Student Experiences at Western Governors University (WGU)

This thread is intended for students to write about their experiences at Western Governors University.

Please keep it civil, and do not spend your time bashing the school, and its policies. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you have a problem you need to take it up with your professor or mentor. Please no Flaming on this thread.

You can ask for help with a referral (used to avoid paying the application fee) on the following thread: http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/55634-wgu-refer-friend-thread-those-seeking-referral.html

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Comments

Pishof

usagent27 wrote: »

just got my transfer eval and now when i look at my degree plan i have a bunch of classes that say Requirements Satisfied. Whats this mean?

I'm assuming you had an associate or other degree transferred in? RM means that because of your prior degree you don't need to take those lower level classes.

usagent27

Anyone have Lori Harker as a mentor? how was she?

RPGChai

Hello,

I've been with WGU for almost a year and a half now, and have visited these forums (and this thread in particular) many times since I began my studies. So I finally decided to just sign up and take part in the discussion!

A little about myself: I've been in the IT field for about 5 years now, the last three I have spent working as an IT contractor for a large insurance company. I am currently enrolled in the BSIT - Security program with WGU, and hope to finish in 1-2 more semesters.

Currently working on ABV1 (Windows 7) and will be taking the exam next week. After that, I hope to knock out TPV1 (Project+) and LET1 before the semester ends.

I have seen that you are all very supportive and help each other out a lot, and I look forward to contributing and being a part of this community!

rep21

First term down. I consider it to be quite a failure, considering it was completely paid for with my WGU scholarship and grant. I only managed to finish EWB2, TSV1 and ORC1. Getting my first IT position at an extremely stressful helpdesk position really set my progress back a lot. I'm super good at my job now, though, so I've been a lot less stressed lately and have studied more. I plan on adding the two A+ courses back and taking them immediately next term (for my resume so I can move up to desktop support), which starts in a month. After that, I plan to crank out WSV1 (CIW Web Designer), go over WDV1 core concepts and finish the two MCITP Database developer courses (BPV1/BQV1). I'm hoping to be able to finish in two more terms, so I really have to bust ass next term. It sucks cause I completed my entire associates degree in two semesters. Granted, I was jobless at the time, but I should still be able to do more now. Don't know how some of you are able to balance work, home life and crank out so many CU's each semester. Its amazing to me.

Lemonade727

KFT1 officially complete, just continuing down the final stretch

Submitted my idea paper for the Tech Writing course to the course mentor about 2 days ago but apparently I needed to clarify some extra things regarding the project I was planning on writing about. Just submitted the extra material asked of me about an hour ago so hopefully I hear word back later today that I have the green light to get started.

erpadmin

Lemonade727 wrote: »

KFT1 officially complete, just continuing down the final stretch

Submitted my idea paper for the Tech Writing course to the course mentor about 2 days ago but apparently I needed to clarify some extra things regarding the project I was planning on writing about. Just submitted the extra material asked of me about an hour ago so hopefully I hear word back later today that I have the green light to get started.

Wow, congrats in advance.

At the earliest, you'll probably be done within a few days to one month.

Awesomeness.

Just curious, who is the current course mentor for CPW/Tech? Is it still David H.?

Turgon

rep21 wrote: »

First term down. I consider it to be quite a failure, considering it was completely paid for with my WGU scholarship and grant. I only managed to finish EWB2, TSV1 and ORC1. Getting my first IT position at an extremely stressful helpdesk position really set my progress back a lot. I'm super good at my job now, though, so I've been a lot less stressed lately and have studied more. I plan on adding the two A+ courses back and taking them immediately next term (for my resume so I can move up to desktop support), which starts in a month. After that, I plan to crank out WSV1 (CIW Web Designer), go over WDV1 core concepts and finish the two MCITP Database developer courses (BPV1/BQV1). I'm hoping to be able to finish in two more terms, so I really have to bust ass next term. It sucks cause I completed my entire associates degree in two semesters. Granted, I was jobless at the time, but I should still be able to do more now. Don't know how some of you are able to balance work, home life and crank out so many CU's each semester. Its amazing to me.

