WGU - The Fascination?

Call it my newness to the threads here... Call it my opposing background... Call it something else... But I don't really understand all the hype around WGU that is present on these threads? When I review the school, it seems a solid institution, with much focus on the technical community. However, I don't see anything quite so special about it?

My background in education includes both B&M and Online schools, and is culminating at the PhD level. Would someone fill in a blank or two for me here? I have a team of engineers and coworkers that report to me, and a steady, worthwhile, school would be a great recommendation to be able to offer. However, as of yet I'm not so convinced WGU is leaps and bounds ahead of others in the field???

Thanks in advance for insightful and constructive feedback.

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Essendon

From what I've read on the forums here, WGU is popular primarily for two reasons. a). It's online b). Most popular certs are needed to complete a degree. So while you complete a degree, you also pass a few cert exams on the way too. Double-kill, and I think it's affordable too.

Iristheangel

It's on-par with a normal B&M or other online institutions with the same majors in regards to the quality of education so I wouldn't say it's "special" in that regards. I think what most people like about it is the fact that it's fairly priced, includes certifications in the curriculum, and both regionally and nationally accredited which is important when transferring to other institutions or getting respect with an employer. All of those things help when you're an adult who has to balance a work schedule around your education and you don't want to be $50K in the hole for a degree. Also the certifications really help on the job search. Probably even more than the degree depending on the certification.

Edit: I just wanted to add, I'll have completed both my Bachelors and Masters from WGU spending a total of $12,600 - 15,600. I also finished my BS in 1.5 years thanks to working my hiney off and 30 credits I got to transfer in thanks to my existing certifications. As far as my MS, I'm assuming I'll have it done in 1-1.5 years which accounts for the range I just gave.

NotHackingYou

WGU is competency based and self paced. This means someone who works hard and brings strong technical skill can accelerate their progress and complete their degree very quickly.

WGU has eliminated most of the ways traditional colleges waste a students time.

They offer an outstanding curriculum packed with certifications for 1/2 the price of my local state schools (if you go at standard pace). If you are like many here and work hard to accelerate your progress, you don't even pay more. Tuition is flat rate per term, take as many classes as you can, same price. It's also fully accredited.

WGU nailed the future of education. This is why they are so popular here.

ptilsen

As Essendon said, it's online and it kills two birds with one stone. Additionally, it is regionally accredited, and therefore both transferable to tradition schools (with some caveats) and acceptable for most graduate programs. The degree is based on competency rather than work, which means that someone is smarter, already knowledgeable, or applies himself more can get done faster and/or with less work than a traditional school. While that can seem like a shortcut, in truth it does remove a lot of time that is otherwise wasted in traditional programs. Finally, it is actually extremely cheap at any reasonable pace. I go to the least expensive B&M university in my state, which costs about $40/credit hour more than the local CCs, and WGU would actually be a little cheaper.

Here are the negatives. It will probably never have quite the reputation that traditional B&Ms have. The degrees are all highly practical in nature. While that is a positive in many ways, it can lack a lot of valuable theory that a more traditional program would provide. The competency units do not transfer as well as credits, so someone who goes and decides to switch to something else could end up being disappointed. The programs are also very different than those at traditional schools, so even fully accepted credits might not actually count towards any degrees at many other schools.

Ultimately, the main reason you see it so much on this particular site is that popular certifications count as credit there, and this site is ultimately about technical certifications.

Valsacar

When I was looking for somewhere to do my Masters there were a few schools that I was interested in going to, but WGU won out. The reason for that is partially the cost, the certifications (was a big part), and the biggest was the structure.

The competency based structure means I didn't have to waste time taking classes on subjects I've worked in for the last 5 years, I can just prove competency (take the test, do the projects, whatever it is for that class) and move on to the next. It also makes working life a lot easier, I work as a defense contractor and get to play in a few big military exercises every year. Last year I told my mentor (kind of like a guidance councilor) that I'll be gone for 3 weeks and won't be working on anything (I did some reading, but no work on papers or anything like that). It wasn't a problem, I was already on track for the term so I could take those 3 weeks and not worry about dropping or failing a course.

