Western Governors University

Elizabeth December 2, 2006 at 4:34 p.m.

Western Governors University's strengths are that it is relatively cheap and requires no real intellectual effort.

The teachers' training program in which I enrolled was, however, extremely time-consuming. I was required to churn out lots of silly work at perhaps a 9th or 10th grade level-all of my AP classes in high school were harder than WGU's master's level work. Although neither the class work (tasks) nor passing the tests required any real intellectual effort (I didn't buy books after I wasted money on the first set) there is lots and lots of busy work. If you're effecient and don't take it too seriously, this is a cheap way to get a teacher's certificate, but remember you are paying for the time you are enrolled not the number of credits you take.

WGU makes money by making its programs as time consuming as possible. If you're a fast hand at churning out silly work (I am)this may be a good match for you.

Elizabeth January 23, 2007 at 2 p.m.

The Praxis for Elementary school teachers is a joke. It's an 8th grade level test. If you can't pass it cold there's something wrong with you. Ditto WGU "work"-scrapbooking is more intellectually challenging.

I truly didn't study or buy books. The books don't correlate with the busy work. Anyone off the street could pass a WGU exam. The passing scores or often mid-30s and they're multiple choice!! (Hint ALex- a monkey gets 25% right).

Graduate February 9, 2007 at 10:51 p.m.

I left it off my resume. I just list my teacher's license info and my two real university degrees. I can't see why anyone would admit to attending WGU unless he has no other credential.

Charles June 1, 2007 at 8:32 p.m.

The math teaching certification at WGU is much harder than any brick university. I don't know what degree the poster Elizabeth acquired with WGU, but it is probably a Bachelor of Arts which is by defualt an easy degree at any university, not to mention useless. Frankly, I recommend that anyone wishing to obtain a teaching certification either do it through a brick university or take the alternative certification if you already have a degree. WGU is many times more difficult because you are on your own. The mentors do not perform a 'mentoring' function but rather an administrative role. For example, they will recommend resources but not necessarily answer any of your questions. WGU is for mature and disciplined students whose main task is to prove that they have the competencies required in order to obtain a degree. WGU does not care how or where you get the training provided you can demonstrate you have the knowledge. And no, you cannot guess your way out of it - the exams are tough. I personally know of a lawyer and a physicist who failed certain modules a few times before being able to pass. WGU is not for everyone.

Scott July 3, 2007 at 8:03 p.m.

I'm seriously looking into the Information Technology—Networks Administration Emphasis. Is there anyone who has completed or currently enrolled in this course of study who can offer their opinion?

Christina August 3, 2007 at 5:32 p.m.

I have a question for current students and/or graduates? How how long did it take to complete your program? Also many hours per week did you devote to studying?

Thanks~~~

ABAR September 16, 2007 at 11 p.m.

You should go to Walden. It's a great school!

Rob October 29, 2007 at 9:37 p.m.

I attempted WGU because as a working adult, married with two children, learning online seemed to be the best alternative to a traditional school. After one year, I eventually withdrew. As I read in one review forum, WGU is a good idea executed poorly. They have a long way to go to be a University providing a high quality education. I recently transfered to a local Univeristy that has evening, weekend and online classes for working adults. I would suggest anyone looking to earn a degree, look for a local school that caters to working adults.

My suggestion is to stay away from WGU. It is not worth the money. The mentors do not help. The course work does not match the assessments. I found myself studying for an assessment only to find that what I studied 8 weeks for was not part of the test. And what tests were not proctored were easy "busy" work, most at a high school level. The tuition is low at WGU, but remember, you get what you pay for.

Scott Adams November 6, 2007 at 6:15 p.m.

Wow! Lots of varied opinions here.

Can anyone shed light on the MBA program? I am considering signing up for WGU today or tomorrow, so any feedback at all would be great.

MASE student November 13, 2007 at 8:33 p.m.

I second the opinion the WGU is a good concept that is very poorly executed.
I would not recomend this school to anybody until they straighten out their programs. I have endured multiple program changes over the last two years. If I did not have so much invested in this program (and none of it transferable <trust me I checked>), I would withdrawl.
For example: As part of the new course changes, I was required to take a class from AMNH. The class was challenging (more challenging than my WGU coursework). After successfully completing the course, I found that I wasted my time. All I needed was to use some of the coursework from AMNH and apply it to WGU Task Stream tasks. I found out that I was only required to enroll in the AMNH course to get the info for Task Stream tasks, completing AMNH courses is the option of the student (though credit is not given).
I have no idea why they quit listing the competencies required. It made so much sense to pretest - compare results to competency list and study the needed competencies. They now no longer list the competencies or let you see your pretest breakdown.

WGU Student November 22, 2007 at 3:32 p.m.

I would not recommend WGU to anyone.
Since I attended the last two years, they had changed the program and approach twice. I don't think they know what they are doing.
Good thing they get lots of money from the federal government, and have some protection from losing accreditation. Because this is as flimsy as it can get. Maybe it will be a standard in 10 to 20 years - so please wait till then to attend.
Several schools would not take me as a student teacher, just hearing I was in WGU.
So if you want to take responsibility for your own education, find a school that is well respected.

Rob November 28, 2007 at 12:28 a.m.

As I stated above, I withdrew from WGU and transferred to a local University that is well known and has been around for over 100 years. 10 years ago I received an Associates degree. When enrolling with the local University, they were able to transfer credits from my Associates degree, but said none of the credits I received from WGU were transferable (they said they never heard of WGU - they had to go online to research them).

For the one who suggested those of us warning against WGU to grow up and take responsibility - trust me when I say I did when I withdrew from WGU and went to a traditional brick and mortar school geared towards adult learning. If you want to take the gamble that in 10 to 20 years your degree will "pay off" and be recognized as a legitimate degree, all I can say is I hope that it does. But short term, I want a University I can be proud to place on a resume, that's good today, not 10 to 20 years from now.

I’ve talked to a few students who enjoy WGU and it’s working very well for them. But I’ve spoken with more who are extremely unhappy and either withdrawn or will soon be withdrawing from their program. My suggestion is to sign up and give them a try. If it doesn’t work out, withdraw.

Question November 29, 2007 at 5:50 p.m.

I would like a straight answer from someone who has completed the entire teachers program. Were you able to get a job? That is the thing I think most people want to know. If you pass your state's licensing exams, then you should be good right? Or are school districts not happy with an online teaching degree?

Anon December 3, 2007 at 9:02 p.m.

Anyone with experience in the MBA program

Sarah Lynn December 12, 2007 at 4:47 a.m.

I have some questions that i would only like to ask current students enrolled at WGU. I dont beleive some of these comments because some may be from current workers. Please contact me at Blissfulkittycat@yahoo.com thank you so much.

bs-busmgmt candidate December 29, 2007 at 5:31 p.m.

It's great to read all these comments.

I'm looking for a viable solution to complete a degree started 20 years ago;
also, for a way to expand my initiative for learning, but with enough focus to narrow the scope.

If I can complete the BS degree with WGA, would I be able to pursue an MBA at any other online university?

Is there another undergrad business degree option with the non-profit attractiveness of WGU, for a single-income father of 2?

What qualifies someone as being able to learn independently?

Should I be reading a book a week on my own?

Will WGU quantify what I should be accomplishing in a time-frame, or is that considered hand-holding?