Good luck with your studies, but concentrate on doing well at work. Your employer is likely not interested in your WGU plans or career plans. They want a top Tier 1 op. It pays the bills and makes the studies possible.

Lemonade727

erpadmin wrote: »

Wow, congrats in advance. At the earliest, you'll probably be done within a few days to one month.

Awesomeness.

Just curious, who is the current course mentor for CPW/Tech? Is it still David H.?

Thanks!

I'm guessing a realistic time frame to finish up is going to be ~3 weeks depending on how much I'll be able to write out at one time, I'm definitely not the best writer and it takes me a while to piece larger papers together.

As for the course mentors, yep it's David H. and Cindy D. I've been in contact with David regarding my work on it so might not even hear from Cindy.

Hypntick

Lemonade727 wrote: »

Thanks!

I'm guessing a realistic time frame to finish up is going to be ~3 weeks depending on how much I'll be able to write out at one time, I'm definitely not the best writer and it takes me a while to piece larger papers together.

As for the course mentors, yep it's David H. and Cindy D. I've been in contact with David regarding my work on it so might not even hear from Cindy.

Glad to hear you finally got in touch with one of them. Had a feeling you'd beat me once you powered through all those math classes lol.

Lemonade727

Hypntick wrote: »

Glad to hear you finally got in touch with one of them. Had a feeling you'd beat me once you powered through all those math classes lol.

Once you start working on the ones you have left you'll just realize that you've been putting them up on a pedestal. They're not that bad at all

erpadmin

Lemonade727 wrote: »

Thanks!

I'm guessing a realistic time frame to finish up is going to be ~3 weeks depending on how much I'll be able to write out at one time, I'm definitely not the best writer and it takes me a while to piece larger papers together.

As for the course mentors, yep it's David H. and Cindy D. I've been in contact with David regarding my work on it so might not even hear from Cindy.

That is realistic. David H., when he gets back to you, will hook you up. He was the only course mentor I had difficulty getting in touch with at WGU. I think I'm the reason why I couldn't find the "four hour response time" to hear back from a course mentor...[guess they got sick of giving out $25 gift certificates...lmao.]

He'll get back to you, eventually. Once your idea paper is approved and you get rolling with your proposal, after that's done, the capstone is easy. You pretty much change some tense and add at least one page to two pages on how your project went and all of that. Then you'll get your degree in 2-3 weeks after that.

Good times...for sure.

SuperLT09

I just started at WGU the first of Feb 2012 and I love the fact that we can push ourselves to finish up any class whenever we want to....QUESTION??? I plan on pursuing a Masters after I finish my Bachelors of Science in Network Administration and I want to get into the security realm....Would it be a waste of time pursuing my Masters of Science in Information Assurance at WGU and than a MBA (because I want to get into the managerial side of the house later on in my career); or should I just go after the MBA and the CISSP? I also plan on getting my MBA from the University of Florida...Thank you!

tc613

SuperLT09 wrote: »

I just started at WGU the first of Feb 2012 and I love the fact that we can push ourselves to finish up any class whenever we want to....QUESTION??? I plan on pursuing a Masters after I finish my Bachelors of Science in Network Administration and I want to get into the security realm....Would it be a waste of time pursuing my Masters of Science in Information Assurance at WGU and than a MBA (because I want to get into the managerial side of the house later on in my career); or should I just go after the MBA and the CISSP? I also plan on getting my MBA from the University of Florida...Thank you!

Hey friend I am in SC also and getting ready to go into my last term at WGU.

Congrats on starting you will love WGU. On the masters program I am asking myself the same question MSIA or MBA?
I keep asking what my long term goal is first but I think the MSIA is in great need for specific needs of the security field. The MBA is an option but in the end it really boils down to what you want right after you graduate. Will you use the degree?

These are the questions I am asking myself. I am sure there are many others who can help us with this.

