1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Henkle3434
(In Progress) on May 8, 2012
(email verified)
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WGU is Amazing
The first thing I want to point out is that WGU is not for everyone. You have to be a self-starter, and you have to want to push yourself. Competency based units is an amazing concept. I take a pre-assessment and once I pass that I get to take my final for the objective exams. If you treat this school as a full-time job which some students do, you have the opportunity to go from no credits to your BA is around a year and a half. The other awesome thing about WGU is that you pay per semester, if I can pass 15 classes in one term, there is no additional cost.
For people who don't understand the mentor program, I have one mentor who calls me every Thursday to check on my progress and help push me to reach my goals. You also have a course mentor for every class, if you get stuck you let the course mentor know, and they respond very quickly to your request. I can tell you that in my first three months at WGU, I have racked up 35 credits, and that is working 8-10 hours a day studying. I find it nice that you can test from your home for most finals, obviously through webcam proxy.
The classes that have performance-based testing, you hand in the assignment, and a grader will not only grade your paper, they will tell you what is missing if anything is missing from the assignment. This is nice because most of my papers if they get sent back needing revisions, I know what I need to fix and quickly make the adjustments and send the assignment right back into be graded again. The cost of your education will be far less than other universities, and you will be able to accelerate if you have the time and are willing to put in the effort. This school was the best decision that I have ever made, and I encourage anyone who is looking at colleges to give WGU a shot.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 26, 2012
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WGU IS INCOMPETENT and Lacks Customer Service of any kind
A math course mentor actually replied to an email of mine saying "sorry, we have thousands of students, so I can't be held responsible for making mistakes." There is no such thing as customer service and no communication between departments, no responsibility taken for any of their staff's actions, but they'll bill you on time! I would Not recommend this university. They do NOT care about the students, only care about collecting their money from you.
The incompetence is overwhelming and I totally agree about the grading process - it is a JOKE! I've gotten papers back saying you need to include such and such, or this doesn't meet requirements, so I'll highlight everything in my paper without one revision and will point out that it is all there, and they totally change the grade to what it should have been to begin with. What an incredible waste of time!
If you take an exam at a testing site BEWARE! The program allows you to mark items for review, BUT you can NOT go back to those items at the end of the test! This fouled up software made me fail a test just because I couldn't go back and I only missed passing by TWO questions. I had to retake the entire test again !
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 17, 2012
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Average Online University With Misleading Guidance
WGU provides adequate support and technology resources for each student. With online study guides, community forums, and resources you are typically able to find help whenever you need it. Additionally, Financial Aid has frequently been available and quick to respond when I've had questions.
I really have enjoyed the experience of having a personal mentor that checks in weekly. I've had two mentors during my education career at WGU, both which have been kind, respectful, and like "personal cheerleaders" for me. However, my second mentor has given me the impression over the past term that there is lack of communication and shared information between mentors and the program developers. I was misguided through a program change which neither I nor my mentor are willing to accept responsibility for. My degree plan was audited and I was advised to pursue a new program change that would make me exempt from taking an exam and to focus on completing all my other course work and let this specific course fall off at the end of my term (since it wouldn't be in the new program).
However, at the beginning of my current term a similar course in the same subject appeared on my degree plan. I questioned it and after several months my mentor told me that the course would have to be taken. I was disappointed that my plan was audited and I was given the wrong information about the program change despite my constant requests to make sure this information was correct. This course now appears as a "fail" on my transcript and did not "fall off at the end of the term" as I was originally told it would. I have left this situation feeling a huge lack of trust in my mentor and regret that I have lost a great amount of respect for this program and school. Although I was cautious in my choice, there is potential to be mislead into costly and confusing situations like this. If I had known this would happen I would have taken the exam, and possibly not even changed programs. I took a leap of faith and trusted my mentor, not knowing that this employee was not completely informed and either received false information from others or did not thoroughly evaluate my program. Who hurts in the end? I do, and I'm not too willing to forgive as there is too much disappointment and disgust about taking responsibility for the university's mistake.
Overall, my mentors have been very supportive and wonderful to work with. However, at the end of the day lack of communication and trust due to this situation has encouraged me to leave the school and I have since discontinued recommending other future teachers to this institution. If you're excited about this school, I encourage you to ask lots of questions, get information in writing (I have a letter now from my mentor explaining the mistakes and the false fail information on my transcript), and be smart about any changes to your program that might come up. Remember, these people work for you and you're paying for your education, both financially and with your time, so make sure to interview your mentor and the school greatly before signing on. Good luck in your search.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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3 of 5 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 17, 2012
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Not a Fan
The mentor I have now gets angry if you ask her questions about the assignments, and seems to not even be aware of what the course of study instructions are saying. It is frustrating because when you have questions, good luck finding someone to answer them. For instance, two days ago I called my mentor, no response, then I called my course mentor, no response. Then I called the two other course mentors, no response. I tried my course mentor again, no response. The ruberics are vague, and misleading.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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2 of 5 people found the following review helpful
2 of 6 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 16, 2012
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Worst paper-grading system ever.
I recently quit WGU because I was about to defenestrate myself over the ridiculous grading process they use for written submissions. WGU assigns 4-5 papers per term, and a term is about 3 months. Even if you do manage to find time to write a paper, once you submit it to TaskStream, just kiss your sanity goodbye. The graders are completely nonsensical with their criteria; they don't even adhere to the rubric/Course of Study. They seem to reject things and send them back for revisions for no good reason. The straw that broke my back was when I submitted a project where I had to write a short work memo to my "boss" about a certain law. It was rejected (of course) and the grader said "great job! you obviously grasp the material, perfect! just elaborate more."
When I asked my mentor why I have never had a single solitary paper get passed, she couldn't even answer me. She read all my papers; I emailed them to her asking her to show me what was wrong with them. She knew just as well as I did that the graders are full of crap. To this day, I have never had a single paper get passed. NOT ONE. AT ALL. EVER. The tests I pass just fine; studying and taking a test doesn't rely on some buffoon judging your work, there are clearly defined right and wrong answers. This entire thing has been ridiculous. I hope WGU reads this and fires those loons at TaskStream. Those idiots are costing you students. Let me know if things change, I'll gladly come back, it's just that my time and sanity are too precious to waste any further. I am very disappointed, WGU was very affordable and the curriculum superb.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on December 8, 2011
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WGU makes terrible decision to use Turn It In as a full on grading and policing program of its students!
I am a student at WGU and am horrified at the night mare I have been put through at this University. My first term was awesome and the only thing I needed from my mentor was to let me do my thing. The second term I decided due to some other aspects of our lives to accelerate my program and meet all deadlines in order to do my student teaching early, I needed to go to work. Like all the teachers and administrators I work with locally have said, I had just cheated WGU out of 4 terms of tuition. Without a single warning from my mentor, or anyone else, classes I had passed four months earlier were coming unpassed, it took WGU over a month to send me a letter saying I was being reviewed for originality, all of my work was being put back through the turn it in program in an audit, that audit and the turn it in program compared my work to my work, I explained this, appealed it twice and was told either I re-do all of the work or I lose my cohort. There are papers I have now rewritten 3 and 4 times, and still cannot get them to pass turn it in. If even one paper does not pass turn it in by less than 30%, I have to go through this again. Now I have just been told that all of the work I have done that does pass has to go through another audit before they will put my classes back into the passed catagory. I have had chest pains, migraines and have been physically ill over this and I have to continue to do what they say in order to graduate. I would have completed 60 units in one term, I have been locked in this never ending nightmare for over three months and I spend up to 18 hours a day working on school work. It was my work originally, don't believe the hype, turn it in will ruin any student, with over 50,ooo students a day submitting work in the same classes using the same reference material and answering the same questions, nothing will be original very very soon. WGU has ruined itself by backing a program like turn it in and forcing their students to use it, it is a no win situation!
Turn it in literally breaks down each sentance into partial combinations of three or four words, I have had originality reports come back with more than 150 sources broken down into 3 and 4 word combinations, it truly is a nightmare that I cannot seem to wake up from!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on December 1, 2011
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Virtually no interaction is permitted among students
The school is real, it is accredited, and the degrees are a reputable way to attend college via distance learning. However, there are SEVERE deficiencies in the interactions that one expects in a college environment.
The comments that repeatedly state "It's up to you" are drivel. Of course it's up to you. I did well in my six months at WGU. I got along well with my mentor, who was friendly enough but really didn't DO anything.
