I occasionally teach courses for the University of Phoenix Online, typically geeky Unix or Web related classes. While it’s not a great paying gig, I find it very interesting to be on the inside of one of the largest and most successful private educational organizations in the world. The University of Phoenix is actually owned by a for-profit company called The Apollo Group, which last year reported net income of $277 million against total revenue of $1.7 billion. Total enrolled student body: 107,497 students on physical campuses and 132,709 through their online program.
One very interesting change that the University of Phoenix has made to its course programs is that it defined a school week as Wednesday to the following Thursday, rather than Sunday to Saturday as every other school does. But that’s changing, according to the following memo…
This is an email message sent to all faculty (as far as I can tell) from the Dean:
Starting 4/19/05, all Online classes will begin on Tuesdays, and the Online week will run from Tuesday to Monday rather than the current schedule of Thursday to Wednesday. Online is making this change in response to student requests to adjust the course schedule to better take advantage of the weekends.
Here are some important points to keep in mind about this schedule change:
1) Online classes that begin before 4/19/05 will continue with the current Thursday-to-Wednesday schedule until they are completed. This schedule change impacts only those courses starting on or after Tuesday, 04/19/05.
2) A course originally scheduled to begin on Thursday, 4/21/05 now starts on Tuesday, 4/19/05. If you agreed to facilitate any courses with Thursday start dates after 4/21/05, those start dates will also be moved up two days so that the courses now start on Tuesday.
The Online schedulers will not contact you about the schedule change for courses that were starting on 04/21/05 or after. If you agreed to facilitate those courses, you are still scheduled for those courses with the understanding that the courses will begin on Tuesday rather than Thursday. If this change of schedule means that you will no longer be able to facilitate courses that you have already accepted, please contact your faculty scheduler immediately.
3) This schedule change needs to be reflected in your course materials. The assignment schedule in your syllabi will need to be adjusted to account for the Tuesday start date, and you will need to adapt other aspects of the course schedule, such as due days for discussion questions. In most cases, this will simply be a matter of making sure that assignment due dates are two days earlier.
4) Please note that faculty are still expected to post their weekly course materials the day before the respective Online week begins, which will be Monday of each week for courses that begin Tuesday.
5) Online resources such as the Online Syllabus Builder will be updated to reflect this change, and you will receive further tips about making this transition in separate notes over the next few weeks.
We recognize that this change is going to require faculty to adapt materials for the new Tuesday start date. Your assistance in helping us make this transition is greatly appreciated.
Over 100,000 students now have their week change, have new homework schedules, new requirements for integrating school and work, and more. All at the stroke of a single email message.
I have to say that I believe the University of Phoenix Online does a pretty darn good job with its online courseware delivery and education. They have a rigorous faculty training program and unlike other universities that I’m involved with, they have staff audit your classes and evaluate your teaching and interaction style on a recurring basis. They also have put quite a lot of effort into normalizing courses so that students get the same material, in the same order, regardless of instructor or when the class is delivered.
But I’m on the inside. From the outside things look different and the University of Phoenix does have somewhat of a reputation as a ‘degree mill’ without the academic credibility of other, more established institutions. I believe that this reputation is unfair, but I’m just a single voice out here in the wilderness.
Have you taken classes at UP Online, and if so, what was your experience and how did you like the overall program?
Hi Dave,
I am currently a UOP student, and I can tell you that UOP is most certainly not a degree mill. I think of the small institutions that charge you an arm and a leg for basic training that you could learn on the job, a degree mill. UOP puts its students through the ringer (in a good way) when it comes to course material. I have had to do way more critical thinking in these classes, and turn out a heck of a lot more homework in UOP then any other school. I think that they compensate for the fact that you are not in a classroom setting by having such an intensive curriculum. At times it is overwhelming, but I am only in my second class and already feel I have learned so much.
My wife just completed two years of course work at UOP to EARN her BS Nursing. The ability to “attend” classes any time of the day or night worked well for her. In fact she was often up and on-line when I woke up to go to work the next morning many times. The assignments for most classes were demanding in the amount of research required to provide an answer. Each assignment was then blogged by the other students in the class ( if I am using the word correctly). There were group projects for most classes that required a group of student to work together to complete a class project. My daughter also completed her MS in business and accounting recently at UOP. Her experiences were similar. One funny comment from her HR Director at her office was that on-line schools lacked interaction. In a traditional class I could sit in the back and never say a word the entire course. At UOP interaction is the way most classes are accomplished along with writing a paper a week. The instructors are able to evaluate the students on daily work and get a good feeling of who is doing what work.
Is the process infallible? No more than attending any brick and mortar program. This includes the quality of the instructors, their participation and grading. All in all my wife and daughter worked hard and learned as much as going to any other qualified school. They just saved a lot of time by not having to drive there.
In my opinion, the term ‘degree mill’ coupled with UOP is an oxymoron.
How are the online tests? Are they timed? Do you have to take the tests at a school if you’re taking online courses or do you take midterms and finals online? How do they prevent cheating?
Hi Dave,
I am currently in my 3rd class at the UoP and also I am considering dropping completely to attend a “traditional” university. Why you may ask? Several reasons really.
My last instructor for CSS/330 was completely unorganized. Her weekly assignments that were listed in the syllabus contradicted what she asked us to do in her weekly postings for those assignments. When asked about that, she told us to go by what was in the syllabus, only to turn around and grade us down on our assignments because we did not follow what was posted online. She did not make any sense at all to any of my classmates. I know of 4 people including myself that have lodge complaints to the administration about her. I am certain that there are many more that have complained too, I just have not heard of any others publically voicing their opinions about this particular teacher.
I also, tested her grading skills so-to-speak… One of my assignments was to write a case study in regards to health care. I deliberately wrote the paper without using correct grammar usage and several puncuation mistakes as well. I wanted to see what kind of grade I would receive. I expected a C or D on that paper, but amazingly she thought the paper was wonderful and gave me a A minus. I was completely blown away by that grade and am still mystified by it.
Now granted I really have not entered my core classes yet (B.S. IT) and won’t until the next class, but since I am in my third class I still feel, even from day one of my first class that I am not being challenged much. I went to DeVry before Phoenix and thinking about my experiences at DeVry almost brings shudders to mind. DeVry was difficult for me and I am not certain why. The degree of difficulty could be that I went to DeVry straight out of high school. I am now 26 and have roughly 11 years in the I.T. Industry and many industry specific certifications as well. I just do not feel challenged much at Phoenix. I have a 4.0 average, which I never had at DeVry and even in High School.
Maybe I need to give UoP a little time to challenge me, but the way I look at it, they’re getting my money and I hope before the end of this class I get my money’s worth in terms of the quality of the education that I am receiving. At nearly $350 a credit hour, it’s definitely not your bargain education.
The plus side of UoP is their material and the library services. I think the UoP’s library services are completely awesome and are truly helpful to the students at UoP. DeVry never had anything like this and probably still do not to this day.
I wish I could find employment statistics online in regards to placement of UoP graduates who have the BSIT degree. Do you know where I could find this information besides from UoP? I’d like to see unbiased information on that subject if it exists.
Anyway, just thought I’d give you my $0.02 on the subject of UoP.
I am on my last classs at UOP online. I transfered in 50 credit hours and have finished the remainder of the 123 required online. It has been both indepth and challenging. I have read more and studied harder than I thought I would have to. I was a skeptic when I first started but I quickly found that it was better (for me) than any of the classroom time that I had spent previously.
I am one third of the way through the MBA program and I would have to agree that the notion that online work lacks interaction is far from the truth. We interact all the time on a daily basis, partly because we work in groups. I interact more in these classes than I ever did in traditional classes. I think the instructors I’ve had so far are experienced in their fields, but sometimes wonder whether they read all the papers we write or not. However, the learning process has already taken place by the amount of effort you put into your work, not the grade you get. This is a situation where the more you put into it, the more you get out of it, and that work will show up in how you do your job and what you understand now that you wouldn’t have ever understood without course studies. UOP has worked well for me.
I’ve been a student at UoP for over 2 years now (BSIT) and can say that it’s probably the best education for “real world applications” of technology related skills that you’re going to find. I’ve attended community college, researched 4 year programs all over the heart of the Silicon Valley (when I lived there) and they all paled in comparison to the course material covered by UoP. Yup, you read that right… the traditional 4 year programs SUCKED in comparison. This comes from someone who’s been in the industry for the better part of 12 years now and done everything from hardware to help desk to contracting and programming. I found NO school in the bay area that even came close to UoP from a course content perspective. They were all theory with no practical application, entry level stuff at best. What you learn at UoP is what you’ll use in the real world… pure and simple. Up to date material and you’re not encouraged, but FORCED to participate to maintain a passing grade. And when the instructor doesn’t know something? Chances are somebody in your class WILL know it and be able to expand on the curriculum even further. It’s called collaborative learning for a reason.
My advice to those who are worried about how a potential employer will view the degree is this: If they don’t understand the value of the education you received, you don’t want to work for them anyway. Find someone who DOES understand how much work goes in to a UoP degree… how much the instructors offer because they actually work in the industry, and how up to date the covered material is. You’ll be happy you did.
I am a student with UOP in my last class of my Masters degree. I finished my BS through UOP and was so happy with it that I continued on with my Masters. UOP is no diploma mill. There is a lot of work involved in getting your degree. I feel bad that one of the people making comments had a bad teacher, but I don’t think this is the case in most instances. I have definitely been challenged but have done my best work by going to school this way. I like that you have to apply what you learn to your job. I have nothing bad to say about UOP. I recommend it to everyone and always will.
I am enrolled in UoP and find it quite challanging. I think I get more out of the online experience. There is no ‘raising hands’ hoping an instructor will call on you. There is an immediacy to the responses. The quality of the instructors is no different than what I experienced at conventional schools. Some teachers are excellent and helpful, some so-so and some – well, I would never recommend them.
I’ve been at UOPhoenix Online for almost two years now and with every class I am increasingly regretting my decision.
I have a number of reasons, since you asked. 🙂
1) Staff turnover is ridiculous. Every four-five months I have a new financial and/or academic counselor, and each one blames the one before them for mistakes to my calendar/billing.
2) Most instructors seem to be disjointed with their syllabus. As someone else here pointed out, there is much discrepancy with the posted syllabus and official class syllabus, and the teacher bounces around with which is accurate.
3) Instructors give almost zero feedback on graded papers. It has been over a year since I’ve received back a “red lined” paper of any kind showing me specific ways to improve my papers. Comments are always generic and terse.
4) I occasionally review other students’ papers and am embarrassed by what they turn in. I assume they pass, but I really don’t know. Their understanding of APA is atrocious and their display of grammar is even worse. And I’m in BA classes now.
5) I also see a lot of plagiarism that goes unchecked. Just today I read 5 classmates papers and 2 of them had blatant plagiarism that I was able to find with 5 seconds of Google. I once reported it and the student still passed.
6) I’ve requested multiple times to have someone contact me about the quality of a class at the end-of-class survey, and never been asked to elaborate.
7) Once an instructor literally took a 1� week vacation and left us without feedback, grades, assignments, or anything for 10 days. The entire class complained to anyone who would listen, wrote letters to the dean, and still each of us had to individually fight for a credit to take the class again, and those who didn’t complain never got a credit.
8) Class syllabi rarely reference any more than 25% of the rEsource, yet we pay $60 per class for this unused digital medium.
9) I have yet to run into a business professional (ie: someone who might hire you) that actually gives any credibility to a UOPhoenix degree.
10) I was forced to take basic classes (in math and English) that only until after I took (and paid for) the class was I told by a different employee that I could have tested out of them and saved about $3000 and 3 months.
What is sad is that all of these issues I have with UOPhoenix Online are not inherent of being an online university. There is clearly an issue with management and the direction of the University. It cares little for the quality of alumni that it produces.
I am a current employee with UOP and I can openly say that “yes we are a degree mill”…Our admissions department will enroll anybody (no matter what their background holds). In fact our campus recently enrolled a 75 year old woman into our Computer Technology program who has never touched a computer in her life. As I spoke with her more, she also cannot speak english as well. Apparently she has 3.4 GPA in her program…Also our Online program is a joke (in my opinion). You might as well teach yourself and save over $30, 000 dollars…I mean there is not even a simple lecture explaning anything in each course. Student’s are just expected to miraculous pull the answers out of their head….
I am really disappointed with the University of Phoenix. They did not tell me that i would be a student of the state of Arizona. I do not like this. All my life I wanted to graduate with my master’s degree and they are cheating me out of this. They bait and switch. They should have told me that i would be a student of arizona. Now i have to pay for FBI check, take the test in arizona and see if the university’s meet my state requirement. This is too much. Also, why is the fee so expensive? We are really teaching ourselves
I started UoP in May 2003 and will graduate in October 2005. I have had the opportunity to attend both brick-and-mortar as well as online classes. I have to say that the online experience has developed my personal and professional skills much more effectively and deeply than when I attended the brick-and-mortar campus. The level of classroom discussions and active involvement, the research and organization required, the commitment, and commuication requirements are extensive. My program has taught me to take what I have learned, apply these skills and the knowledge into my personal and professional live, and to think critically. The countless papers have vastly improved my writing abilities, increased my ability to be more concise, and greatly improved my confidence.
In addition, UoP requires every course to be comprised of teams for some of the activities. Although many people may complain about having to be on teams and rather focus only on individual assignments, the team concept is part of our everyday professional life. If we can master working together remotely in a team of different viewpoints, personalities, and timezones to turn out a stellar assignment, then we can certainly gain great skills that we can use in our professional life. When there are team members who choose to have substandard participation in the team, the team must determine how to handle the situation and not allow the dysfunctional member destroy the collaboration with the rest of the team. It’s REAL LIFE!!!
Sure, you get ineffective and unorganized instructors periodically just as you do attending a ground campus. However, as a working adult, I certainly do not need an instructor to hold my hand through the learning process. In these types of situations, the students must take the initiative to teach themselves, initiate the classroom discussions, and move on.
Fortunately, I have MANY more exceptional experiences than I do negative. You learn from the negative and then simply move on.
UOP is a corporate conglomerate that sells education like another company would sell a widgit. Recruiters have quota’s, adjunct professors are pressured to inflate grades, students share their grade with their “Team”, and the Apollo stock keeps going up … and the beat goes on …
Try Nova Southeastern University – it’s a REAL school. Undergraduate and graduate programs offered 100% online.
As a senior IT manager, who has reviewed hundreds of applications for employment, I can say unequivocally that a degree from UoP in BSIT would be given the same or lesser weight as a certification course offering from one of the established IT training vendors like Global Knowledge, Learning Tree or Westlake. In fact, if the applicant actually went on and passed the test to become a MCSE, CCNE, etc., they would rise above a student with just a UoP BSIT because they usually can do real work immediately without additional training.
