Finished degree in one semester (WGU)

petedude

earweed wrote: »

That's the closest I've found also but the total cost will still be higher than WGU as that 3K is for a certain number of classes whereas you have the option of speedtraining through WGU and getting your degree faster.

Yep. Any other traditional program, you're going to have to suffer fixed schedules, term breaks, winter vacations, etc.

To me, that's also the only real selling point of WGU's MBA-- you're not on someone else's calendar. There are some state schools in Nebraska where you can get MBAs for about $5-6K, but you'll burn at least two years. With WGU, you can wrap that in 18 months or less, but that still sets you back at least $6K for two terms (the fastest I've heard of folks wrapping it up).

earweed

@ the OP - due to your speediness of completing your degree I designate you one of the TE MONSTERS..lol
Some people here just get with it and bang stuff out. You've done an exemplary job. Congratulations!

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

Thank you all for your kind words. I guess when an extra 3K is on the line, extraordinary things happen lol. I do have to admit that most of the classes I flew through because a lot of what was being taught is what I do at work everyday (sql queries, javascript, sys administration, ETL development, etc.) It also helps that I have no kids and that my wife works at night (hospital job) and doesn't get home till around midnight most days. so, I had a lot of free time to study.

thenjduke

Very Nice job. I just about to finish 45 or 46 CU. I have four classes after this and I am done as well. I can not wait.

petedude

To the OP:

Congrats.

Had I not gotten slowed down on the database and project management courses, I might have narrowly squeezed in the whole thing in one term myself. Only a half-dozen courses to go here. . .

demonfurbie

sadly i didnt have alot transfer in and i have a full time job, 2 young boys and a wife

i hope to be done shortly 1 or 2 more terms

bermovick

Your story made me decide to get off my butt and start the process of registering lol.

I'm out of work right now so I have no excuse to not be able to study full-time (and then some).

demonfurbie

let me know if ya need refferal

meadIT

Congratulations! I loved the fact that the only thing that holds you back at WGU is yourself.

I finished 76 credits in one semester. Here's what I had to finish when I started: http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/35383-wgu-student-roll-call.html

I was able to spend a lot of time during work to work on the non-IT assignments and then at night I would lab up for all of the IT courses.

westward

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

Hi, per your original post, I would like to know more about the technical writing/ IT final project for "generic" IT focus.

I have windows 7, java 2 and then on to those last 3. Thank you so much.

Also, have you applied yet for a Masters anywhere?

I want to get a Masters (in something, dunno what yet, MBA, finance?) as soon as I start a job after Bachelors.

Thanks!

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

westward wrote: »

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

Hi, per your original post, I would like to know more about the technical writing/ IT final project for "generic" IT focus.

I have windows 7, java 2 and then on to those last 3. Thank you so much.

Also, have you applied yet for a Masters anywhere?

I want to get a Masters (in something, dunno what yet, MBA, finance?) as soon as I start a job after Bachelors.

Thanks!

Well, the IT Portfolio was basically a research paper on a developing IT trend. You do have to submit several "exhibits" that help support your paper. For instance, I wrote on the ETL data process (extract, transform, load). For my exhibits, I provided some custom javascript that I wrote for a data integration project I did for work, a diagram of an ETL workflow process, and another diagram outlining ETL server placement for several sites across the US. Originally I was going to write about cloud computing but decided to go with something I already knew about and work with every day. It made it a lot easier for me.

For the Technical Writing, you basically come up with a proposal that outlines a major project that you are going to undertake. Everything you've learned in Project+ comes into play here. Finally, the Capstone Project is the actual implementation of the project you proposed in Technical Writing. I basically took my project proposal, changed the wording to reflect past tense, added a final summary (several pages), and exhibits. I wrote about streamlining workflow processes and business intelligence reporting using a filemaker database and an open-source ETL tool (again, writing about something I'm good at).

With these three courses, make sure you pay attention to the rubric so you know exactly what you need to write about. Once you get going it really isn't as bad as a lot of people think.

I haven't yet applied for my Masters just yet (work has been getting in the way).