I'm trying to perform risk assessment and interpret these comments with a sense of objectivity.

Jacob Metro December 31, 2007 at 4:26 a.m.

I created the scope of the project, designed the project plan, performed the testing needed to create a hypothesis, and started transforming the organization. My employers were ecstatic! I helped the company close the month-end cash cycle from 28 days down to less than 15 days (14.2 days to be exact) and provided them with a roadmap to bring the close down to less than 3 days over the next five years. I'd say that qualifies as master's level work, wouldn't you?

In fact, for any people who have attempted a WGU program and are unhappy with it I can only say one thing: GROW UP.

The only way you can be unhappy with the program is if you don't know how to learn, how to play the system (and if you think that going to college isn't about playing the system, you need to go through high school again), how to coordinate work with others, or didn't really try. The mentor learner model (which is what WGU is based on) doesn't care about time in seat. It cares about results. If you meet the criteria, you pass. But the secret for those of you who think the process is easy...

You could have done more than meet the criteria. You are simply lazy.

You could have done what I did every time I wrote a paper or performed a project. You take the cute little grading rubrics (which WGU gives its students in advance) and pick the hardest level of performance that you think you can accurately meet. Then you perform to that level.

That's the secret to life, when you come to think about it.

Jacob Metro December 31, 2007 at 4:28 a.m.

Here's what you will need to do:
1. Set a time limit for completing each assessment.
1a. Figure out how much subject material you know and then figure out how much more will have to be learned before you can complete the assessment process.
1b. Determine which sources are necessary for learning the material. Your mentor will help with that.
1c. Break the number of competencies you still need to learn out over a period of time between now and your deadline for completing each assessment.
2. Work to the highest quality standards you can. While it may be tempting to look at the rubrics that the instructors give you as the minimum you must do to pass a given assessment process, please look at them as guides to each level of success...Both in academia and in life.
3. When you fail, and you will fail...take steps 1 and 2 again. (I personally failed one assessment four times...it was multiple choice, randomly generated, with a very large question pool. I have a hard time with multiple choice, I'm a better writer and inductive cogitator than a deductive reasoner.)

Only you can qualify yourself as being able to learn independantly. The first class at WGU (Education without Bounds) will be essential to helping you understand your learning process and teaching you whether you will succeed in this environment, or not.

Federal law does govern money (even loans) given through WGU. Therefore you do have certain performance benchmarks that must be met to maintain your status as a full-time student. However, if you only meet these governmental benchmarks, the cost associated with the program becomes much higher. You should probably try to complete each task as fast as you possibly can while maintaining a high level of quality and ensuring that you are actually learning the material.

Heather January 1, 2008 at 8:56 p.m.

I am about to graduate from WGU's Bachelor of Arts Teachers' College PK-8 Licensure program. I had no trouble finding TWO local schools willing to take me on as a student teacher. If you are an independent learner, you will not have trouble with WGU. THey are nationally, and more importantly, regionally accredited. Further, for those looking into teaching, they are NCATE (Google NCATE) accredited, which means you can apply for a license in many states without having to first get licensed in UT (where WGU is located) and then transfer. The person in this thread that said a passing score is 30% on WGU "tests" is obviously not a student. That's not the way it works. This is a task-based program...you prove your competence in a number of areas by performing tasks (mostly doing a LOT of reading and research and writing papers). I have to say this program was on par in terms of difficulty with any brick and mortar school I have attended. I plan to get my Master's through WGU as well. During my student teaching, my principal commented that not even his own student teaching experience (from a well-known prestigious college known for its teaching program) was as comprehensive as WGU's.

Do your homework, you will find that WGU is what it claims to be. Good luck!

IT Student January 15, 2008 at 10:04 p.m.

I just started my program in Information Technology-Network Administration emphasis at WGU in December and so far so good. My mentor has been pretty great. My first class (Internet Foundations) listed a bunch of books to read, but my mentor basically told me to avoid these books and try using the courseware (included w/ the tuition) that he will be sending me. From an IT perspective, people who are claiming that you should go to a brick and mortar university instead really don't have a clue. For my first course, I was required to study for and PASS the CIW Foundations certification exam. I used to be a computer engineering major at a "traditional" school and I can guarantee you that you will not learn anything in a classroom that will help you pass any type of IT certification, let alone give you any type of real world skills except for programming.

Also as part of my program, I am required to earn my certifications in A+, Network +, Security +, Java, and also the MCSA certification. As anyone in IT can tell you, being certified always helps get your foot in the door. Plus, WGU pays for you to take each test up to two times. So don't sit here and tell me that the coursework is easy when I have to pass all of these INDUSTRY-WIDE certification tests which are recognized by all companies. Name me ONE other traditional school which will PAY you to take the tests. In all there are about 7 or 8 certifications you will earn, so that alone to me is worth the tuition.

Alex January 18, 2008 at 7:42 a.m.

All these comments are very helpful. I just paid my initial fee to get the ball rolling and am looking forward to the "Education without Boundaries".

There are many pros and cons to the comments listed on this forum. In the end each person must decide what was best based on his/her own experience. It's like being married, you can either have a bad one or a great experience. If I listened to the naysayers when I was getting married I would have missed out on 23 wonderful years with my wife.

All schools, as anything else in life, are filled with good and bad experiences. After 47 years on this earth I have come to the conclusion that it's all a matter of perception versus reality. How do you separate the two? Sometimes you cannot. All you can do is go through your own baptism by fire and see what comes out of it.

But thank you to everyone for all the various input. I will post to this site again once I've had time to make a further evaluation on WGU. The heat of the moment is the coin of the realm.

Jenny January 29, 2008 at 7:55 p.m.

I think people who are complaining on here are mad that they dont have the dedication and will-power that people need to succeed at WGU. Just like not every job is for everyone, not every school is either. I am in my MBA at WGU and it is FAR less stressful than what I expereienced at a traidtional university. ALL schools have problems. Dont blame WGU because you cant handle the responsibility of earning your degree on your own.

jenny January 31, 2008 at 11:01 p.m.

then why are you still enrolled?

Jess February 8, 2008 at 3:23 p.m.

Has anybody here completed or been enrolled in the accounting program? I am wondering if it actually teaches the technical skills involved, if it will help you get a job, and if it will qualify towards educational credits required for CPA accreditation.

Thank you for your answer.

Ticket Punchers Unite February 16, 2008 at 5:47 p.m.

WGU is perfect for people who want to punch their tickets and get a degree. The "work" requires churning out endless buckets of junior high level scholarship. I know, I got very good scores by paraphrasing secondary sources that I didn't bother to actually read. I didn't buy the books or enroll in any of the outside courses after I wasted time taking a rather good "learning resource" class only to discover it didn't count. You don't really need the books since they have no correlation with the "tasks" or "tests."

This school is a race. You try to shovel assignments to the graders faster than WGU can assign new tasks. WGU sees how much money it can pump out of students by continually changing requirements. To those who are so very proud of being "independent learners"-get over yourselves. There is not much learning, independent of otherwise, required by WGU. The rubrics tell you exactly what to submit, you find it on the internet (or if your time crunched-make up something jargony) and email it back. Independent learning? Don't think so. Busy-work o-rama! I see why many programs won't accept WGU credits, I wouldn't either.