UoP is considered to be a diploma mill and you won’t convince many IT managers otherwise. And for the person who offered this gem: “If they don’t understand the value of the education you received, you don’t want to work for them anyway”, I’m thinking you still live at home with your parents and can afford such a cavalier attitude towards the state of your finances.
My advice for IT job seekers? Save yourself thousands of dollars and get some industry standard certifications under your belt…
I have attended the Flexnet and online MBA program through UOP and am currently just over halfway completed with the program. The majority of classes have been very informative and I have learned more than I ever did in my traditional bachelor’s degree program. In 8 classes I have had 2 excellent instructors, 4 superior instructors, 1 fair instructor and I currently am struggling through with an very inadequate and disorganized instructor. At the end of each class UOP does survey the students regarding the class, curriculum and instructor. I will be making full use of this opportunity.
As far as the change in schedule, I did not appreciate this change and I feel the change has actually caused me to lose more weekend time. This may be due to the inadequate instructor for this course though and compounded by the excessive workload for this class. As most people work during the normal businessweek, this change in schedule has made it more difficult to be prepared when it comes to deadline time. In prevous classes bulk time on the weekends was utilized to read material, get organized for the weekly project and assimilate the material. The Teusday start date coincides with one of the busiest segments of the week for most working people. This causes a problem with reading, organizing and assimilating the information as it causes a time and attention struggle between work committments and school committments. Since this is the case, more students are waiting later in the week to get into the weekly task which has taken out any leeway on the deadline. It has also caused problems with being able to submit to the center for writing excellence. There is no way to read, assimilate and write while also juggling the work schedule, this then makes it to late to submit a document for review.
Overall the classes have been wonderful. The business offices and financial office at UOP need some major overhaul though. They do not appear to follow their own curriculum in teaching employees to do their jobs as far as moral and ethical processes and procedures. As it is end of financial aid year, I have been proactive on completing requirements for the next segment of financial aid. The financial aid office has been dragging their feet for over 60 days, have lost my information twice so far (sensitive financial and personal information) and recommended this morning that I go ahead and enroll in the next class without funding in place and that it would fall into place eventually. These types of practices if they continue may be the downfall of this fast growing organization.
I have been a full-time student with University of Phoenix Online since Aug 2, 2001. I earned a BSB/MKT (bachelor marketing) In July 2004, and have currently completed 6 classes towards the MBA/HRM (Human Resources). I have had many of the same feelings each of you have, and have come to several conclusions.
(1) Non-profit Universities advertise to keep enrollment quotas on target, and have many of the same problems Uophx does, so diploma-mill arguments are dead. Perhaps brick-and-mortar professors who oppose Uophx should teach a Uophx Online Course before making their unresearched arguments. They just might like the flexibility and group collaboration they experience versus their typical lecturing/testing teaching styles
(2) Arguments about the weekly schedule (Tuesday-Monday), team assignments, participation requirements, and lack of a kinesthetic, brick-and-mortar learning environment are nothing more than “wimp-chat.” When it comes right down to it, you can’t find the flexibility and autonomy afforded by the Uophx asynchronous online program anywhere else. I’ve had 2 bad instructors in 4 years at Uophx, when 90% of my previous junior college instructors were completely ineffective. At the end of the day, you learn when you truly want to learn, regardless of the environment. If anything, be glad that Uophx instructors actually work in the real world and are willing to teach in their spare time – there’s credibility to learning from someone who interacts professionally in actual business environments and sees it firsthand everyday.
(3) If you’re worried about the quality of education, then you must be missing something. The textbooks/e-Resources are always current within 1-2 years, and the online library articles discussing the current business environment and the class discussions can always be aligned with the text to prove that the concepts are current and proven.
(4) IT Students – you should have never enrolled at Uophx. The only complaints about Uophx during the Undergraduate Capstone Course were from those in the BSIT program. Most came in knowing more than they learned in 2-3 years during the BSIT program. Perhaps technology is too diverse and rapidly changing to be learning it in an online degree program. I agree with the person who said go for the certifications being offered out there and get a job. You’re more valuable getting specialized certs and learning it the right way on-the-job as part of a technology team at a major corporation.
(5) The cost is roughly $23,000 if it takes 2 years to complete a bachelors and $25,000 for a Masters, which is on par with other private Universities. Let’s say worse case scenario a student comes out with both degrees and $45,000 in student loans… if consolidated under the SMARTLoan Consolidation option at 3.7% for 25 years, the monthly payment is $238 per month. If you have an MBA, it won’t take too long to be able to afford the minimum payment and then some. Most students receive employer-paid tuition assistance, military benefits, etc… Federal Aid is very generous, and in my opinion, if it’s all you have to work with, you’re better off having the education at a price in the long run. Even financial advisors recommend borrowing for the top 3 – Homes, Transportation, and Education – nearly all other types of borrowing can be considered unnecessary in comparison.
(6) Unfortunately, you’re going to have students who are lazy, lack discipline, and who would never pass in a traditional college, and these students most often pass. Exceptional students have expressed concern about the perceived value of a Uophx Online education due to these types of problems, but you can rest assured that these types will not get far in the workplace, and that these types come out of all business schools – not just Uophx Online.
Thank you for your comments and time,
Bill Thompson
UoP Online Student
MBA/HRM Program
I graduated from UOP in 2003 with a masters in curriculum and instruction, and I am now considering the doctoral program. I can honestly say that those were the hardest – but most rewarding – 19 months of work I’ve ever done.
What the “you need the face time in the classroom in order to have a decent education” people miss is the actual importance of *content*. I personally formulate and convey my thoughts much more succinctly in writing than by raising my hand and verbalizing them. Human interaction is something I get every day in the teaching field – I don’t require it to do a project or write a research paper. Every question I’ve ever had of a UOP prof has been answered completely and to my satisfaction, thereby enabling me to churn out my best work based on my understanding and interpretation of the subject matter. Case closed. Stuff learned.
One of my colleagues, who was attending a brick-and-mortar for the same degree I was pursuing online described to me what his first 3-hour class was like: “we spent 90 minutes going around the room, telling our names and answering the question, ‘if you were a car, what kind of car would you be?'” So the “face time” argument is basically crap. There are bad profs everywhere who waste your time and couldn’t care less about your educational journey. It’s just too easy to blame it all on the online community.
I forwarded “Jay’s” comments to my UOP advisor to get his take on them. Maybe “Jay” should work somewhere else. Or take a UOP course program to advance in the workplace … hell, they’d accept ya!
I recently participated in the UoP Pittsburgh Campus commencement exercises on June 25, 2005. I did, however, finish my program in March 2005. It was the most challenging 18 months of my life. The amount of work and research requried for my assignments, participation or otherwise completely blew my Bachelor’s Degree out of the water. I did have a few bad professors, and some lectures that didn’t come close to the participation questions asked, however I came out knowing more about managing an IT department and IT projects than I did going in.
While they were a bit soft in the techical area (I already have a BS in IT from a PA State School), I got a very good education in Business Law, Accounting, Communications, and Project Management.
I would have to say that I truly enjoyed my experence, and learned quite a bit. Were there problems? Yes! Did I have these similar issues as an undergraduate at a PA State System School? YES!
I came to this site from reading OX Fanantics on a newsreader. I was looking to enroll in the Doctor of Management earlier this week and I saw this item of UoP. Does anyone have any PhD experience with UoP?
I currently attend UOP BSIT and I am enjoying the flexibility and the challenge. As for a BS from UOP not being valuable that is BS. A degree wont get you a job, it gets you an interview. You can have a degree from any University and if your an idiot your not geting the job anyway. I was told my degree from ITT Tech was worthless as well. I found a job working for a major government contractor with it.They offer tuition reimbursment so I decided to take advantage of it. Like any topic some people would rather complain and blame others for there shortcomings.
A complaint I do have is the group atmosphere. You must count on others you never met before and if they dont pull their weight then it effects your grade.
Not only do I work for the University of Phoenix, but I am also a student. I have found through working and attending UoP that not only is the university a great place to work for, but it is one of the best private universities in my opioion. I have attened other private universities and have found that UoP is not only more willing to teach the information that is necessary to get the degree that is desired, but UoP will do everything in its power to keep you up to date with all of the changes that the coorporate world makes. With the UoP being geared towards working adults, they are truely aware of how hard getting a college education is while working full time. With the flexibility of the online classes, students are able to attend class when it is convient for them. How many other universities do this?
Univeristy of Phoenix is the way to go for a full time working adult who does not have the time to attend a more tradtional college as other univeristies are labled.
I’ve attended UoP for 2 1/2 years anticipating graduation this fall. Talk about bait and switch, UoP counselors showed me at enrollment that with my licenses and certificates I would have easily 30 units towards the required 120.
No dice, with just 2 classes to go I’m told that they’ve changed their criteria and I now have to take 10 more classes… the terrible thing is in order to graduate from a university you must have attended for at least 45 units, they got me now.
Shame on me for being so naive. I never would have allowed this charade to have gone on that long in my business affairs.
TO all of you reading thsi for the quality of education. I have attended only on campus UoP and my wife took some of the same classes concurrent to mine on-line. Her experience and education was much more fulfilling then mine
I am a current UoP student in a graduate program. I am roughly 4 courses from finishing my 2 year program. The promise of the UoP was a great motivator into enrolling at UoP. I tried attending a traditional university in the past, for my second degree, and it was too difficult given my work schedule. What the UoP offers to career adults, with the promise of flexible education, is great. The execution has been less so. The deliver technology is good and has gotten better since I started in the program, especially with some of the materials and research resources. I have the following issues:
1. Quality of students. I had student in my class who could not communicate and had little understanding of English. Some students could not understand the material and had such poor spelling and grammar, that I could not believe they were graduate students. They also did not work at the level of a graduate student
2. Instructors. Some instructors were quite poor, and do not supply lectures or proper feedback on work.
3. High costs. Twice, I have experienced tuition increases. Although this happens at traditional universities as well, the program is relatively quite expensive compared to a traditional university, which requires physical facilities.
4. Poor quality overall. Too easy to get an A. You can slide your way to an A with little effort. I purposely did not submit work, with the expectation that I would not get an A, only to be surprised.
Overall, I would not recommend the UoP for anyone at this time, unless the program and way it is managed changes. The goals marketed to the public are correct (flexible, adult education), but the corporate goals of the Apollo Group conflict with the goals of an educational institution. It is possible to get some knowledge from the program, but this requires the student to read all the materials. Otherwise, a student can obtain a high grade with little effort.
This web site is definitely one of the strangest…I have to say I stumbled upon it while debating on whether or not to go to UOP and it has not cleared a single solid question of mine. First of all it is a Private Univ. if you don’t have the money simply go elsewhere, as simple as that! The topic I was concerned with was life after UOP: Did you have issues pursuing future degrees, MBA, Law etc, at other institutions, where there concerns regarding accreditation when taking the CPA exam, BAR exam? Did you encounter problems while pursuing employment?
Yours truly …
I graduated from UoPhx with an MSCIS back in 1999. I have often wondered was the choice of attending this university a mistake. I chose the school because in the computer field, one has to constantly study to keep up, so for me the degree just serves as a right of passage. Where I earned the degree shouldn’t matter as I felt I would have to keep studying long after I received the degree. Not everyone feels this way.
I have applied for jobs in which people have questioned the validity of my degree and have regarded UoP as a diploma mill. Once I got in the door, I was able to show off my skills and the attitude changed. In more than a few cases, having the MS got me places that others could not go. For that I am grateful, but make no mistake, there is a stigma attached to this school.
During the time that I attended, I found the work to be very challenging. You got out of it what you put into it. Period. This would be the case for any MS program, anywhere. There were plenty of group projects, and some of those I had to carry others along. Again, this is common in other schools. The school is expensive, and therefore limits those that can attend. Still, leeches are able to sneak through, but again this is common in any university. The attrition rate was very high when I attended, meaning it was hard enough for people to drop like flies due to the work load. Not common in a ‘diploma mill’.
Would I do it all again? Probably, simply based on convenience alone. Not having to commute from work or home to school saved a lot of time and allowed more time to study. I might however, chose an online program from a school with a better name, just from the aspect of prestige. Having your schools name plastered all over the web offering degrees does not help alleviate the stigma at all.
-D-
UoP is not a degree mill. For those who think UoP’s online curriculum is easier than traditional school, I challenge you to take a few classes. Communication is the ability to get your thoughts across, written and oral; as such UoP demanding writing curriculum will ensure you at least have the tools to do just that, in a professional way. You will learn to write, and converse with others if nothing else, and conduct research before putting foot in mouth. There are no benchwarmers sitting on the sidelines with this institution. Material is first rate, and the online tutorials and help from administrators is great. Teachers are not cookie cutters from your local five and dime community college, but actual teachers who know their stuff, and have worked in the fields they teach, and are all that and a bag of chips. So for those who have a demanding “life” schedule and can not find the time to “go to class”, log on, plug in, and feel confident that you will truly “earn” your degree with UoP.
I’m currently researching master’s programs in mental health counseling and am struggling with UoP’s general reputation. I work in the field of mental health and have discovered that the professionals at my job have diverse opinions on UoP (even though they are hired at my organization). I live in one of 3 states (I am told) that prefers therapists who have their LCSW instead of LPC. Just my luck. In my city there are only 2 programs offered to prepare you to be an LPC and UoP is one of them. It is a campus based program and sounds impressive. And it has higher acceditation than the state university’s. My main concern is the prejudice surrounding the UoP…and how this will affect my employability. If anyone out there can shed light on this, or can share related experiences, I would appreciate it!
I’ve looked into Capella University’s mental health counseling program as the next possible alternative (since they are the only online U with CACREP accreditation–and are rated very highly) and it also sounds impressive. Does anyone have any experience with or info on either/both of these programs?
I’ve heard that UoP used to accept practically anyone in this program, but in recent years have revamped and improved some aspects of the program–one of which was to bring in a Harvard professor as Dean of the department. I’ve been impressed with the cordial and helpful approach of their staff, but have also heard that students have been given wrong information. I suppose in an imperfect world, we should expect that–it happens at “regular” U’s as well! My undergraduate degree is from Northwestern and, while I found it to be an excellent university, I encountered a few really bad teachers and some dirty politics. Such is life…
Have you taken classes at UP Online, and if so, what was your experience
and how did you like the overall program?