The main problem with the school is that there is very little academic involvement available, either from the instructors or from fellow students. You're not permitted to talk about anything with other students regarding the assignments because of the risk that you won't do your own work. While I understand this policy, what happens is that there is nothing to talk about other than "how is the weather in Omaha today?" Entire discussion threads were removed without warning because students might be able to find useful information about assignments. At real schools I attended, we were always working together, forming study groups, helping each other with difficult problems and assignments. At WGU, that's all been banned, and furthermore, even your own professors can't give you any information about a topic that's covered in an assignment...because it could HELP you with the assignment, and that's not "doing your own work." So one is left to figure out the thing on one's own. I did read the book. I did try example problems. I still had questions, but no one was allowed to even tell me where to START looking for answers and I wasn't allowed to share my knowledge and experience with anyone else. If a university course, whether virtual or real, is not a shared quest for answers, than what IS?
I roundly criticized the format in my exit interview. It's difficult enough to connect with other students at a conventional university, so at an online university, one would expect to be brought together in myriad ways to go over relevant subject matter and allow connections to be formed. Instead, just the opposite occurs. Discussions of anything relevant to the course are forbidden. Prompts are posted to message boards that are designed to get people to open up and share their opinions and ideas, but NOT about anything germane to the subject at hand. People just end up discussing their personal impressions of this or that, or discussing their life problems, but there is no rigor in these posts. I felt like I was at a support group meeting or listening to audience Q&A during the Oprah Winfrey show and not at a university.
I had to return to work for financial reasons, and I told WGU that I would likely not re-enroll. The school has a responsibility to engage students with instructors and fellow students in a manner that embraces the the substance of what they are expected to learn. Instead, the university's obsession with possible plagiarism has led it to build walls in which students are kept as far away from each other and their professors as possible. Real schools encourage group interaction to discuss course assignments, and the irony of it all is that while I was taking courses in which the virtues of group learning were extolled, we were prohibited from applying that philosophy to OUR OWN learning.
I strongly suggested a complete rethinking of the school's design, in which discussions were centered on assignments rather than irrelevant peripheral topics or sharing one's various troubles in life, and that students be encouraged to learn and share ideas about the subject of the courses...you know, the academics. I know it's rough to balance work, family life and school, so do it and stop bringing it up with everyone. This isn't group therapy, it's a class. We're here to discuss research in the field, current controversies and theories, along with practical, real-world situations involving the topic of study, not to be constantly offering each other emotional support because your child prefers apple juice and all you had was grape juice.
Essays, short answer questions, mid-terms and finals are all ways to measure what has been learned on an individual level. End-of-unit problems should be wide-open for discussion, however, because THAT'S HOW WE LEARN and the goal is to learn and not get all psychotic because someone might pick up an idea from another student!
One final note: I found WGU's excessive use of jargon to be ridiculous. Just call everything what it is instead of making up some silly new term for it. Call homework "homework," a mid-term a "mid-term" and a final exam a "final exam." WGU has all sorts of crazy terminology for these basic things. Finally, hire some teaching assistants who understand what's going on and are permitted to talk about it. My mentor couldn't do anything but listen, say "uh-huh" and talk about the weather.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5
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Mrsradvilas
(In Progress) on November 24, 2011
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You get what you put in to it
I have to say that this school is not for everyone. You have to be able to pace yourself, work hard and have a good grasp on the english language. The essays can be hard and detailed. There is alot of writing. I am in my first term, but I can see how people could be frustrated if you do not have the skills to write essays, and compile your own research.
I have learned alot, the only class I am struggling with is the math class, but I knew that was going to be my sticking point. I am an independant learner, and I am able to pull up my bootstraps and get in there. Some people need more actual teachers, and actual class time. I was never one of those people, I was always the one who would work their way though the entire text book in a few weeks then be bored the rest of the quarter.
I would say if you are not the kind of person who can research, and work on your own then this might not work for you. If you are like me and can work hard and move though the books and actually learn the course work then this will be great for you. Enjoy, BTW I have been able to complete one third of my program in the time i've been here already, I am expected to student teach in September 2012.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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(In Progress) on October 25, 2011
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From a WGU student
WGU is NOT a traditional school. It costs very little in the way of higher education and they offer an accredited degree. Personally I think this speaks for itself. I suppose it is what you are looking for. If you want someone to stand in front of you and read a power point presentation, this is NOT for you. I, personally, am a very independent learner and the only reason I went to class when I was getting my associates was because it was required. In high school I never went to class except for test day and passed with flying colors! (This really pissed the teachers off!)If this is you and and you would like to expand your opportunities with a higher degree than go for it. If you would like to have philosphical discussions with a renound Professor, than this is not for you. I know there are professors who write the course material, but I have never talked to one, nor had the desire to. The mentor conversations are a little irritating, I feel like I have my weekly check in with my mother to make sure I am doing what I am supposed to! Other than that, if you are self motivated and a self taught individual, then take advantage of the great price a flexibility.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Zanzibrute
(Graduate) on September 29, 2011
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Productive use of my time attaining my Bachelors
I attended WGU for 3 years and got my Bachelors in IT with an emphasis in Network Management & Design. I definitely enjoyed the experience and was exposed to many different subjects, although there were times that I just wished it was over already. The way it works is that you're assigned an overall mentor that tracks your progress and calls you weekly to check up on you. I felt a bit bad at some weeks because I didn't accomplish much that week because my job or life constraints got in the way. It kind of felt like you were being watched & checked up on, which I didn't enjoy too much but it did make me more productive as a result.
The courses were mostly assigned learning resources, such as a website or chapters in a book that you had to read. Afterwards, you either had to take a final, get a computer certification, or write one or more papers. There was another mentor (aka professor) for each class that you could ask questions to, but I rarely interacted with them & just learned on my own. They did hold weekly conference calls to discuss certain sections of that classes curriculum, but I never dialed in to one of those.
I graduated over a year ago and in the meantime, have gone through two periods of looking for a job (I had a contract job that ended). During the job search, no recruiters or hiring managers I talked to asked excessive questions about the school or disparaged it in any way. A few asked about the name & when I told them it was on online school, they seemed interested or like they understood & they went on to other parts of my resume. I could see how the school could be seen as an impediment for some younger graduates who don't have much experience on their resume. Having been a hiring manager myself though, I can't blame them, they discuss what they see on the resume and if it is sparse, they'll look for things to talk about.
At this point, I'm seriously considering going back to WGU for my MBA. Honestly, the biggest thing holding me back is the fact that I'm not sure how it would look on my resume with both my BS and MBA coming from the same online school.
Also, another tip is that it helps you get through the course if you can get friendly with other students that are roughly on the same track as you so you can be study partners, bounce questions off of, etc. Ideally, you'd have a friend or two who joined the school around the same time as you and have a similar curriculum. I hope this was helpful and good luck on your education journeys!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 10, 2011
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Unhappy MBA Student
Since I have been at WGU for a while now, I can give you the a realistic view of this school. I am well past the excitement phase.
The problem with this program is not anyone in particular, but the way the program is set up in general. After about 8 months, I realized that I just cannot take any more self teaching. There is no interaction with the "class mentor" unless you have a question. There is no interaction with the other students.
You have a mentor who calls you every week to check up on your progress. At first it was nice because everything was new, and I had questions about the online setup and the program in general. Week after week I kept getting a call, and it got to the point where I felt like I had a boss checking up on my work progress.
The one aspect i liked was that I had access to all course material for only about 30 bucks! Last week I get an email saying the price is jumping to about $130. An over 300% increase for no difference in material? Lame.
The way the classes are set up, you can totally bypass the reading material & exercises and skip to the final projects, the only part that is actually graded. Here comes the fun part: a third party that you have never met does all the grading. Did I mention it takes them about 10 business days to get your paper back?
Everything is graded pass/not pass rather than percentage, so its either accepted or rejected. If it's rejected, you are expected to fix what they say is wrong, even if what they say is not correct. There is no two way communication available. This can become very frustrating.
WGU if you are reading this, this is what you need to actually have a legit MBA program. 1. Drop the class mentor 2. get a professor on a live webcam feed 2. Offer realtime student interaction while the professor is teaching 3. Have assignments that actually require the student to read the material 4. Have exams/projects that actually match the material 5. Have the professors grade your material on a percentage rather than a third party on pass/not pass
I honestly can say I have learned virtually nothing since I started at WGU around 8 months ago, so optimistic at the time. I did read the material, but when the projects do not match the material, you learn nothing. If all you want is a degree, I guess this will work for you. I am going to drop out, take the GMAT, and get into a real MBA where I can actually learn something.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Ahawki1
(In Progress) on September 3, 2011
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Western Governors University IT Degree
I regret that I didn't start WGU sooner. When I finish my degree in IT with a Security emphasis, not only will I have my degree but also the Security+, A+, Project+, CCENT, CCNA, and CCNA Security certifications.
This school is not for someone who needs their hands to be held or wants the company of meeting regularly online with your instructor or fellow students.
It is basically independent study with a support system of an academic advisor (called a mentor) and mentor for the different courses. If you have a question during a course, you can contact a mentor.
Learning material is supplied for all of the classes so you really don't have to buy text books. The tuition also pays for all of the IT certification exams so I don't have to spend money for testing.
