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Western Governors University Student Reviews |
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As the nation's only online, competency-based
university, WGU focuses on developing a highly competent graduate,
not just someone who has accumulated credit hours. In fact,
WGU does not award degrees based on credit hours or required
courses. Your progress is determined by your ability to pass
rigorous assessments-typically tests, projects and a portfolio-that
measure your knowledge and skills as you move through your degree
program.With bachelor’s and master’s degree programs
in education, business, information technology, and health professions,
WGU’s rigorous yet flexible approach to education gives
the university a unique advantage over other online programs.
Accreditation
Western Governors University is the only university to have
received simultaneous accreditation by four regional accrediting
commissions. WGU is also nationally accredited by the Distance
Education and Training Council (DETC). The WGU Teachers College
is the first and only online provider of teacher education to
receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation
of Teacher Education (NCATE). |
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Posted by daniel
January 24, 2012 |
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Prepare to resubmit |
| MBA |
| Be prepared to resubmit your tasks many times as the instructor wants you
to answer questions the way they want. The tasks use words like "evaluate"
and "analyze" then whem you do it's not good enough. |
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Posted by Tom
October 20, 2011 |
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Posted by FDL
July 18, 2011 |
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Excellant School-You Earn the Degree |
| MBA |
| I graduated from WGU a couple of years ago and after reading some of the
nonsense posted here, I'd like to set the record straight. WGU offers a
very cost effective, regionally accredited and legitimate program. During
my studies I found anyone I spoke or communicated with to be informed,
knowldegable and efficient. My advisor was first rate.
The comments some have posted are utter nonsense, they appear to come from
individuals who are not willing to take some accountability for their own
education. This is university level work, you should expect university
level demands.
If you are look...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Linda L. Golliher
June 25, 2011 |
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Disorganized mess |
| Education |
| I have found that nobody knows what anyone else is saying or doing. It is
very hard to get a straight answer from anyone about your questions and it
takes forever to get an answer. They have so many places to ask questions
that I don't think even they know where they are. I have posted questions
that have never been responded to, ever.
Tests do not correlate with the materials in the course of study on many of
the courses that you have to take. Once I got past the fact that I am
really on my own, I have done much better.
Also, none of the course you take will transfer anywhere else s...Read Full Review |
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Posted by jackie
March 5, 2011 |
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GREAT SCHOOL |
| Special Education |
| I love this school! I have learned more in 1 term at WGU than my 4 year
college. I love that I can do it at my own pace and on my own schedule. I
end up doing most of my studies during my kids' nap times and after they've
gone to bed for the night. This school is for the highly motivated and hard
working. The people at WGU want you to succeed and are there to help you
every step of the way.
If you are even thinking about going to an online college just try it out
for 1 term. What do you have to lose? |
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Posted by Erik Williams
December 8, 2010 |
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WGU: Your Brain Will Fry, But it Will Feel so Good. |
| Bachelor's in Information Technology (BIT) |
| This school may be as tough, if not tougher, than a traditional school.
The staff are very helpful and quick to respond to any and all problems you
may have. I attended the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
several years ago with decent grades (3.5) before I dropped out for
situational reasons. After a year out of this school, I attended Adams
State College, when after just 3 weeks, trouble struck my life again. I
had to drop out and went on to work lots of low paying odd jobs, and was on
the verge of a divorce.
Finally, after 3 years, a saved marriage and 2 children, I decided...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Alan Hawkins
October 14, 2010 |
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WGU versus Capella University |
| Information Technology |
| When I returned to school, I started out at Capella - a good school but it
was very expensive. For the 2 courses I took at Capella, that amount could
have paid for an entire year at WGU. Since I didn't want to be in debt for
over $30,000, I changed to WGU. The program that I'm taking - Network
Design and Management - has several certifications. The first one I took
was for the CIW Internet Specialist was extremely hard but I passed.
The main thing about WGU is that it is basically a self-study program.