I have just recently completed my BSIT at UoP Online, and I will have to
say that overall it is a very good program. Yet, I really believe that
the program may not be the best fit for everyone. For instance, one of my
associates at work has a friend who attempted the online program but had
to transfer to the ground program because of the rigors imposed by the
online course of study. I will not say that the program is “easy,” but I
will say it is very convenient. My main impetus for pursuing a degree
online was that I had done very well taking correspondence courses in
that past. Self-discipline and tenacity is a definite must for this program.
Please pardon the cliche, but “you get out of it what you put into it.” And
that definitely rings true at UoP.
The biggest frustration for me was the group or team requirements for each
course. All things considered, it was also the biggest area of growth for
me personally and professionally. To be able to interact, manage projects,
resolve conflicts, and achieve the team’s goals and do this in an online
setting is simply remarkable. When conflicts were to difficult to resolve
online, it is entirely permissible to call either your teammates or facilitator
if necessary. If you can survive UoP Online up to commencement time,
chances are you will be the proverbial “team player” frequently sought
after in employment ads.
As for interaction with other students, this is an absolute requirement to
achieve a passing grade. The Main Newsgroup is where the bulk of the actual
learning occurs. The quantity of posts at times can be overwhelming though. I
learned so much from my other classmates. Now mind you, I already have 10+
years of professional experience in IT, but in every course I pulled out
golden nuggets of information that have been a boon for both me and my
company.
I had originally thought that UoP was too pricey. Yet when I factored in the
hidden costs and the time associated with attending a brick-and-mortar, UoP
turned out to be a better deal overall. My current employer promised tuition
assistance as a perk of my agreeing to rejoin the company but subsequently
renegged on the deal. Nonetheless, I accepted the responsibility of financing
my learning. To offset the costs, I opted to make monthly payments on my
student loan while attending UoP. Another close friend who attended UoP and
who had tuition reimbursement is now indentured to her company for an
unspecified period of time.
UoP’s stigma in the marketplace was a concern to me, but any profitable company
will be a target of the masses. I found that the majority of the administrative
staff was very helpful. I had some marginal service a few times, but this can
happen with any company. Nearly all of my facilitators (instructors) were
phenomenal in one way or another. There was once course where I did not care for
the instructor enough that I cancelled after one week.
In retrospect, UoP Online is a great way to go to school for persons who have
schedules that prevent them from attending a brick-and-mortar. I have not decided
whether or not to complete a Masters at UoP, since I would like to experience a
different school (preferrably no teams :), however, UoP laid the necessary
groundwork for the future.
I have been attending UPO since February,I must say that it is very challenging. I have had great instructors and you have to put forth the effort for a successful outcome. The library is great and the information online in awesome. I spend more time interacting than I would in a traditional setting. I like the fact that I can get up day or night and get online to do my work. This type of forum works out great for me and my family.There is a lot of reading material and the assignments are challenging. I have been very pleased with this program so far. I just hope that I continue to get great instructors through this program, they really makes the difference. Not every one has the ability to teach effectively but for the ones that do I look forward to a great learning experience at the UPO.
I have four classes left in an MA program at UOP. I have a BA from a Cal State school. The courses are challenging, and I have learned quite a lot. The teachers are facilitators of learning which requires me to become more of a self-learner. Is that a bad thing? No. Once I leave UOP, I will have more skills to continue my education informally than I did when I left a state school. The flexibility has enabled me to continue my education while working full-time as a teacher, serving in the reserves, supporting a family, and making a cross-country move. My advisors have been amazing. With my schedule, I would rather have my hand held while applying for financial aid. If you want your hand held during class than you will need a more traditional program. I, too, have had good and bad teachers; but my learning experience out weighs the negative. By the way, A’s are not a given. I know a woman who reviews grade reports for finacial aid, she will tell you that the grade reports from UOP students use to be commonly A’s, but under more scrutiny, UOP has cleaned up their act and grades run the spectrum. I have a good friend who just received a “C.” If a UOP student has a complaint, the need only to make it. I’ve had one complaint about one teacher, Once the teacher broke a UOP guideline, the instructional coordinators were contacted and action was taken within 24 hours. Plus, all students have a right to post comments on their end of course feedbacks that are taken very seriously by UOP staff. Those who asked about life after UOP, I can tell you that I have a job now working for the government that I would never have been qualified for if it was not for UOP. Will I be able to be a professor at a traditional university with my UOP degree? Probably not. Can I teacher online or be an adjunct professor? Probably, since I now have a degree to compliment my ten years of experience.
Hey everyone…just for the record, I’m 47, have an AA in CIS and have just hit the 23 year mark with my company. I’ve been kicking around the idea of going for a BS. I’m not looking for a new job. I just want to improve my educational record and maybe reduce the chance of being let go if the company looks to downsize (again). I decided to look into UOP. A little surfing brought me to this site. I’m really surprised at the intensity of the comments, both good and bad (i.e. teachers, team issues, management, etc). As an example, some members insinuate that UOP will pass anyone where others claim the work is very challenging. Although I don’t want to breeze through, I don’t want to be swamped with assignments either. In addition to my regular week-day job I work a part-time job (one day on the weekend) and would like to continue to spend some time with my family. For those of you who have attended several classes, could you please give me an idea of how much time per week (on average) you spend on your studies?
Thanks
To answer Stephen. I’m in my last BSIT class and I typically put in around 5-6 hours per week for my UOP classes, depending on the subject and/or the instructor. I carry a modest load with a government IT supervisory day job (I actually work! 🙂 ), a business-only consulting business, I also attend traditional college, and most importantly, I spend time with my family. Frankly, it’s all time management. It can be very challenging; however, it is worth the effort if it is a personal goal to have a Bachelor’s degree. However, as a few people have noted, it is what you make of it. I recommend, though, not to go to UOP with the expectation of the program being an ITT or a DeVry in its technical deliverence.
“When you learn to better understand, better appreciate and eventually love yourself, you exude a quiet confidence that will open doors to what you want in life.”
I’ve read some interesting comments here and I’d like to add a few of my own. I’ve been taking back-to-back classes with UOP for nearly two years. Some of my classes have been excellent and others have been, well, less than excellent. Just as with any other college, you should expect to have good/bad classes and teachers. That’s part of the college experience anywhere!
As far as a UOP degree being worthless….well, that’s just ridiculous. UOP is an accredited institution, not some fly-by-night pseudo school that prints you a degree for writing an essay and sending in a check for $8000. Besides, a degree never really gets you a job. It may help you get your foot in the door, but then it’s up to you to sell yourself. I’ve been working for the same company (a global pharmaceutical company) for more than 18 years and quite honestly, it doesn’t seem to matter where someone gets his or her degree. In my company, the degree is what helps you get an interview–then it’s up to you to get the job.
For those who think UOP is the easy way to get your degree…..don’t waste your time applying. It takes a substantially amount of time and effort to make it through a degree program. The class material is the same as the ground campus material, so expect to spend some quality time reading and writing for class.
Julian,
I appreciate your reply. That’s the kind of comments I was looking for.
Many thanks and all the best,
Stephen
Hey there my fellow and or future matriculators,
I’m three classes away from degree completion for my MBA @ UOP via FlexNet. For anyone who believes that this process is a degree mill they need to think further. This is an accredited school. With that said, there are instructors that may rub you the wrong way or may simply be inept…unfortunately that is true with all learning institutions. You learn to work around that as you would anywhere. Fortunately for me, I have only had one instructor that I felt was a total waste of time and money. I complained about him as I would in a more “traditional” college atmosphere…and I’m sure nothing was done about it.
I have been challenged by the majority of the classes that I have completed, and with just 3 more classes to go, I’m generally satisfied with the learning process.
Of course there are unscrupulous recruiters that would have no problem enrolling a 75-year-old woman with no computer skills as I read in one of the posts. I find it hard to believe that this woman has the GPA that was stated, or if she is even still in the program. As I have learned a lot of the instructors have no tolerance for students that are not prepared to work, as well as those that need to be explained the process. However, those issues are not issues of UOP but more or so issues of the open enrollment system. A system that Northwestern University is even considering.
Whether we care to admit the reality or not…most institutions of higher education are for profit in some form or fashion. This can be represented in reputations, and or in donations.
My complaints stem from a specific set of UOP employees. The “academic advisors” and lets just use that term loosely…. are probably some of the least informed, smoke blowers on the planet. Which leads one to wonder where UOP gets their employees.
They are a lesson in suspension of disbelief. Not one of them has the same answer for the same question, which means they are not even adhering to a “pat” corporate answer…for the most part they are just simply lying or “winging it”. When you are working with or advising adults that practice can pose just a few problems.
I found this to be at issue when attempting to add a concentration in Marketing to my MBA. My advisor was misinformed and thusly misinformed me, all the while stating that he wanted to make sure I was happy. That “we just here to serve you” attitude does not work if in fact they are lying about what is available. Needless to say if you enroll @ UOP seeking an MBA don’t try to get a concentration in Marketing cause it ain’t gonna happen.
This might not be the right place to post this concern but I need the right anwsers and I am pretty sure you guys have them.
I am currently enrolled in the UoP and am questioning my choice. I guess the question I am trying to ask is once you complete your degree, did you find it useful?
I consider myself a hardworker, but have always felt a normal school was not for me. Now I am currently enrolled and I feel the content I am recieving is not enough and only being 22 and very concerned about my future.
I guess the other question I am trying to ask is … Will this help me in my financial success for the future or am I just wasting money to keep my personal income at 35K
any help??
I am currently a very frustrated student of UOP. First let me say – I have found the education and the facilitators to be superb! I have attended an “on-ground” physical university and UOP online and I have to admit – I am getting a far better “real world” education here. I have take 30 courses at UOP and in all I can say there have only been two facilitators that seem sub-standard (because they simply were not involved). However, for the most part I have had the honor to work with facilitators that I greatly admire and respect and and not only learned so much from but have established relationships with that have benefited me in every aspect of my professional and intellectual life.
However, the university itself – the business organization is another issue all together. Despite being reassured that I would complete my degree in 2 years (with 2 years worth of credits to transfer) I am now finishing my 4th year and am two classes away from done and once again ame being “screwed” on my financial aid (loans). Turns out, after being rushed to enroll and get started they only accepted about 1/2 of my transfer credits with one excuse or another. And the financial situation is horrid! I truly believe the organization is about making money at any cost – which means ripping off the students. If you are attend UOP I advise you to watch your FAFSA disbursements and invoices very closely!! They make mistakes. Point is – the closer I get to completion the more “loopholes” they find to keep me enrolled and keeep me paying out of pocket. Truth is – it would have been cheaper, faster and more credible to have gone to Loyla or North Western.
I absolutely do not believe that UoP is just a degree mill. I attended a community college and it was not the same work load; nor level of discipline required to attend online. UoP has been far more challenging; however, the rewards have been equally beneficial.
I can tell you that I have learned to interact with people from all walks of life from as far away as Syria, Thailand, London, Jamaica, across the US and many other places. Diverse teams collaborate on how to solve sometimes extremely complex assignments. We make real work happen within a five week period�all virtually as a team. There is even more interaction with people then what I ever experienced in the traditional classroom.
The main classroom environment encourages thoughtful discussions around the related topics. We see a vast number of businesses come together with the end result of learning how IT is applied throughout the industry.
Other classes I have been fortunate enough to learn about topics ranging from world commerce, philosophy and even ethics to name a few. There were controversial case studies and topics that we addressed respectfully with one another. Through it all, I have learned skills that have taught me how to see both sides of a topic.
The curriculum has been challenging and I have had to work all evening as well as the majority of my weekends to maintain a 4.0 GPA. That in itself boasts the level of effort required to achieve the highest level of achievement. Within my programming classes I have written program in C, Java, SQL, HTML, JavaScript, and more. These have not been simply �Hello World.�
UoP has taught me to love to learn beyond simple achievements for a job requirement. I now love to research; I have grown as a person in more then one, all due to the way UoP is structured. With three classes left in the BSIT program, I can sincerely say that this is an experience I will never forget.
I am in my third year of study at California State University, Bakersfield. I quit my full-time job to attend school. It’s been tough, requiring most all of my time to study, but the payoffs will be worth it. Why didn’t I consider UOP? A friend of mine got his “BA” there and brags about how easy it was. No tests in “upper level” courses! He also brags about “how I didn’t have to listen to a bunch of liberal teachers.” Great diversity here. They tell you that tests are not a “good” way to measure academic success. Just meet with your friends once a week, go to class maybe once a week, talk about the subject and maybe turn in some sort of paper. Wowwee! There is no way an individual can pick up university-level training in a UOP “class.” I would challenge any UOP graduate to take a comprehensive “brick and mortar” exam in the subject they “passed” at UOP. My suspicion is the UOP degree-buyer could not pass a real college exam. I know many employers that say they will accept a UOP diploma, but admit they automatically deposit those applications straight into the trash bin. There is no lazy way to attend college and come out with an actual, quality education. If you do not have the time or energy to attend college, please don’t embarass yourself during an interview when you present your joke diploma to the interview panel. They typically will see you as lazy and will most likely hire the applicant who took the time, energy, and expense to survive the rigors of college. Go to a real college. Stay up late doing homework. Sweat out tests. Spend countless hours at the library performing original research. Spend your money wisely and insure your future. Don’t you think it’s kind of silly to have to defend “accredited status” of your university? When I graduate with my BA, and then my Masters, I will display my diploma proudly because I had the guts and determination to earn it. UOP degrees aren’t earned – they are purchased, and anyone who argues that point is just kidding themself.
To all:
I have had experiences with both UNM and UT and in juxtapose to my education with UOP; I find one huge flaw that overshadows most complaints. A student may work hard and write excellent papers at UOP; yet, similar grades are given to those who do not excel or care. The school should adopt a more astringent grading policy with its students. Until this is done, the school will be considered a diploma-mill.
Steven
Cordialy,
Steven
I graduated from UoPhx with a BS degree; I also have attended a Cal State university for two years. I found UoP online to be a great way of learning. You will always find good and bad instructors anywhere you go. Most of my instructor were great, and had no problems giving low grades to the students that could not do the work or even failing them. No it not perfect, but neither is any university. UoP was set up for walking adults, so you going to get a wide range of students in your classes. People need to do their research and decide what is the best university for them. I find it is so easy for people to complain and blame others when they have a problem. Try it if you don�t like it then move on.
This is a fascinating discussion. I’m a regional marketing director at University of Phoenix as a well as a faculty member for both the ground and online modalities. I appreciate such candid comments from everyone on this board.
The challenge we have here is one illuminated by several: we’re both a business and a university. As much as we like to believe that it’s a simple matter to integrate the two, when I walk from my office into a classroom, I assure you: it’s a very different world. We’re beholden to two masters. The first is to you the students. The second is to the street. I’ve heard comments that lead me to think many believe those two are inverted, that we have more interest in the street and the stock than to students. I certainly won’t belittle you by trying to convince you otherwise, but I will say that *I* don’t believe that, nor does my team.
