Hi, I am currently completing my 4th course at U o P in the MBA in Marketing. I've been reading the University of Phoenix Sucks website as well as this board & I have mixed feelings....How would you say this degree is perceived? Is it looked down because it is from U o P? I live in Canada & there is not much info on U o P other than what I find on line.The messages are mixed and I am completely confused... Any imput would be greatly appreciated. I do not want this degree to be a worthless piece of paper upon graduation. My question is, should I continue with U o P or should I be looking for an alternative school? Are Capella and Waldon worth looking into or are they perceived the same as U o P. What are other good alternatives to U o P? Many thanks! Agnes
I think people have very mixed feeling and experiences with UoP. I went to the B&M San Jose UoP campus and had very mixed feelings. The admin staff was marginal at best. Our councelers - if you could really call them that - changed at least three times a year. Some classes were good, some were bad. Some of the worst classes given were in VB, V C++, and Networking. Our VB instructor had never coded in VB. What made my experience tolerable was our study group. We had a larger than usual study group of 7 people. I was the only native Californian and only one other was born here. (Afghani, Indian, Kurd, Taiwanese, and I think a Cannnuck). We worked well together and managed to pull off some pretty good presentations. All in all, if I had to do it all again, I would have gone to DeVry. DeVry's IT program is much more technology orientated. UoP is good for marketing/business, but I doubt they will ever been that great as a technical school (you can't even start to learn concepts in 5 weeks - no matter how many hours that you pack into that time). I cannot comment on UoP's Online program. I have heard that Capella and Keller (DeVry's graduate university), as well as others have great online programs. I do know that UoP is very pricey. Have you looked at CSU-DH? Unlike UoP and Keller, they should be AACSB qualified by next year. Capella has a hate group website as well. UoP, like any organization, has its share of detractors. I hope you base your decision on not only the detractors, but the people who have actually attended the University and enjoyed it. As far as your orignal question: What do you intend to accomplish with your MBA? UoP does not offer any sort of career placement (unlike DeVry and others). UoP is definitely a C school -but if all you wish to do accomplish is to move up in your current organization, it should be OK. If you wish to compete with others, you may want to consider a named school (Kellogg, Stanford, etc).
I don't think that the degree will be worthless, and I think that you will learn a lot at UoP. My MBA is from a local school, and I think UoP's MBA is as (maybe more) useful. The value, however, is another consideration. My MBA was $13,000. I think is is a bit more @UoP. Maybe it is worth it, maybe not. There are probably some cheaper alternatives that are as good or better.
UoP, being the largest, private, accredited university in the U.S., is a dual-edged sword. On the one hand, it has graduated tens of thousands over the years, many of whom are making hiring decisions. On the other, many people perceived UoP negatively. But why? I think it is mainly associated with the general bias against distance learning, and many people think UoP is a distance learning school. When someone wants to talk about the fast food industry, do they talk about Burger King? They sell a helluva lot of Whoppers, but no. They talk about McDonalds. And people who talk about distance learning often mention UoP, whether or not what they're talking about even involves UoP. But for the vast majority, the University of Phoenix monniker represents a school they (employers) know nothing about. I'll have more to say in a week or so. A lot more.
There are lots of other good universities with Online MBA programs for more or less the same cost. Texas A&M University - Commerce - RA + AACSB (may allow you to transfer 9~12 credits) UMASS - RA + AACSB COlorado state university - RA + AACSB University of North Alabama - RA + ACBSP California State Uni - Dominguez hills - RA + ACBSP All are RA and known universities and for sure more respected than UOP.
Hello maya2, When I had considered going for a distance MBA, I did consider U of P online. In fact, I did quite a lot of research from World Education Services in Toronto as well as the foreign credentials evaluation department at the University of Guelph regarding pursuing an MBA outside of Canada. Both had recommended going to an accredited school from the US, (Regional accreditation preferred above all else but National would do too,) or go for an Australian or UK based MBA. I remember the counselor at U of Gueph mentioning U of P as his first choice among American universities since it is an RA school. Both WES and U of G foreign credentials evaluation department, however, did not talk a lot about professional accreditations like AACSB or ACBSP which is very interesting. I think people in Canada have a slight advantage since the U of P has not as aggresively advertised here in Canada as they have in the states. As a result, people out here are not as informed about the negative image U of P has developed in the US due to its advertising practices. That does not however mean that HR in Canada (like their American counterparts) do not take online learning in negative light on occasion... so it is still a trade off if you run into a very conservate (not politically) recruiter who values B&M education/training. Moreso, I think going for some of the universities mentioned by other participants on the threads are worthwhile looking at. Calstate Dominguez Hills for sure, since it is Regionally accredited, ASBSP approved and also applying for AACSB accreditation. On a personal note, I think you should consider the time you've spent on the courses you've completed, and how much of it can it be salvaged by credit transfer if you choose to switch to another university. In the end it may very well be what you've learn't from the MBA and how you conduct yourself in an interview or a client meeting than the name of the university you attended to obtain it, and how. It all depends on your situation and the goals you''ve set for yourself. Regards, Mahmood
Thank you very much for your reply I am in this program to advance my career, the company for which I work is paying for 60% of my tuition fees. Upon my graduation, I will be able to apply for managerial positions (probably product or marketing manager). I am planning to stay with the company for the next 5 years, it is a large global organization and I am hoping on relocating to either Europe or Australia, withouth an MBA, it would be an impossible task. I appreciate your posting, it certainly gave me some ideas. Many thanks! Agnes