Support is offered through your mentor and other support staff. You can
contact the ...Read Full Review |
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Posted by T. Jenkins
September 9, 2010 |
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Great School |
| MBA, Strategy and Leadership |
| This is a great school for people who have the ability to work on their
own, and at their own pace. The material is timely, and honestly is not
easy. You must enjoy going deep into subject matter and than being able to
apply it.
I'm in my final semester for obtaining my MBA at WGU. It's been an
incredible experience, and all I can say is....you get what you put in at
WGU.
Best of luck to all.
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Posted by Chris
August 17, 2010 |
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In response to the critics |
| MBA Management and Strategy |
| The simple fact is that to succeed, a student at WGU has to take the
initiative to learn and apply the knowledge available. In regard to my
experience, it was all positive. Traditional schools teach to the lowest
member of a group and as a result, the majority of the classroom time is
wasted or dispensed at a slow rate. The nice thing about WGU is that it is
up to you as an individual to seek out the information and make it
understandable. Faculty and staff are available to answer questions, but
you have to take it upon yourself to contact them and communicate your
questions. The format o...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Elizabeth Neuman
July 26, 2010 |
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Pretty Good |
| Marketing |
| I went to another university for a couple of years and got cheated. The
TA's constantly lost my assignments and lied, the administration only
wanted my money, and finally I completed all credits (with B's in
everything) and they wouldn't give me my degree! They wanted me to pay
them to get my transcripts sent to them, reapply, and then pay out of
state.
I began looking at online schools. I looked at about 15 places before I
chose WGU. I haven't come across any politics yets (have about a year
left). They transferred a ton of my credits. I even sent them an email
asking about another ...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Chris
June 20, 2010 |
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Great School |
| BS in Finance |
| Great experience with WGU. Mentor was great and the course material was
very challenging. Very happy with WGU. |
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Posted by A Lopez
June 11, 2010 |
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You get what YOU GIVE! Great opportunity! |
| Masters in Educational Studies |
| I began the with the K-12 Teacher Certification program in August 2006,
then transfered to the MA Educational Studies; I could have finsihed the
program in 2 years but due to some family situations and my own slacking
off it took me 4!
WGU is not a diploma mill in anyway. I am here in NYC and have attend both
public and private schools that offered much less for much much more money!
Most of these negative complaints come from either people who thought WGU
would hand them over a degree or from those that find fault with
everything.
I have to say that my 4th mentor ( yes I had requested chan...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Norman
June 7, 2010 |
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Education reaches and all time low at Western Governors |
| Education |
| Western Governors University is run by an egomaniacal business man, Bob
Mendenhall, who makes a mockery of higher education. In meetings with his
senior staff he requires that they review numbers that are different from
those he supplies to his Board and tells his staff not to reveal the real
numbers to anyone. He is focused solely on keeping students enrolled so
that he can continue to collect their Financial Aid payments even when the
student is not capable of doing the work. His mantra is “SAP, SAT and RET,”
not student learning or student achievement. Courses are developed often by
junior ...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Norman
June 6, 2010 |
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Making a mockery of online education |
| All |
| Western Governors University is run by an egomaniacal business man, Bob
Mendenhall, who makes a mockery of higher education. In meetings with his
senior staff he requires that they review numbers that are different from
those he supplies to his Board and tells his staff not to reveal the real
numbers to anyone. He is focused solely on keeping students enrolled so
that he can continue to collect their Financial Aid payments even when the
student is not capable of doing the work. His mantra is “SAP, SAT and RET,”
not student learning or student achievement. Courses are developed often by
junior ...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Jen
April 5, 2010 |
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Rip off! Little get what you pay for! |
| K-8 Elementary Teacher Certification |
| A rip off! You get what you pay for! I have a B.A. and a M.S. in other
subjects, but wanted to get an elementary teaching certification. WGU told
me that I would have to complete about 20 prerequisite credits before even
enrolling in the teaching cert program (International Baccalaureate credits
are not accepted, either). You also cannot roll into the teaching cert
program until after you completed the 6 month prerequisite program. The
majority of the required credits had duplicate content of undergrad and
grad courses I have taken at other universities. They want your money and
it is a farce ...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Joy
November 15, 2009 |
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Difficult Start - Fantastic Finish |
| Dual Licensure, Special Education and K-8 |
| In my first semester, according to my mentor, absolutely everything that
could go wrong, did go wrong. Assessment schedules, computers not working
during assessments, misunderstandings and misinformation on both sides.