I did hear an industry pundit make the comment once, “All universities are for-profit universities. Most of them just aren’t run that well.” I ask a variant of this to my industry peers (yeah, the fact that I’m even *using* the word industry here is a sign of the times, right?): Show me one school, public or private, that does *not* want to put more students in their classrooms. Education is a service industry here, and the growth train has left the station.
Supporting so many thousands of students is not an easy job and sometimes, in an effort to find greater efficiencies, messages get lost and people get frustrated. It’s a dance, this thing we do, and it’s not always pretty.
I, too, come from big education, and I speak to administrators from time to time at other Universities trying to leverage the same efficiencies we’ve mastered to greater affect in their institutions. All of us (Universities both public and private) are facing issues of financial aid shortfall; attendance and grade inflation in the classroom; students coming to us not prepared in basic reading, writing, and math skills; and the list goes on and on. We’re all trying to deal with the new student demographic in a way that satisfies a rigorous course offering and allows students to achieve the level of success they deserve based on the effort they put into the work. Question of the time: How do you balance a shifting demographic in the classroom between new, recent high school graduates coming to us unprepared in core skills with seasoned professionals with 10-15 years of experience in their field? How do you help these groups learn from one another? Can they learn from one another?
I’m frustrated by the lack of apparent concern with the value of alumni as well. Any university is only as valuable as the degrees it produces in the hands of productive alumni. We’re not doing a sound enough job of helping to make our graduates famous.
Dave, I’m a new reader and poster here, but thanks for the great blog. I appreciate your thoughts and demeanor and look forward to visiting again.
Pete Wright
University of Phoenix, Northwest Region
peter dot wright at phoenix dot edu
Mr. Wright,
You may believe that your larger commitment is to the student, but I will tell you that here in Northern California, your colleagues place more emphasis on their stockholders than their students. Why would I believe this? Because in response to a complaint I had about the lack of notification when Financial Aid Counselors are changed – I’m on my fourth since Feb. 05 – my Campus Manager/Academic Supervisor replied, “well, if you were a stockholder, would you invest in a company that could go under based upon the mistake of one counselor in an office in Sacramento?” During this conversation, he never once discussed the state of customer service at the school, rather he toed the company line the entire time.
Besides the fact that his answer did not address my issue – I was simply seeking some notification of a change in Financial Aid Counselors, not a debate on the requirements of the SEC and investors – your colleague showed the true colors of the school. This is but one of many experiences with Uof P staff that have left me frustrated and angry in less than a year. I’m halfway through my BSM program and my experience in the classroom has been wonderful. My experiences with the staff have been mediochre at best. It is clear that administration is interested only in my money and not the service I receive in exchange for that money. It is a sad commentary that as a secretary I am more professional in demeanor and action than the staff I deal with at University of Phoenix, an institution that touts itself as geared towards working professionals. I truly believe that if people knew of the frustration and stress caused by the Financial Aid and Administrative staff of U of P before they enrolled the institution would not exist.
I could go on and on but do not wish to abuse the space provided by Dave. I welcome your rebuttal and would be happy to discuss this further. I believe that U of P provides a necessary service. However, the way in which the administrative and financial staff handle and treat the students of the school is dismal and resembles nothing close to customer service.
Ann
Ann,
First, please, it’s Pete. “Mr. Wright” sounds like and indictment. 🙂
Second, I don’t have much in the way of a rebuttal. I stand by my comments in the earlier post and I’m truly sorry for your frustration.
Clearly, you are not alone. And I don’t want to demean your experience at all with excuses and rationalizations. In the back of my mind, I have this hope that yours is an isolated experience, that our sheer scope of 300,000 students offers the vast majority of them a great experience both in and out of the classroom. Still, there’s a little issue of “span of control”.
University of Phoenix is divided into regions. Mine happens to be the NW and it doesn’t include California. Nor does it include Financial Aid. So, while I wish I could tell you that I’m implementing a new training initiative, along with a new hiring program that focuses on customer service, I can’t do that.
I also can’t condone your contact’s response, if only because I don’t understand it. What does that even *mean*??
Yours — and all these comments — are helping me define a theme for our organizational development, however. How can we *say* we’re a customer service organization when we have these incidents (even if they’re isolated)? Just because we gear ourselves toward busy students who have to work while attending school does not cover the customer service excellence we must employ. So, what I *can* do is continue to carry the flag in my organization. And I pledge to do that, to get the right people involved at the right level to see a change.
In the meantime, I’ll ask you this: you say your experience in the classroom has been wonderful. Please, focus on that. Give us some time to work through these issues, study hard, and let’s help each other be successful.
As ever, I’m open to comments. I might not be able to check this thread for a spell, but I’ll shoot you a private email if you’d like to talk further.
Best,
pw
This is to Keith and all others who feel that the effort to obtain a degree at UOP is not valid. My undergrad is from a prestigious private college in Michigan call Aquinas. I have 15 credits toward a Masters in Computer Science from a Michigan state college. So, I feel I am qualified to state that UOP is not a diploma mill.
I have taken tests in many in the classes I have attended. I spend at least 20 hours a week studying and researching to write papers and complete projects. There are lectures (for the person who said there are not lectures) for each week of the class, as well as objectives to meet for each class.
Regarding the grades, my grade point average is 3.62. The grades have not been easy to obtain. In fact, my lowest grade was a B in Statistics, which is true to form for me. This is because, even though I am great at computers, my math skills have always been weak. Also, this was one of the classes in which I had to take a mid-term and final test.
In comparison to the other colleges in which I attended, attending UOP has been the most challenging. I have grown tremendously. I also have learned more about the world and business then I ever could have at a “traditional” college.
My goal is not to find a job–I wanted knowledge for my own business–this is what I got. I only have three classes left and I already have an impressive business plan.
One final thing. I know people who have gotten MBAs from “accepted” colleges who could not help me with the work I was doing at UOP–to me, that says something.
I recently finished my Business Management degree from University of Phoenix in June 2005. I enjoyed the school and would attend again. The course work was atleat the same if not tougher than the classes I attended here at Portland State. Anyone interested in attending a night school should definetly look into UoP. Is UoP a degree mill? Yes and no. I have seen several classmates leave because of the demanding school work. I have also seen people skate by doing very little work. Although, these people were hated by their group members. The quality of your education, as an above blogger said, “is what you put into it.
I want to chime in once again. I am offended that Phoenix continues to be called “degree” or “diploma mill”. It is not either. Following is the definition of a “degree mill”.
A degree mill is defined as any degree-granting body that is not accredited by a federally recognized accreditation body.
Now the definition of a “diploma mill”
A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is an organization which awards academic degrees and diplomas with very little or no academic study and without recognition by official accrediting bodies. Such organizations are unaccredited by standards of traditional institutions, but they often claim accreditation by non-standard organizations set up for the purposes of providing a veneer of authenticity. Many diploma mills claim to offer these qualifications on the basis of life experience but most of them require a payment to issue a diploma/degree certificate without having to provide them with any educational documents; they do not evaluate one’s academic potential. They are used to fraudulently claim academic credentials for use in securing employment (e.g., a schoolteacher might get a degree from one in order to advance to superintendent).
Now, Phoenix is accredited by the higher learning comission / north central association of schools; the same body that accredits the University of Arizona. UOP is recognized as accredited by the CHEA (www.chea.org). Also, they are a canditate for ACBSP accreditation, a recognized professional business accreditor.
The MBA program, of which I am part, is a two-year program. So, there is extensive academic study. I had to have at least 2.5 GPA from my undergrad (I know most grad programs want 3.0)and I had to have my transcript sent to prove that I did have an undergrad degree. So, that means academic credentials and academic potential are assessed before enrollment. I know UOP is not the cream of the crop, but I believe they do deliver a legitimate education. They are not a “degree” or “diploma” mill. Like any other mid-range University in the U.S. they have their strengths and their weaknessess. According to most of the posts I have read, their weakness in in their computer education. However, it seems their strength is in their grad studies. I am glad I chose UOP for my grad studies.
I am currently attending my third class at UOP and am enrolled in the Undergraduate Bussiness Finance prgoram.
The facilatiros are wonderful, the classes are wonderful and the work is tuff. All wonderful!
My financial aid counselor is the biggest moron I have ever known to exist. She is my second financial aid counselor and I have only taken 3 classes. I had a problem with the financial aid and my employer is footing 75% of the bill. Her response was “I do not know, sorry” and that was the end of the disccusion. After leaving messages for three days on her supervisor’s voice mail I recived a reponse from her at my home voice mail “Please deal with your financial aid counselor, she is here to help you” *click*
I then contacted my academic counselor explained I needed to drop out of the UOP due to this issue. She contacted her manager and had the problem solved that night.
The classroom is a wonderful learning enviorment. I have learned a great deal, there is no way that they just hand out degrees. My employer encourages the use of online universiteis as they allow the employee to be flexible for the employers needs.
As mentioned previously after each class UOP gives you a survey and I was asked a few weeks back to fil out a survey for the President of the University. I always ask that someone please contact me espically in regard to my financial counselor. I have never once been contacted.
The academic side of UOP is top notch. The UOP staff form the worst customer service from a company I have ever dealt with and I do everything possible to avoid interacting with the financial aid office. Sad that I can not contact my financial counselor in fear that if she access my records she will screw something up.
I’ve attended UOP Online since Nov. 2004. I have 4 classes left in my MIS/M program. I expect to graduate in July ’06
I think the work load is slightly more than other accelerated adult education programs. I was in a program for my BS which was 1 day a week for 5 weeks. I did about 10 hours a week of work.
I would say that in any given week I do work for school 5-6 days during the week. The postings get tedious and the discussion questions pose little challenge and seem like busy work.
I’m up in the air if I think it’s a worthwhile program. I know you only get out what you put in. The last couple of classes I haven’t put much in so I haven’t got much out!
I certainly have not been buying a degree. It’s been a lot of work and time. I have not gotten less than A- but came close to some B’s
I attended Saddleback Community College in CA, The University of Arizona, Pima Community College (Tucson) and Grand Canyon University. Finally UOP Online. I’d say they all offer similar challenges and I’ve learned a lot.
I’ve had some bad instructors at UOP Online, but I’ve had bad instructors at all my schools!
how can I find out the real scoop on what a diploma from UOP is gonna get me? I don’t wan’t to get laughed at. I figured since the Navy’s Tuition Assistance will pay for UOP they must be legit. I can’t see the government throwing away money like that.
Shawn, I have read much information about UOP. My response is that you have to decide what you want from your education. Some people want education and prestige. I am attending UOP because I am getting the education and the convenience. I am not concerned about what other people think. I am getting the education to run my own business. I would suggest that if you are concerned about prestige, then UOP is not the school for you. If you want the education and the convenience then it would be. It is legitimate and not a phoney school as most try to portray it. If the negative comments about its prestige bother you then look elsewhere. I hope this helps.
Shawn,
As I posted before, the learning experience and the education are good. I have never worked so hard at school in my life and in return I have found that I am able to apply what I am learning to my professional life.
What the degree will get me when I graduate? Well, I’m not sure. I have heard two things:
One, that somehow we have taken the easy way out from a university that doesn’t hold any credibility in the working world.
Two, that the way employers view University of Phoenix is no different than they view any other college.
I live in a college town and University of Phoenix is trashed right and left here. Why? Well, I believe it is for many reasons, the biggest being that the state college in my town is one of the biggest employers and economic contributors to my town. But I also don’t think that people understand the commitment and work associated with working full-time and attending school in the non-traditional way the UoP students do. Yes, we will finish faster than traditional students, but we work twice as hard. I am completing my second of two Finance classes now. My boss teaches Finance at the local college. When I asked him a question about what we were covering in class, his response was “Oh, wow, I don’t teach that, so I’m not really any help there.” This is the controller of the company I work for and an instructor of Finance at the local state college. It was not the first time during my experience at UoP that I realized I am at an institution that covers topics that requires students to be able to stretch themselves beyond what they, and others, may have been expecting.
Does the university have problems? Yes, and I have had instructors that had no business in the classroom – just as I have at traditional school. Fortunately, or not, my experience has been that the majority of the school’s problems lie on the administrative and financial side of things and not education.
So, while this may not exactly answer your question, I believe it is truly a question of what you expect from your degree. No degree, from any institution, is an automatic pass to your dream job. What is your work experience? What is your goal? How does your education, regardless of institution, support those two things? Those are the questions companies are looking at. Your education is one part of a larger equation.
This is just my opinion, someone else may have a more quantitative answer for you.
Ann
I have attended a variety of “Hard site” schools while I was in the Army and out. University of Mexico, University of Maryland, and Penn State University. My fourth year I transfered to UOP due to increasingly difficult conflicts with my work and travel schedule.
I know this gang…..anyone and everyone gets out of school what they put into it. I have sat next to “Rocks” at Penn State and shared the online enviornment with a few in the learning groups at UOP. Across the board the workload is tough if you take it seriously. If not, it wont matter where you get your degree from, you will still be exposed and pushed out of a good company.
UOP published the sucessful careers of it’s graduates. You don’t have to look hard to see a great deal of them rising quickly to the top. In the six years I have been out of the Army I have gone from a second shift production supervisor at a Foam plant to assuming my seven month old position as a Plant Manager for TYCO International. None of this would have been possible without the assitance of UOP and thier commitment to Adult learners.
Degrees open doors….that’s it. After that, its up to you to “Sell the goods”.
I know some people who sit around and laugh at UOP degrees and waive thier brick and mortar paper around to anyone who will listen. Many of them don’t know UOP is where I graduated from. That’s too bad…….they all work for me. “Chuckle”.
Starting the MBA there now…..hope to see you there!
Hello All,
I am currently a student at northern Virginia University, where I am doing an MBA/TM (half done).
1) Enrolling was easy, any school that does not require any kind of minimum level promotes a diverse classroom as UOP puts it, in reality it means very bad from very good students — with a tendency to get more bad than good.
2) The on-ground class experience was “diverse” as well. Some instructors were very organized and challenging and make you feel good about UOP, but most of them had a “do the minimum” attitude.. which means arriving late, spending 1 hour talking about things unrelated to the class, having 30 minutes breaks and finishing 30 minutes earlier. What you get from these classes is what you can get from the books� I haven’t done the online version but I am assuming it should be more challenging.