Where are you doing your PhD?

boredgamelad

I'm planning on finishing a bachelor's degree from WGU in a single 6 month term. If I pull it off (I'm well on track) my total tuition will be less than $3200. I've done all the course work at my own pace while working a full time job and much of it is just validating what I already know. All of those factors combined make it pretty special in my book.

CISPhD

Some great feedback here. Responding to many of the points made here, I wish I had an opportunity to complete some certs along my educational path. Furthermore, the acceleration would have been grand. I was forced to take 1.5 or 2x the normal credit hours to complete my degrees at an accelerated rate. Being 25, there's plenty of time left in my professional career for certifications and the like, but it would have been nice to bundle them together. On a final note, regarding tuition rates... well... lets just say I didn't quite make it out under 50K. I made it a lot further along than an undergraduate degree, but I'm a lot further along the debt scale as well. With loan payments nearing a mortgage, it's a bit interesting juggling finances these days.

2004 - 2006: ASc - PC/Network Technology ~31K
2006 - 2007: BSc - PC/Network Technology `20K
2007 - 2009: MSc - IS Management ~35K
2009 - 2011: MBA - Intl Business ~37K
2011 - Current: PhD - CIS/BA ~55K

Iristheangel

Wow. That's an incredible amount of tuition. My SO is going to med school and I think you might actually have as much debt as her

CISPhD

All degrees were taken at private institutions. While a bit more expensive, you end up (in my opinion) with a better education. Had it not been for the second Master's degree, I'd be on par for tuition requirements of a doctoral program.

forestgiant

From a macro economic perspective, WGU fills a particular niche that many B&M either has no interest nor willfully ignored at their expense. The percent of adults who want and/or need to complete their bachelors and masters degree while juggling real life responsibilities present both an opportunity and unmet need that WGU (one of many higher-ed institutions) has a solid solution and pathway that are recognized, approved, and supported by political leaders, the media, and accreditation institutions. That's what makes WGU "special", if you will. Of course if one is out looking for negative reviews, he/she would find them. In fact, many negative reviews were a result of unrealistic expectations, misunderstandings, or just flat out irresponsibility on the part of the reviewer. However, WGU's success and commitment so far have demonstrated to the B&M, particularly well known ones such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, and others, to recognize and expand their online course offerings (Coursera, Edx, and others).

WGU's growth spurt is not without parallels. A decade ago many people rejected the idea of executive and part-time MBA offerings as "light-MBA." But just in the last five years, top 20 traditional MBA like UNC have added both online and part time MBA programs to their curriculum, and they're throwing millions in initial investments and reputation of academic and business professionals behind their offerings. One would think they have concluded that there is proper demand and opportunities for such online programs, and their recognition of my BS and MSc ISA from WGU is a sure sign of the school's legitimacy and growing respect.

So it's the "perfect-storm", if you will, of favorable technology, political recognition and support, supply and demand, and of course, rising B&M college costs, that make WGU's model appealing and accepted by the over 36,000 students enrolled as of today. How many institutions can claim that sort of number in growth in less than a decade? Unlike some large B&M (UC Berkeley and Columbia, for one) WGU doesn't have millions in cash to expand their offerings, so it relies on the success, reputation, and proof concept to expand offerings to multiple states across the nation.

My "only" gripe with WGU, is that the name is probably no longer fitting. The school now has presence in the south (Texas), Midwest (Illinois), and other states, so "Western" should be changed and updated. However, "NGU" just won't cut it, because it means quite something else in another language.

CISPhD

@forestgiant

Heh... you sound like you could land a promising career in WGU's sales department.

