Western Governors University Questions and Answers / Threads related to WGU

SteveLord · July 2015

My transcripts are being reviewed right now. I would like to have those 2 classes waived myself via my technical diploma since my A+ is over 5 years.

Winzer · July 2015

Anyone ever got this message in their originality score from Taskstream?

"This type of file is not supported by Turnitin"

I have submitted similar .docx files before with no problem...

TLeTourneau · July 2015

Yes, when there is content in the file that Taskstream can't parse.

srabiee · July 2015

Winzer wrote: »

Anyone ever got this message in their originality score from Taskstream?

"This type of file is not supported by Turnitin"

I have submitted similar .docx files before with no problem...

I recommend converting all documents to PDF format before submitting to Taskstream. This is what I do and have never run into any problems. Turnitin fully supports PDF format.

epcg · July 2015

Ok I have looked through several pages now and seen very little on people transferring in with an AAS degree. Has anyone done this and have classes transfer or does most not transfer? I was thinking about applying and see what they say to me.

markulous · July 2015

epcg wrote: »

Ok I have looked through several pages now and seen very little on people transferring in with an AAS degree. Has anyone done this and have classes transfer or does most not transfer? I was thinking about applying and see what they say to me.

That's what I did. Majority of general ed classes transfer in. I had a couple of business/management classes that I had to take, but everything else was tech classes/certs.

josephandre · July 2015

i transferred in an AAS as well and only have about 40 credits left to do (after my certs)

the only thing i thought was dumb was that my associates is in computer studies but the "intro to IT" wasn't satisfied

other than that... pretty psyched to start.

SteveLord · July 2015

The Intro class is unfortunately only satisfied via an A+ cert....that is less than 5 years old.

ImThe0ne · July 2015

SteveLord wrote: »

The Intro class is unfortunately only satisfied via an A+ cert....that is less than 5 years old.

I missed it by a few months, mine was 5yrs old in March of this year. Was super bummed, now I have 12cus to take instead.

SteveLord · July 2015

I only transferred in Net+ and Security+. Hope I can complete the program in under 2 years!

stryder144 · July 2015

Here is an article that talks a bit about WGU. Filled in a few gaps for me.

JamesKurtovich · July 2015

SteveLord wrote: »

The Intro class is unfortunately only satisfied via an A+ cert....that is less than 5 years old.

I got my A+ in 2012 and I still had to take it. Anyone who works in IT can pass this in a week though.

ImThe0ne · August 2015

JamesKurtovich wrote: »

I got my A+ in 2012 and I still had to take it. Anyone who works in IT can pass this in a week though.

Yeah, I saw that as well. Took a lot of practice tests and passed them easily.

tsimmns · August 2015

Is getting an A+ a guarantee to get into WGU? I'm still considering getting my BBA in MIS from my local college, but still need 30 classes. I can get a BSBA from Thomas Edison is CIS but figure WGU. A better option than this. I have really no IT experience, and have my basic GE classes, so realistically can I get accepted into WGU if I apply with my credits and adding an A+ for them to see?

JamesKurtovich · August 2015

tsimmns wrote: »

Is getting an A+ a guarantee to get into WGU? I'm still considering getting my BBA in MIS from my local college, but still need 30 classes. I can get a BSBA from Thomas Edison is CIS but figure WGU. A better option than this. I have really no IT experience, and have my basic GE classes, so realistically can I get accepted into WGU if I apply with my credits and adding an A+ for them to see?

A cert and some transfer credit should get you in. They really like the certs.

Where do I find my $20 gift card for referring someone? I never got an email or anything. Maybe that person decided not to enroll?

boeint · August 2015

Hello world,

I am a prospective student at WGU and this thread has been a gold mine for me. I've spent hours reading it and have barely went halfway through!

(TL;DR version at the bottom)

I'm 32 and I'm French. I have zero professional experience in IT (except having always been an enthusiast). I have a Master's Degree of Law (Aviation Law & Management) that I got here in France, and I would like to switch career to IT.

I would like to enroll at WGU to get an IT degree, but I won't be able to start before 7 to 9 months. This is for immigration reasons : I'm engaged to an American woman, and that's the time it's going to take for me to be allowed to come, get married and get a green card. WGU won't issue student visas.

My professional goal would be to look for an aviation management job when I move in the US, and if I get one, do the IT degree at my own pace, with no rush. If I can't get such a job, I want to rush through the degree as fast as possible, and maybe use some certs down the road to get a first job in IT.