WGU stresses the competency approach. So I will have skills that will help me to get a real decent job. Sure, there are other online schools that offers an IT degree. Yet, if you compare their degree to WGU's, WGU wins because what is taught is what employers need their workers to know.
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Sojoooman
(In Progress) on August 26, 2011
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WGU is awesome
I started the IT program with empahsis in network administration in April/11 and so far it's been a positive rewarding experience. I enjoy the work at your own pace model and the flexibility, plus the price is fair. Plus you will not spend years working on your degree like at a traditional state college, where sometimes there are a 100+ students in a class, or the class you nee is not available so you have to go to a CC. Basically you study when you want and how you want. WGU provides all the resources you need, discussion boards, webimars,e texts, hard copies, free software,lab simulators and a course content expert whose there to assist and explain any issues that you might have comprehending the course. No need to sit in a class and listen to some dull professor ramble about his personal life, then tells you to go home and read six chapters, due the following week. Oh and by the way your final grade will be based on solely one midterm and final. I know this from several years experience at a "Traditional College". WGU is a great alternative for adults who have established carrers and only need the diploma, and not the 18 year old fresh out of HS type. If you're looking for the Friday night frat parties and drinking binges, and cross tow football rivalries then WGU is not for you.
Thanks WGU for giving the rest of us an opprtunity.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on June 23, 2011
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Time to complete
The time it takes you to complete your degree is entirely up to you. I had to push my mentor a bit but I completed my degree in 1 semester with no transfer credits. I usually woke up at around 6 AM and studied until an average at 6pm. So 10-12 hours per day 5 days a week. Half of the semester I maybe only put in 5-8 hours per day, others I put in more than 12. I worked weekends so I only did schoolwork Monday-Friday. Point being, I completed my Bachelors in accounting in 1 semester from start to finish with no transfer credits. I paid $3,000 (only purchased 1 book)for a 4 year degree where my wife went to a private school and paid about 60,000 (and took her 4 years). Needless to say the return on investment is much better with WGU. I will be starting my Masters in August.
To my knowledge I am the only student to complete a program this fast (there are probably but others I haven't asked the school). If it takes you 4 years to get a degree from WGU you should still be proud of yourself and its most likely going to be more enjoyable than a traditional school because you don't have to sit through a boring class when you don't want to. Beware... Taskstream (the grading company for roughly half of your classes) is garbage. The graders almost never understand the material they are grading, they simply look for key words and phrases so you have to submit all of the work to them as if you are discussing it to a 3rd grader. Some graders are very helpful and good, but its about as rare as getting great service at a fast food restaurant. Other than that, its up to you for completion time and as far as quality of education, I have many friends who attend other local state universities and WGU's material is more up to date and field relevant (by a small but noticeable amount). Obviously WGU is not on par with Harvard, Notre Dame, or other top tier schools but I would place it at the bottom of the top 25% schools for quality of education.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 13, 2011
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Educational TIP for all professionals and students
I'm currently enrolled at WGU for a B.S. Marketing Management. I chose WGU for several reasons:
#1. It's regionally and nationally accredited
#2. Online remote access from home or anywhere
#3. Cost-effective/affordable
#4. Referral-My spouse has been attending WGU for six months now (B.S. Sales and Sales Management), and his experience so far has been wonderful from support (IE. FA, resources, testing) to mentoring. This also helped my decision!
That being said, I have several years experience working admissions sales for private institutes/"for-profit" colleges. From work experiences the education sector is forever changing, thus schools MUST comply and make new changes too. From an employee's view it sucks, because you can't stay consistent long enough to see what's really working. Nevertheless, the employees' work experience should not have an impact on the student's school experience.
Which brings me to the following, WGU has been around ten years and now serves as THE "innovator" for "online only accredited" program offerings. Today many state colleges and universities are being forced into "new trends" and following WGU's footsteps because of the current economical challenges. It appears we are all working more than 40hr work weeks, and this leaves very little time for family, friends, hobbies, even school. The typical available "mortal college" schedule does not seem to fit-in with today's professionals or anyone that has a demanding lifestyle. Mostly is better suited for high school grads living at home. All schools (colleges, universities, institutes) MUST make money, it's a business! In the past, these type of schools did not have a need and/or felt forced to offering online type programs. Think about it campus life is one entity, and online is another. That's much work and production behind the scenes. The economic trends are pushing these schools to become more innovative by offering EASY access through online programs and go beyond their usual target customer "HS grads".
Hence, online has become more acceptable throughout the education sector and employers. You'll probably see this become the NEW norm, where most colleges/universities will start to offer online degree programs. Right now in the Sate of Florida, UCF, UF, and Seminole State College to name a few offer online degrees. Terms and conditions can vary per school.
Lastly, ALL schools have internal issues, mishaps, changes, and the list goes on! The key here is for you as the prospective student to find out more about the "field/career" you plan to pursue and it's certification or licensing requirements. If you're pursuing teaching, call your state's department of education and ask about the required test, certifications and licenses. Look for schools that offer what fits the demand in your fieldscertification/licensing process. This can vary from state to state, from field to field. It's YOUR responsibility as the "student" to do the research before hand. Stay focused on what's your personal and professional goal, and know in advance nothing in life comes easy it requires motivation and determination to complete anything you begin! Education is a necessity today. Good luck!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
9
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Cjessop
(In Progress) on March 17, 2011
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Current MBA Student
I have been in the WGU MBA program for a couple months now. I spent my undergrad at Indiana University so I have a good comparison to a major brick and mortar school. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. I have been very impressed with WGU's mentor system, since I was originally worried about not having a formal professor. It is set up so that you have an overall mentor (acts as advisor) and then each course has its own mentor (similar to professor). While you DO have to teach yourself, the mentors have been great about being there to answer any questions you may have, and are very willing to help.
I will admit I was a bit apprehensive about going to an online university at first, but WGU gives you so much for your money. All your books are provided in e-book and the cost is only $45 a semester (i spent 500-600 at IU), and you have access to literally thousands of texts in WGU's online library. Unlike most universities they do not charge you for every little area they can, I remember seeing about 600-800 in random fees every semester when I went to IU. The overall value in relation to the tuition is outstanding.
As far as the education, it is very challenging and I definitely have had to step my game up from undergrad. It is up to you how fast you get through the material, so if you are working you can fit it in your schedule, or if you are going full time like me you can fly through it. Although the MBA is not AACSB certified (top business accreditation), it IS regionally accredited, and WGU is non profit, so its not even close to being in the same category of schools like Phoenix or DeVry. I live in Indianapolis, and WGU Indiana is now a state school, so it gets positive recognition rather than being seen as a worthless degree. Living in the MidWest with 4-5 months of the year having snow and ice, it has been nice not having to take the time to drive to class in harsh conditions. I can wake up, make some coffee, log in my laptop, and get to work.
Overall, I have really enjoyed my experience so far at WGU and I recommend it to anyone who thinks they are a dedicated student and/or needs flexible hours. I especially recommended this program if you tend to skip/miss class. I was always a good student at IU but i would miss some classes and make up for it with self study, so this program was a perfect fit for me. You really cant beat the price in comparison to other school's MBA programs, just look up their price specs.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
9
10
Brandyrollins
(In Progress) on March 12, 2011
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Love WGU!
I started my program at WGU in April of 2008. I had a 3 year old, a 10 month old, and my husband was serving in Iraq. I didn't have a schedule that was conducive to any traditional or most distance programs. I was really nervous about the 'competency based' program and the lack of info about WGU and I was very hesitant to commit myself to something so non-traditional, but it felt like the only option.
I am SO glad I made the decision I did. I've been able to work quickly and efficiently through some really big life changes (another deployment, a 1200 mile move, etc.). WGU goes year round, two 6 month terms which allows me to give myself a break when I need it, right in the middle of my studies. If I need a longer break, I can take a month off between terms (which I've taken advantage of twice) and it's a seamless transition back.
WGU is fully, regionally accredited and contrary to some other (uninformed) reviews, will lead to licensure in 49 states (with the exception of only Iowa). Difficulties in certification are due to individual STATES, not the university. For example, Texas requires students who complete a degree outside of the state (not just WGU) to apply for licensure via reciprocity. North Carolina only requires completion of the degree (regardless of the state it was awarded in) and the necessary Praxis exams. You may want to check out your state specific information before you commit, but, unless you're in Iowa, you're fine.
As far as how WGU works, it's nothing like most schools. You do not have "classes" or "teachers". You have communities (online message boards of fellow students) and mentors (more like tutors to help you with SPECIFIC questions or issues). Each course has a course of study. The best way to think about this is like a rubric. Do what's on the rubric and I assure you that you'll have no problem completing assignments.
And here is where the competency based program works. I took several AP classes in high school and had a good liberal arts back ground. Two classes I remember specifically - a writing course and literature - I didn't even open the courses of study. I simply did the assignments, wrote the essays, and took the exams.
