So I have a AAS in Computer Network Engineering I got from Westwood in 2006. I have to say I am happy I went to college. My degree made me meet the min requirement for Edu for a SPAWAR MWR slot in the Middle East. So after the Army I did that. So fast forward to the present I have basically maxed out my career progression. I have been noticing my Peers with MBA's with IT undergrads with less time in service have been passing me. And I'm not talking little leaps more like NOC Deputy Director and Country Deputy Manager positions. So large leaps up the ladder. So I am back in School at Westwood with less then a year to get my BS in Network Management. And after that I am consider enrolling in a MBA program at Westwood. Just to avoid comments about accreditation to move this thread forward yes it is accredited and the Department of Education, Department of Defense, Department of the Navy, Department of the Army, And CHEA agree with me. Also most MBA programs from NA or RA school's aren't even ACCSB, ACBSP, or IACBE accredited. Of course Westwood doesn't have any of the 3. Why question is does anyone know someone with a Westwood BBA or MBA and if so how well received is it in the job world? In the Defense IT world world no one cares about RA or NA. Since a MBA isn't IT I'm just not sure about Westwoods since I don't work in a Business Field at all. Any insight into this would be helpful.
I would think it all depends on the employer. Most employers acknowledge degrees recognized by CHEA but there are those that prefer RA, as well as those that prefer RA + program accreditation. As long as you're working in a blue collar area, i.e., hands-on technical, I would think that you would be okay. The focus here tends to be on your knowledge and skills. The more you get into the white collar area (management, business analysis, etc.), I would think the shift in preference would be towards RA, if not RA + PA. Of course, opinions are like a-holes, everyone has one, so feel free to take or leave mine.
I will second dlcurious' remarks, but add a few thoughts. My personal guess is that probably only 30% of management posts really REQUIRE an RA degree-- that is to say, they are in highly competitive or picky fields such as education or high finance. How many employers have you actually heard of performing any in-depth research on where their applicants' degrees are from? In most cases, I don't think it happens, especially right now with HR folks being deluged with resumes. In many cases, a degree requirement is simply a handy screening filter (which can inadvertently lead to the "degree check box mentality", unfortunately). All that being said, I might not object to a DETC MBA, but I might object to Westwood's. Have you checked out their reputation online? Looked up their reputation via reviews, searched boards like this, checked to see how their alumni are doing via LinkedIn? Those are all important things to look up. IMHO, Westwood does not strike me as the best DETC school for the buck you spend-- there are probably much better options (California Southern and Aspen U come to mind).
I also like California Coast... they're on my short list of low cost options for a doctorate, should I ever decide to pursue one.
Thank you for the insight I always enjoy different views. All I would want it for is to grease the wheels into Management in the IT world. Not sure if it makes a different it is isn't a pure business position but a mix. Yeah I looked into Westwoods rep and of course like most bigger for profits they have some sort of legal issues. Its funny I Google Westwood sometimes and i always see people saying 'ITS NOT EVEN ACCREDITED". Or people laugh at that degree or whatever. Seems a tad dramatic to believe and I take everything with a grain of salt anyways. I have looked on Linkedin and I find a lot of Westwood grads in good IT positions. I myself pull well into 6 figures on income. I honestly couldn't have done it without a AAS from Westwood. Not that it taught me anything it was just a requirement I had to meet. I am going to get my BS just to fire proof myself no matter what just in case some down sizing happens. But I'm not sure of a MBA yet I know I can get a GS position with it later when I come back stateside which makes it more attractive.