I hope this answers your questions.

videguy

To the original poster, nice job. It's always a good feeling to finish a degree. I am working on my last couple of classes(I should have taken these early on, and skipped them hoping to test out. Did not get enough. time to study so now I am taking the classes).
To the poster asking about nationally accredited schools. I would avoid them if you plan to go on to a masters degree. I would actually avoid thm in general. The schools are not as well regarded as other regionally accredited schools. Most programs will only accept a degree from a regionally accredited program. Nationally accredited may sound better, but it is not. Friends who got degrees at ITT Tech and other schools were told they needed to get bachelors from a regionally accredited school if they wanted to go on to a traditional masters program. That's tough to hear when you just spent $50,000 for a bachelors.
I would agree with many who mentioned it that getting a BS online then a masters from a better known B&M school. Many now offer online programs. So you can have a masters from a well known school and do it online.

motogpman

Man, how did I miss this thread! That is awesome, great work Alif!!!!!!!! Reading this has gotten me motivated again. I am going to look into that tax break as well. I'll have to get my tax man to look into it.

Killermac

Really, really impressive. I have been wanting to go back to school but I don't have the cash and want to go into deep debt to go B&M degree. If I could hack this in 6 months to a year that would be awesome. I am going to put this into high consideration. Congrats on your degree.

zerglings

Great work and discipline!

Question, did you retain a lot of information by doing everything in one semester? The reason I asked, I took four courses in one semester and didn't really retain a whole lot. Maybe, I am just losing a lot of brain cells. c",)

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

zerglings wrote: »

Question, did you retain a lot of information by doing everything in one semester?

First of all, going into WGU I already had a technical AS degree and some certs so I did not have to complete any of the lower level courses (English, Math, Sciences, Humanities, etc.) What I was left with were a handful of technical and management classes.

I think one of the main reasons why I was able to complete the courses so quickly was because almost everything the courses taught, I was already doing at work. If I did learn something, I used it immediately at my job to both instill it in my mind and to help me do my job better. For instance, I already understood basic database theory going into the CIW database design class from what I do at work. I did, however, pick up on some things in regards to joins that have helped me in the sql scripts I write. Also, learning the stages of normalization has helped me in developing several databases from the ground up for other departments.

The final three courses (IT Portfolio, Technical Writing, and Capstone) I wrote about projects I had already completed at work.

Then there were classes like the CIW Foundations exams, Web Design Specialist, and Security+ that contain pretty much common knowledge to anyone that has been working in IT for several years.

I will admit, I did blow through the management courses with serious cramming and since I don't deal with management issues at work, I have forgotten some of the stuff I studied. However, most of the knowledge forgotten were just "management speak" terms that are used to illustrate common sense.

So to answer your question, yes and no. Yes I retained a majority of what was taught in the course material because I either already knew it or deal with it on a regular basis. Of course there were things that I have not retained (management courses) because I just don't work with it on an everyday basis and I have no desire to ever get into management.

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

Oh, and zerglings, I'm like you. When I'm studying material that is completely foreign to me and I want to retain the information, I have to REALLY study with labs and everything. Especially if I don't deal with it everyday at work.

For instance, I started my MCSA while I was still doing application support at a bank and it took me a year to finish it.

Turgon

petedude wrote: »

Tell me about it. One of my favorite programs is the University of California Irvine MBA. . . but if I read correctly, total cost for their main program is $85K. . .

Seems like the more money you can afford to throw at it, the more prestige you can buy.

westward

Just finished Windows 7 (AKA "the devil"). So now I just have Java 2, and my final research and capstone projects.

Hardest part will be deciding WHAT to write about.... Whatever topic I pick will effect (or be effected by...) what area I want to get into. Which I have no idea, as of yet!

Tough choice.

westward

Hey Alif - Got a question for you. I see the tech writing is quite a lengthy paper, the sample is 26 pages. I was wondering what the length of the IT Project writing is? And the Capstone as well, or did you just edit the Capstone, as you said, to be a past tense of the Tech Writing.