Duke February 19, 2008 at 11:15 p.m.

I have completed 80+ hours at WGU and find it to be a decent program. You do need to pay attention to the process and work with your mentor to make sure that you are never waiting on WGU. That means that you have to have more than one assessment referred and multitask to the next one while the former is being graded. The cut-off period for the semester (for grading) is not an important issue if you understand it up-front and plan for it.

If you want to get your degree and you are constrained by time, work and family, WGU is a great alternative. For those of us in the technical fields, WGU has been recommended by HP and others for internal employee education. It is legitimate and a degree from WGU can be followed by a Masters from a traditional school; if you want to manage the theoretical risk to your resume. I also was concerned prior to starting the WGU program and reviewed this [proposed] choice with my employer, a fortune 100 company, and was pleased with the support they provided for my choice.

If you are not a "go-getter" with a bit of fire in your belly, you will likely not be very happy at WGU. You get as much from WGU as you put in; that's it.

Pamela February 25, 2008 at 8:19 p.m.

I am a current WGU student and have had none of the difficulties described above. Sure - sometimes a mentor has to be changed, people leave their jobs all the time. As for the assessements, I have had no problem taking them at my local college, are you sure that's not the problem (where you are taking them) versus it being WGU's fault? My company loves WGU students! They like the fact that we can learn and still work without having the stress of being somewhere at a certain time.

I agree, WGU is not for everyone. No school is. Even the local university is not for everyone. You get what you are willing to work for here. The less you put into it, the less you will get and vice versa.

Carol February 27, 2008 at 11:41 p.m.

It really is theory that you only hear about the bad. people complain about spouses/families when in strife. WGU IS A FANTASTIC school. They are very knowlegable and have a great approach to education. The assessment department has improved greatly and if there are problems it is the place you are taking them. I have had numerous companies say they prefer WGU students.

Shannon February 29, 2008 at 6:39 p.m.

I'm about to finsh year 3, I hate this school and looking for a new one mymentor talks down to me and tells me I dont study when I really do.

Erik March 4, 2008 at 7:43 p.m.

I am a current student in the BS IT program. I had transferred credits from another school plus a few old certs. No problem.

I am neither part of the cult nor a hater. IT is a funny business. They changed the SCJP requirement to SCJA, and another one to perl. Perhaps its just a change in focus in the world outside the university, or maybe they just have better connections with the new stuff. Course changes are a fact of life not just at WGU but in other (brick and mortar) schools as well.

Unresponsive mentors? I have not had any issue with my own. Sure she has a life outside the university, but she has always made time for my questions. Keep in mind, I don't ask her much, since i figure its better to find out on my own anyway.

Endless paper? hardly. I have had a few courses that required paper, and the hard part for me was to keep the paper size down (and to keep it organised, since I usually have 15 things in my head, all competing for a spot on a paper). Is it juvenile? I am not sure what the answer to that is: the point is to use the skills, not to impress people with your brilliance. (thats why its a competancy model). I've also had (Certification) exams that left me all dejected, where I had to take them a second time, in order to pass, and when I needed to, to take a break. They do allow for a leave of absense (a break between semesters), which helped me deal with family issues, deal with burnout, and get a little 'on your own' studying done.

Will WGU's degree be accepted? by default, it must me. Will it be considered 'prime'? probably not soon. At the same time, even in IT, a degree is better than none, and a degree that can be proven as such, satisfies that particular requirement? Is it a diploma mill? No, because no one can take the degree from you. How is that any different than a degree from a small university in another country?

Seriously, what are you expecting from your degree? To be a programmer out of the gate? Get real. Unless you are willing to work for $10.00 a day and speak Hindi, you are not getting that job. Look at the market, see what it requires, then do it. WGU represents something that you might be able to actually work with, rather than something to represent traditional teachings. A BSIT in software is not a CS degree. CS students have a more detailed focus on software, and less on the 'everything else in IT'.

Taylor March 13, 2008 at 10:35 a.m.

This will give you an NCATE degree but it is not respected.

Brandon March 17, 2008 at 6:32 p.m.

Thanks Taylor (and everyone else with similar comments). Would you care to elaborate and qualify your remark? I may end up agreeing with you but please give us something? Your comments are no more helpful than saying "the color blue sucks."

gail March 19, 2008 at 7:47 p.m.

I live in NYC and I'm interested in WGU's Education Degree(I want to become an Elementary or Secondary school Teacher)however, my concern is will i be able to get my Masters at a traditional college since that this University doesn't use credits? I've heard some people say they experienced problems with this can anyone help?

to gail March 20, 2008 at 7:30 a.m.

You start from the 6 credits that will transfer. There is a reason grad schools have a low transfer incidence. If you are close to finishing at WGU then do it. It is cheap if you work fast. Forget the rest of these whiners, just get it done. WGU is for self starters who can pace themselves and prove their competancy. WGU is respected by all employers, it is regionally, nationally, and professionally accredited. It doesn't get any better than that.

to gail March 21, 2008 at 12:42 a.m.

Once you recieve your degree from WGU they will not look at credits... just that you have the degree. WGU's education program is NCATE approved which is the absolute Gold Standard of education accreditation. You will not have any problem getting into a good masters program from a traditional school with a BA from WGU. That much I can promise you.

Jacob Metro March 23, 2008 at 1:13 a.m.

Victor: I completed my BS in IT from WGU while an outsourced consultant. I've since moved into executive management with my outsourcing company and then later into a similar position with a competitor. I can say that if you have the drive and motivation to finish any degree program, especially one that is so dependant on your own personal work habits, you will do well in business.

Taylor: An NCATE degree is just that - certified by NCATE. Just like any other school that is certified. As far as respect goes - Who respected Dartmouth, Yale, and Harvard when they first started? The few instructors - primarily clergy - and the students. Respect is earned over many years of quality education. My education at WGU was remarkable in a number of ways. That WGU is regionally accredited after only so few years of life is remarkable too.

Dick: Get real. Everyone who has attended speaks plainly and concisely about the rigour of the school. Even those people who hate the school, when pressed to be specific, are shown to have some sort of bias. What is your bias? I've had a wonderful experience. I've been a non-traditional learner for over 15 years using a variety of colleges. Some have had B&M platform others have not. I've been very impressed with WGU's ability to let people learn at their own pace, and prove their competancy without respect for the derivation of the learning. I've written more thesis worthy works at WGU than at any other traditional and accredited colleges I've attended.

Ticket Punchers Unite: Of course its just a race. The same race that every college including the holy grails of Oxford and Carnegie. The goal is to put as many students in the vicinity of books and learning and hope that some knowledge passes between the two. To steal from Pratchett, often co-ed students generally hope that something passes between them - not just knowledge either. You don't have to worry about that with non-traditional learning. To take the allegory to extremes like you did, soon non-traditional education will be the only method because it won't be safe to physically be present.

Matt, Current, Anonymous, Gunner: Sorry you've had a bad experience. I didn't. I know of hundreds of students who had great experiences with WGU. I also know of many students who had a bad experience with MIT and Vanderbilt. You don't see too many questions about these colleges even with the bureaucracy. Some people have an axe to grind while others just had a bad experience. If you are one of the latter, I'm sorry. The former really need to be educated.

Jacob Metro March 25, 2008 at 1:26 a.m.

