Has anyone attended this university? Would you mind sharing your experience? Also, what is the perception of "competency based" vs traditional credits? Regards, sma
I have read posts from Ashworth College students who have moved on to WGU, and they seem to be very happy with it. However, WGU is no walk in the park. I'm under the impression that the competency-based learning is a lot of work, although it really does force you to learn the material. As for the perception of WGU, I think it had a rocky start when it was first launched, although that is probably turning around. I know the school has received a number of federal grants and some major corporations pay for their employees to receive their education from WGU.
I am currentlyin the WGU BS in Bus mgt program and it is tough,but a good program if you truly want to learn. I will warn you take what the admissions counselors say with a HUGE grain of salt as they will promise you the world in order to get you to enroll. I've been in the program a year(with 26 credits by the end of December) and was told I could easily finish my degree in a 2 year time frame,but not with the plan of action I must take.So beware the admissions guys. Everything else is topnotch,though,and kudos to Greg Gough and Dr. Bari Courts (my mentors) and Jeremy Lash(my facilitator of their mandatory starter course).Their staff is great and they do care about their students.
Have you done any CLEPs for the school? The admissions guy that's been emailing me from the school says they aren't looking for specific CLEPs, just general ed ones. I was looking to get a lot of general education stuff out of the way before I fully commit to using WGU. Anyone have any they can recommend? I'm looking at possibly doing the BS in Computer Information Systems or in IT - Network Management. If you don't mind me asking, what is holding you back from finishing in 2 years? I work 7 on 7 off nights, and as long as I can get my work done, my boss has no trouble with me doing schoolwork here. I'll definitely need to cancel my World of Warcraft account though.
I'm not sure how one would take "competency units" to a "semester school." I say this as someone who spent a year at WGU. I did so with my eyes open, for vocational reasons--the course material was relevant to my current occupation, and I had remaining G.I. Bill entitlement. That said, WGU is accredited by all the regional associations. I don't know of anyone who's attempted to transfer credits, though. My experience was very positive. My Ph.D. mentor called me every month. We talked about my progress. I'd say that if you are in an environment to actually create projects that use the knowledge you are learning, it could be a very positive experience for you. Ternahan
Ternahan, Which PhD program were you enrolled in at WGU? I’ve visited WGU's Web site but I could not locate any doctoral programs.
No, to my knowledge there are no doctoral programs offered by WGU. There are always changes afoot at WGU, but generally those changes are more focused on exploring potential for improvement within existing programs, occasional additions to curricular & assessment-structures, or related research. I too am always interested in new doctoral programs, and would be very interested in such a program if offered by my own alma mater. I’m fairly certain that if a doctoral program had been developed and launched, I’d most likely have heard about it. - Intro
