I am looking to pursue a B.S. in accounting on line. Looking at U. of Phoenix. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated. If anyone is enrolled in this program or completed the degree I would love to hear from you.
Either online or at the local campus, UoP students do about half their work in learning teams. This is no small matter, and should be considered carefully before you chose that school.
What are the disadvantages vs advantages of learning teams? That seems a little odd to me. Has anyone here taken courses from UoP? Where you satisfied? Any recommendations of other schools would be welcome.
Advantages: Collaborative learning Team assignments where teammates learn from each other Built in source for questions, concerns, etc. Built in study group Disadvantages: Teammates who don't pull their weight Team Assignment grades go to all team members, regardless of individual effort/accomplishment UoP's students spend about half their "class" time in learning team activities. Learning team assignments make up 25-35% of each class grade. Campus-based courses meet for 20 (undergraduate) or 24 (graduate) hours for 5 or 6 weeks, respectively. The remainder of what might be considered "seat time" is done in leaderless, self-directed learning teams. I'm not advocating the method, nor am I suggesting it is not effective. UoP was founded on the principle of learning teams, using them for learning even before the university was established. (See "Rebel With a Cause" by UoP founder John Sperling for more information about pre-UoP days.) They're the foundation upon which UoP, the largest, private accredited university in the country, was built.
U. of Phoenix B.S. in I completed a Master of Arts Degree in Organizational Management with the University of Phoenix on 14 Apr 04. The program was 40 semester hours (one three week course - one semester hour and 13 six week courses). As Rich has stated, all the courses consist of learning teams. While I did not particularly like them, I cannot say they had an effect on my grades or effort. The teams that I were on all pulled their weight so they were ok. I took all my classes online. If you want any more information, please let me know. Fred
Tigerhead, Just a word of caution. If you plan to sit for the CPA Exam, be sure to check with your state board on how they view accounting online courses . My state requires that all CPA required courses be taken at a Brick & Mortar institution. I completed my BSBA in accounting at TESC, but all the CPA requirements were taken at local colleges then transferred to TESC. RNFJR
I received my BSBM from UoPhx. I was also on faculty for awhile. I had a couple of accounting groups when I taught stats. UoPhx does a good job with qualitative studies. However, the time allowed for quantitative coursework is, IMHO, too short. The work gets rushed, and students do not get the practice needed. Usually, one or two students do most of the work in a quantitative class for the learning team (easily discernable when they turn in handwritten work). Overall, I am happy I went there. Overall, I am very happy to have taught there. I just wish there was more emphasis on quantitative work in the business curriculum.