I finished my MBA in ITM from WGU. I am now also a doctoral candidate in a top 25 IT grad program. It's about scores but mostly about drive and flexibility.

Brett March 29, 2008 at 3:25 p.m.

Has anyone went through the Bachelor of Science Business-Human Resource Management program? how was it? Did the degree get accepted by employers?

GDurso April 5, 2008 at 6:44 p.m.

I just finished my first semester in the social science prep program;I learned a ton of useful things! Some of the assignments involve analysis of class situations via video and can be very informative. The graders take great concern over your work and due there best to make sure one knows what is expected. My mentor is friendly and cares about my progress. I def feel that this program will make me a ten times better teacher.

Julie April 7, 2008 at 2:30 p.m.

I too looked in to WGU for the teaching Cert - sure the NACTE thing sounded great- but the problem I have is all these negative reviews.....there has to be a way to keep my current job and get my teaching credentials without going to a brick and mortar school. I found one. Drexel university is located in Phila. It is a highly respected school. It does NOT have NCATE - but I know they are well respected and my credits will transfer anywhere. Drexel has an online Post-bac teacher licensure program. It works out great for me because I am in Trenton - so at the end of the program I'll be licensed to teach in PA - right across the river from me - or the cert. will transfer nicely to NJ. Go see Drexel's program - you can believe in it - Drexel is a good name.:

http://www.drexel.com/online-degrees/edu...

buck April 9, 2008 at 4:08 a.m.

well for the people who complain about WGU - sorry but WGU is as good or better than the top online colleges - its all about your experience anyway - HELLO - let everyone complain about WGU - this ensures they will not compete for the same job you have.

JW April 12, 2008 at 3:35 p.m.

For the record, no Ivy League school is NCATE accreditted. Check the NCATE listings. I'm a veteran teacher who has a master's degree from a prestigious college in the West, however my school district will not accept it because for salary advancement because it is not from an NCATE accreditted institution (80% of private schools are not NCATE accreditted) and it's in child psyc, not education. I'm considering WGU frankly, because it's cheap, NCATE accreditted and online. Anyone else looking at it just for salary advancement?

Colorado Science April 13, 2008 at 2:09 p.m.

I had a lot of credits from a community college. I was planning on using the credits toward a degree in education. The college changed the required credits and only about 30 would transfer. It would have taken me another three years to finish. Then I found WGU and was very skeptical. I decided to talk to the school and I found that I could use what I knew to help me. I didn't have to sit through classes and drive downtown to hear a bunch of information I already knew. I am now done with my degree (after 1 1/2 years). Every time I doubted WGUs legitimacy or practices I was reaffirmed. I passed the Praxis II Science exam with a 195/200 (about the 99th percentile). Also, all the "Busy work" really pays off if you learn from it. When I was interviewed by my principal I was asked about things I did "busy work" on. For example, you are required to write a lengthy essay on formative assessment and summative assessment. Also you are required to write a paper on scaffolding. I was able to talk about these topics with ease the first time I talked to my principal.

Altogether, you get out of the school what you put into it. The busy work is for a reason, and everything else they require you to learn is worth learning. The people whining about the problems with the school are those that couldn't hack it. This school is not for anybody. It is for those willing to do the work. The school has policies to quickly get rid of students that are unable to do well. These are the students complaining. They do not have any policies though that will hold a person back.

60 Credits - How many years to Receive BS Degree? May 7, 2008 at 12:40 a.m.

I presently have about 60 Credits and 8 Years of Work Experience and wanted to know, as how many years can I expect to finish my BS Degree at this school?

Also when it comes to the type of assignments, is it exam based or paper based?

Does the university tranfer in work experience or what?

kelly May 7, 2008 at 10:26 p.m.

I am about to take my readiness entrance exam. Is the writing part serious like GRE style. LOL. I want to know if the topics are heavy.

thanks,

Brad May 13, 2008 at 3:03 p.m.

My wife is subbing in Texas and has about 90 hours of undergrad hours from a known university. Does anyone know about how many hours will transfer or how long (how quickly) she can complete the teaching degree/certificate at WGU? I can tell you that the priciples she works for don't care where you get your degree from, they simply want her to get it done and start working at a teacher. They are desperate for teachers so she is looking for the fastest program that will meet the minimum requirements. Does anyone know of a school that is accredited and accepts transfer credits, etc. Heck, if there was a diploma mill that would be accepted by Texas, we'd do it. I know this may not be popular, but at least I'm honest about it :-)

Gwen May 20, 2008 at 1:47 a.m.

I am interested in knowing if anyone has done the MSN program and what was their feelings about it?

Danielle May 22, 2008 at 6:17 p.m.

I am a WGU student --will finish my bachelor in business/HR next month and yes it is true that there are some administrative issues that exist but I had similar problems at my brick and mortar community college. If you need someone to hold your hand, then WGU is not for you. If you are capable of jumping through the hoops then go for it. They are no different than any other college in that respect.

Angie May 31, 2008 at 12:18 a.m.

Can anyone explain what these credentials from the www.ncate.org website means? The following is what the website states regarding WGU Accreditation Status:

List of Recognized Programs:
BA in Mathematics 5-12
Specialized Professional Association (SPA): NCTM
Grade: 5-12
Degree: Baccalaureate
Level: ITP

Does anyone know if any of the other BA programs are accredited by NCATE?

Greg June 10, 2008 at 5:10 a.m.

If there are no credits is there a gpa? How do transcripts look from this college. i ask beacasue some schools seem to weant to see that you have a degree but also want to know your gpa and coursework. Does anyone know how this works at this college??? How will i present myself besides just saying i got a degree? Does antone know personally? you can reply and email me at datnyone@aol.com

Thanks

Liv June 10, 2008 at 1:16 p.m.

Can any let me know how hard it was for them to receive a student teaching placement and for how long you had to student teach? This is a great concern of mine.

Nicole June 20, 2008 at 1:31 a.m.

So many reviews. Does anybody out there know of any school districts in NC that hire or have hired teachers with WGU degrees? I love the idea of the program but am so skeptical because of the reviews.

Keverenge Wilson June 21, 2008 at 8:12 p.m.

When people talk it pays to pay attention to what they are not saying. Or as they say when Peter talks about Paul, you learn more about Peter than you do Paul. Lets analyze why some of these "pundits" bad-mouths WGU. The so called brick Universities will a) dish out grades so long as a student shows up b)Instructors may not fail students without paying for it via bad evaluation at the end the term c)as a result most universities issue grades purely on a "curve" basis d)makeup will be given for any reason e)befriending an instructor will guarantee one a passing grade with minimum work done f) students who are fanatical about such schools prefer learning via "spoonfeeding" or being taught while they just listen or perhaps OSMOSIS.....g) these pundits it appears are afraid the brick schools will fall by the roadside.That "these new internet schools" signifies the beginning of the end of brick schools as we know it. They are afraid of change. The list goes on.

On the other hand WGU students have to be a)self-starters b) don't get graded on a sliding scale or curve c)the only way one can prove an accomplishment is via passing a test, performing a task or researching some issue d) one cannot "kiss up" for a grade e) since there is no brick to go to one may not substitute attendance for a grade f} WGU want you to prove that you know the material before earning your degree...its that simple. If for whatever reason you cannot prove that you know the material, then stay in the cold its your problem....you might freeze but you asked for it. Just don't wine. By the way all the winers have something in common, failure. One can justify failure whichever way but its still f a i l u r e. Some of these people when luck knocks at the door they shout "go away for I am sleeping" Yea keep sleeping... after you wake up you will have gotten enough rest to cry even more, and so life goes on.