3) As far as how “hard” it is to get a job with UOP, let’s get real and take the example of an MBA
a. If you are a fresh out of college job seeker and the only thing you have is the pedigree of you diploma, in this case UOP might not be the best thing to get through the first interview.
b. If you are a professional with some experience, what really matters is what you have accomplished so far and how well you will be able to sell yourself. If you are applying for a job that requires an MBA, than any MBA will do (OK if you are applying for an executive position in a company that is full of Yales MBAs, you might have a problem, meaning your professional accomplishments will be even more important, but how many of you are applying for these jobs).
4) Getting an MBA or any other master does not mean you get to master something (do you think you can master finance or marketing in a 6 week class, even if it was at Yale it would not be true), getting a degree means your “should be” aware of some concepts, that’s it. Your mastery comes for months and years of working in a field. This is why your MBA degree only takes one line in your CV and your job experience takes lines and lines. Unfortunately MBAs are also used as an IQ measure “one is supposed to be smarter if she or he got an MBA from NOVA University versus UOP”. This is not 100% true but unfortunately there are some valid reasons to think so (no testing for enrollment, no tests in classes..). Even if IQ is not everything, some managers are net that subtitle and give too much importance to the brand name.
5) That is the problem; Branding has a real and huge value, which happens to not always reflect the true quality of the product. Since UOP is a for profit corporation they should know this very basic business rule, but they do ABSOLUTLY NOTHING TO PROMOTE AND IMPROVE THEIR BRAND. When I read all these threads, I do not think the problem is the way the concepts are delivered to students at UOP versus at any other school, this is not all that black and white.
6) UOP suffers from a bipolar syndrome. When it comes to get your money, they act as a corporation with profit objectives. When it comes to the services that they provide you could think that as a corporation they would treat you as a customer but they don’t. They treat you as a student, and there is a big difference.
a. Because the Brand is so important, UOP should treat students as customers and ensure that they are always happy customers, customers which are proud of their product and will not bad mouth it to other potential prospects. Does UOP care NO. UOP minimize their costs and we end-up with unqualified support such as academic counselors and so on. UOP should know that a taken care and happy customer would forget the problems, and that an unhappy customer will always remember, exaggerate the problems and badmouth the product to whoever is willing to listen.
b. Why do managers think UOP is degree mill? not because they are experts in the quality of the instructors or students at UOP, but because they have been told so. And by whom have they been told UOP is a degree mill, by the competition but mostly by the UNHAPPY customers of UOP.
7) The biggest problem of UOP is the total lack of care that is given to the students/customers satisfaction. It is not normal that a UOP director of marketing is happy to read comments form students in this blog (Ok it’s better than nothing). That is already too late, UOP should conduct its own customer surveys internally (which they do, but they close their eyes on the problems, so it does not count), and THRULLY have corrective actions to increase the customers satisfaction. On this thread I would say that there is a 50% satisfaction ratio, well how do you think it compares to a Toyota or any other corporation ? not good at all.
8) I do not think that NOVA or Devitry or PENSTATE are better than UOP, I just think that UOP as an image problem and a management that does not understand the role of brand, nor alumni.
I have said what I thought about UOP, I am not leaving because I am not sure which other university will truly be better (I could get worse), and this is not like a TV that you can return and keep shopping around easily, you are somehow stuck, unless you do not mind loosing credits.
I started my MBA with a version 19 and now UOP is going to a version 20. I already know I will have to switch, but I cannot find any counselor that can really explain what the difference is, does any one of you know that?
Thanks for your feedback.
I am about to finish my second class in the BSIT degree program at UOP. I got my associates degree at a “brick and mortar” college. I have to say that most of the coursework has been challenging. I have only taken Critical Thinking classes, and there is only so much of that a person can swallow. I am OK with most things at the school, but for 2 classes in a row, I have had half of my learning teams either quit or not participate. Drives me crazy that people spend money to do nothing. My 2 instructors have been so-so, but my biggest pet peeve is the staff. It routinely takes 7+ days to get a response from my Financial Advisior, and to this day I have NOT received a response from an e-mail I sent my regular advisor at the end of January. What the heck is the deal with that? When they wanted me to attend school, they called me and left messages on every phone number I gave and e-mails in every address I gave. Now that I am in, I havent heard a peep. Hmmm, makes you wonder dont it!
I will say that I work in the IT industry, and have for almost 4 years (after an 18 year military career) and I love my job. I was looking to get my BSIT so I could move up in the company. But at this juncture, I am not sure I want to be a 43 year old graduate with a 30,000 student loan to pay off.
I am opting for MS and Cisco certifications.
I have been following this blog for a while now. My experience at UOP has been really good. It seems that many have problems with the service. For me, the service has been excellent. I am now approaching the last 13 weeks of my time at UOP. My degree will be a MBA/EB. I have had excellent service from both my Academic Advisor and my Financial Advisor. In fact, I have been emailed each time I received a new advisior. I am taking the class online. Maybe the current online experience is better then the land. I don’t know. Anyway, I am happy with my education. I am not happy with the stigma of Phoenix, but I believe my knowledge shows.
I decided to do an internet search re. market value of a grade from the UoP and ended up reading 95% of the messages in this blog. Thanks Dave! I work full time, have 3 kids (with homework), and I am in the CJA undergrad program. I’m currently taking a “break” from classes. The last time I took classes, I managed to finish 4 in a row! For me it’s a pretty exhausting process, because I’m driven to make straight A’s. My exhaustion is directly related to the UoP’s team requirement for each class and not letting any team members impact on a current class grade, even if it means I write the team’s paper alone and give nonparticipating team members credit for no work. In a team of 4 or 5 people, it’s really wonderful to have one person you can count on to stay up with you when you’re trying to meet a paper’s posting deadline. In a group of 4 or 5 people, one person will know how to put a paper together, be able to write, be able to edit and will have the technological skills to post a paper. Person #2 will fully participate and support Person #1, will admit to not knowing APA formatting, BUT will contribute his/her portion of the paper. Person #3 will sporadically participate, might contribute what they are supposed to for the paper (you won’t have it until the last minute) and this person will not know APA formatting or will have incorrectly cited their quoted material. Person #4/5 may or may not check into the group and if this person bothers to submit something for the group’s paper, what they post may either be plagiarized material or may be so off topic that Person #1 ends up writing the section of the paper Person #4/5 was supposed to. What this means is that the person in charge of the team’s paper has to make sure it’s correctly formatted, that it’s grammatically correct, that there’s no plagiarism, and that each cite AND quotation is correct and correctly APA formatted. After at least five classes where this happened, I learned to just take charge from the beginning of the class (What! You need an outline for a paper???). I have always considered it a bonus if any members of the team contributed or provided a paragraph that made sense.
What I love about the courses I have taken so far is that they are over really fast. In five weeks, there are no opportunities for boredom and students have no choice but to keep up or drop out of the class. I’ve also picked up on a few other things. Since UoP is a private institution and their goal, really, is to attract and keep students (there’s the profit motive), as a student I’m in a “buyer’s” position as a customer or consumer. For instance, if during the 5-week course I find that I cannot stand one of the students who’s written word is the cat’s meow (or I’m with a bunch of people who don’t do the teamwork), I just call my academic counselor and tell her that I will not be traveling with this particular group of students to the next class. I quickly found out that groups of students are moved along from class to class together. Sometimes the mix changes, but the general idea is that the group you’re with travels together. NOT!! If I’m paying $1500 per class, I think I’m entitled to be discriminating about who I’m learning from.
For one class I was supposed to take recently, I discovered that the online version of the book we would be using at a cost of $80 (whatever the online e-fee is) could be purchased in hard copy for between $5 and $20. Reason? The new edition was coming out a month after my course was starting. If you are paying that much for an e-Book — it might as well be the most current edition of the book. BTW, I can’t stand e-Books, though I love downloading them. ha ha Oh — one other point — sometimes the online editions of the books we have to use do not include the index from the back of the book. When you’re turning through 10 chapters of a book you’ve printed on a printer (which makes it seem as though there’s paper everywhere!) with no index, finding something you need in the book can be a trial.
Continuing some thoughts about being the consumer and those facilitators who are a mess, you can usually tell within the first day of the class. All you have to do is review their syllabus and watch how the facilitator interreacts with students as they check into the class. But the syllabus is the most important thing to take a look at. Since most of the communication at the UoP online is written communication, everyone’s personality comes through. After you have read through the syllabus ask yourself the following: Does the syllabus make sense? Is the syllabus organized? Check out the dates on the syllabus. Do they match the calendar? Has the syllabus been updated? Are there any typos or grammatical errors? Believe me, all of this is a window to the soul of the facilitator. If you get that nagging feeling — just do what I do, and call your academic advisor to be transferred out of the class and into the one that starts the following week. Oh, and one more thing. Try to get as much information as possible about the facilitator and the syllabus BEFORE you post a message to the class chat room to check into the class. If you post and check into the class and then decide to transfer, you may be charged a fee for the week. Anyway, that’s what my academic counselor told me when this happened to me. I had checked in but then transferred out. Luckily, I was not charged a fee.
What else do I like about the UoP: Being able to attend the class anytime of the day is a bonus (and not having to drive and park to attend). Most facilitators will have a participation and assignment deadline of Mountain time.
I keep thinking of things I should mention and here’s one more. While doing some research for a paper or papers, I frequently have ended up on web pages maintained by professors at other major universities. Guess what! They post their syllabi. Guess what else! The syllabus I find will frequently closely match the syllabus for a current class I’m taking. If you continue sniffing around the professor’s pages, you can augment your UoP class with the lecture notes from a professor at another major university. WOW!!
And one last comment. I have to agree with everyone else who said that they learned more and participated more compared to their experience at other colleges/Univ. they had attended. When you are posting online, you don’t have to worry about being afraid to post your true thoughts about any point. Now, politeness goes a long way, but you don’t have to worry about political correctness. Sure, you may make ten enemies by voicing your opinions, but that’s the beauty (and fun) of the UoP experience. I have not found that any of my facilitators have graded me adversely for not going along with the political (or religious — yes, sometimes there’s religion in the classes) climate of a class.
As a senior level government professional, my only advice to those considering a degree from UOP is to carefully evaluate the reputation and general perception of a school like UOP before investing a lot of time and money. While you may work hard and learn a lot from such a program, it may all come down to the fact that from a hiring standpoint, UOP has a ‘degree mill’ reputation, and your degree will not be regarded nearly as well as one from a traditional, not-for-profit college. I would caution you not to make a huge investment in a degree you will be defending, fairly or not, for the rest of your career.
Julie. Thank you for your intelligent advice. It is sad, but true, UOP is considered a degree mill–even though it is not. It has a better reputation were I live because of the local land campus. Also, I am using it just for the knowledge–even thought it is expensive. However, if if were not for those two elements, I would have chosen a more reputable school. I have learned a lot though. It will be nice when UOP shakes the degree mill stigma. I believe it will. All underdogs have their day.
I am currently a student in the UOP online MM program…I hope to graduate in September. My overall feelings are positive in the sense that the work has been challenging and requires a lot of discipline despite its flexibility. The online program is not for everyone. I’m one of those people who can’t sit and listen to someone lecture…I get bored and my mind begins to wander. Completing this program in the privacy of my own home, on MY time is an absolute blessing. I work full-time; I’m a mom of two kids (one on the way). I started having some complications during this pregnancy and ended up in the hospital for a week. That would have been time lost on a regular campus and would have created a big mess for me academically. However, the online program allowed me to connect through a wireless network and I was able to rest and recover AND keep up with my class.
Now, I’ve also seen the negatives…wondering how some of my classmates ever made it into a Masters program…professors who didn’t provide constructive feedback…poor grammar and communication skills by some foreign students…etc. However, these things have not discouraged me. I was an average 2.5 GPA undergrad student (went away to college at 16…big mistake!) so, at 35 (realizing the importance of a higher education) I had to work to get accepted at UOP. Yes, I was able to enroll in classes, but it took maintaining a 3.5 GPA (I currently have a 3.94) in 15 hours of coursework in my program to go from conditional to full acceptance. It was not easy.
Every class that I’ve completed has related directly to my field and has allowed me to advance with my organization. I’ve encountered at least 10 employees who are students at UOP enrolled in a Masters program and based on the feedback and reactions from upper management, they don’t see UOP as a degree mill.
I really think that your work and experience will prove it in the end.
Frances:
It looks like UOP’s status is finally starting to improve. Thank you, it is making me feel better to read positive comments about UOP–as it relates to the working world.
I have been a student at UOP for fifteen months now and getting ready to start my upper level courses for a business management degree. I was enrolled for IT, after taking a class with a few people that had just come from the IT program, their enthusiasm about the program was kind of lack-luster at best. These classmates had explained to me that the IT program had very little hands on learning and offered little job opportunity in the area that I live in. It was researching the this that I found negative posts about UOP, after all it seems most of this forum?s topics were about UOP?s IT program.
One thing I have noticed about a lot of these posts; most are directed towards the online learning process. One of the reasons I decided my time would be better spent at UOP in the business management program is because it is not flex-net and you still go to a class on-ground once a week for four hours. I feel this is a better way to learn if you do not have the discipline for online classes. Where I live the IT and business administration programs were both flex net.
It is a shame that UOP is considered a degree-mill to many people and the thought of defending the validity and quality of my degree does not sound appealing. Just like many others comments I have read here, there are good students and poor students at UOP. I too have seen sub-standard work handed in for favorable grades, but just like many others here have said ?you get out what you put in? is definitely true of UOP.
I would say that the quality of teachers at UOP is very high, the fact that they are all working individuals in the ?real world? makes this a bonus ? they have a lot of good advice that you will not find at a regular college with professors whose only jobs are to teach. I also feel like people ?skate by? sometimes and that since instructors know how much they are paying (A Lot!) to go to school there they deserve to pass. The formula for success can be as easy as handing in all of your work and attending all of your classes.
You can learn as much at UOP as anywhere else, if you choose to. I am not defending UOP just because I attend there. I know my attitude, personality, and qualifications will define how successful I am at life, not where my degree is from.
I hope this post helps anyone out there make trying to make a decision about UOP, if it does please let me know. I usually never post anything and would like to know if someone, anyone has read this.
I heard you Dave…
It is a shame that some consider UOP (&Online) a degree mill. After perusing many Internet sites focused on this topic, the general consensus for this ‘degree mill’ misconception is based on several anecdotal factors.
Grade Inflation
The proverbial easy ‘A’ without any work. Many claim the instructional material to be invalid because it is so easy to get an ‘A.’ I did not find that to be true, and I believe the grading philosophy follows the model that everyone starts out with an ‘A’ and must maintain the grade through successful completion of all assignments, written papers, individual and group participation. I was excited to achieve a cumulative 3.97 GPA, yet in community college my cumulative GPA at graduation time was 3.73. A quarter grade point difference does not appear to be a substantial margin of inflation.