If you have a lot of background knowledge you can breeze through. If you have none, you can follow the course of study and be more than prepared. If you have some, you can do something in between and make it work for you. This is also why, financially speaking, WGU is a good "deal". My first term I was new, busy, and exhausted. I only did 13 units (similar to credit hours; you need 12 to be full time and qualify for federal aid). At approximately $3,000 per term, that was about $230 per credit hour. That's very close to what public instate tuition would have been at UNC.
Now, the next term, my husband was home, my kids were older, and I had more time and energy. I did 24 credits that term. Still $3,000, but now my per hour cost was more like $125 - half of what it would have cost even at the in-state rate, and minuscule compared to other online, private (usually for profit) schools.
Next term (fall 2011) I have student teaching. Because of the way WGU works, I already have all of my liberal arts courses complete, all of my teaching courses complete, and almost 80 hours of classroom experience(this is called PCE). I just took my Praxis exams (0011 and 0012 for NC) and passed with flying colors.
I took advantage of my background knowledge and worked quickly when possible. I took advantage of the courses of study and used the resources and instructions that I was given when I didn't have prior experience. When neither was enough, I took advantage of the communities and the course mentors. To show for it, I am one "internship" shy of my bachelors, feel exceedingly confident for walking into my student teaching classroom, and I will have completed my program in less than 4 years for less than I would have paid at a local university.
I've done all this with the constant support of one, awesome student mentor. If I had the choice to make all over again, I'd definitely go with WGU.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5
10
Latoya.freeman
(In Progress) on March 12, 2011
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Before you get started
I'll leave my ratings at neutral, because I'm not actually a WGU student. I was a prospective student looking for an affordable and creditable online degree in Computer Science.
WGU meet the affordable and credibility test, however they don't offer my degree. Nonetheless, I still wanted to take some courses with the intent to transfer credits, because WGU is almost half the price of my regular college. And I want to leave college with as little student loans as possible.
In speaking with an admissions counselor I was able to confirmed a few things their website doesn't go in depth in.
1. They do not have any other tuition options besides the flat $2,890/6 months. I've done the flat fee model (at another school before) and it's a double edge sword. On one hand "buying in bulk" is a good deal because the more classes you take the less per credit you're paying But on the other hand it doesn't allow for flexibility. You'll pretty much have to be taking a full-time course load whether that works for your schedule or not. Otherwise the reverse is true, the less classes you take the more per credit you're paying. So that makes it hard for busy adults that can only do one or two course at a time.
2. This program does not work for adults changing careers or people that need hard deadlines. The "traditional online" school format (if that's not an oxymoron) gives you a weekly structure. Here's your text book, read this chapter, do your homework, participate in class discussion, and here are your test dates. So it guides you week by week to keep you on track for getting through the material in 8-16weeks. WGU DOES NOT. Basically you have 6 months to take 4 assessments with no or little guidance or structure on preparation. The admissions counselor will tell you that you're not going to have an instruction, but a mentor/coach. This format is fine for those that have 5-10 years in the field and just need a degree to advance. This format does NOT work for adults changing careers. This format also does NOT work for people that need hard deadlines. When I have weekly reading, homework, discussions, and test it's a lot easier to stay on track then me setting my own deadline. So you have to know your learning style.
Well those are things I found in my research. I would still encourage you to talk to an admissions counselors about your specific situation.
If you're looking for an alternative that still meets the affordable and creditable online school model try America Military University (as known as America Public University). It's $250/credit (or $750/class), you pay for only the classes you take, they have a non-degree program if you just need to transfer your credits out, the application is free, and you can be up and running in 20 minutes. I'll cut it off there since this isn't the AMU review page, lol.
Anyway, I hope my experience can help somebody.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3
10
Anonymous
(Graduate) on March 6, 2011
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Not good for math
I recently finished the MAT secondary math program. I came to the program with a fairly recent undergrad degree in elementary education from a traditional university, along with considerable experience in live college math courses (taken many years ago), as well as more recent undergrad and graduate courses in special education and general education courses (taken mostly online). I also have almost 10 years of teaching experience in grades 7-12 math, although I was not certified in secondary math. I chose this program because it was convenient-- it fit my busy schedule-- it was inexpensive, plus I was offered a scholarship. The program bills itself as being for those who have a teaching degree but not in math. All the other distance education graduate programs in secondary math I researched required me to have a math undergrad, which I do not have. It appeared that this program would give me what I wanted, which was deeper understanding of math, secondary math certification, and a master's degree.
I was very disappointed in my experience at WGU. My 'mentor'-- the person assigned to oversee my program and my progress-- admitted to me that she had no experience in math, that she was an English major. I felt she was more of a cheerleader than a resource for me to get what I needed. Every other online course I have ever taken has included some sort of video lecture component, so this is what I was expecting. Of the close to 60 credits I took, there was NO DIRECT INSTRUCTION. Repeat-- NO TEACHING. I am a 'show me' kind of person-- show me once, and I have it. The lack of any direct teaching made it very difficult to learn the material. If I hadn't already had an extensive background in math, I don't think I would have been able to learn the required material. The 'courses of study' (what substituted for a syllabus) were just wordy, disjointed conglomerations of sections of the textbooks and online readings (with Wikipedia prominent on the list), much of which had little, if any, value toward helping me learn. The program did utilize some online streaming courses that WGU subscribes to, but these were simplistic (mostly on a high school level) and provided a cursory review of what I already knew. The 'course mentors'-- those staff who knew the course material and were there to help if you had any questions-- never really directly answered a question but instead led me to yet more websites, some useful and some not. The 'exams' were a joke-- 15 question multiple-choice exams taken over several courses worth of material.
The bulk of the work came in the form of 'tasks'-- papers written on math topics-- a total of over 60 papers in my program. While there is some value in writing papers on math, this was just about all I did for close to 3 years. For many of the courses, I just studied enough that I could write the papers required for the course. Papers were scored by blind graders-- I never knew who was grading my paper, and for quite a few of the tasks the wording of the tasks and rubrics was vague, making it difficult to know what was required. I did manage to pass the required Praxis 2 with a very high score, but that was due to my own initiative, not the education I received at WGU.
I felt that the combination of disjointed courses of study, too easy exams, and too many papers made for a very poor learning experience. I don't think I know much more about math than I did when I started. While perhaps some of the other programs have more to offer, I would not recommend this program to anyone, especially someone who doesn't already have an extensive math background.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
8
10
Anonymous
(In Progress) on November 28, 2010
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Online versus Brick and Mortar
I was hesitant to do an online degreee program given the stigma and reputation from the early online programs. However, as I thought about it more and more, I realized that in the real world when your boss tells you to research something, you're entirely on your own to seek out the information. Furthermore, when comes to 'learning' something, its all up to you to begin with. I am a self-taught in VB, ASP.NET and SQL Server. The information was not just handed to me, I had to seek it out and LEARN.
Fortunately, with the WGU degree programs its actually much easier thanks to learning resources being provided to you. You don't have to dig and dig to get an answer to something that seems obvious. Its all right there in front of you.
The move to online education is a result of the vast about of information available to a person. Prior to the Internet Age, it was up to a student to sit at the feet of a teacher and to learn from him or her. The information had to be shared person to person because there was knowledge transfer couldn't occur any other way.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 7, 2010
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One of the best IT programs available anywhere
I am enrolled in the B.S. Information Technology program with an emphasis on Security. Those of us in the IT world are lucky, as the jobs you interview for require certifications and not too much interpersonal interaction, thereby minimizing the "stigma" of having an online degree listed on your resume. WGU's IT programs are ALL a real bang for your buck. For my degree in particular, I am required to obtain nine IT certifications in order to graduate, and all nine certs will be GREAT for my resume and for my job. They are basic, globally recognized industry certs, your standards like Microsoft and Cisco. WGU has consistently provided top-notch (and EXPENSIVE) study software and printed materials to study for these certs. I think the cost of my CIW Associate cert plus study materials was over $2K alone. Of course that is all included in the ridiculously low tuition. I really feel I am getting a great value.
Due to the nature of IT competencies, I do not feel like I am missing out on anything by not getting much interaction with my teachers or with my peers. WGU has Internet forums and chat rooms set up for each course and for each "major" but participation is optional. Most people in the IT world are by their very nature quite independent making this an ideal program for IT types in particular.
Also, my mentor is great. I lost my job about a month ago and he encouraged me to list him as a personal reference. I did, and he had a prospective employer call him. He then sent me a very nice detailed email with all the nice things he said about me. I thought that was really swell. (By the way, I got the job. I also got three other job offers, even in this awful economy. Employers who take the time to learn about WGU are VERY impressed by the IT curriculum. My program at WGU is actually better than the local colleges in my city.)