Thanks for the info!

boredgamelad

The name still fits--it's not called Western Governors because it only has a presence in the west--it's called that because it was founded by 19 governors from (mostly) western states.

thegoodbye

CISPhD wrote: »

While a bit more expensive, you end up (in my opinion) with a better education.

While you're surely entitled to your opinion, I completely disagree with you. The education an individual receives is based on the individual (how badly you want to learn, the amount of time you dedicate, etc), not if the institution is public, private, or online.

Source: I've attended public, private, and online Universities.

CISPhD

thegoodbye wrote: »

While you're surely entitled to your opinion, I completely disagree with you. The education an individual receives is based on the individual (how badly you want to learn, the amount of time you dedicate, etc), not if the institution is public, private, or online.

Source: I've attended public, private, and online Universities.

I'd agree with you 110%! My main preference to private schools is the lack, or at least less prominent, of political bull. I've also seen greater resource availability with regard to library utilities, research databases, etc...

My $0.02. Again, I agree with you completely that you get out of an education what you get into it.

Ivanjam

ptilsen wrote: »

Ultimately, the main reason you see it so much on this particular site is that popular certifications count as credit there, and this site is ultimately about technical certifications.

Hear, hear! TECHEXAMS.NET

ptilsen

@CISPhD and thegoodbye, the private vs. pubic thing is really more about prestige and quality than public and private. The "best" schools are generally private, but so are some of the worst. Carnegie Mellon is private and much more expensive than WGU and most B&M public universities, but it is a better education. ITT and University of Phoenix are also private and more expensive than WGU and most B&M public universities, but they provide a vastly inferior education to, well, almost everything. So the idea is not to look at whether it's private, but to look at how good the school is and what it costs.

For example, going to Harvard, or CMU, or Yale is probably worth the cost if you can get in and afford it. When you look at graduate salaries, it actually does pay to get that expensive, private prestige. But, to use a local example, going to the University of Saint Thomas or Macalaster college (two pricey, private universities in St Paul) really is not going to provide a better education than the University of Minnesota or even Metropolitan State University (two much less expensive public universities).

Edit: Of course, if you're smart enough, come up with a good enough idea, and implement it and the business model well enough, education doesn't matter at all. Just ask Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. However, most of us aren't that smart -- like them or hate them, they are both true geniuses in every sense of the word. Most of the rest of us can see some value from a good education.

Psoasman

My main reasons for attending WGU are:

1. Price: It's hard to beat $6,070 / year for a degree and a solid one at that. I will graduate with zero education debt. I have a friend who did 2 bachelors at DeVry....$$$ ouch.

2. Convenience: My work schedule changes 3x/ year, working days, swings, or graves. It took me 2 extra quarters at community college to, due to
that. I can study at work, in the morning, or when I get home.

3. Ability to accelerate: I am disciplined and determined. It is infuriating to sit in class, wasting time while the instructor and her "favorite" student
talk about rooting the latest phone or gaming. Having a solid 6 month term allows for completing more classes.

KeithC

I am enrolled in WGU and in my third and hopefully last term (3.25 classes left and my term ends on 1/31/13). I took seven classes towards an associate degree from my local community college. I had eight classes left but with prerequisites and class scheduling I wouldn't finish my A.A.S. until winter of 2012. So switching to WGU saves me time and ultimately it saves me money by coming out with a BS instead of a AAS.

Also likes Erpadmin says it's just a piece of paper that will lead to a more distinguished school for a masters degree.

jmritenour

For me, there are three main factors: cost, ease of working with my schedule, and the ability to go at my own pace. The fact that I was able to transfer a lot of credits in with industry certifications was a big factor too.

I'm wrapping up my BS this month, and will have spend a grand total of around $10,000 out of pocket, and completed my degree in just over a year and a half. Doing this at a B&M, or most online universities would've taken me at least 5 years, and god knows how much money.

swild

A year ago I had about $13000 worth of student loans and 90 semester hours worth of credit. In order to finish my degree at that time would have taken a minimum of 4 more semesters and at least $15000 in more loans. I had absolutely no plans to finish my degree. I had enrolled at Capella, and ITT. Neither were good enough programs. Then I heard about WGU through these forums and my interest was piqued. I started asking around and found a coworker whose cousin was attending.