Thanks! I'm writing it on a project I did in real life, which is a hell of a life saver given the length requirements!

Alif_Sadida_Ekin wrote: »

First of all, going into WGU I already had a technical AS degree and some certs so I did not have to complete any of the lower level courses (English, Math, Sciences, Humanities, etc.) What I was left with were a handful of technical and management classes.

I think one of the main reasons why I was able to complete the courses so quickly was because almost everything the courses taught, I was already doing at work. If I did learn something, I used it immediately at my job to both instill it in my mind and to help me do my job better. For instance, I already understood basic database theory going into the CIW database design class from what I do at work. I did, however, pick up on some things in regards to joins that have helped me in the sql scripts I write. Also, learning the stages of normalization has helped me in developing several databases from the ground up for other departments.

The final three courses (IT Portfolio, Technical Writing, and Capstone) I wrote about projects I had already completed at work.

Then there were classes like the CIW Foundations exams, Web Design Specialist, and Security+ that contain pretty much common knowledge to anyone that has been working in IT for several years.

I will admit, I did blow through the management courses with serious cramming and since I don't deal with management issues at work, I have forgotten some of the stuff I studied. However, most of the knowledge forgotten were just "management speak" terms that are used to illustrate common sense.

So to answer your question, yes and no. Yes I retained a majority of what was taught in the course material because I either already knew it or deal with it on a regular basis. Of course there were things that I have not retained (management courses) because I just don't work with it on an everyday basis and I have no desire to ever get into management.

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

westward wrote: »

Hey Alif - Got a question for you. I see the tech writing is quite a lengthy paper, the sample is 26 pages. I was wondering what the length of the IT Project writing is? And the Capstone as well, or did you just edit the Capstone, as you said, to be a past tense of the Tech Writing.

Thanks! I'm writing it on a project I did in real life, which is a hell of a life saver given the length requirements!

My technical writing paper was around 14 pages and my capstone was around 24 pages including the exhibits. There's no set amount of pages that you're required to write. Dr. Vance, the course mentor, told me that the shortest paper written, with a passing grade, was around 15 pages for the capstone. Just make sure you cover all the topics in the rubric and you'll be fine. What also helped me were the sample papers that Dr. Vance provided. It gave me a better understanding on what the rubric wanted.

nimrod.sixty9

Followed this from another thread and Im bringing this back from the dead. I wanted to know if you ever got into UCF? I myself would love to be able to go to FIT ;p

Just want to see how the process works going from WGU to B&M Masters transfer.

qwertyiop

nimrod.sixty9 wrote: »

Followed this from another thread and Im bringing this back from the dead. I wanted to know if you ever got into UCF? I myself would love to be able to go to FIT ;p

Just want to see how the process works going from WGU to B&M Masters transfer.

I dont know about anyone else but I didnt have any problem getting into my masters program at Davenport University with my WGU degree

kevozz

Accreditation for WGU:

WGU Accreditation | Accredited Online University | Western Governors University Online

Alif_Sadida_Ekin

nimrod.sixty9 wrote: »

Followed this from another thread and Im bringing this back from the dead. I wanted to know if you ever got into UCF? I myself would love to be able to go to FIT ;p

Just want to see how the process works going from WGU to B&M Masters transfer.

Sorry for not updating this thread. So, since graduating, I've moved on to the next step in my career. At this point, I've decided that the ROI in getting a Masters is not worth it. In fact, I know that my salary will not increase by obtaining a Master's degree. What WILL get me to the next step is experience and more experience.

With that said, my focus has been and will be on Business Intelligence and java programming.

Howling Monkey

Dude, you are the SEAL Team 6 of earning IT degree. Well done!

_Marauder

Very impressive, congratulations!

snokerpoker

Good job! I'll be lucky if I finish in 3 terms.

YuckTheFankees

great job, i hope to do the same thing

Darkasing619

Hey guys,

I am not sure if people are still looking at this thread. I am interested in applying to WGU, and would like a referral to receive a fee waiver.

If you're able to help, PM me if you are able.

Thanks!