In short, I would highly recommend this school particularly for others in the IT industry who are looking to get their degree or even continue on with their Master's. I could not be happier with the education I've received thus far. I will definitely be continuing my studies with my Master's once I've completed my Bachelor's.
One last note... I have noticed that many of the negative reviews on this website come from people enrolled in WGU's teaching programs. I would like to ask those people how they expect to learn how to become a teacher via online study. Teaching involves lots of interpersonal interaction, so that may explain why many of your interviewers look at you skeptically when you are interviewing for a kindergarten teaching position without any relevant experience... Just saying... Those strike me as people who did not fully do their research and now they try to place the blame on WGU. Your experience would have been bad even if Harvard had an online program... Some training just DOES NOT TRANSLATE to the online method!
9
10
Anonymous
(In Progress) on October 2, 2010
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Pros and Cons
I wasn't going to write a review of WGU . But, after reading some of the crap, I felt I needed to. FIRST OFF... I am a student at WGU, not a paid employee. Secondly, I will be starting my final term for my bachelor's degree next month. I plan on heading straight into the MBA program afterwards.
I have had 3 mentors since I enrolled with WGU. My first mentor, had a baby and went on maternity leave. While she was on leave, I had an interim mentor. When she came back she decided she wanted to stay at home, so she quit. Since then I have had the same mentor. They have ALL been wonderful. My current mentor goes on and on about how much he loves his job. He doesn't complain about being overworked and underpaid. He wants me to consider working for them once I complete my MBA.
The courses can be difficult. But, in business, if your boss wants you to research something for him, i.e. Japanese marketing strategies, he isn't going to spell it all out for you. You will have to use your brain and find relevant sources of information. WGU gives you a rubric of what they expect. This is more than your boss will give you.
You have to learn the material on your own. If you aren't the type of person that learns well this way, this isn't the program for you. There are course mentors available to guide you in the right direction. They are all friendly and very helpful. I have had some issues with a couple of tasks and they have been more than willing to help. They have protocol that has to be followed as well, though. They can't help you with performance assessments until you have had them sent back for revisions. This is to ensure you try. I hated this policy in one class, I was completely lost on the task, but I understood the policy was in place. And guess what, once I really started working through the assignment, I passed it, without help from the mentor. It's tough, but it should be! It's college. It isn't supposed to be easy.
Another thing, you don't have to leave home to take assessments. One reviewer was complaining about that and it simply isn't true. They send you a web cam to take the objective assessments from home. I live in a very rural area and they had no problem sending me a camera for free. From what I understand, they do all assessments this way now and you are sent a camera from the very beginning.
This is a great way for people with ambition and drive to get get a degree. It isn't easy, but it shouldn't be.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
10
10
Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 10, 2010
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It's up to you!
I have read a lot of reviews, and many of the negative reviews seem to be based on their lack of understanding on how the program works.
It's based on how your work ethic and understanding of material is. There are course mentors for every class. Your "Mentor" is like a guidance counselor, not your instructor. The "course mentors" are like tutors. They answer your questions if you don't understand an assignment. I have had to ask for clarification on more than one occasion. They respond to emails and phone calls, and have online "study groups" where the course mentor does course reviews as students approach test time.
I was concerned about whehter or not the school was credible, and it is. Some were concerned that it would not be recognized and it is. If you want to be recruited by a big company to go to a big school. The coaching reports are helpful in streamlining what areas of study need more focus. Part of the challenge for me in college (brick and mortar) the first time was that we could only go through the material as fast as the slowest person in class would allow, and it drove me crazy. I had to go to class twice a week for weeks. I just wanted to plow through the work and the assignments, and now I can. This isn't about last resort, it is about lifestyle.
If you need a classroom, then go to one. For online, flexible, go your pace, no politics within a university, no fighting for parking or paying to park, and avoiding idiot professors that spend more time spouting their own beliefs instead of actually teaching, then try WGU. Everyone is different and it has been amazing for me, and for others I know.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on June 7, 2010
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Last resort only...
After reading some of the reviews here, it seems that some people have been a little rash to post. Either they HATE WGU, or love it. This is a comprehensive review from a WGU graduate. I have a BSIT from WGU and have just withdrew from the WGU MBA program. I don't hold WGU in any regard, it's a good school for those who have no other option. But remember, almost every State University now has distance education programs. You might want to look into those before considering WGU.
WGU's learning model is very unique. It's all self paced, flat fee for a semester. I used WGU to get my B.S. in IT. WGU for me has paid off very well. I work at a fortune 50 IT company and was hired on as a college new hire as soon as I graduated. But they didn't recruit me from WGU, I worked as a contractor first. So yes, companies do recognize WGU. However, a WGU degree will limit your career. I am looking into moving to a senior management level and was denied. I wasn't told why, but my mentor looked into it and told me that the company will never put someone into a senior (junior executive) position who only has an "online only university" degree. Too much politics. Ok, no problem. I'll just enroll in a State University and do a few classes and get my 2nd B.S. degree. ZERO CLASSES TRANSFERRED. No state university will accept any credits from WGU. They degree is recognized fine, but no classes will transfer. In order for me to get my 2nd B.S. I have to complete 90 credits. The 30 credit that did transfer were from my Associates degree from a community college.
So, yes you can learn a lot
Yes it is fully accredited.
Yes it can be inexpensive to get a B.S. degree
Yes it is online.
NO - Your credits will not transfer out of WGU
People may deny you promotions based on the fact that nothing separates you from any other student. No difference between someone who gets all 60% on ever test and the person who gets 100%.
NO - You probably will not get a job as soon as you graduate. Big companies recruit out of state universities and private colleges. Those are the top picks.
It is a good school, you will learn a lot. Getting a B.S. from here beats not having one, and it will open up doors; however, it may shut some as well.
Remember, check your state colleges and see if they have distance education. Here are some that do : East Carolina University, Penn State, UMass, University of Wyoming, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Colorado Tech, Ohio State, University of South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Virginia Polytech, Worcester Polytech. All these schools are state or private tier 1 schools.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
8
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 31, 2010
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It's not a skate
I'm surprised by all the negative reviews, myself. I've not had an issue with Taskstream... they send things back within a few days, including on weekends. My mentor is sort of... *meh*... but I don't really need a cheerleader. Some of the lecture material is better than others (I'm a fan of thinkwell, myself)... but as far as a good use of my time, this is excellent. I'm not sitting in a class while other students ask inane questions, I'm studying and learning on my own at my own pace. I know that my state accepts WGU degrees for teaching, and I know that the local middle school accepts student teachers from WGU. The tasks are not easy (and not what I would call 'busy work'... you ARE supposed to demonstrate that you know the material, after all). I have previously attended the University of Texas and many of the classes I've had at WGU have been at least as challenging as those at UT, if not more. In addition, they accepted most of my previous college work, allowing me to skip all but a few pre-reqs. I would and do recommend this school to anyone who asks. :)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Rreuling
(Graduate) on January 28, 2010
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Challenging yet Achievable
I just finished my BS in Information Technology (Network Design and Management focus) in 2.5 years.
Overall the program was challenging. I previously had gone to a traditional university and I found the level of work at WGU comparable. I learned more at WGU though, I contribute this to the fact that I'm in my early 30s now and much more mature. Having to pay the bill yourself helps as well.
This is not a school for the unmotivated. It's very easy to let life get in the way since there are no set class times and you have to work at your own pace. If you have a tendency to get distracted and procrastinate you will struggle. Like any school a few of the classes I had to take (Critical Thinking and Reasoning comes to mind) I abolutely despised, so pushing through them was difficult but I did get it done. Note that like in life not all of what you need to do is spelled out for you! Some classes give very simple instructions and it's up to you to learn how to construct your replies and answers. The forums can be a great help for this, along with the mentors, but again it is completely up to you. Some of the graders were a bit perplexing at times, I don't remember a time in school from first grade on up that I've agreed with every grade I have gotten, but at least at WGU I was provided feedback and could then make the corrections needed.
This is no cakewalk school, you get from it what you put into it. It is regionally and nationally accredited, which was important to me; and it is most definitely NOT a diploma mill.
I can't comment on the financial aid side of the house since I didn't use it. I did transfer credits in and did not have a problem, although like any other school at a lot of my past work did not count. This is pretty common folks so you can't hold that against the school, the whole school to school transfer situation in the US is pretty much completely undefined.
My mentor was great and was able to help me navigate the school and what I needed to do.