These 'pundits' have one thing in common, for largely their own reasons could not "perform" at WGU and now its the University's fault. If one goes through life winning and crying life will just dish you more and more opportunities to wine about. Sure when life deals you a bad card, you get up brush yourself and move on. If you persist slowly but surely doors begin to open for you. I teach at a brick Technical College and know what I am talking about.

Wilson Keverenge June 21, 2008 at 8:26 p.m.

WGU may not be perfect but its far from being imperfect. Its a school for mature people, both literally and metaphorically speaking.

@Carol June 26, 2008 at 5:27 a.m.

The length of your term depends on you. If you can pass the modules you can graduate very quickly.

TLO July 5, 2008 at 6:36 p.m.

I was wondering if anyone has experience with the WGU Nursing program?

don't be so beat July 19, 2008 at 7:16 a.m.

Nobody knows anything regardless of what school they have gone to. A degree is just a piece of paper. Shut up and be thankful that you don't have to travel in traffic and gas prices...or deal with smelly sweaty idiots in a brick school that think they know everything and take up the entire class time trying to impress the stupid teacher...or have to deal with negative energy because someone doesn't like you cause you're too fat, too ugly, didn't put out, have zits, etc. etc.

@Andre July 31, 2008 at 10:55 a.m.

It is an assessment test... there is nothing to study. It covers math, reading comprehension, English, and writing an essay. Unless you're a complete moron you will do fine. Even if you are a moron they will just put you in a remedial module. Seriously, don't worry about it.

Dont Cry August 17, 2008 at 4:28 p.m.

Yes, I made a spelling error on line 6 "you're"...OMG...forget attacking it you putz who thought about it, why don't you challenge the content :)

Claude August 21, 2008 at 11:39 p.m.

This is not a college. No teachers - just mentors. I wait for a week for a paper to get graded and at least three weeks to schedule tests. Weeks for my mentor to "open" courses for me. So it is tough to do more than 15 credits each six months. Still this is the fastest way to get an easy degree.

If you want an easy program, with no challenges and little value - WGU is for you.

EX student September 15, 2008 at 5:17 a.m.

I just graduated in June 08 with a BA at another college. I do not recomend WGU, in this post I will mention all the things I think were not correctly treated. The courses were structured but their textbooks did not matched all the material covered in the exams, some mentors I had were not effective ( they only ask you how you doing). WGU does not have regular courses, instead competencies (not really courses with a structure and suport for preparation that was inadequate). The school did not recognized my prevous 50 chemistry credits previously earned at a RA recognized college and have to take their chemistry competency exam, but They acredited me with more English credits I did posses at that time (In most colleges ENG 101/102 are requirements, I only finished an Intro to English course taken at a community college at that time of WGU enrollment) Their written assignment were intensive for my English preparation at the time. WGU have a different grading policy, they dont give you A,B,C,D, or F's but instead PASS/FAIL, as a result there is not GPA. I also got what I though, a racial statement from a WGU mentor (from what I remember the statement was: that for being from this particular ethnic group I was smart for studying science).
I should reported this to the school, but I didn't. I learned that he was leaving WGU shortly, He stated before leaving that he apoligied for some other unwanted comment to other student. The homework/assignments took over a week to get graded, and felt that grades were very subjective. The competencies as a result took longer that supposed to take ( I have been an "A" student during high school and other college) but their method is difficult to follow,after 4 years at WGU I spent about $16,000 and not degree earned, placed in probation. I got out of the school and transfer my credits to Thomas Edison State College, were I only needed 15 aditional credits (including ENG 101/102) to finish my BA. I truly felt WGU was an absolute RIP OFF and regret the stay at WGU. This was my personal experience at WGU, for some other folks it may work. But if you ask me to recomend this school I would say NOOOOOOOO.

Well Worth-IT September 24, 2008 at 8:08 a.m.

To answer Martin's question, "i have read some of the comments here and want to know why it takes so long to schedule an exam. is the exam taking online or you need to find a proctor?" the only reason it would take long is if you "the student" didn't organize a plan of action to schedule an exam say two weeks ahead of schedule. I graduated with a BS in IT last Sep. of 2007 and for my particular situation and goals found the University well worth the effort. I am currently working on an MBA with WGU and so far find the work challenging in a sense that you do learn as much as you put into it and for myself I have learned much. When I first signed up with WGU I had over 90 credit hours from UTSA, looking back between the two schools I would say of course there is a huge difference between the two. The difference being that you have a, usually, boring professor either giving you their opinion on something or reading straight out of a book. If you are the type of person that has that need for someone else's opinion then the traditional way is for you. I think this is where a lot of the complaints come from on this site. I can see there are a lot of people with a no thinking outside the box attitude, you know the ones that just have to see that "A" on a piece of paper that makes them feel that they learned something. Well guess what, if you want to succeed in the corporate America ya bes start thinking and not just going with the flow.

Sorry Martin, got a little side tracked. Exams are usually scheduled at a community college near you or other college or university. If you organize and plan ahead of what you are going to do next, then no it doesn't take long to schedule the exam.

I can say for my situation after I graduated I decided to begin looking for a new job to see what the bachelors degree would get me, if anything! I previously had no certifications, at least very little, and no completed degree. I did, however, have over 10 years of experience in my field. I am happy to say after three months of hard work submitting resumes EVERY day, I changed organizations and took a $30k increase in pay with an additional two weeks of vacation (total 5 weeks), 12% yearly bonuses, and many more perks. (Plus 6 months after working already received a 3% raise.)

I believe for those that say no school's would recognize WGU's teaching degree/cert, this is where you have the problem of every day ignorant people. It is going to be a matter of who you are dealing with, I deal with people everyday in high positions and can tell you they are no smarter than the next person. Just look at our politicians!
:)

Chi Chi October 23, 2008 at 2:42 a.m.

I think this is a very good school! I think in the long run it is what you make it! These days the demand for teachers is sooooo bad, they do not care if you get your degree from a grocery store! As long as you have state cert. When you go on your interview they sometimes will not even ask you what college you went to! YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! The courses are what they are. Just deal with it!....DAMN!!!!

Current Student November 18, 2008 at 5:50 p.m.

I'm a current student and figured I would give some more detailed info as to my experience so far at WGU.
So far, so good. I'm 2 years into my education program and will finish up sometime next year. My mentor has been incredible, and the student services have been extremely helpful (and they are also open almost 24 hours now).
The coursework is tough, but if you are a decent independent learner, then you will be fine. I've been to brick and mortar universities, and WGU is definitely par with any other university.
To be successful at WGU, keep these things in mind:

1. Force yourself to learn as much as you can about a given topic. Example: I'm learning about the Civil War, so I go out of my way to learn more than what is on each assignment. Why? Because I will KNOW more when I start teaching. Approach every subject this way, and you will succeed.

2. Do your homework. Literally. Spend 20-25 hours per week on each course. If you devote as much time as you would to a normal class, then you will find that you may end up learning even more on your own.