Lack of Multiple Choice or Fill-in Type Examinations
The coursework is primarily project based in that the focus is upon research both individually and also through virtual collaboration with the assigned teams. Additionally, the participation requirement is very effective because of the virtual ‘Socratic’ approach to instruction. One is forced to think through the questions presented and to formulate some conclusion which is then subject to the scrutiny and rebuttal or agreement by either the classmates or the facilitator.
I am not convinced that rote memorization of facts to prepare for multiple choice or fill-in examinations constitutes a better approach to learning than does researching and writing papers. For me, knowing how to find information quickly or how to apply critical thinking to evaluate the results of those findings is a much more valuable skill. One thing I noticed throughout my time at UOP was the everpresent undercurrent and constant urging to revisit both writing and critical thinking skills. Although these items were the emphasis in the communication based courses, there were constant reminders both from the course material as well as the facilitators.
Facilitators versus Instructors
UOP Online does not have teachers. [I do not know if the ground campuses use facilitators or instructors.] One of the motivations for an online learning environment is the student’s desire and initiative for self-directed learning. Although, the facilitators allegedly take on a secondary role in a sense, I personally found their individual contributions to be as poignant is ground school instruction.
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However, to be fair, UOP (especially online) does have some glaring faults which may contribute to a negative perception of the university. Yet, UOP should not be singled out as this can be the byproduct of any online educational environment.
Inequitable Sharing of Team Workload
In my opinion, this aspect should receive more [much more] attention by the course facilitators and the university in general. In the ideal sense, the workload should be divided evenly amongst the team participants. In about 60% of my courses, there was a more than adequate amount of workload distribution; however, in the remaining courses, there was at least one team member who shirked responsibility. Fortunately, this was known early on (usually by the second week) and accommodations were made to redistribute assignment tasks to meet project deadlines. Interestingly enough, the slackers simulated a typical work environment where the same phenomenon occurs whether through personnel reassignment or other reasons.
Lax Admission Standards
In several courses I experienced some classmates who were definitely not adequately prepared for university level work, especially in the writing arena. On the flipside, I agree that anyone should have a chance to complete a college education. Since UOP is a private institution and needs students to thrive, the school does make it easy for some to slip through the cracks, especially to boost the bottom line.
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The IT Degree
This program receives a substantial amount of bad press. I do not think UOP positioned this degree in the best possible light. It is basically a technology management program focused on theory rather than any specific technology skill. I would agree that someone without any previous IT experience and just this degree may find it difficult to acclimate to a typical and demanding IT environment today. The degree program is more geared towards already established professionals who are more technologically inclined as opposed to business-minded and find it impossible to maintain a regular school schedule. The goal is for the graduates to become better decision makers in the organization.
What makes the program great for IT personnel is the sharing of experience between all of the class members. Exposure to different systems management philosophies and solutions to common problems is invaluable and is immediately applicable.
In my case, I had had 7 years of professional experience prior to entering UOP Online (mostly as a developer and systems administrator), and yet the combination of main group participation, writing papers, had advanced my communication skills tremendously, both verbal and written. That facet alone makes this program invaluable.
I was searching for information on the reputation of UOP and came across this site. I finished my BSM from UOP and I am currently in the MBA program.
As far as UOP being a diploma mill I would have to respectfully disagree. I have been telling people for the last three years not to buy into the UOP commerical where they talk about how easy it is to attend UOP. It is darn difficult. I work hard. I work shift work with rotating days off so online was the only way for me to go.
I do have concerns about the UOP reputation by employers but I know I earned my degree.
Donna Vargas
Hey Folks,
I’ll be starting my MIS courses on May 23 and am totally excited. When I told my boss I was going back to school, I told him that I will be attending UoP and he stated that he thought it was a “degree mill” until he had a relative graduate from here. Unfortunately, there is a “stigma” of degree mill but…..they will learn. I got my BS Finance at a “beer” and mortar school (San Diego State University), Client/Server Technology Certificate at SDSU and now I will be getting my Masters at a “degree mill”. Check it out………Undergrad Degree – “Party School”, IT Certificate – “Party School”, Masters Degree – “Degree Mill”, Current Salary – $xxx,xxx figures…..CLASSIC!!!!!
By the way….if my current employer thought that UoP was a “degree mill”, do you think they would be paying for 100% of my MIS Degree?
I have been attending UOP flexnet in the business management (bsbm) program for a year now. I too have some misgivings about the professionalism of the UOP staff, the ability for some students to receive higher grades than expected for their quality of work (but that is subjective and could occur because one is working to “their” potential), and the suggestion that this degree (from an accredited school with the Higher Learning Commission) is just handed out to whomever pays for it. I’ve been here before..not to UOP, but when I graduated from Ivy Tech. I had an Associates Degree and had people belittle it’s importance because it wasn’t from a big, traditional college. I have found that some people will always be judgemental. In Indiana, it is not uncommon for a Purdue graduate to belittle an Indiana University graduate, and vice versa. Both colleges are good, it’s just someone’s opinion and I’ve learned over the years to take opinions for what they are worth…not much in my book.
I have worked in my profession now for 13 years and have continuously grown my career. My degree seeking is as an accompaniment to my experience…a door opener for prospective employers who value the piece of paper that says I know what I am doing. Everything has pros and cons, and yes…I might have to defend this degree as well. My experience will speak volumes and I’m acquiring valuable information from my UOP experience. I am gathering more skills and education that will make me an asset to my current and future employers. Thanks to the UOP plan, I am able to attend school while; holding down a 45 hour/week management position, raising a teenage daughter and rambunctious 7 year old son (and all the homework and extracurricular activities that entails), maintaining a marraige of 15+ years and still finding some “me” time (not much mind you, but every little bit counts). This plan also lets me obtain my degree with a modicum of time, instead of 2 classes a year through my gray hair days.
So if you’re considering an education at UOP, do the soul searching that only you can do. Determine why you want a degree; what you expect to accomplish once you have the degree; if you want to defend your decision to those who really don’t know how UOP operates; whether image or prestige is your focal point in your desire to obtain a degree and if you’re up to the challenge. It has not been a cake walk for me, but I am confident that this education is only going to help me in the long run.
I recently completed my bachelor’s of science degree in business management at UoP and I am currently enrolled in their MBA program. All my classes have been online. I love the flexibility of the program – I can log on anywhere as long as I have an Internet connection. Some instructors have been better than others, but none hae been bad. I do hate non-performing team members – just like real life.
I just graduated from University of Phoenix-Midwest Campus, with an MBA in E-business. I wanted to see what type of clout my MBA had in the real world, so I put “MBA from University of Phoenix” in Yahoo’s search bar. I was amazed at the results. I suggest anyone worried about whether an MBA from Phoenix has any worth, do this. I found professors who has parlayed MBAs from Phoenix into PhDs from Stanford. I also found many executives and others which listed and MBA from Phoenix as a graduate degree (proudly). This really bolstered my confidence in my degree.
I don’t understand why UOP is so bashed. I noticed that Walden is also a for-profit University, but no one bashes it–UOP must be doing something right.
I wanted to correct one of the sentences in my last post. I wrote “I found professors who has parlayed MBAs. . .”. I meant, “I found professors who have. . .”. Thanks.
A couple of short anecdotes. . .
I had recently attended a seminar for a graduate computer science degree at a local and very high ranking private university. Shortly after the presentation, we introduced ourselves and gave quick bios emphasizing our current jobs and educational backgrounds. The second I mentioned UoP, the room became quiet and a instant chill permeated the air.
My firm contracted me to a new client for some web application architecture design and migration from multiple programming languages implementation to J2EE. An incredibly sharp UNIX sysadmin who was assigned to our company assimilation had mentioned his upcoming graduation. I asked him what school he had attended. He hesitated for a nanosecond and then blurted, "UoP Ground." I told him I had graduated nearly a year earlier from the online campus. What was our common complaint? It was the teams of course.
One of my previous work associates, a Linux enthusiast and expert, suggested that I not put the UoP BSIT degree on my resume so as to prevent automatic rejection based on filters that could be biased against UoP. I had invested 33 months total to complete the requirements for the degree. It would seem that automatically rejecting a person based on the school is yet another form of discrimination.
I think the lesson here is that a person (or potential job candidate) is a unique individual and cannot be adequately judged by the school attended. Assuming that all UoP graduates are non-performers falls under the hasty generalization logical fallacy.
While surfing the Internet, I came across this very interesting and objective article about UoP: http://www.insidehighered.com/workplace/2005/03/28/phoenix
Diploma mill? I’ve been to one of those where for $599.00 I received a degree for life experience. After two years at UOP and reading more than I ever did at any traditional school, I have to say that it’s better than those packed Universities where the professor knows you by your SS# and 3 tests through a 16 week semester where attendance isn’t even taken. Oh, and what really has the traditonal schools angry is the competition and accreditation of UOP as well as the satisfied students.
Hey Silde … You said on June 18th, 2005 “As a senior IT manager, who has reviewed hundreds of applications for employment can say unequivocally that a degree from UoP in BSIT would be given the same or lesser weight as a certification course offering from one of the established IT training vendors like Global Knowledge, Learning Tree or Westlake.”
What I have to say to you is, I wouldn’t want to work for you. UoPHX is an accredited college. If your job description says requires a 4 year degree from a an accredited college, then you MUST by LAW accept that. If you rejected me for the position because my degree is from a school you don’t seem to like, then you my friend may be facing a law suit!! That’s like saying well he meets all the requirements for the job, but well he’s black and I don’t think blacks will do a good job! Maybe you never took an HR class to earn your AA degree from that community college you went to?
Believe it or not, I busted my ass to get my Masters of Information Systems Management ONLINE from the UoPHX. I earned my 3.89 GPA. I sacrificed spending time with my family and friends for 2 years!
So SCREW you with your comment. I thought about renewing my MCSE and CCNP, but then I’d have to do it again over and over every couple of years. This way, I do it once and I have it for ever! Then what does an MCSE get me? More of what I’m doing. I got a Masters to enhance my career.
You are exactly the type of manager they train us NOT to be! Open your eyes. Online schools are the wave of the future! UoPHX has been around for 30 years. I know plenty of people who went to UCLA who are morons. I know plenty of people who don’t have a degree who earn six figures. It’s all about who you are and what you do with what you’ve got!
Have a nice life!
– Mike
Hurray Mike! Thank you so much. I too busted my butt to get a 3.74 for an MBA/EB from UOPO. I just do not understand all of these people who try to say it is not a good education. I learned more about my subject, and more about how to learn from UOPO then I ever did from a traditional college. Again, thank you.
I will receive a BS/BM from UOP in March ’07. I know how much work I am doing to maintain my 3.7. If this is a degee mill, then the traditional state universities must be part of the ‘ivy league’. When I attended an accelerated adult program at a traditional university, I didn’t notice any differences between the traditional university experience and the UOP experience.
For those of you experiencing the same good things at UOP, thanks for the UOP support. For those of you who remain skeptical, thanks for making an attempt to override your emotions and look at the facts before you condemn our school. Many more people will visit this blog after us to form their own opinions and state new facts.
I am 27 credits from graduating with a BS in Business/Management from UoP. I have found most of the classes to be quite challenging. I have seen the plagiarism, poor grammar, and poor facilitators that are mentioned in the previous posts. I have also interacted with honest and educated people who contribute 100%. These are the people I attempt to interact with in class.
A previous post said “…I mean there is not even a simple lecture explaning anything in each course. Student’s are just expected to miraculous pull the answers out of their head.” I think the learning process is enhanced by requiring critical thought which leads us to search out the subject matter without an instructor droning on and on from the textbook. As adult learners I think we owe it to ourselves to learn everything we can, even if it is not on the syllabus.
The online environment, while not perfect, is a great way for a person like me to learn. I need to be able to set my own schedule and allow for interuptions at any time so I can fulfill life’s other obligations.
The University of Phoenix may not be perfect but I will take pride in my degree and I know for a fact it will provide opportunities in the future.
I earned an AA degree at a traditional brick & mortar college that is part of a university. I have been working toward a BS at UOP for a year. If the coursework that I have been through at UOP is indicitive of a diploma mill, then diploma mills are a lot tougher than two year colleges. Frankly, I wonder how many people who put the diploma mill label on UOP have ever attended a class there. I dare anyone to take their statistic 2 class and say it’s a walk in the park.
Dave,
I also earned an AA/MIS degree at a traditional brick & mortar college. I have since “earned” both a BSM and MBA Degrees at University of Phoenix (UOP) in Oklahoma City. Granted, there are some students who want to squeak by and not do the work, but that happens in every college. Having completed both programs at UOP, I am upset simply because I think I can compete equally or better in the real world now than a regular college graduate. I would be willing to bet that maybe 1 out of 5 (or maybe 10) people coming out of a regular college has little or no communications skills. How many can get up before an audience give a presentation without stammering and stuttering. Better yet, how many can do a PowerPoint presentation right with bullet points. Employers are looking for employees who can communicate and work with others. Phoenix teaches a person how to work with other people. I can assure you when you write an APA formatted, 40-page Project Plan for a company I do not think I bought my degrees.
I want to update everyone on how I am doing with my MBA. I was just hired at a local university as an adjunct professor. This was based on my MBA from UOP.
I have yet to run across the negativity about my degree, as I have seen in some of the posts. I am very happy I went to UOP.
I have been researching schools for some time now and thought UOP was the one. The comments I have read (for good and for bad) have really influenced my plan. I immediately noted that the people with negative statements could actually make comprehensive statements. The people that were attending or have graduated UOP can’t write complete and intellegable statements. An impressive note for an accredited University!
I have a question. I am considering the UOP for a Bachelors in Psychology. I want to know if anyone has tried transferring credts from UOP to another University. Right now I am single with four kids and a full time job, therefore am unable to attend in person and want a degree. If I am able to attedn in person at some point I would like to do so, I want to make sure that the credits I earn online will transfer.
I would also like to know if anyone has obtained their Bachelors in Psyhology with UOP and were they successfull in obtaining a job with it?
To the woman who got a job at a “local university as an adjunct professor” that is not the purpose of an MBA. By the way to any who are confused, the AACSB is the ONLY business accreditation game in town, period. (Screw the Higher Learning Commission or whatever the hell they are called)You are wasting your money, so please stop. If there is an entrance test to an education program (such as a GMAT) yet your school of choice does not require it, THEY WILL NOT BE HIGHLY REGARDED BY MOST EMPLOYERS.
Just because you find your classes to be challenging does not mean potential employers will give a flying fig.
