Golden Gate University vs. University of West Alabama

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by jagmct1, Sep 13, 2005.

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  1. jagmct1

    jagmct1 New Member

    Hello Everyone,

    Well, after much research on my wife's requirements for an online BSBA, I'm thinking either Golden Gate University (San Francisco) or University of West Alabama.

    UWA is a lot cheaper at $250.00 a credit unit or $750.00, whereas GGU is roughly $1300.00 per class (not including books).

    We live about one hour away from San Francisco, so GGU makes sense from a local standpoint, but is it really worth the high tuition? UWA is more affordable, but is clear across the other side of the U.S. My wife and I plan on staying and retiring in California.

    Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.
     
  2. boydston

    boydston New Member

    What would you think of $130/credit hour at Fort Hays State University? I suppose, though, that you've got some more specific parameters than just a basic solid business degree. Golden Gate does a great job and has a good reputation in our part of the world. The University of West Alabama isn't on my California radar so I couldn't comment either way.
     
  3. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    If she is seeking an online degree program, why would it matter where in the U.S. the school is located??? After all, that is the whole point of distance education...you're able to take the courses at a distance.

    I have heard good things about both schools actually, but I think you could find a BSBA that is less expensive than either one of them. What particular requirements does your wife have that the programs need to meet?
     
  4. airtorn

    airtorn Moderator

    Re: Re: Golden Gate University vs. University of West Alabama

    Here is why the school's location may matter: Employers might care. Some people in hiring positions are biased against DL. If you get your degree from your backyard school, the question never arises as to how you completed a degree from a school on the other side of the country without moving. A second reason is regionalization. Regionalization gives the local school a bit of brand name recognition that a relatively unknown school from another part of the country doesn't have. Whether we like it or not, there are employers that care.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 13, 2005
  5. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    I agree with Brad.

    Fort Hays is an exceptional value in DL, and it comes with the added bonus of having automatic credibility, being a state university.

    The only thing I ever had against FHSU was the goofball degree titles they used (still use) like the B.G.S. and the M.L.S., but it appears they're getting away from that now by offering the much more mainstream B.S. and B.B.A. degrees.

    As for the location of the school, I doubt any prospective employer would ever sit down to try to match-up the time frames of where the person lived, versus where they went to school, provided the school was legitimate. When I went to UMass-Lowell, I only visited the actual campus twice.....once to submit my original DD-214 for the Veteran's tuition waiver, the second to collect my diploma.

    I live over 50 miles away from the UMass-Lowell campus, so anyone with a modicum of investigative skills would realize there was no way I could ever take a class at the main campus, but my degree has never been questioned by anyone.

    Jamie, if your wife simply needs an RA degree in Business, I would seriously consider Fort Hays. There aren't much better values in DL, in my opinion.
     
  6. jagmct1

    jagmct1 New Member

    I'll show her FHSU tonight when she gets home from work. I've glanced at FHSU in the past, but never took a close look at them.

    $130.00 per credit hour for a state university is an outstanding deal. They also seem to be user freindly and supportive to their students.
     
  7. nosborne48

    nosborne48 Well-Known Member

    But GGU really IS expensive, isn't it? I can't believe what private schools are getting these days.

    Is there any possibility that she'd want to do GGU either in part or entirely residential? That might factor in...
     
  8. jagmct1

    jagmct1 New Member

    GGU is extremely expensive (not including books), although not as expensive as UoP. GGU seems to have a decent reputation, but at $1300.00 per class, not including books and technology fees, is it really worth spending that much? I'm thinking its not.

    As for UWA, they've been around for quite some time, but don't seem to be on the radar as highly reputable, but a good state university in Alabama.

    With Boydston pointing out FHSU, you really can't beat $130.00 per credit hour for a recognized state university. I'm thinking she apply to FHSU, finish her BSBA at a resonable/affordable cost and transfer over to an MBA program (maybe California State University, Dominguez Hills or even Chico State)
     
  9. RobbCD

    RobbCD New Member

    You and your wife may want to check out the Baker College BBA program. Reasonably priced, IIRC. I'm attending their graduate program now. I like it.

    For what it's worth.
     
  10. jagmct1

    jagmct1 New Member

    Hello Everyone,

    Well, decision was made. My wife enrolled into Fort Hays State University last night in their B.S. Organizational Leadership degree program. She'll be transferring 50 general ed courses over from a community college she attended many years ago.

    FHSU seems to be a well organized and their online programs seem very interactive, with a lot of support to the students. The cost is affordable ($130.00 per credit hour) and they've applied for AACSB accreditation (which may drive the cost up later).

    The only disadvantage I can see is their based on a traditional semester system (spring, summer, fall) and the classes are 16 weeks long. I talked with someone at FHSU and they said the course work and time duration for class is the same online as is for on-campus.

    It seems like she's really excited about the organizational leadership, more so than a standard business degree.

    Does anyone know of a similar program that may be in a more accelerated format (maybe 10 weeks)? Again, she requires RA, campus history, ect). If not, FHSU will be her choice and she'll work with the 16 week class format. Technically, she only has about 20 classes to complete to get her bachelor's, which at 2-3 classes per semester, she could be done in about 2-3 years.

    Thanks again for all your help and assistance and thanks again to Boydston for pointing out FHSU.
     
  11. abnrgr275

    abnrgr275 Member

    Jamie,

    Since you and your wife are located in the San Francisco area and are planning to stay in California perhaps you should look into the numerous Chapman University extension campuses located on the military bases in your area.

    Here's a link to Chapman's extension campuses:

    http://www1.chapman.edu/univcoll/locations/index.html

    They offer a B.A. in Organizational Leadership at many of the extension sites and they also offer five 10-week terms per year with both online and on-base course options. I'm sure their tuition is higher than FHSU's tuition but if you're looking for a good school with a solid reputation in California then Chapman University may fit the bill.

    abnrgr275
     
  12. speedoflight

    speedoflight New Member

    Golden Gate University has a very good rep in SF albeit very expensive. They are a school that caters to the working professional. So their courses and style is targeted for those who want to enhance their careers as opposed to launching a career (i.e. a kid without any work experience).

    If you're looking for an accelerated program, with a 1-course per session method, there are quite a few that do that.

    Not in any particular order:

    1) Bellevue University
    2) LeTourneau University
    3) National University
    4) University of Phoenix (not my fav)
    5) Grand Canyon University
    6) Baker College
     
  13. speedoflight

    speedoflight New Member

    I forgot to say that in my previous posting that if you are looking for an accelerated BA, i.e. done in less than 1 year (11 months) for people coming in with a lot of transfer credits, you might want to call and talk to Bellevue Univ.



     

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