NOLAJ

Mentor just approved my AJV1. 10 courses left after this one!! There is a little speck of light down that tunnel.

EZ21

SuperLT09 wrote: »

I just started at WGU the first of Feb 2012 and I love the fact that we can push ourselves to finish up any class whenever we want to....QUESTION??? I plan on pursuing a Masters after I finish my Bachelors of Science in Network Administration and I want to get into the security realm....Would it be a waste of time pursuing my Masters of Science in Information Assurance at WGU and than a MBA (because I want to get into the managerial side of the house later on in my career); or should I just go after the MBA and the CISSP? I also plan on getting my MBA from the University of Florida...Thank you!

If you decide to get your MBA from WGU then it woun't be respected or accepted by any real companies (Fortune 500) because it is not AACSB accredited. If you dont believe me call a local state school and ask if they will accept your credits from WGU. Point blank, if your trying to be a CTO (Chief Technology Officer) or any high level manager position for a good company then your going to have to go the tradtional route. Hope this helps

EZ21

tc613 wrote: »

Hey friend I am in SC also and getting ready to go into my last term at WGU.

Congrats on starting you will love WGU. On the masters program I am asking myself the same question MSIA or MBA?
I keep asking what my long term goal is first but I think the MSIA is in great need for specific needs of the security field. The MBA is an option but in the end it really boils down to what you want right after you graduate. Will you use the degree?

These are the questions I am asking myself. I am sure there are many others who can help us with this.

Your MBA if you decided to persue it woun't be worth much because its not accredited by AACSB

SuperLT09

No I plan to get my MBA from the University of Florida....I stated that in my comment

EZ21

SuperLT09 wrote: »

No I plan to get my MBA from the University of Florida....I stated that in my comment

Would it be a waste of time pursuing my Masters of Science in Information Assurance at WGU? (Any masters degree from WGU would be a waste). Spending all that time, effort,$$$ of earning a BA/MS that wouldn't transfer to your desired school would suck. I would verify with University of Florida first. This is just my 2 cents.

bryanthetechie

EZ21 wrote: »

Would it be a waste of time pursuing my Masters of Science in Information Assurance at WGU? (Any masters degree from WGU would be a waste). Spending all that time, effort,$$$ of earning a BA/MS that wouldn't transfer to your desired school would suck. I would verify with University of Florida first. This is just my 2 cents.

Ok, I have to interject a clarification here... Having a Masters in business from WGU may be a waste in some situations, but an MSISA would not be a waste considering the credentials of that program. Having a Masters in Education would be a very good thing for most educators as well considering the highly desired MCATE accreditation. Please be careful with blanket statements here as not all programs are the same. WGU is likely pursuing AACSB, and may very well receive it considering their success in securing top accreditations for their other programs. At that point, having an MBA from WGU will not be a waste. Besides, what one person considers to be a waste is not the same for another person.

SuperLT09

I def agree with you bryant....I believe that the MSISA isn't a waste...that's why I want to pursue it....I mean look at the certs you get with the masters....that speaks in volume to me

swild

EZ21 wrote: »

Would it be a waste of time pursuing my Masters of Science in Information Assurance at WGU? (Any masters degree from WGU would be a waste). Spending all that time, effort,$$$ of earning a BA/MS that wouldn't transfer to your desired school would suck. I would verify with University of Florida first. This is just my 2 cents.

Since WGU is regionally accredited, the BS/BA/MSISA earned can be used for admission to any post-grad program that is also regionally accredited, as long as you earn the degree. There shouldn't be any issues going to a publicly funded state school unless it happens to be one of a few in CA.

What you can't do is transfer credits. The reason for that is WGU has a class structure that doesn't correlate to traditional B&M schools. You will run into this problem with any school using nontraditional scheduling. Even some credits from accredited B&M schools that use block scheduling or trimesters can't be transferred.