I am not trying to knock you, I am merely trying to tell you to get out while you still have money. Find an accredited ( once again the higher learning commission means balls) state school, or even better a ranked school, and at least give yourself a chance. How often does Harvard ( or even your local state school) advertise on your browser home page? In other words, UoP is merely a business and is about as selective as a dog in heat.
That, my friends, is what potential employers will perceive while you are trying to turn your hard earned diploma into a decent salary.
To Jason:
I disagree. An MBA can be used for whatever the recipient wants. Your perception is very limited. My main reason for getting an MBA was not to get a job, but to learn what I needed to build my own business. I addition, I wanted to teach computer classes at the college level (my undergrad is in computer information systems). I needed a masters degree to do that. So, for me, the MBA I received helped me to achieve my goal. As I have said before, I have not had any problems with the degree I received.
I only replied to your post in my own defense. I cannot speak for anyone else. I am happy with my choice.
To Ola,
I mean no disrespect to you personally, and I am glad that you were able to use your degree to your advantage, however I fear that you may be the exception rather than the rule. I have just begun an MBA program at a brick and mortar school, and I spent the previous year researching to make sure that my school choice would both suit me and provide a substantial payoff upon graduation, considering the substantial investment one is required to make. I have learned a few things along the way, and I would like to take this opportunity to share them with anyone out there who is thinking about business school.
1) The majority of MBA students ( at least in my experience) are attending for the purpose of advancement to their current career.
2) Unfortunately, only 44% of startups in 1998 were still in operation in 2002. How well will your MBA prepare you for the workforce in the event your business fails?
3)As for any school you are considering, how highly regarded is it in the corporate community? I do believe that any education possibly does open doors, but the quantity and the quality of those doors is VERY important. Someone previously mentioned that he received a 15,000 dollar a year raise (not bad at all), but if one goes to business week’s MBA section, they can see that for a top school a graduate can earn an increase of two or three times that easily. For the investment one is making, one should expect the highest return possible.
4) How selective is your school? Are there rigid standards (competition based on GMAT score, undergraduate achievement, personal experience, personality, etc.) or do they allow anyone in with a bachelor’s degree? Many employers perceive schools with soft acceptance standards as having a poor student body, regardless of whether it is true or not.
5) This is the most important one. Will your MBA get you into your chosen career field? In the long run this is all that matters, and this is possibly the easiest to determine. Make a short list of companies that you are interested in working for or that are leaders in whatever industry suits you. Then find out who their HR people are and email them very short, to the point, and specific questions (to ensure a response), such as “how highly do you regard XXX University?.” If you get mostly positive feedback, then you are probably making the right decision.
I am not trying to knock anyone, and if you are trying to advance your education congrats to you. I just feel that some people are making a huge investment that may not pay off in the long run. If online is the only way to go, look into UT knoxville or some of the other schools previously mentioned. I was told by many people that if a school did not have aacsb accredidation, they did not even bother reading the rest of the resume. For a list of these school visit the AACSB’s website, and use businessweek, princeton review, vault, etc. to do your research on prospective schools. Asking people on blog’s is probably not a good source of information because it will be difficult to seperate fact from opinion. Remember this is just my opinion and I may be wrong myself, so do your research before making a huge commitment.
I apologize, but contrary to what I thought UT knoxville does not offer a pure online MBA ( that’s what happens when you reference what you thought you saw on a billboard one time when moving from alabama to st. louis). For additional information on AACSB accredited online programs, perhaps this website may help:
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/aug2005/bs20050818_4192_bs001.htm
I am currently working through my 2nd graduate degree with University of Phoenix Online. My first program in 2003 was a MAED-SecEd. that I completed mostly at the ground campus. Currently I’m working on an MBA/PA completely through the online format that gives me so much more flexibility. As you would assume most students online are swamped with time restrictions from other areas (family, work, play) that school is usually pushed back to make room. With the online format at UOP you have the capability to fit classes in here and there throughout the day. I’m able to complete my 4 days of posting in classroom discussions each week at various times during my workday. Some days it’s early in the morning, others it’s on my lunchbreak or after my daughter goes to sleep. I allot one solid day a week (usually Sunday) to write my weekly assignment which can take up to 6 hours. It works for me. Everyone is different with thier schedule which is why these 5-6 week classes are so great. I’ve had my share of poor instructors, but with the checks and balances in place at UOP you can weed out those bad instructors with a simple phone call. It’s just like any other school, where you will likely have a 1 or 2 instructors you don’t get along with, but my experience overall has been great over the past 4 years with UOP.
The greatest feature of UOP has to be the quality of the coursework in the MBA program that was developed with input from Fortune 1000 companies. I frequently apply the problem-based learning model at work which forces you to look at numerous angles to any given situation/problem and create your solution, grading system, risk and outcome.
Well, I’d write more but I need to log into my class and post for today. Best of luck to the rest of you obtaining your educational goals, and I hope to see you on the graduation list at UOP someday.
I work for UOP. I love my job and I love going to school at UOP.
I would like to work for UOP :-). I currently attend UOP Online, and I think the curriculum is very challenging. It is interesting to read others opinions about the university.
Online MBA programs � Stars and Stinkers
Bloggers continually debate the quality of colleges and universities that have online MBA programs; however, the arguments are usually more emotional than factual. My research has shown that there are both stars and stinkers in this important field of graduate study:
Morehead State University (Morehead, KY) is clearly a star. Its online MBA program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and the cost for residents and non-residents alike is a mere $990 per course.
Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, KY) is also a star. Its online MBA program is accredited by AACSB and the tuition is only $1,173 per course.
Strayer University Online (Newington, VA) falls into the stinker category, primarily because neither its undergraduate nor its graduate business degrees are accredited by AACSB. Moreover, the tuition is $1,730 per graduate course�almost twice that of Morehead State.
University of Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ) is also a stinker. Its business degrees are not accredited by AACSB, and the tuition is $1,764 for graduate courses. Additionally, this institution requires that instructors sign a �statement of faith� concerning their religious views.
Prospective students who wish to know more about these and other online MBA programs should go to http://www.geteducated.com/rankings/best_mbaaacsb.asp.
I am currently enrolled in the MBA program at UOP. I have four classes remaining and have recieved an excellent education. I also have attended a “traditional” college and feel I have the “right” to compare the two. I have read some posts from individuals who claim to go to “real” schools and that the only people that go to schools such as UOP could not hack it elsewhere. I must say it sounds as though these individuals are a bit threatened. Why would somoene past judgement on anything without having firsthand knowledge of what they are talking about? I really like the response ” I knew a friend who graduated or said it was easy”. I know plenty of people who say the same thing about schools such as The Ohio State University, Penn State, Northwestern, and Yale. Yes, I said Yale. These schools have lousy instructors and lousy students who pass. I have experienced lousy professors at one of the “better” business schools in my area. I unfortunately had the privelage of having the Accounting Dept.Head and the Economics Dept. Head as instructors. They were by far the worst I have ever had. They did not teach and they were dumbfounded when a student would not understand a topic and would ask for help. I received a “B” in each class, so my complaints are not rooted from not being able to “handle” a “real” class. I have learned much more from real life experienced instructors and classmates at UOP. The real world is tough and full of lousy employers, bosses, and bloggers. Learn how to deal with them and succeed without the need for a “better” piece of paper to boost your ego and you will be successful.
Good afternoon – I have to comment on this topic. To set the stage, I have a BS in Electrical Engineering, a MS in Control Systems Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis (a top-20 institution). I’m also working on an MS in Engineering Mgmt at WashU (on-campus) and an MBA/TM at UoP. So, I have a broad perspective in terms of comparing online versus on-campus instruction.
UoP’s administrative support is poor – I’ve had 3 academic counselors since I’ve been in the program. My second helped me waive a couple of classes, which should have been waived in the first place based on my previous coursework. My first counselor refused to try to get them waived.
From an instructional point of view – I find the instructor quality to vary widely. I had an instructor who rarely participated and I ripped my counselor after the course. At the other end of the spectrum, I have a former Univ of Texas – Austin professor and the rigor is intense. Two or three hours per night at a minimum to keep up. Research is a major part of his course – peer-reviewed material – Harvard Business Review, Academy of Management Journal, etc. Nothing in my MS in Engineering Mgmt compares to the quality of this class. The instruction and rigor is phenominal – http://www.msod.com/books/Pepitone.htm (my instructor for Human Capital Development). As a whole, and comparing it to the quality of material at WashU, the curriculum at UoP is on par or better than WashU. It’s nice to be in class with typically a student with significant work experience and in a variety of industries. At typical ground based institutions, since MBA applicants are down, the work experience requirement has been relaxed – I went to a WashU MBA open house last year. I’m 35 and I have no interest in going to school with a 21-year old MBA student who has absolutely no practical experience to bring to the classroom. An MBA is not just another advanced degree, it is a professional practice degree. If you don’t agree, then you have no concept of the purpose of an MBA from either a UoP or corporate perspective. If your objective is to apply to a top-5 consulting firm, UoP is not the answer. If you are in the middle of your career, looking for a very solid MBA education that can propel you into senior management or into a doctoral program, UoP is a good option. I’m going to pursue a Doctorate upon graduation, while working fulltime. For those who say they can do as little as possible and get by in these classes need to re-evaluate the reasoning behind the pursuit of an MBA – I’m sure that attitude run rampant in their own work life and I would never hire you even if you graduated from Stanford or Harvard. If you work hard, you’ll get a tremendous out of the program to benefit your career. I know UoP gets bashed by analysts and recruiters, but the list of companies represented in my classes tell a very different story?
Intel
McDonalds
Nikon
Microsoft
City of Atlanta
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Pfizer
British Petroleum
The Boeing Company
General Electric
Peet’s Coffee & Tea
Great A&P Tea Company
Deutsche Bank
AOL Germany
UBS Financial Services
Investor’s Bank & Trust
I have recently transferred from a state university to UofP and the reason was commuting every day. I live about an hour and half from school and the commuting was becoming a big issue. I am planning to finish my Accounting degree and I just wanted to know. Did any one take the CPA exam and were the requirements fullfilled like any other accredited university.
[[ Additionally, this institution requires that instructors sign a “statement of faith” concerning their religious views. ]]
News to me; I hope my pay checks keep coming. ggg
The University of Phoenix itself doesn’t require any sort of statement of faith. It’s a specific group within UoP that is an outsource solution for a religious-based school: if you want to be considered for the role of instructor with that particular school, they (not UoP) require a Statement of Faith.
I’m definitely a newbie to the UoP online experience. In fact, I have enrolled, but my first class (GEN300) doesn’t start until Jan 2nd. However, after jumping in, I then stopped and went ‘whoa,’ is the UoP still viewed as nothing more than a degree mill? I’ve been reading articles online (alas, that’s how I found this thread), and haven’t been able to really find many recent articles about the credibility and reputability of a UoP degree. I have read that it does depend on the program you are enrolled in, and the potential employers out there. I also am well aware that the UoP is geared towards working adults—those already working who are perhaps looking for a promotion/salary raise within their own company.
1) Is it safe to say that, for those individuals, the UoP is an appropriate university to attend?
2) Would it also be reasonable to argue that a UoP degree for a new job/career change is looked down upon or disregarded entirely?
I don’t know the answer to either of those questions, but I sure would like to. If anyone has a thought to share with either one, I’d love to hear it. I’m a health and physical education teacher with an A.A.S and a B.A. I started pursuing my M.A., but would like to change careers and am currently signed up to go for the BSIT degree that focuses on Visual Communications.
I’ve always enjoyed computers as a hobby, but didn’t pursue it as a career because I enjoyed teaching. Now that I am going for a career change, will my degree be credible in the industry?
I spoke with one senior graphic designer at the AT Cross company who said it doesn’t matter where you get your IT degree from, the bottom line is can you do the work? With that in mind, it sounds like the UoP gives you the skills to be able to ‘do the work’.
I would greatly appreciate any feedback either on this discussion thread or in a private email.
Thanks so much for your time.
Kristen
Olga,
If you are judging a quality MBA program simply by AACSB accredidation, you are making a bad mistake. There are many quality institutions that do not seek AACSB – Webster University, Maryville University, Fontbonne University – all in St. Louis, MO. Remember, UoP caters to the working professional and AACSB accredidation requires a balanced undergrad/grad program mix. Here is UoP statement regarding AACSB…
FAQs about UOP and AACSB
�What is AACSB International? The Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business International provides an additional level of �programmatic� accreditation for traditional business schools. Along with other activities, the organization promotes management education at traditional schools of business.
�Is the University of Phoenix accredited by AACSB? No. Since the missions of the University of Phoenix and AACSB differ, UOP has never sought accreditation from AACSB. UOP, however, is a member of AACSB and in that capacity shares in the exchange of ideas about creating quality business programs.
�Does this mean the University of Phoenix is not accredited? No. University of Phoenix, as an institution, is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), previously known as �North Central Association of Colleges and Schools/Commission on Institutions of Higher Education�. HLC, and the five other regional accrediting associations provide accreditation at the institutional level for colleges and universities across the US. However, the University of Phoenix has not sought the additional programmatic accreditation for its business programs since organizations like AACSB are designed to promote the characteristics of traditional business schools.
�How does University of Phoenix differ from �traditional� business schools? University of Phoenix is a teaching university with a highly focused mission: to serve the educational needs of working adults. Our teaching/learning model is designed specifically to meet the needs of this population, whereas traditional business schools serve a traditional age group and place a greater focus on formal rather than action research. For this reason, AACSB�s focus requires the large majority of faculty at institutions accredited by them be full-time professors with doctoral-level degrees. Conversely, our model requires faculty members to be academically prepared at the doctoral or master�s level, but additionally they must be practicing in their fields. This is a more appropriate model for a University whose primary focus is working adult students who expect that theoretical content be taught in the context of professional practice.
�Are there differences in the courses in the programs at AACSB-accredited business schools and non-traditional business schools like UOP? Both groups offer similar courses, although there is variation among AACSB-accredited schools as well as non-traditional universities in the specific required courses. UOP adheres to the suggested course content for AACSB accreditation, since it reflects generally accepted skills in the business profession.
�Is there any disadvantage to a University of Phoenix graduate since UOP is not accredited by AACSB? No. Employers have not expressed a preference for business school accreditation. Regional accreditation, like that of the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits UOP, is important for students seeking employer reimbursement and federal financial aid.
With respect to the academic issues, we believe our students greatly benefit from being taught by practitioner faculty who are experts in their field. This allows our students to integrate and apply the content knowledge to their chosen professions. By adhering to this model of instruction, the University of Phoenix is better served by not being accredited by AACSB.