3. Buy some of the books. You don't need to buy all of the books WGU says you may need for a class, but buy at least one to use a a good reference. Plus, buying the book will allow you to truly study the topic in more depth.

4. The words, "I had to keep a B average th entire time" can go a long way during interviews. To EARN a degree at WGU, you need the equivalent of a B average. Sell this idea at an interview, and you will be fine. Also, with many licensure tests, the person taking the test may have to retake the exam a few times to make sure they have "mastered" the topic. This is the same with WGU, and why we have to rework certain tests. It does not make the school less appealing to employers, but will show them that you have the drive to succeed.

If you're debating about attending WGU, don't be afraid to check it out. If you are capable of reading books and following online coursework, then you can succeed at WGU! Also, check out the article in Time magazine entitled, "Go Western, Young Man" which proudly shows how Time magazine thinks WGU is a great investment.

Good luck!

justanibble.com December 2, 2008 at 4:10 p.m.

I have found that employers are much more receptive to graduates of online universities. After all, anyone (including a monkey) can get a degree at a traditional brick and mortar school as long as they do the chair time and bubble in the correct answers.

Online schools require a lot of work, commitment, and dedication--qualities that are in high demand. Traditional brick and mortar universities are just high schools with ash trays.

My Walden University (online) degree has more than paid off. I am now thinking of enrolling at WGU but can barely find the time to complete my paperwork.

Melanie December 5, 2008 at 5:32 p.m.

Need more info from hired teachers. I went to a PA State College with very high credentials and requirements. I LOVED my college but it was pricy and my boyfriend is currently enrolled at WGU. I was required to take the Praxis my second year, and he is now in his second year and they have never even mentioned it. He works as a para and WGU has inferred that he may not need to student teach but won't give him an answer. I feel his is not being guided very well and worry because we're waiting until he's done to get married... if that ever happens! Do they leave it up to you to take the state exams??

Dave December 12, 2008 at 6:02 p.m.

Any graduate from WGU, applied for a law school? How was the experience?

Nancy December 21, 2008 at 7:16 a.m.

I have applied, and am scheduled to start the EWB course in January. I am enrolled in the MAT and credentialing program for K -8
I have taken a majority of my general education requirements online at a community college, and took the rest of my Undergrad at a private university in 18months - 4 hours one night a week - seeing the professor only one night a week! It required self discipline to study, to read, to write research paper after research paper and so on as well as the ability to solve a majority of ones queries which required the ability to "follow up" for clarity and just ask! ask! ask! when help is needed. I am taking these skills into WGU. I decided that since WGU is not giving "credits" out then I would go ahead and get my Masters thru them after the credentialing. That would prepare me to get into elementary education in CA, and with the Masters be able to teach community college, and earn more of a salary. This is an example of a goal that we all need to set. What will you do with your degre? research it and see if WGU will be able to give you what you need.
If the university is state approved, and teacher prep approved then it is OK. WGU meets this approval by the CA state commissioning on teacher credentialing (cctc.ca). You must check your states approved program list - if WGU is not listed, then don't go there. For my case - it is - so I won't be questioned as to whether my degree was received online or what my gpa was, but whether I did get my credentials through an accredited TEACHER PREP PROGRAM that is commissioned to get me ready to teach elementary education. DO CHECK THIS out with your state before applying. Not all universities (online or other)are approved.. I spoke to a member of a hiring board in a school district in CA and she said its the interview that you have to pass in order to get a job (if ones available). Getting a degree from Princeton does not qualify for a teaching job. More later!

Toni January 7, 2009 at 1:27 p.m.

I have a 2 year degree & was considering obtaining a teaching cert. from WGU, but when I spoke with a "counselor" on the phone, he didn't seem to know much about the school, almost like a very uninformed reverse interview (me asking the questions) that he didn't know absolute answers to (such as if I don't pass the exam the first time, is there a charge to take it again, his response: I think so?!?!). They also state that a 2 year degree does NOT clear you for some of their coursework, they decide if your credits transfer which means they have the ability to not accept your credits, stall your grades & make you take additional tests or classes to make more money and CANNOT guarantee you in any way that ANY of their classes will transfer if you decide to go to another school. I am also concerned that of all those I have seen with a teaching cert., all are substitute teachers. I have not seen a single one who is actually full time in their field. It makes me believe that school systems might be willing to take a chance on someone with a WGU online degree for a fill in but not for a permanent position. I don't have years to waste or frustration to deal with and I earned most of my credits online from a school (brick and mortar) from the state I used to live in. I'm glad for this site since it helped me decide to pass on this school. Any negative comments (very detailed I might add), are red flags esp. since there are so many of them. A few I can understand, but I'm seeing the same issues over and over. Since the person trying to recruit me knew less than I did AND did NOT call me back for a follow-up as they said they would, I'm done!

Reviewing Another School January 15, 2009 at 7:40 p.m.

The person who posted that they received graded assignments back that were graded wrong is RIGHT. It happened to me as well.

I am going to quit and go to a different school. I am always scheduling the time away from work and family to wait for a phone call from the mentor who doesn't call.

William January 20, 2009 at 3:04 a.m.

I just submitted my last paper for grading today and will receive my BS in Marketing Management from WGU This month, i will also go on to receive my MBA. No its not Harvard, but has a father of nine children running a business I needed some flexibility. I was able to complete my degree in only 7 months. I am not the norm I spent 40 hours a week working on my tasks and had 20 years in my field. I looked into other colleges both online and traditional. Most would make me spend four years or more learning things I already had a good knowledge of. The tasks were hard, I had to make myself work, and I had to be efficient in my approach. All of these things are what I look for in a good employee. If you want easy, you may find it somewhere else. If you want to be spoonfed and graded on some curve to get a degree it's not WGU. If you want to be able to accelerate your degree based upon you own skills and be fiscally responsible then give WGU a look. If you want an unbiased real opinion and more information you can email me to get my phone number and ill give you more info on my experience. dvbill@my.wgu.edu

Mella January 25, 2009 at 5:52 p.m.

Any one completed the Masters in Health Care Admin @WGE?

JJ February 3, 2009 at 12:12 a.m.

Note how those most unhappy w/ WGU didn't finish? I have no skin in the game, but I find it to be hypocritical for one to post a negative review simply because you didn't like the school.
Personally,I went to a Pac-10 school and am looking for an MBA. I found during my B.S. Business program that I had to churn out alot of papers, I didn't always need the text, and the school didn't change its cirriculum each time I whined about it. In fact, I believe I may have even disagreed with a few subjective grades. You people should take a hard look in the mirror and take note of the reflection, for it is a reflection of an immature little brat.

Concerned February 12, 2009 at 2:43 a.m.

I'm currently a Professor at another institution and am working towards earning a degree in IT just because I desire a career switch. It is a shame, but I have to agree that WGU will have to improve their assignment grading skills if I am to ever attend for future terms. Several assignments came back with low grammar scores. Really? I looked over each paper and found no such errors. I had my papers examined by other professors, and there were no such errors.
However, several assignments were scored as having "poor grammar". I sent several messages to Taskstream (the online assignment company) and after two weeks, I was finally given a canned speech about how the evaluators do the very best they can to ensure everyone receives honest and fair grading of every assignment.
They never pointed out my grammatical errors.

