I'm not going to be signing up for any online classes. Honestly a big part of me wonders if a BA is even worth it. I'd like to eventually shoot for CCIE but I still have a long road before even thinking about that point. At the end of the day I have to decide what is a move valuable use of my free time, studying networking which interests me, or studying what I need for some online school's BA, that while may not be very interesting, should help my career in the long run.

This is why I keep going back and forth, part of me knows a BA will help in the long run and it'll always bug me until I get one, but the other part of me is just saying to stick to what I'm already doing and get better at it. But for right now I'm sticking to the course I'm already signed up for and focusing on that for now so I have time to make a final decision.

KeithC

Then I would say work on CLEP's and if you want to join one of Straightliner's partner schools take some of those classes. Use the time between summer and when your contract ends to prepare yourself to fulfill the class requirements and when your contract is up you have a better idea of your situation. Also make sure the classes you do take will not expire.

Any respectable school (fu CHI institute) will require their students to take the normal boring general education classes it's a part of life. If you want to play the game you have to respect the rules.

petedude

spamking98 wrote: »

Does anyone know if heald college credits will transfer into wgu, I graduated from heald college in 2003 with an Associates degree in computer technology and I am interested in attending WGU for the BSIT program in general information technology. THANKS

Heald is regionally accredited by WASC, it seems. Their courses should transfer in just fine.

petedude

KeithC wrote: »

Any respectable school (fu CHI institute) will require their students to take the normal boring general education classes it's a part of life. If you want to play the game you have to respect the rules.

It's a common refrain I hear from potential IT students: "I don't want to suffer through General Ed." Sorry, tough.

But-- there are options to make that work your way. As KeithC pointed out CLEPs, DSSTs and DANTES are all valid options. There's a board revolving around those exams: Travel | Flights | Tickets | Network | Airlines | Cheap Hotel | Garmin | Gifts at Degreeforum.com. Straighterline can be useful too. I did my Associate's through Excelsior College, and in its own way it was more self-paced than WGU-- I could study for CLEPs and DSSTs and take them at any time within a year (you pay tuition for each year you attend). There are two other reputable colleges with similar systems to Excelsior's-- Thomas Edison State College, and Charter Oak State College. So, you could wrap an associate's first completely at your own pace, then transfer that to WGU. Or stay with one of those Big 3 transfer schools I mentioned for your Bachelor's if WGU doesn't suit you.

Point is, WGU or no, you can keep moving rather than sitting around and waiting, without having to commit lots of money or a specific time frame. You could study for CLEPs in between studying for Cisco exams, and wait probably up to 15 or 20 years to transfer them if you procrastinate enough. At least that way you've made some progress before taking the final leap.

erpadmin

petedude wrote: »

Point is, WGU or no, you can keep moving rather than sitting around and waiting, without having to commit lots of money or a specific time frame. You could study for CLEPs in between studying for Cisco exams, and wait probably up to 15 or 20 years to transfer them if you procrastinate enough. At least that way you've made some progress before taking the final leap.

Exactly. MANY people go the "Big 3" route (all of the schools Petedude mentioned) for distance learning (with TESC in my home state, out in Trenton) and you can take your sweet time, or go real quick. Thing with those schools was I didn't want to go that slow....wanted it in no more than three years so I could focus on a Masters. However, they are great alternatives to WGU if you want to take a couple to few courses a semester. The out-of-state tution is very reasonable.

astrogeek

So what are the possibilities of someone like myself with little prior education that'll transfer over or IT experience be able to complete a BA in 2 years? About how many hours would be a reasonable estimate that I should aim to dedicate per week to meet that goal?

If I do decide to go, (or at least apply), and considering I wouldn't start earlier than May of next year because of my current course, when would be a good time to start the admissions process?

erpadmin

astrogeek wrote: »

So what are the possibilities of someone like myself with little prior education that'll transfer over or IT experience be able to complete a BA in 2 years? About how many hours would be a reasonable estimate that I should aim to dedicate per week to meet that goal?

If I do decide to go, (or at least apply), and considering I wouldn't start earlier than May of next year because of my current course, when would be a good time to start the admissions process?

Well, without the CompTIA A+/Network+ I had 22 transferrable credits. With them, it was 28. Putting in at least twenty hours a week (from 08/2010) got me one class (MS 70-643 exam) away from graduating as of today (hopefully....we knock it out of the park with the next few days.)