I am SO Glad I didn't let those first glitches detour me. During moves
related to my spouse's employment, I've attended several brick & mortar and
online universities. Only WGU has a model that really works for a
committed student who needs to have an online environment that isn't tied
to a time frame. Once I got started, I was able to accelerate without
cutting into th...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Josh
August 27, 2009 |
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rubber stamp factory |
| business |
| I started school only to find out they could not process financial aid
documents because the admin could not do basic math. I am divorced and
unable to get the ex wife's w-2 since we divorced earlier this year. They
refuse to do the math to separate income even though they have my w-2 and
last year's tax forms. Nobody could answer a question. It was always a
referral to someone else and we will get back to you later process. Do not
I repeat DO NOT even start with this school. |
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Posted by RDM
August 7, 2009 |
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Be prepared to write |
| Middle School Math ed. |
| WGU is perfect for me and perfect for you if you are diligent and
resourceful. Be prepared to write allot. Dozens of term papers over the
whole course of study. None more than 6 pages though. My mentor is great.
I am starting student teaching in a few weeks and I feel very prepared.
The competency-based system is great because once you demonstrate
competence in a particular discipline, you move on. Easy to accelerate
your program. |
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Posted by Current Student
July 18, 2009 |
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So far, so good |
| Education |
| I'm a current student and figured I would give some more detailed info as
to my experience so far at WGU.
So far, so good. I'm 2 years into my education program and will finish up
sometime next year. My mentor has been incredible, and the student services
have been extremely helpful (and they are also open almost 24 hours now).
The coursework is tough, but if you are a decent independent learner, then
you will be fine. I've been to brick and mortar universities, and WGU is
definitely par with any other university. To be successful at WGU, keep
these things in mind:
1. Force yourself to ...Read Full Review |
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Posted by EX student
June 15, 2009 |
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Not worth it |
| BA in Science |
| I graduated in June 08 with a BA at another college. I do not recomend WGU,
in this post I will mention all the things I think were not correctly
treated. The courses were structured but their textbooks did not matched
all the material covered in the exams, some mentors I had were not
effective ( they only ask you how you doing). WGU does not have regular
courses, instead competencies (not really courses with a structure and
support for preparation that was inadequate). The school did not recognize
my previous 50 chemistry credits previously earned at a RA recognized
college and have to take t...Read Full Review |
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Posted by NJ Teacher
May 7, 2009 |
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Awesome |
| Education |
| I am in my 2nd term at WGU and I love it. While I complete my coursework, I
work as a substitute teacher. My WGU courwework has allowed me to obtain
several teaching jobs so far. I am currently working in a 5th grade
maternity leave position. The teachers who supervised me during my field
experiences were extremely impressed with the program and with me. My
principal is impressed with the program as well and feels that this is the
way the movement is headed. My experiences also helped me land a summer
teaching job and a tutoring job.
I started this program because I was working full time an...Read Full Review |
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Posted by AW
April 2, 2009 |
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Too time consuming |
| Masters in Education |
| I have been in the Masters of Science Education program for a few years now
and I can see both sides.
My frustration with the program that I am enrolled in comes from the number
of hours you must devote to it. Sometimes I think it would have been
"easier" to sit in a classroom and listen to a lecture and complete the
couple hours of work at home. Currently, I am working on a course that
requires me to write 13, yes 13, papers relating to the Geosciences. This
isn't the only course this term however; I am also doing another which also
demands my time.
I am a perfectionist, so I can't just...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Ashlee
March 12, 2009 |
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Satisfied |
| BA Social Science |
| I am a current WGU student enrolled in the BA Social Science / Teaching
Licensure program. I am currently in my fifth semester. Let me start by
saying that I would love to attend a "brick and mortar" institution but my
current schedule would not allow it. That being said, I have had minimal
issues with WGU, and am satisfied with my experience.
The issues I have had with the University are:
1- Never getting the Financial Aid office to return calls (but what school
is this not true of?)