So now if you allow, me I have a bunch of questions for you guys, and I'm super excited to hear what you have to say

1) What degree should I go for?
I am not 100% sure of that (I'll need to check with them), but I think I could have my foreign MS validated, and this be eligible to chose between BS or MS.
Do you think going for the an MS (probably the IT Management one) without any IT education or experience is : a) Possible ? b)Stupid?
Starting with a MS is not my ultimate goal, I'm more focused on the BS a the moment, maybe moving on to a MS later. I'm just curious to know what you think, maybe you can convince me to go for the MS!

2)Because, like I said, I can't start the WGU program for 7 to 9 months, and also because I'm not currently working in France at the moment, I'd like to take advantage of that time period to get a head start and try to have as many classes as possible waived when I end up starting. I want to achieve that through :
a. Certifications: getting as many certs as I can before enrolling. Trying to be clever choosing them and taking the easiest ones(A+, which I more or less feel ready for already) or the more rewarding ones(MCSA:2012, which have 25 CUs waived in the BS:IT NA).
I know it isn't the best option in terms of finance, because the cost of these certs would be included in the tuition, but at least the next months would be put to good use, and also if I complete the degree earlier, that means less terms, lowering the total tuition.
b. Gen Ed courses via institutions like Straighterline. I can take most of the Gen Ed courses from them, even from abroad, have them transferred when I enroll with WGU. What do you think of Straighterline? I've heard of them at the beginning of this topics. Are there better alternatives out there?

I did my maths, and if they are correct (they probably aren't), out of the 121 CUs for a BS:IT NA, you can waive more than 60% of them with a combination of :
- 8 Straighterline courses waiving 8 Gen Ed courses : 23 CUs
- a combination of IT certs. Just an example : A+ (8 CUs), Security+ (4 CUs), Project+ (4 CUs), MCSA:Server2012 (25 CUs), MTA HTML5 Application Development Fundamentals (3 CUs), MTA Software Devolopment Fundamentals (3 CUs), CIW Database Design Specialist (7 CUs)

Let me stop you: I know all this certs can't be completed in 9 months, even less so if you include the Gen Ed courses. But it would feel good to know that I can put as much of my time as I want for the months to come and the more I do, the more beneficial it will be.

So the big question is: what do you guys think of my plan ?
Is it solid? Or does it have minor/major flaws?
I am so excited to switch career and work in IT that maybe I overlooked some details!

TL;DR version : 1) BS or MS if no educational or professional IT experience?
2)9 months before I can start WGU. In the meantime, doing a maximum of IT certs and a maximum of Straighterlien Gen Ed courses to waive as much courses as possible when I enroll: good idea?

Thank you so much in advance for any input or hindsight you can have on my project, it's a pretty big thing for me (as it probably was for all of you wen you enrolled!) and I don't want to mess it up!

Ben

PS: you may have noticed English is not my first language, I'm doing my best but I apologize for any mistake.

techfiend · August 2015

I'd find out the requirements for the ms you want to pursue. I'm pretty sure msisa requires ccna. Then work towards those requirements after you pass the A+. In 2 years a dual masters is going to look much better than a masters in another field and a fresh bachelors in IT.

If you choose to pursue a bs, I'd think most of your generals would transfer. As for certs until then, get the A+ first and look for IT jobs, then if you learn well, jump to ccent or mcsa, otherwise security+.

Verruckt · August 2015

techfiend wrote: »

I'd find out the requirements for the ms you want to pursue. I'm pretty sure msisa requires ccna. Then work towards those requirements after you pass the A+. In 2 years a dual masters is going to look much better than a masters in another field and a fresh bachelors in IT.

If you choose to pursue a bs, I'd think most of your generals would transfer. As for certs until then, get the A+ first and look for IT jobs, then if you learn well, jump to ccent or mcsa, otherwise security+.

MSISA does not require any certs - I'm currently enrolled in it. You can have a resume review done to see if you meet the requirements if you do not have a CCNA / CISSP, etc.

techfiend · August 2015

What are the resume requirements if you don't have any of the applicable certs?

ImThe0ne · August 2015

JamesKurtovich wrote: »

A cert and some transfer credit should get you in. They really like the certs.

Where do I find my $20 gift card for referring someone? I never got an email or anything. Maybe that person decided not to enroll?

If the person you referred uses the link you sent them and requests additional information, then you get a digital gift card emailed to your WGU email account, or at least I did.