Some post-grad programs look at the individual classes you have taken to make sure you are qualified enough to start their program. Those schools usually allow you a year or so to earn the required undergrad credits at their institution before admitting you to their post-grad program. You will have issues at those schools regardless of where your degree came from, if they think your class didn't cover the pertinent information.

As far as the MBA is concerned, I agree that it would be better to wait until they get the AACSB accreditation.

SuperLT09

oh no matter what, I will be going to Florida for my MBA....even though my first bachelors degree was completed at Univ of SC lol

petedude

swild wrote: »

As far as the MBA is concerned, I agree that it would be better to wait until they get the AACSB accreditation.

Not a bad thought, but it's a very broad generalization that won't cover all circumstances. Not everyone is headed to a management position at a Fortune 100/500 company, and not everyone is aiming to adjunct teach. As an article at TechRepublic once put it, any master's is better than none but the pecking order goes up from that point. For many folks looking to make the next rung in IT management in most organizations, any master's will do-- if the additional resume fluff is needed, one could go back for a graduate certificate at an AACSB (or other well-reputed school) or an additional master's/PHD.

A WGU master's, be it IT or MBA, should be a useful pursuit. Sure, you might have to supplement it later based on longer-term career goals. But having a WGU master's might open doors that won't open without a master's degree.

SuperLT09

Wow, so true

swild

petedude wrote: »

Not a bad thought, but it's a very broad generalization that won't cover all circumstances. Not everyone is headed to a management position at a Fortune 100/500 company, and not everyone is aiming to adjunct teach. As an article at TechRepublic once put it, any master's is better than none but the pecking order goes up from that point. For many folks looking to make the next rung in IT management in most organizations, any master's will do-- if the additional resume fluff is needed, one could go back for a graduate certificate at an AACSB (or other well-reputed school) or an additional master's/PHD.

A WGU master's, be it IT or MBA, should be a useful pursuit. Sure, you might have to supplement it later based on longer-term career goals. But having a WGU master's might open doors that won't open without a master's degree.

Also good points. Weigh in the price of WGU and it may come out on top for a lot of people who just need the degree to get a promotion.

I am going back and forth with the idea going after WGU's MSISA vs a traditional B&M Master's degree. It's essentially price and time vs reputation. Most people are still under the impression that an online degree is not legitimate. Therefore, I was wanting to balance out my online WGU BS with a traditional MS. Any affordable B&M Master's program would mean relocating. While I am not opposed to that idea, it does make it more complicated since I would need to get a BS level job for a couple of years near the school of my choosing and then possibly have to relocate again to get MS level employment. Sigh.

petedude

swild wrote: »

It's essentially price and time vs reputation. Most people are still under the impression that an online degree is not legitimate. Therefore, I was wanting to balance out my online WGU BS with a traditional MS. Any affordable B&M Master's program would mean relocating. While I am not opposed to that idea, it does make it more complicated since I would need to get a BS level job for a couple of years near the school of my choosing and then possibly have to relocate again to get MS level employment. Sigh.

I would suggest given your particular situation, that you consider an online degree from an actual state school. These schools generally don't put "online" anywhere on the diploma, and who's to argue with a degree granted by a state school? University of Maryland University College (UMUC) comes to mind (as frequently mentioned here), as well as Thomas Edison State College and the inexpensive Nebraska state schools.

As to the perception of online degrees in your "neck of the woods", I'm actually a little surprised that's the case, given the success of schools in that region such as Columbia Southern University and Andrew Jackson University-- and these two aren't even regionally accredited.

EZ21

petedude wrote: »

Not a bad thought, but it's a very broad generalization that won't cover all circumstances. Not everyone is headed to a management position at a Fortune 100/500 company, and not everyone is aiming to adjunct teach. As an article at TechRepublic once put it, any master's is better than none but the pecking order goes up from that point. For many folks looking to make the next rung in IT management in most organizations, any master's will do-- if the additional resume fluff is needed, one could go back for a graduate certificate at an AACSB (or other well-reputed school) or an additional master's/PHD.