Overall it was a great experience for a student like me. I consider myself a well-motivated adult learner with a busy job (IT manager, so I work a lot of hours) so WGU's competency-based model was a great fit for my situation.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on November 13, 2009
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Education of a LifeTime
I’d no intention of writing a review today. But when I came across some of the reviews here, I decided to reply. If your motivating question is "How quickly can I pass with as little effort as possible?", do WGU, its students & yourself a favor … MOVE ON! WGU is not for you. Or, frankly, for any reviewer talking about color books, too easy tests , bouncing from mentor to mentor looking for one who will tell them the answers, or who don't bother to read instructions (on financial aid pages or elsewhere). To reviewers who complain materials are confusing.... WELL, DUH! The materials ARE often confusing! Expect it! That happens to me each time I’m unfamiliar with content...and need to learn it. If it's clear at 1st glance, chances are there are experiences in my background that made it so. That’s what a competency based model is all about. Don't waste another minute. Pass it! Move on! WGU lets you handcraft your program to fit your goals. Use their course of study as a base, and build from there. My focus has been international and virtual education. Because I am in charge of how and where I use my time at WGU, I was able to pack up my program and take it to a real-time second grade class in China, while still studying virtually in the states. Go ahead ... Name ANY other online teachers college that insists you have tons of supervised in-school experiences before walking into your student teaching classroom ...AND supports you in finding that opportunity! What other university gives you weekly personal mentor support when you need it AND leaves you to study undisturbed for a month when you don't? Having gotten to the 'almost completed' point three other times ... and having to start over because brick & mortars can't accommodate family moves ... I've sufficient experience to make a comparison of WGU, brick & mortars and other online universities. For example, I've human development courses from 4 colleges (non-transfer policies at all). WGU's course is more academically rigorous than that at the state university, more unbiased than the expensive private university, and totally lacking in any of the irrelevant busy work demanded by a highly rated online university. WGU's course did seem a bit hodge-podge at first glance, but it didn't take long to see it was because they were pulling the most relevant materials from multiple learning sources. I reiterate here what other reviewers have already said. If you are a self-motivated learner who is busy working a full time job, raising a family and still want to attend full time... or if you are a full time student who is willing to work hard to accelerate through a 4 year degree in as little as a year ... WGU is for you. Otherwise... choose elsewhere. No Teachers -10 because WGU teaches you to teach yourself.
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Stevenclphillips
(Graduate) on July 21, 2009
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Very Satisfied Student
I have to say that I am extremely pleased with Western Governors University. There have been fewer problems with administration than either of the two community colleges that I have attended. In one case, I had to drive to the campus of one college to take a test in the library, on a Sunday! In the other case, I spent a thousand dollars on tuition and books for an operating system that was being eliminated by the vendors. As an IT grad, I appreciate the continually updated subjects - why should I pay good money for obsolete tech? One CC was teaching Windows 2000 long after Windows XP had replaced it!
The problem with the learning resources(if you could call it that) is there is a plethora of material available. This is for a number of reasons. For example, I have a strong background in operating systems. Most of the learning resources were unneeded by myself, because I am familiar with the subject. Others may not be so familiar and would require a course, offered through the University, as well as other material, offered through Skillsoft and Safari Online.
As was mentioned in other reviews, WGU is non-profit - they want to see you succeed and have no desire to "string you along". As was also mentioned in other reviews, I earned this degree - WGU is not interested in being a diploma mill - and I had no intention of buying a vanity degree. Sitting down to take a Microsoft or Sun certification test requires that you know the material thoroughly, otherwise, you will not pass. No BSing the teacher for a higher grade here! Maybe Taskstream can be frustrating at times, but I've had the same problems with other colleges too.
On-line learning is harder than sitting in a classroom.
Would I recommend WGU to another prospective student? I would and have. First of all, as a non-profit college, I can get a high quality education, while not paying for superfluous, peripheral "benefits". Why pay for supporting a football team, when what I need is cost-effective, time-effective, skill-building education?
I need a degree program that works with my schedule, instead of forcing me (and my family) into an artificial schedule of classwork on top of a full time career.
That was the case, even with the online courses at the community colleges, but WGU allowed me to work in my home, at MY speed, instead at of the glacial pace of the brick and mortar schools.
I wish I had known about WGU earlier. I would have had my degree in three years, instead of wasting time in a classroom.
Am I a shill for Western Governors University?
No, just a satisfied graduate!
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Ejrwheeler.wgu
(In Progress) on April 22, 2009
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A Different Favorite "golf club" for Every Player!
I have been out of high school "in the working world" since 1981. I have not been in a college environment at any level since 1985. Back then, I had only myself to be concerned with and had no full time job.
Now, I am married, have two sons who are 10 and 9, hold a full time job, and am going to college full time in order to make a career change into teaching. Without the flexibility - which goes both ways - of this education, I would never be able to do it. That said, I am very self motivated and am mature enough to be self directed. For me, this is my favorite "golf club" to use. That old brick and mortar type would never work for me. I am able to attend class for as long as I want to and when I want to as long as I complete my coursework on or before the "date certain" agreed to in advance with my mentor (adviser).
Perhaps the person who puts down this college needs to take an inward look to determine just how motivated and self-directed they are. For that type of person, this is the best value education with the best accreditation available for any type of degree.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 9, 2009
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The problem is not WGU
I am currently in my third term with WGU. My mentor is fabulous. For all those with bad mentors, may I say I feel for you. I would not be able to make it without mine. I do, however, feel the issue is not with WGU or its staff but with taskstream and its graders. All of my problems are with the rubrics and graders. Indeed, the term "all" is appropriate because I have had at least one issue with practically every task. The issues have ranged from serious to simply annoying. My only criticism with WGU would be to consider seriously their involvement with taskstream. I agree the tasks are not easy and are most definately not spoonfed to you, however, they are often graded randomly, subjectively, and many times inaccurately. My experience with WGU has been on a scale of 1 to 10 a strong 9, but taskstream gets a whoping 1!!!
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on January 25, 2009
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Disappointed - Poor Curriculum
My recommendation: do your homework and ask to see the online content, course structure, and grading process before you sign up at WGU. I am a hard-working student with prior Big-10 university and community college experience. I just finished my first semester (BA - Math Teaching) and have decided to leave based on the poor course content and structure. I do not feel confident that this school would properly prepare me to teach. IMPORTANT TO KNOW: The courses are not designed by or taught by WGU instructors. Instead, the course content is all over the board - it's a hodge-podge of content from different learning sites and excerpts from textbooks. The grading is completely unreliable and inconsistent - there are a pool of graders that randomly grade your papers and assignments. Some pass your work with perfect scores, while others will reject the exact same work multiple times. Unlike traditional grading, where you get a number score and an actual grade, with WGU you will not pass a course until all of your assignments are completed. In my experience, it seemed that their "competency-based" process translated to "100% passing." I am so disappointed that WGU did not work out. I was really was looking forward to getting my degree at WGU because it was the only math teaching program I found that would allow me to earn my degree while continuing to work full time. I will now pursue a different degree at another institution that offers better course content and an actual instructor with a reliable grading process. My only positive experience at WGU: my mentor was really great! I would have given her a 10, except the generic support category on this survey seems to encompass more than advisement. Warning - beware of the financial aid office - it's a complete disaster! I dealt with several people who promised to fix their error and none of them did, even after escalating it to a supervisor.
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Rseccomb
(Graduate) on December 27, 2008
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I'm happy w/ WGU
I see a lot of people who are upset by their experiences at WGU. My personal experience has been pretty good... I've been a student at 2 different universities rated in the top 10, and didn't finish. It wasn't the difficulty that washed me out, in fact, I had a 3.7 GPA @ the one of the world's best engineering schools studying petroleum engineering, and I've found many challenges in the WGU program. Quantitative Analysis was tough, and I worked many hours on each problem. The math and econ stuff was at least as difficult as I had seen in other schools.
I imagine that if you publicly polled all students who went to Harvard, they would also have detractors. I personally didn't let that stuff discourage me, rather, I took a look at the fact that they were accredited regionally, they had similar admission standards as other universities I've attended, and now that I'm 40, what the learning model looked like. I know better today how I perform in certain situations, and found the WGU model to be adequate for me.
I recently left my job, and started looking for work with other companies. Not a single organization has questioned their credential.
The school is not for everyone, if you need a lot of personal attention steer clear. If you want to have 1:1 time with a professor, WGU is not for you. The entire model is about your willingness to pay the price to obtain your degree by learning from a book, and then passing a proctored test that ecompasses the breadth and depth of the topic you are supposed to learn about.
Finally, many have complained about graders. They use a company called Taskstream. Many other institutions use them too (Purdue is one). Are they perfect? No. Do you always agree as a student? Nope...I even was mad a couple of times. Do they get it right? Yes, according to the standard, they do. Does it take some time? It does, but 5 days was the max for me.
If I were starting again today, I would look at accreditation, acceleration, cost, and would make the same decision I made before. Do your research...
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Dgibbons82
(In Progress) on November 10, 2008
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WGU is Wonderful!
I know some folks have a difficult time with WGU, but I love it! I've been a student there for two years. I began in their IT program and learned enough about the field to land a nice job in the industry. BUt I decided I did not like IT, so I changed my major to Social Sciences secondary education.