I started looking deeper and found that it was regionally accredited and non-profit. The real kicker for me was the fact that you could move at your own pace. I have never really been challenged in my education, so I was always studying something that wasn't offered in classes or studying more in depth than the professors cared to go. So I decided this could be a personal challenge. I applied and found out that a mere 49 credits would transfer in, 12 of which were from certifications. I went an passed a couple more certifications to get me an additional 13 credits, which brought me up to a total of 62, a little over half way.

While studying about WGU I came across a few stories about people able to complete an entire degree in one semester. One that I can remember off the top of my head was a stay at home mom who finished 122 credits in one semester. I figured that if she could do that, I should be able to do 60 credits in one term while working full time.

After spending far more time on the Cisco tests than I had planned, I finished with only 3 days to spare. 60 credits in one term and it only cost me $1200 (Pell grant and WGU scholarship knocked off $1800 or so).

I can honestly say that WGU has changed my life. I am now making much more money that I was expecting to at this point in my life and I am considering grad school.

dt3k

ptilsen wrote: »

@CISPhD and thegoodbye, the private vs. pubic thing is really more about prestige and quality than public and private. The "best" schools are generally private, but so are some of the worst. Carnegie Mellon is private and much more expensive than WGU and most B&M public universities, but it is a better education. ITT and University of Phoenix are also private and more expensive than WGU and most B&M public universities, but they provide a vastly inferior education to, well, almost everything. So the idea is not to look at whether it's private, but to look at how good the school is and what it costs.

For example, going to Harvard, or CMU, or Yale is probably worth the cost if you can get in and afford it. When you look at graduate salaries, it actually does pay to get that expensive, private prestige. But, to use a local example, going to the University of Saint Thomas or Macalaster college (two pricey, private universities in St Paul) really is not going to provide a better education than the University of Minnesota or even Metropolitan State University (two much less expensive public universities).

Edit: Of course, if you're smart enough, come up with a good enough idea, and implement it and the business model well enough, education doesn't matter at all. Just ask Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. However, most of us aren't that smart -- like them or hate them, they are both true geniuses in every sense of the word. Most of the rest of us can see some value from a good education.

You also have to be willing to be a giant asshat, ****, lie, steal, betray friends, and stab partners in the back. Watch Pirates of Silicon Valley and The Social Network. After it all you may just feel so guilty with your good fortune that you decide to dedicate the rest of your life to charity and philanthropy in order to make amends with your conscience somehow. Smart? Yes. Genius? A far stretch.

tecke

_{If you know the information you dont have to your waste time/money you just finish the class because you are compentent, certifications are included in the program, the price is right, and the accreditation is regional.}

WiseWun

boredgamelad wrote: »

I'm planning on finishing a bachelor's degree from WGU in a single 6 month term. If I pull it off (I'm well on track) my total tuition will be less than $3200. I've done all the course work at my own pace while working a full time job and much of it is just validating what I already know. All of those factors combined make it pretty special in my book.

6 months? That`s crazy! Did you attend college and if so how many credits were transferred?

Ivanjam

WiseWun wrote: »

6 months? That`s crazy! Did you attend college and if so how many credits were transferred?

Most of that info is in his sig.

routergods

Just an FYI, Harvard students pay $0 if the family earns less than $65,000/year.

kgb

routergods wrote: »

Just an FYI, Harvard students pay $0 if the family earns less than $65,000/year.

The competition for those enrollment seats has to be insane...

mrosales6

Out of curiosity where did you complete your doctorate? I am looking to get my masters at WGU but want to pursue a doctorate and am wondering if there is anyone out there with a masters from WGU that has been able to be accepted into a doctoral program anywhere.