Miriam February 15, 2009 at 11:22 p.m.

Based off these reviews, I think I'll stick with my local community college.

This is just terrible!

Sean February 26, 2009 at 8:12 p.m.

I have completed 2 years of general studies at a local 4 year university. I am interested in the BA for physics/chemistry education offered by WGU. I was feeling pretty good about applying to WGU, but after taking a look at the NCATE website, I noticed that none of the science education programs that WGU offers are "recognized programs" by NCATE.

Perhaps I don't fully understand the accreditation by NCATE, but the absence of my chosen major on their list is worrisome. Can anyone out there provide some input on this?

Thank you.

Alex March 3, 2009 at 2:34 p.m.

It appears that some have had good experiences and some have had bad experiences with WGU. I'm pursuing my degree in Information Technology. Like most schools it all depends not only on the school but also the individual. For me its been working. I am an experienced IT professional and wanted to further validate such experience with a degree. I was impressed with the fact that my tuition cost already includes the price of certification exams (11 in all) which give me greater depth of recognition. Additionally the books and other items I received such as costly and valuable development software from Microsoft's affiliation with the WGU program. Ask yourself, why would Microsoft provide this service if it did not feel that WGU is putting out quaility graduates? I have been able to get Vista for business, Windows 7 Beta, Visual Studio Professional 2008 (full version), Server 2003, SQL Server 2008 and Server 2008, Office Suite 2007 Professional, Expression Web2m Expression Design 2 and Expression Blend 2. These are just some of the software I have been able to recieve FREE of charge! What other school provides me that type of service? I also have a full service online reference resource in Skillport 24x7. With Skillport I have access to all the latest books on any IT subject including books on business management. I have literally saved thousands of dollars with WGU and in the process I am obtaining a high level of education in the IT field. It's interesting that most of the students in the IT program are already established professionals looking to add the final missing element - a degree.

After almost two years as a WGU student I'm proud to be associated with them and their program.

Sean March 14, 2009 at 5:09 p.m.

OK, this is for anyone who is interested in pursuing a teaching degree from WGU. Most other states will recognize your degree to teach as long as the state the program that awarded the degree is in (Utah in WGU's case) recognizes that program for licensure in its own state. This is on a PROGRAM by PROGRAM basis! Make sure the degree you intend to get from WGU is recognized by Utah first.

Anonymous March 23, 2009 at 3:09 p.m.

I have recently enrolled in WGU after having attended a Big-10 university many years ago. I have been working in a professional field full-time for more than ten years, and have a genius level IQ, I'm just not a particularly good-student. I have so far found WGU to be confusing, poorly structured, condescending and totally unprepared to deal with professionals who are working towards their degree.

Finding your way through their computerized systems is maddening. Their mentors are useless, every e-mail they send is riddled with exclamation points(!), and they speak as if their only job is to be a cheerleader for WGU. The mentors' demeanor is condescending and childish.

I strongly suspect that many of the positive posts in favor of WGU are posted by WGU employees, due to vast similarities in their writing styles.

I'd post more about the staff's rudeness, and inefficiency, but I don't want them to figure out just who I am. I am seriously regretting wasting my time and a considerable amount of cash on this organization.

Bill March 31, 2009 at 12:43 a.m.

First, I would not give much credit to public message boards where anyone can post anything whether they went to the school or not. I am a student at WGU and must say it is absolutely perfect for me. The books are not that expensive, especially if you shop for bargains and buy used. No matter what school you go to, you will have to buy books, right? My mentor has her degree and most of the community leaders teaching my discipline are PHDs. My suggestion to anyone thinking about attending WGU is to do your research and consider whether or not online education is for you. Then you should check out the WGU Student Hall and see what real students are saying. Yes, WGU has had its growing pains, but with over 10,000 students worldwide you can see why. Lastly, WGU is NON-PROFIT and has the best fee I have been able to find anywhere. They are in it for the education, not the money!

AW April 2, 2009 at 2:09 p.m.

I have been in the Masters of Science Education program for a few years now and I can see both sides.

My frustration with the program that I am enrolled in comes from the number of hours you must devote to it. Sometimes I think it would have been "easier" to sit in a classroom and listen to a lecture and complete the couple hours of work at home. Currently, I am working on a course that requires me to write 13, yes 13, papers relating to the Geosciences. This isn't the only course this term however; I am also doing another which also demands my time.

I am a perfectionist, so I can't just churn out a paper quickly and having spent the last three days of my spring break working on just one of the papers, I really am getting tired of writing papers and would love some variation in the tasks involved. I did enjoy however, the courses that I took through the American Museum of Natural History. They were challenging, definitely time consuming, but varied in the required tasks. I don't think WGU realizes with the Education programs that they are dealing with educators (or potential educators) who need to find various ways to reach multiple learners within our own classroom and writing papers every time doesn't really help us!

If I had the choice to attend WGU again, knowing what I know now and what I have experienced, I would not. I am married, but with no children and I find it too time consuming! I couldn't imagine someone trying to be a parent at the same time too! When I think back I now laugh when they asked if I could devote 15 to 20 hours a week to my courses, because I wish it was only that amount of time. Try all weekend with a sprinkling of grading papers and writing lessons to keep my full time job as a high school science teacher!

I've definitely learned more, but I'm so tired of writing paper after useless paper!

Oh, and by the way, forget trying to complete your courses if you have dial-up internet. I would end up driving to the local library because my dial-up was too slow to complete the online labs or submit my assignments. The computer would just freeze. Now, I am paying for satellite to prevent me from having to drive someplace for faster internet.

jeff April 7, 2009 at 4 a.m.

You have to understand the operational process and the timing to be effective at WGU. The terms are 6 months, but all work must be complated by 5 1/2 months for grading like any school.Once you have been in your program for a a term or two it's up to you how fast you want to work.The first mentor I had was distant and not easily contacted.I pushed for a replacement.The current mentor is great!He guides me and I tell him how many classes I wish to take and he backs me up with scheduling and cracks the whip if someone is being unresponsive or taking too long to grade a task.I take my test at a local community college computer lab and works out great.I have had some issues with WGU and did while attending a state university as well.At WGU you have to take control and if someone is not doing there job, find a way to go around them.They list all the dept's online with phone numbers from directors to assessment schedulers.Anyone who has been in the working environment realizes you don't get along with everyone and any organization has issues. I am 38 years old and stopped going to college about ten years ago, because I didn't have the time to invest.I though I would never finish my degree, but WGU provided a flexible choice that works for me.Whether people agree or not,the accreditation is there and it should speak for itself or else why value it.If someone won't hire you because you went to the wrong school, you have to wonder if you want to work there anyway!!I am not going to spend 60k on a degree from the right school, when I'm finished I will have spent 12k.Along with a degree, you need to be able to sale yourself for most positions anyway.I don't worry, without WGU I wouldn't even have a degree.My two cents.

AW April 7, 2009 at 10:53 p.m.

Stacey,

Regarding your question about assessment grading at WGU, in the masters of education program in which I'm enrolled, I am provided with a grading rubric for each assignment that is very detailed. You can earn up to 4 points for each requirement of a paper and each requirement is spelled out in a way that is understandable and easy to follow. It makes knowing exactly what is wanted very clear. I always write my papers according to the requirements on the rubric and if I don't meet the minimum standards (a score of at least a 3 out of 4), the graders will write comments back to you about what you missed or how to improve!