A WGU master's, be it IT or MBA, should be a useful pursuit. Sure, you might have to supplement it later based on longer-term career goals. But having a WGU master's might open doors that won't open without a master's degree.

Thats true, but as a graduate from a Cal State school, applying at UCLA and the such, those schools are a pain in the a$$ to deal with when it comes to transfering and, are extremely particular who they accept. Maybe other schools have different qualifications that im not aware of, but for atleast the top schools they require alot more.

EZ21

bryanthetechie wrote: »

Ok, I have to interject a clarification here... Having a Masters in business from WGU may be a waste in some situations, but an MSISA would not be a waste considering the credentials of that program. Having a Masters in Education would be a very good thing for most educators as well considering the highly desired MCATE accreditation. Please be careful with blanket statements here as not all programs are the same. WGU is likely pursuing AACSB, and may very well receive it considering their success in securing top accreditations for their other programs. At that point, having an MBA from WGU will not be a waste. Besides, what one person considers to be a waste is not the same for another person.

That would be great if they do get those accreditations, but until then, I would hold off. A masters degree is too much money and time to spend on the hopes of something that might not happen.

Lemonade727

erpadmin wrote: »

That is realistic. David H., when he gets back to you, will hook you up. He was the only course mentor I had difficulty getting in touch with at WGU. I think I'm the reason why I couldn't find the "four hour response time" to hear back from a course mentor...[guess they got sick of giving out $25 gift certificates...lmao.]

He'll get back to you, eventually. Once your idea paper is approved and you get rolling with your proposal, after that's done, the capstone is easy. You pretty much change some tense and add at least one page to two pages on how your project went and all of that. Then you'll get your degree in 2-3 weeks after that.

Good times...for sure.

Got the approval on the idea paper, but I figured it would so I had been working on it while waiting for a response. Finishing up the competency matrix now and then I'm finished with it. I had a couple of questions come up so I emailed them to David, but figured I'd ask you here as well since you'll end up responding a lot sooner than he would.

1. For the signature blocks on the cover sheet...do I need to print the cover sheet, sign it, scan it back in and send it to David to sign it, have him scan it back in and then implement it into the final paper? Not sure how that works.

2. For the timeline, obviously for the proposal it is for a project that has yet to happen (hypothetically), so it would make sense for the timeline to showcase dates going into the future from today's date (the date on the cover sheet of the proposal). But when I do the Capstone, it is the remarks of how the project actually went, but if this is a 3 month project that my timeline indicates, it obviously won't match up if I submit the Capstone in a week or 2. Do the dates actually matter at all, or do they just want to see that you can construct the project plan and timeline correctly?

erpadmin

Lemonade727 wrote: »

Got the approval on the idea paper, but I figured it would so I had been working on it while waiting for a response. Finishing up the competency matrix now and then I'm finished with it. I had a couple of questions come up so I emailed them to David, but figured I'd ask you here as well since you'll end up responding a lot sooner than he would.

1. For the signature blocks on the cover sheet...do I need to print the cover sheet, sign it, scan it back in and send it to David to sign it, have him scan it back in and then implement it into the final paper? Not sure how that works.

No, none of that. You only need to fill out the cover sheet and that's that, with the exception of of the mentor/student signature. I asked that too and was told I did not have to "sign" it or anything like that. Same thing witht the Capstone too.

Lemonade727 wrote: »

2. For the timeline, obviously for the proposal it is for a project that has yet to happen (hypothetically), so it would make sense for the timeline to showcase dates going into the future from today's date (the date on the cover sheet of the proposal). But when I do the Capstone, it is the remarks of how the project actually went, but if this is a 3 month project that my timeline indicates, it obviously won't match up if I submit the Capstone in a week or 2. Do the dates actually matter at all, or do they just want to see that you can construct the project plan and timeline correctly?

Another question I had asked. Yes, it is best to use dates that are in the past than are in the future. The dates don't matter as much, just that you can construct the project plan and timeline correctly (which if you used the template that was provided to you, you pretty much did.)