2- Minor revisions in the online learning format
3- A major structure overhall of my degree program - bu...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Alex
March 3, 2009 |
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Works for me |
| Information Technology |
| It appears that some have had good experiences and some have had bad
experiences with WGU. I'm pursuing my degree in Information Technology.
Like most schools it all depends not only on the school but also the
individual. For me its been working. I am an experienced IT professional
and wanted to further validate such experience with a degree. I was
impressed with the fact that my tuition cost already includes the price of
certification exams (11 in all) which give me greater depth of recognition.
Additionally the books and other items I received such as costly and
valuable development software...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Duke
February 19, 2009 |
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What you give is what you get |
| IT |
| I have completed 80+ hours at WGU and find it to be a decent program. You
do need to pay attention to the process and work with your mentor to make
sure that you are never waiting on WGU. That means that you have to have
more than one assessment referred and multitask to the next one while the
former is being graded. The cut-off period for the semester (for grading)
is not an important issue if you understand it up-front and plan for it.
If you want to get your degree and you are constrained by time, work and
family, WGU is a great alternative. For those of us in the technical
fields, WGU h...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Gunner Bob
February 14, 2009 |
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Poor quality, bad administration |
| Business admin |
| I successfully completed one term at WGU. I will not go back.
It has been a nightmare at WGU.
The terms are not six months, because you have to finish before the sixth
month. I spent the 1st month doing a bunch of nonsense work on how to be a
student. It was a huge waste of time for a worthless one credit. It was
more work than the three credit chemistry class.
It takes me weeks to get one assessment scheduled. It takes a long time to
get single little essay graded. They made me take courses from the Museum
of Natural Science, that did not count, but wasted time. I am an
independent wor...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Bonnie
February 12, 2009 |
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Good experience |
| BS in Marketing |
| I just completed my BS/marketing degree at WGU. I completed the program in
3 years. I could have accelerated it a bit more but I took some time off
for family matters. I was so pleased with the program that I have
re-enrolled to begin work on my masters program.
I did extensive research before I began an online degree program. I found
that WGU was the option that most met my criteria, they are NFP and fully
accredited. I had a great mentor who helped guide and prepare me, I had no
problem getting quick responses or feedback.
I think in today’s techno savvy world, online degrees are becom...Read Full Review |
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Posted by IT Student
January 15, 2009 |
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Pretty good so far |
| Network Administration |
| I started my program in Information Technology-Network Administration
emphasis at WGU in December and so far so good. My mentor has been pretty
great. My first class (Internet Foundations) listed a bunch of books to
read, but my mentor basically told me to avoid these books and try using
the courseware (included w/ the tuition) that he will be sending me. From
an IT perspective, people who are claiming that you should go to a brick
and mortar university instead really don't have a clue. For my first
course, I was required to study for and PASS the CIW Foundations
certification exam. I used to ...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Heather
January 9, 2009 |
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Good program for independent learners |
| BA Teaching - PK-8 Licensure program |
| I am about to graduate from WGU's Bachelor of Arts Teachers' College PK-8
Licensure program. I had no trouble finding TWO local schools willing to
take me on as a student teacher. If you are an independent learner, you
will not have trouble with WGU. THey are nationally, and more importantly,
regionally accredited. Further, for those looking into teaching, they are
NCATE (Google NCATE) accredited, which means you can apply for a license in
many states without having to first get licensed in UT (where WGU is
located) and then transfer.
This is a task-based program...you prove your competenc...Read Full Review |
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Posted by Rob
December 26, 2008 |
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Stay away |
| Business |
| I attempted WGU because as a working adult, married with two children,
learning online seemed to be the best alternative to a traditional school.
After one year, I eventually withdrew. As I read in one review forum, WGU
is a good idea executed poorly. They have a long way to go to be a
University providing a high quality education. I recently transfered to a
local University that has evening, weekend and online classes for working
adults. I would suggest anyone looking to earn a degree, look for a local
school that caters to working adults.
My suggestion is to stay away from WGU. It is not ...Read Full Review |
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(30 reviews)