Michel April 14, 2009 at 6:10 a.m.

I am looking for a reputable online college to get my teaching degree from, and I thought WGU might be the answer for me. However, I have a concern that I feel needs to be addressed. Why will no ther college accept credits from WGU? I am from Washington state and have called several colleges here, and several in California to see if credits would transfer and I received "no" answers from every college I contacted. If WGU is accredited why will no other university even consider matriculating WGU students?

Ed April 20, 2009 at 7:56 a.m.

I have read a lot of the posts here and see exactly what I would expect - some people have little trouble working within a structured environment with little assistance while others thrive in it. I am currently in my second term at WGU in one of the IT programs. So far I have nothing but good things to say about this university.

My mentor has been excellent. She has been honest, forthcoming and has never missed one of our weekly scheduled appointments by more than a few minutes. In fact she even apologizes when she is a few minutes late. At WGU, your mentor is really your personal counselor/cheerleader. She has been very responsive to all my questions and concerns. On most weeks I am totally on pace and focused and our conversations might last a couple of minutes. When I have had questions and concerns she has always been quite responsive. But like business or marriage or some other relationship, if you don't get the right partner, it will make things harder. Sometimes it takes going through a few partners before the right partnership clicks, although I think that is probably rare at that school.

However, with that said, I do feel that this program is not for everyone. Not everyone is cut out to be a college student or a member of the military. You just have to be honest with yourself. If you can learn on your own with just a little hand-holding from your mentor and don’t have user-error tattooed on your forehead, then you can’t beat this university. The price is amazing and if you have time to accelerate your studies and get your degree done faster, then there really is no better program out there.

I have seen other posters say they are concerned about units transferring. Unless you decide to move to an area with a learning institution that has no internet access in the entire area, why would you want to transfer units. Most of their programs are completely online degree only. Finish your degree at WGU. I don't think you will regret it.

Gabriel May 3, 2009 at 12:11 a.m.

Allow me to sum up my whole WGU experience: A degree(any degree), only matters when you don't have one! Any employer for whom you would want to work for, would not care about your degree. I have almost 30 years experience and can tell you that I earned my WGU degree in 3 months. Why so fast? Well, I am a software developer and knew most of the content for my BS degree. I had some problems with other courses such as humanities, better thinking principles, etc. In other words, courses that had nothing to do with information technology.

I too found the mentors to be absolutely useless, but finally realized they are not teachers in the same sense as you would find in school or university. They are merely facilitators. WGU is not for the feint-hearted. It is aimed at mature adults or individuals who can think for themselves and work independently. Some of the assessments were very difficult and required one to study several thick textbooks in addition to research and turning in papers. I have attending regular university and can tell you that it is child's play next to WGU. As for those who claim they were turned away from teaching posts because of their WGU degree - well, I think they are misrepresenting the facts. WGU is a recognized teacher college. Organizations such as Google and Microsoft welcome WGU graduates.

The mentors are not there to tell you what answers you got wrong or what the right answers were and why... Their responsibility is to point you in the right direction and provide resources. They are NOT teachers or professors. In fact many of them do not know the subject content at all. How is this? Consider that all your work is graded by outside sources and your assessments are marked by outside institutions according to rubrics they (not WGU) design.

So, quit blaming the mentors. Yes, some of them are rude and disrespectful. Of all my mentors, only the first one was an intelligent and capable mentor. He is an engineering graduate of a well-known brick and mortar university whose skills and high iq showed. He is a part-time mentor for WGU.

What else can I say... Your success depends on what you know and how well you can apply it. A degree is only an issue when you don't have one.

ThankGod May 7, 2009 at 10:33 p.m.

to follow up for Michel from April 14.
The reason some states/institutions do no accept credits is NOT a reflection of wgu.edu (which I haven't decided whether to attend or not, found this while searching about them)

The reason they don't want to accept is because news will spread of the incompetent csu/uc system and they will loose business.

Same reason gates won't allow ipods in his home, it tells them another product is okay.

it's a business decision that HURTS students, cali, and the uc/csu systems themselves. If people left for BETTER things, they'd have to implement such better things and stop being LAME.

Teri May 20, 2009 at 9:34 p.m.

I attended WGU to become a teacher. My first mentor was lousy, but they eventually fired him. My second mentor was amazing and would often return my calls or emails within minutes. He helped me every step of the way.

Some of the classes were challenging and rewarding, while others were a waste of time, but isn't that how it is in any institution? The only problem I had with the program is my own discipline in doing my studies. You definitely have to be self motivated.

Overall, I was happy with my program. Yes, I still feel strange telling people that I got my degree online, but I think it is the wave of the future. And yes, I did get a job.

Nate May 25, 2009 at 7:10 p.m.

I have seen a lot of comments here about WGU, however none specifically answered question on the assessment exam. Do you take the exam online at home or do you have to go a place where WGU contracts with to take the exam.

Nate May 26, 2009 at 6:51 a.m.

Thanks, also, does anyone know more about the BSN Prelicensure program

Karen June 3, 2009 at 8:32 p.m.

Assessments are PROCTORED and taken at WGU designated / approved sites. I take my assessments at the local community college. You must show valid ID to take the exams.

There are two kinds of "classes" at WGU - either Objective Exams (proctored tests at independent sites), or Performance Assessments (written papers, etc.)

Current WGU Student and Loving It. June 11, 2009 at 10:27 a.m.

I absolutely agree with Big Chief. I have been a student at WGU since November of 2006. I started as a freshman of course. I could have chosen to breeze through the assignments and finish in 2 years or actually take my time and allow the information to be absorbed. I chose to do the latter. I only have two more semesters to go after this one and I am so excited to be a part of growing trend. Not only does WGU listen, they actually care. With everything that is new, kinks have to be worked out. New cars are often recalled, toys that are put out on the market are recalled as well as difficulties with cell phones, lost paperwork at other colleges, work and everywhere else. If you are a positive person, you see the glass as half full, I see WGU as a positive experience that is fulfilling my dreams and will help me to support 6 children. Yes, I have 6 children (4 at home full time) I plan to own and operate my own business as my major is Business Administration. So I won't have the problem of trying to find a job. Success is defined from a personal point of view and it just depends on what you are looking for. No matter what, hard work and persistence pays off, no matter how much you paid for your degree! It's the work and the knowledge of that actually counts. So I say learn while you can so that you can teach others to do the same.

Christina June 18, 2009 at 10:13 p.m.

I have recently graduated, seriously like a week ago. I have had a hard time finding a teaching job. When I talked with members of Human Resources at the Eagle County School District in Eagle, Colorado they said that it was not because of my degree, but because of the economy. I personally loved going to WGU, but I am a very independent person. I want to start my master’s degree in special education, but I want to make sure that I can get a job after going to school here. Can anyone relate? Success Stories? How long it took you to get a job?

Nicole June 29, 2009 at 2:16 a.m.

WGU requires four different Praxis exams for the Special Education degree. This degree allows you to be certified in Pre-k through sixth elementary education and k-12 Special Education. The school is tough, but very rewarding, since I am able to do all my schoolwork at home. The school actually lets you choose where you want to do your demonstration teaching and sends someone to that school to grade your DT.