DWither · August 2015

Right now I'm studying for my A+. After I get it I'm going to search for a entry level support gig. I know I want to work with computers but I'm not sure which degree to enroll in if I go with wgu. So my question is if I were to go with the normal BS IT would that limit me in the future as far as positions go? Or let's say if I get the BS IT but want to focus on Security down the line if I went and got some security certs would it be all the same

techfiend · August 2015

You can switch pretty much anytime you want but it takes a few weeks after you request it to change. I'd say the ROI is lower on the BS IT vs security or net admin but it's easier if you're sole goal is to get a bachelors. I think companies would prefer a ccna or mcsa with a bachelors vs. a bachelors.

Curchel · August 2015

techfiend wrote: »

You can switch pretty much anytime you want but it takes a few weeks after you request it to change. I'd say the ROI is lower on the BS IT vs security or net admin but it's easier if you're sole goal is to get a bachelors. I think companies would prefer a ccna or mcsa with a bachelors vs. a bachelors.

What is ROI???

stryder144 · August 2015

Curchel wrote: »

What is ROI???

Return on Investment

techfiend · August 2015

In this case because CCNA or MCSA in most cases should yield a higher paying position then without.

Chadius · August 2015

I talked to my mentor awhile back, about changing degree plans and what that would take. She said you would make the change, when terms change.

My thought was: finish my CCNA in the term I am in, then transfer over to either the software or net admin plans at term change. My idea is that I would get the CCNA, and then start Net Admin. So when I graduate, I have my CCNA and MCSA 2012. (among other stuff) The thought is both of those certs would be very beneficial to me in my career. Probably more so than the CCNA-security. (which is what I would get if I stayed in the Security degree plan)

Anyone ever done this or heard of this type of scenario playing out? I figure if I ever get into security or have the chance of that happening, then I would focus on security certs then. (or shortly after)

I think the CCNA would be beneficial even if I am not doing strictly networking activities, and vice versa with the MCSA.

Chadius · August 2015

Crap, I just read some of the posts above. Seems like this is something that happens on the regular. lol

Well if anyone has any input, then I would appreciate it.

techfiend · August 2015

I thought about getting the MCSA 2012 then move to IT Security but didn't think I could achieve it in my goal, 2 terms. I was likely wrong and I'll still probably get the MCSA 2012 along with BSIT Security in a year. I was able to change from net admin to security 3 months in. Thing with the net admin track is it requires 8.1 MCSA and all they have is CBT nuggets and some mostly unuseful labs. I don't learn well from videos and I can do my labs at home for the most part. After a few days in 8.1 I lost interest, it only took me about a week to lose interest in 2012 studies. There's a decent 2012 book on skillport by William Panek which I've started while doing CCNA security practice tests. The CCNA study material was more beneficial to me. In the long run I wish they'd pony up for labsim ccna and mcsa like they do with comptia's but that might mean higher tuition. Still the best learning resource I've used.

Chadius · August 2015

I studied for the MCSA 2008 for a few months, just never had the money to go take it. So I should be ok with doing 2012. (I would think)

One gripe about the way WGU classes are. The non cert classes, where you need to take pre-assessment and then the assessment. Say it has a cutoff score of 65%. I take it, and get a 70%. Normally I would say cool, and schedule the actual test. Nooooo. They have a buffer of 10% higher that they would like you to score. So now I have to re-take the pre-assessment. So if your going to add this theoretical buffer, why not change that actual score to a score you want me to obtain? Freaking dumb. So they call and say: you technically passed, but not with our buffer we want you to meet. lol

And don't ever fail a cert test. Especially if you use outside methods for studying. In one class, the materials kind of sucked, so I was using outside materials primarily. My mentor knew this, but the course mentor did not. I missed passing by 2%. Since I had chosen to use outside sources, and my mentor decided to stay quiet about this fact, the course mentor automatically assumed I decided to not study for the test. So in order to get the re-take, I had to do all simulations, exams, and the same from another source. But I also had to score 90% or above on all of the items. Then I would be able to take it again. Lost a solid month to all of the hoops they made me jump thru. One domain test was almost 200 questions. I took it 4 times, and the first three I scored mid 80's. They still wouldn't let me go to the next attempt. So bottom line, if you decide you do not like the materials they are providing, and you use something else, make sure you pass the first time. I had to do all of that, and I missed passing the first time by 2%. It wasn't like I bombed the cert test.

/endrant

Chadius · August 2015

I bring the last paragraph up, because I have Packet Tracer, Cisco press books, and all the labs from Cisco for the CCNA classes. (I took the course last year in another university) Since I had the bad time with this last class, I decided I would make damn sure all of my outside materials would be ok with the CMIT people. I also still have a half year left on my Cisco lab that the school paid for. So I have a bunch of material to supplement the training. lol It's also why I haven't taken the test yet. I am making sure I pass it. lol

Western Governors University Questions and Answers / Threads related to WGU

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