I am glad I changed majors because I have always wanted to become a teacher. The Social Sciences program is GREAT, because I do most of the learning on my own, although it is completely guided and organized. I can honestly say that I have learned more from WGU courses than from any other course offered either online or at a brick and mortar university.
For example, one class for American history (1865 - present) consisted of 12 essays! I ended up writing over 100 pages of material for this class. Sounds like a lot, but I retained nearly everything I wrote about, which is only going to help me in the future. Also, WGU is a go-at-your-own pace kind of program. I switched to part-time work a few weeks ago, and have been able to spend 40 hours a week working on one course at a time. Do the math. After two weeks, I have completed 1.5 courses. This is equivalent to spending the same amount of time in a traditional classroom, but I get to complete the course as fast my brain will allow! This means I could easily turn a 4 year degree into a 2 year degree or maybe even less.
So if you're debating about attending WGU, I say go for it. The tuition is dirt cheap when compared to traditional universities. By the time all is said and done, I'll walk across the stage in Salt Lake, earn my degree and only have about 10K in student loan debt!! That's less than a year at a traditional university! And the best part is that in order to earn that degree, you have to have the equivalent to a B average, which makes selling yourself to prospective employers a snap.
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Dred0218
(In Progress) on September 24, 2008
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WGU
I am near completion with WGU. I wanted to say this in response to those saying WGU is a scam and employers frown on the school. I work in business administration at a local public school district. In the past three years, we have hired several WGU graduates and enrolled several WGU students into our student teaching program. Prior to enrolling into the school, I contacted Texas A&M and asked if they recognize WGU courses as transferrable since it is pass/fail. I was told by the department head, WGU courses are considered passing at 80% or higher and all passing courses transfer to their program. I then asked if I wanted to obtain my Masters from Texas A&M after I completed my studies with WGU and was assured WGU is recognized just as any other traditional university. I then saw a representative from WGU on CNN talking to several representatives from Ivy League schools about their online programs. WGU is legit but for your own piece of mind, do your own research prior to enrolling. And yes, some of the courses you can google the questions and find answers, but I WANT to learn and have taken the time to research textbooks and truly understand the concepts. My only complaint has been my mentor. She is highly educated, but not very organized and forgets meetings, doesn't give me 100% of her time when we speak on the phone and it takes me emailing her superiors in order to get responses from her. If I wasn't almost done, I'd switch mentors, but with it being this late in the game, I don't need much from her other than approving my request to take the final assessments.
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Jamesnrhodes
(In Progress) on July 22, 2008
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Thank God for WGU
After reading many of the reviews here, I am going to chime in with my two cents.
WGU is not an institution for students that need their hands to be held throughout their degree program. The courses require you to read and actually do research for your essays. Yes, there are a lot of essays to be written, but quite honestly I feel essays make you work to understand a subject more thoroughly. Believe me, I have learned things I never knew before about US history though my research.
The mentors are quite excellent. Since I am a disciplined person, my mentor just calls me up to check up on my progress. Also, if I do have any questions she is readily available through e-mail or a telephone call during the daytime.
I am disabled (permanent cane use) from a military accident in Canada. Being able to take an accredited degree online is a bonus for me. I don't have to undergo the daily grind of traveling to a brick and mortar university. WGU saves me time and money by being able to study in my computer/study room.
I secured employment as a substitute teacher because of my degree program at WGU. Since I am teaching courses only in my field - Social Studies (Economics, Geography, US History, World History, etc.) - I am getting valuable classroom experience BEFORE going into my Demonstration Teaching phase. When I am ready for that I will have about four years of classroom experience. I expect to do well in the DT phase, because I have been able to apply things I have learned in my Foundations of Teaching courses. Getting to apply this stuff is so cool IMHO.
A regular history teacher has even told me that I have extensive and impressive knowledge about American history and politics. He was shocked when I told him I hail from Canada. Other teachers have told me that I would pass my student teaching phase with flying colors. This all just validates my decision to become a secondary Social Science teacher.
For the people that are whining about minor issues, WGU is going through some major growing pains - they now have over 10,000 students. Since I started in the summer of 2004, I have seen many changes happen. Some I agree with and some I don't - I don't expect to agree with everything they do. For me, the important thing is that WGU has more accreditation than most brick and mortar universities. This is why I chose to take my degree through them. Getting NCATE accreditation was the icing on the cake IMHO.
Online post-secondary education is the future folks. Get used to it... Online education requires a different mindset than a brick and mortar university. You have to be organized and disciplined in order to get work done. Thanks Apple for iCal, because that program keeps me VERY organized. :)
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Virtue_summer
(In Progress) on March 16, 2008
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For Independant, Self Disciplined Learners
I have been attending WGU since September. I have experience attending both brick and mortar schools and other online programs, and I found that WGU compares well. It is different than brick and mortar schools because you have to be an independant learner with self discipline. A professor will not feed you the information and constantly keep you on task. You must do a lot of this yourself. Your mentor will keep in touch with you on a regular basis by phone, though, to check your progress and this helps.
The tasks are not necessarily difficult, but many of them did make me think about the subject and that's the important thing. Transferring in was easy and with the exception of a critical thinking and a science course, I had already completed all of my non teaching related requirements.
My mentor calls me regularly and responds to my e-mail in a timely manner, and if she doesn't know the answer she always directs me to the person that does. WGU also provides a lot of answers to common questions through their online students handbook, etc.
The learning materials are varied and provide a good range of views. They seem to try to avoid the bias that exists in many traditional courses due to professors who only present views that match their own. Videos that show students and teachers interacting are extremely helpful to me, as well be in person observations in classrooms which WGU provides as well before student teaching.
I have already learned a lot, including very practical information such as a teachers legal rights in the classroom. I don't know about other people's experiences but the graders have been very consistent with me and the rubrics are a lifesaver in terms of knowing ahead of time what is required and how the assignment will be graded. I was never given a rubric at my brick and mortar universities. I also enjoy not being subject to a professor's odd requirements. At a previous university I once got an F on an essay for not having enough sentences in my paragraphs! At WGU I revise if the comments make sense and if they don't I explain my position and it is usually respected or the reasoning of the comments clarified.
As to cost, it's hard for me to beat WGU. At my brick and mortar university I had to commute an hour each way and the cost of gas is astronomical, not to mention the fact that the commute cost me valuable time and slowed down my progress. At WGU I'm getting through school faster because I can work ahead and I'm able to combine the last few requirements for my BA with the requirements for my teaching credential. I am also available to apply for and interview for education related jobs other than teaching while I finish my credential because I don't have to work around an inflexible schedule.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on March 10, 2008
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Western Governors University
Western Governors University is a complete ripoff. The program deliberately slows you down, so that WGU can charge you more. I thought that this would be a quicker way to finish my degree, but I would have easily finished by now if I had gone to a different college, and taken the traditional route.
It often takes weeks to get a simple assignment graded. And when you finally get it back, the grader is often wrong! Example: I failed an accounting assignment, because I was told revenues/expenses are not part of operating cash flows in a cash flow statement! What?? Every accounting text book confirmed I was right. Who's grading these papers??? Besides this, I was told before I enrolled at WGU that I could test out of courses that I already knew - the majority of courses turned out to be assignment based.
Of course I should have known what I was getting into soon after I enrolled. After I enrolled they refused to give me credit for my associates degree - even though they guaranteed me that everything would transfer BEFORE I paid my tuition/fees. When I threatened legal action and showed them written proof that I had received from their "mentors" BEFORE I enrolled, they were suddenly able to transfer everything.
Their "mentors" are also completely useless. My various mentors had completely no idea about business-related subjects, even though I am majoring in a business degree. If you intend to study at WGU, think of the mentors more as cheerleaders than anything else. Good luck!
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Commonman78
(Graduate) on March 8, 2008
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College is work: not a free ride.
I completed the post-baccalaureate program for elementary education while teaching on a provisional certificate. They worked with me, DID NOT hold my hand, and helped me succeed. If you want to be spoon fed, this IS NOT a program for you. You actually have to do the work, not just attend class and pass a test. The scheduling was fine and the work was hard. Finally getting my certificate was worth it. I also knew a lot more than my colleagues about the basics, including fundamental concepts, special education requirements, how N.C.L.B. works, etc. This knowledge has given me a competitive edge in the workplace. I've had some problems with financial aid, but they were resolved. If you’re self-motivated, this is definitely the program for you!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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Jlin54321
(In Progress) on January 7, 2008
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WGU not for U
The ONLY way you should consider WGU is if you're stay-at home person (mom, busy professional,social phobia).
I've been there for a year and a half. The administration is beyond surly, bordering on rude, incompetent and apt to change rules as they go along ( always to their financial benefit).
Mentors are better,they try their best but are overworked and underpaid, hence few stay put.