I still had a life. I still put in 40-70 hours a week due to ERP upgrades. I still had family obligations. Oh, and I'm not a genius. I'm maybe between average and genius, but more like average.

Also, I started the WGU process around May. Had done my own research around March/April. What had sold me was that the degree was regionally accredited (RA) and the affordability.

If you want insight into how a WGU student was able to swing this, look for my posts in the Students Experiences (WGU) sticky thread starting from 08/01/2010. Others have also given good insight.

Finally, to add what petedude said about general education....that was my draw to WGU. If WGU didn't offer GE's I'd have never done it.

A degree with GE courses shows potentially (or even current) employers that you were a well-rounded student. You're not just a technical guy. Otherwise, you could just go to Devry, or ITT-Tech or something like that. There's nothing wrong with getting professional degrees (as long as you can show proficiency)...but I wanted something that offered the resemblence of an academic degree. That's why WGU has 30000 students enrolled (and growing.)

petedude

erpadmin wrote: »

However, they are great alternatives to WGU if you want to take a couple to few courses a semester. The out-of-state tution is very reasonable.

They're also a good deal if you want to expedite your general ed but not be confined to someone's schedules or materials. When I took CLEPs and DSSTs, some I was able to wrap in two weeks or less while others usually took me no more than a month. There were some go-getters who wrapped up a Bachelor's with nearly all exams in less than six months. You can even take the majority of your CLEPs and DSSTs prior to enrolling; you just have to leave a few on the table before signing up so they can say you did something while enrolled with them.

I generally studied from older, used versions of texts that I bought dirt cheap off Amazon or eBay, with a helping of Wikipedia and Google thrown in. Some of these exams can be done with Complete Idiot's Guides.

This is why you'll continue to hear me suggest that folks get an Associate's through the Big 3 first before transferring to WGU. Not only is it cheap and nearly completely self-paced, but it gives you a good warm-up to the notion of completing coursework via exams ala "objective assessments".

LinuxRacr

erpadmin wrote: »

I had 28 credits transfer in myself. If you can do ~30 CUs a term, a year and a half is reasonable.

Good to know, thanks.

Hypntick

LinuxRacr wrote: »

Good to know, thanks.

I did 33 CU last term. This term i'll be lucky to hit around 24, but I also had the 3 big MS certs this term. Taking a bit longer. I'm thinking just over 3.5 terms, which i'm perfectly comfortable with. I told myself 4 terms total, was shooting for 3. Job change, promotion, etc. etc. slowed me down but i'm still working it.

CoolAsAFan

If I got my BS @ WGU, would it transfer out to a similar accredited university to work towards a MS? Is there a list of schools for this by any chance that would accept CU's from WGU?

petedude

CoolAsAFan wrote: »

If I got my BS @ WGU, would it transfer out to a similar accredited university to work towards a MS? Is there a list of schools for this by any chance that would accept CU's from WGU?

You would be able to apply for a master's degree program upon graduation, as WGU is regionally accredited.

I've not seen a master list of schools accepting CUs, but I suppose at some point I should try to look up success stories and post them.

qwertyiop

petedude wrote: »

You would be able to apply for a master's degree program upon graduation, as WGU is regionally accredited.

I've not seen a master list of schools accepting CUs, but I suppose at some point I should try to look up success stories and post them.

I was accepted to WGU's Master of Science in IA program with my degree from WGU.

veritas_libertas

qwertyiop wrote: »

I was accepted to WGU's Master of Science in IA program with my degree from WGU.

Did you mean Davenport? LOL

erpadmin

CoolAsAFan wrote: »

If I got my BS @ WGU, would it transfer out to a similar accredited university to work towards a MS? Is there a list of schools for this by any chance that would accept CU's from WGU?

I got accepted to the New Jersey Institute of Technology's Management of Technology Graduate Certificate program. I want to go the graduate certificate route so that I can have the GRE/GMAT requirement waived when I matriculate (provided I pass all 4 courses with a 3.0 or better.) I get in-state tuition, and I don't have to go to Newark. I was sold.

I start 1/16 and am hoping to be done with my last exam this week. I'm just about ready to put that 643 to bed.

There are tons of anectodal evidence of folks going to regular B&M schools after a WGU degree.