Mentors manage 60 students at a time).
There's a strong quasi-political bias in faculty and curriculum ( hint of Christian right wing).
Instructional material is beyond pathetic. Tasks are written on a cheap, many are incoherent and wrong.
The tasks are graded by ANONYMOUS sub-contractors with wildly differing standards (rubrics notwithstanding)!!!
The community boards are beyond pathetic. Typical comment: "Help! Stuck on Task 607.123.2. What is..blank... blank."
The pros: Only Two
1It's cheap, IF and ONLY iF, you can work very fast.
BUT if you like to take your time, it'll be more expensive than a State U and a LOT more hassle.
2. You don't have to get out of your house.
Oh, wait you have to take some proctored exams... never mind. And pay $60 extra for it if you fail it twice. The reason given.. to encourage you to study better. What crock of sh*t.
Conclusion: Stay Away...go to your State U, get a decent education and a social life.
P.S. I am actually being optimistic. It's a lot worse.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on December 21, 2007
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WGU ok so far
This is my first term at WGU. I went to a state school for my undergrad degree and I have to say that there will always be minor (occasionally major) complaints at any university but overall I’m pleased with my experience at WGU. I think it is what it advertises to be: online, affordable, accredited, and accelerated.
I have been able to accelerate my progress but it means putting in extra time. During your first month you talk with your mentor and select which assessments you will be taking that term and set dates when you will complete each assessment- if you don't meet your goal, it counts as your first "failed attempt" but you can still pass it before the term is over and it will be a "pass" on your transcript. Your tuition covers the first few attempts, so that is why not taking an assessment on time is a big deal- it counts as one of your "free" attempts even if you do not take the test. A term is 6 months long, but you can't sign up for assessments that involve writing papers later than the 5th month there is also a limit on how late you can take an objective exam. Their rationale behind this is you may have to make revisions/wait for work to be graded. Their graders do take a while- it took about an average of a week on each of my assignments to get graded the first time, and then if you have any revisions, there's another week you have to wait. They do let you have access to "learning resources" and the course of study (syllabus) the last 2 months of the term so you could always start other work. I think the quality of education I'm receiving is comparable to my undergrad degree in science education I received at a state school. My mentor does call me every week or so and that makes me feel more connected. The competency based approach is a good idea. It seems like some people have the idea that you could just test, test, test, and then be handed a diploma without "doing anything." What I have found is that my program does have some "objective exams" and if I had come to the program having already majored in math education perhaps I could test out of some/most of them. But over half of my "assessments" are assignments or papers. Even if a person came with all of the knowledge for the degree, the person would still end up writing hundreds of pages of work, plus complete a research project. You don't have to take classes over what you already know, but WGU does require quite a bit of work- someone could not take tests for a week straight and walk away with a degree. The biggest complaint I have so far is that my mentor is very nice but never, ever knows the answers to my questions and they signed me up for the "wrong" assessments this term and then wouldn't change them when I pointed that out. But I worked through it and it's fine now. I do think they require depth of knowledge in the MA in math ed degree and that it's a good value for the money. I'm glad they provide an accredited way for me to get my degree online at my own pace.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on December 20, 2007
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B.S. in Marketing Management
At the age of 35 I decided it was time to pursue a degree. Unfortunately, my job and location limited my ability to go to a brick and mortar school. I also was not interested in slogging through basic math, business & English courses in a classroom with a bunch of 18-20 year olds.
WGU is not for everybody; if you need a teacher to tell you what to do, and when to do it, then do not enroll. If you cannot research on your own, then do not enroll. If you cannot read a grading matrix and ascertain what you should do, then do not enroll. If you are not capable of putting several paragraphs together to form a well written essay, then you should not enroll. If you want to work hard, and at your own speed, then WGU might be for you. I will have gone from no college credit to a B.S. in Marketing Management in 3 years. I could've have done it faster, but I had a cross country move and a couple of job changes mixed while in the middle of school and it slowed my progress.
I understand some students have had troublesome mentors, or unresponsive mentors. Really, I have only needed mine on occasion and she has been nothing but great, and has been promoted up the ranks. She kept me as a student because I am a month from graduation. There are steps to take if you are having trouble getting answers from your mentor, but really if you need too much hand holding, you might consider a traditional classroom environment.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on November 13, 2007
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Competency Based to ?
They have two different programs for each class. One is a lab that requires you to write papers, make posters and do stuff that would not challenge a high school student. The other is a test, which may require some review.
For some labs, they require you to enroll into American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) online courses (very good courses), but “enroll” is the key, you don’t have to participate or pass the course, just gather the needed info to complete lab projects that are graded separately in Task Stream. You get zero credit for completing and passing the more demanding AMNH courses.
The text books have little to do with the tests or labs. The labs do very little to help learn the competencies.
The program I joined involved a list of competencies and, learning resources. With pretests, you would gauge what competencies you knew and which ones you needed to review. Students were required to get a high pretest score to take the final exam. I was very successful in this model and thought I was in a good graduate program.
Then the program changed.
They stopped giving students the competencies and now it is confusing on what is required. They give you a course guide. The course guide is a jumble of vague test book references and internet links (including Wikipedia!). The course guide is very amateurish and I wonder if they even checked what they are asking students to do. I ran into several very vague reference sites and dead links. They still have the pretest, but stopped giving a report listing what was correct and incorrect, so it does little to prepare for the final exam.
The mentors are friendly enough, but I would question their credentials. You have one mentor assigned to you for everything. Mentors are not held responsible for providing inaccurate and misleading information to students.
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Iamamhb
(In Progress) on November 2, 2007
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Great for adults!!
WGU has been a true gift!! I have had previous college experience, with my Associates out of the way, and part of my bachelors at a brick and mortar state university. I always felt like sitting in the class room was a waste of time and wished to just "do the assignments and to take the tests". Once I found WGU, I couldn't be happier! It is different from even other online courses. First of all, there are no message board requirements each week, no collaborative assignments with other students. You have the entire term to finish your assignments and take the tests. Or you may elect to finish them in a matter of weeks, and take additional courses at no additional charge!!! This is truely a school for working adults, or parents who are pressed for time. If you like getting a list of tasks (assignments), completing them, and taking a test, then this is the school for you. Many classes have books that are "recomended", yet after a quick browse through the message boards one may find that there is no need to even spend money on books for many classes. CDs and computer programs and some books are sent to you free of charge for some classes. Granted, there are no "teachers", but there are learning communities and message boards for every class with at least 2-4 leaders, who answer questions, if they arent already answered by fellow students who are very eager to help. These message boards are very detailed and questions are just as if in a real class room. If you arent sure that your doing something right, they will give examples, just as a real professor would. For those that need a bit of encouragement, there is a required relationship with a mentor, whom you will schedule phone conversations with on a regular basis. In the beginning it is at least once a week, then slows to once a month unless you need them more. You are always allowed to call when you want, or email. I have also found that other students are really helpful as well. Many of us have exchanged instant messenger names so that we can talk in real time about life, assingments or even have complaint sessions. Word of warning though, it is very very easy to put off doing assigments until the end of the term and getting caught up in stress to get them turned in with time for grading!!! so...PROCRASTINATORS BEWARE!
The cost is only a few hundred more than what I was paying at Fayetteville State University!!! Much cheaper than other online schools that I checked out first.
Now that I have sounded like a full fledged comercial, I will leave y'all to finish my essay in RUA1.
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Shlmos
(In Progress) on September 12, 2007
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Wonderful School
I am in my third year of WGU. It is fabulous. I had the same mentor all the way through until recently, and the only reason she ceased to be my mentor was because she was unexpectantly promoted. She is still a major source of support for me though. The program is work at your own pace. Meaning, if you can possibly do it, you have the option of receiving your bachelors degree in one term. You have to realize though that, as with any other school, there is a minimum you must complete each term in order to continue (75% or 12 units), and this is especially true if you receive federal financial aid because it is government regulated.
It is a school better suited to those who work independently, and are capable of learning on there own. But this is the case with any online institution. They provide all the help possible, but you can only do so much when you aren't face to face. The test are hard, but they are trying to make certain that you know your material. Currently many tests are large, and a few are equivalent to 4 college course finals and one would be equivalent to 7 college course finals, and you take it in one test. On the other hand, you are learning much more much more quickly. They are, however, in progress of breaking these large tests up.
I haven't had a problem with the school. In fact, it has been a fabulous experience so far, and I am looking forward to completing my degree a years early. Actually two, considering I changed my major a year into this (from Information Systems to Business-Information Technology Management). The price is awesome compared to any other school. I highly recommend this school to anyone who hasn't the time (or in my case patience) to sit in a traditional class room who is capable of working independently on their studies. Oh, and one more thing, the school has regional accreditation, which is the best form of accreditation a university can receive. Some businesses and organizations won't accept any other form!
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