Personally, I feel that UoP has been a good learning experience for me. I too am somewhat worried about what employers may think. I am in the MAEDSPE-Cross Categorical program at UoP for special education. I have a few comments to make here:
1. The diploma mill stigma is ridiculous. The degree program requires more work than I have ever done at any traditional college.
2. It seems to me that most people are bashing UoP are from the MBA programs.
3. Yes, there have been some people who refused to do any work. Or, there were ones that did little. However, they were few and far between.
4. In every class that I have taken, there has been some form of a long case study that had to be performed. They were often more than 5,000 words each.
I will say that UoP’s admission requirements aren’t rigorous. They will let in almost anyone. I’m in the MBA/TM program. BUT, the rigor of the program eliminates many folks who shouldn’t have been accepted in the first place. It is not a diploma mill. If you think it is – you’ll be very surprised. I’m looking at Concord’s Executive JD program done entirely online. It’s a very intriguing program.
I am just starting their student teaching experience at the Masters level for special education at UoP. My supervisor just sent me 11 files to my email before class has even started. UoP is not a diploma mill by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, in the education field it is very well respected. The program requirements are extremely rigorous especially online.
I got so frustrated today working on a team project that I had to find out what other’s are saying about their UoP experience. I am currently in my 6th of 10 classes towards earning my MBA.
I received my associate and bachelor degree from traditional schools. I enrolled with UoP Online for convenience because I would be relocating soon. Truthfully, even though several people told me the program was hard, I really thought it would be easy. Wrong! There is a ton of writing, reading, and research required. My issue is with teamwork.
Teamwork is an important component and very pertinent in most jobs. I have someone on my team who blatantly plagiarized two pages of material and she’s still in the class. I pulled her section off of the paper and reported the incident to the professor. Anywhere else, I’m convinced she would have been dropped. Now I have to babysit every post and paper she produces. That’s unacceptable and makes me wonder, what grad will she earn?
The online experience is not for everyone. This program is hard, make no mistake. My employer (Ford Credit) pays 100% and the UoP is the ONLY school the company pre-approves. I figured, if Ford has faith in the program, I might as well, too.
After graduated from UOP I have received nearly a 25% pay increase. After obtaining the degree I received a 10% increase at my previous job. I applied to other companies and landed a job making more money. Even an exec at the company graduated from UOP. I would not have landed this job had I not obtained a 4 yr degree, period. Will the degree hold credibility after graduation? Yes it will. I believe online univ’s like UOP are more widely accepted since more people in the workforce have them now. Maybe 10 yrs ago things were different. For those who posted that it hurts your resume, I see this as nothing more than snob appeal and insecurity. All I know is the degree has helped me.
After graduated from UOP I have received nearly a 25% pay increase. After obtaining the degree I received a 10% increase at my previous job. I applied to other companies and landed a job making more money. Even an exec at my company graduated from UOP. I would not have landed this job had I not obtained a 4 yr degree, period. Will the degree hold credibility after graduation? Yes it will. I believe online univ’s like UOP are more widely accepted since more people in the workforce have them now. Maybe 10 yrs ago things were different. For those who posted that it hurts your resume, I see this as nothing more than snob appeal and insecurity. All I know is the degree has helped me.
Yikes!!!
I am currently a UofP student (more than halfway through and MA)and I tonight I randomly started looking for some feedback and discussion after seeing a link to a critical New York paper article. I have to admit, the huge spectrum of responses has really thrown me off. I don’t know whether to drop out and cut my loss, or keep going. Some say it’s the worst, others the best. Some say jobs will be offered all over, others say it’ll never be recognized. Neither students nor UofP workers themselves are agreeing!! So…what’s the final say? Anyone? Is this a waste of time and money? Is it all a hoax? Or is this real education?
A little background…
I’m a college director and I wanted/needed a masters program that I could complete while working and not pulling up house again. My bosses were seriously skeptical, but I I found someone credible who supported it so they gave me the go-ahead. I work with Cambridge and Westminster and Edinburgh scholars; brilliant professors who have studied and earned high degrees. If mine turns out to be from a degree mill, I’ll lose my job. I work ina college, so there’s no room for whack degrees with the educators.
As far as my experience…
I’ve enjoyed it so far. Some of the instructors have been a little out of it, and I reported blatent plagerism that was never dealt with, but other instructors have been really tough and worked hard at connecting us with the material. I don’t want to earn an easy A, and I need to gain good info and skills. If things aren’t consistent then…?
I’d appreciate any reliable and honest insight that doesn’t have an agenda or a bone to pick, but someone who is concerned about good education. Thanks!
Ana,
I posted the previous post to yours. I applied to several companies on Monster a few months after graduating. Not one of the companies I was interviewed at EVER criticized me for earning my degree from UOP. I work in Information Technology, and several people I know received degrees from the school and have good jobs. Is the school a diploma mill? NO. It’s a real school because it is accredited by the US Government. Rememeber, people can post whatever they want on the web. Most of the time they are insecure and jealous, and have nothing better to do except cut others down to bring themselves up.
Personally, I think it’s just like any other “brick-and-mortar” college-some people have good experiences, and others do not. I am starting my first two classes on Thursday for my Associate’s in Healthcare Administration. I have also gone to my local community college. I have had effective and horrible teachers there. Really, it’s just like any other school-there will be courses you can “slide” through, and others you almost have to sell your firstborn to pass. It doesn’t mean that UoP is a bad school-just that they have human teachers!!
I am looking forward to starting classes myself.
hi
I’m considering to enroll at uop this year.But I am wondering if its a recognized university, I donot want to regret or waste my time and money. please anybody, tell me more about the on line education.
Kim, UoP is a recognized university without a shadow of a doubt. It is regioally accedited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, which is one of the six main accreditation agencies. It is also recognized by CHEA and the United States Department of Education. What you need to check out is if it is licensed to operate in the state that you live in. That is the most important issue. I am obtaining my masters degree through them and I can honestly tell you that the amount of work that you have to do is equivalent or more than thatof any traditional college.
I am in my 5th class with the University of Phoenix, and found the experience was harder than I thought it would be. There is a lot of writing and reading. So far, I’ve found I’ve had to read between 2-8 chapters a week and write individual papers due each Monday and team papers due each Sunday. It’s not as easy as some people think. I am pursuing a degree in Information Systems and like the structure to date. UoP is a regionally accredited University and my employer supports the choice I made to attend. I read the NYT article and had to snicker. Here’s why: My last class was Critical Thinking. This class teaches how to think critically, meaning each statement you or another person makes must be supported with scientific, or factual information to assist in proper decision-making. The article mentions a legal issue and assosiates it with the education, but does not support the claim, but only mentions the information. Further, the writer mentions surveys held, but does not indicate the source or any further factual information about the surveys. From my learning in critical thinking, the writer clearly used persuasive arguments in order to sell his opinion, but I do not respect his factual misrepresentations. I believe the writer should have backed up his claims in the article. I’m disappointed that a writer from the NYT was permitted to publish this information without factual support. I read the University of Phoenix rebuttal inside my student account, and the University sites the gross misrepresentations with the facts down to the numbers. I have not trouble reading someone else’s research, but expect to see some substantial information in order to pursuade me. I spend approximately 12 hours per week reading chapters, writing papers, and reading more than 1000 classroom posts per class. The classes are 5 weeks in length, and compared to a brick and mortar facility, the only time difference is removing the lectures. Instead they are replaced by reading the student responses and teacher responses in class. It’s similar to going through many emails every day.
I would like to know how many credit hours are required for a Masters of Information Systems degree. I am a graduate of UoP with a Bachelors in Management Inforamtion Systems. I also am MCSE certified. I am living overseas and just found out that the company I am working for may reimburse tuition. If so I am going for it. There is not a lot to do here Afghanistan in the evenngs and so it would be a perfect time to obtain my masters degree. Generally how many months is it to completion if you take courses back to back? I ask this because the number of credits per class varies and a total number of credits without knowing how many credits are earned in each class does not give me a time frame.
By the way – my degree from UoP certainly was worth the time, expense and effort. I backed it up with the MCSE certification – and that made a huge difference.
Language barriers? Cultural barriers? In IT they are not insurmontable.
Linda
I have to say that my site supervisor came out and supervised me for my student teaching for UoP. They are much more serious about their education and programs than people care to realize. To be honest, I am a little sick and tired of people making these bogus arguments about UoP being a so-called “degree mill” when that is far from the truth. If it is accredited, which it is, that means that it is not a degree mill. My masters program is a minimum of 18 months and they have done far more than any traditional college has ever done. They have also sent a supervisor here to New Jersey solely for me.
I am a student with UOP in my second class of my Masters degree. I finished my BS through UOP and I continued on with my Masters. UOP is no diploma mill. I had thought at first it might be, but soon after realized that it was for real. If you are a person who likes to be hand held through classes, get a pat on the head, or not disciplined to work, UOP is not for you. It is a down and dirty, intense filled work, with individual assignments and team collaboration papers. The only difference I found is that the instructor is not in front of you. They are available through email and the phone. I found them very responsive.
I have heard the stories too about a bad instructor. You have the same thing in a brick and mortar school.
I am on my last course for the MBA in HCM at UOP and it has been a great learning experience without the stress associated with in class egos, instructors with bad attitudes and other negative experiences associated with the traditional way. In comparing a school like UOP to a so-called traditional school is like day and night. UOP is adult oriented with a more mature atmosphere compared to the traditional. When I was attending the traditional college, many instructors seem like they didn’t care one way or the other; unapproachable and even had personal biases against certain students. Many of the students were immature, rude and even hostile against others for some reason. Yet, at UOP I didn’t encounter any of that and indeed it has been a learning journey that for once I can say I enjoyed in relation to going to school. I also wonder what is the status of its ACBSP accreditation.
UoP will “never” seek AACSB accreditation. This is their reply regarding this…
FAQs about UOP and AACSB
1. What is AACSB International? The Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business International provides an additional level of programmatic accreditation for traditional business schools. Along with other activities, the organization promotes management education at traditional schools of business.
2. Is the University of Phoenix accredited by AACSB? No. Since the missions of the University of Phoenix and AACSB differ, UOP has never sought accreditation from AACSB. UOP, however, is a member of AACSB and in that capacity shares in the exchange of ideas about creating quality business programs.
3. Does this mean the University of Phoenix is not accredited? No. University of Phoenix, as an institution, is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), previously known as North Central Association of Colleges and Schools/Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. HLC, and the five other regional accrediting associations provide accreditation at the institutional level for colleges and universities across the US. However, the University of Phoenix has not sought the additional programmatic accreditation for its business programs since organizations like AACSB are designed to promote the characteristics of traditional business schools.
4. How does University of Phoenix differ from traditional business schools? University of Phoenix is a teaching university with a highly focused mission: to serve the educational needs of working adults. Our teaching/learning model is designed specifically to meet the needs of this population, whereas traditional business schools serve a traditional age group and place a greater focus on formal rather than action research. For this reason, AACSB’s focus requires the large majority of faculty at institutions accredited by them be full-time professors with doctoral-level degrees. Conversely, our model requires faculty members to be academically prepared at the doctoral or master’s level, but additionally they must be practicing in their fields. This is a more appropriate model for a University whose primary focus is working adult students who expect that theoretical content be taught in the context of professional practice.
5. Are there differences in the courses in the programs at AACSB-accredited business schools and non-traditional business schools like UOP? Both groups offer similar courses, although there is variation among AACSB-accredited schools as well as non-traditional universities in the specific required courses. UOP adheres to the suggested course content for AACSB accreditation, since it reflects generally accepted skills in the business profession.
6. Is there any disadvantage to a University of Phoenix graduate since UOP is not accredited by AACSB? No. Employers have not expressed a preference for business school accreditation. Regional accreditation, like that of the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits UOP, is important for students seeking employer reimbursement and federal financial aid.
With respect to the academic issues, we believe our students greatly benefit from being taught by practitioner faculty who are experts in their field. This allows our students to integrate and apply the content knowledge to their chosen professions. By adhering to this model of instruction, the University of Phoenix is better served by not being accredited by AACSB.
I received my Master’s of Education degree from the University of Phoenix. I am surprised reading the blogs in here. I was in Reno for 2 years, I had the same instructors throughout my program, I worked like a dog for my grades, I had excellent team members and team members who were lacking. I am proud of my degree and I have never had anyone discount my degree because it is from UOP. I did not do online classes so maybe I am missing an element here but the traditional classes were challenging. I have always been a good student and I was challenged by the teachers and also in the practicum hours I had to complete at a school to graduate. I am floored anyone would equate this to a diploma mill. My teachers were all counselors in the field and I felt as if I was learning from real world people. I have not had any trouble getting a position since I graduated in 2004. I guess I can only say I loved my experience, if you do not switch school I have a ton of friends who have switched from traditional universities which is where I received my undergraduate for the same reasons those complained about above.
I also had a supervisor come to the school before I graduated on several occasions. I had to complete the hours required by the State of Nevada not the State of Arizona so I am also unsure about someone saying they are an Arizona graduate. I am licensed in Nevada and never had to be in Arizona. If you hate it switch.
I have two weeks to go before I receive my Masters in Administration of Justice and Security from the University of Phoenix. Yes, It was very hard. I had some professors that were easier than others but it was like that at my undergrad school (John Jay College of Criminal Justice). I feel as though that having degree is just a small portion of your success. When you go out on these interviews, you still have to sell yourself. The way you dress, talk, walk, and communicate with others is paramount. I read tons of websites ripping UOP to shreds. However, the school is legit. Why would Shaq who has a degree from LSU and have millions of dollars go to the school? The man even went to the graduation. To be frank, he was one of the deciding factors of me going there. There are countless people that are in position of power that attended UOP. Also, I met countless people that have degrees from so-called top notch universities. Some of these people are clueless.
I have taken classes in the military, traditional universities, UOP campus and UOP online, I even took a an online course from a traditional university and a video type class room, you know, you watch it on t.v. or if you miss it, you have to go down to the university and get the tape and watch it.
I have learned different things from different sources, is one better than the other? I could not tell you. I do know that with ANY online class it takes you more time and effort and thinking on your own, it MAKES you learn on your own more or less. What I have I always been told throughout my life? “When you learn it on your own, you learn it better”. Anyhow, that’s my opinion.
I know there are a lot of people that think you can’t learn everything you need to know about a subject in 5 weeks. Isn’t research the biggest thing taught at any school? Life itself is a learning experience from the cradle to the grave. Besides, I am a Non Commissioned Officer in the Army which means I am in the Sergeant Ranks, not officer ranks. All officers have to have a degree, most all of these officers have the traditional college/university degrees bleh… I told my boss once “Just because you’re my boss doesn’t make you smarter than me! He actually started to argue with me about that statement, LOL! So Just because there an officer and went to a traditional college/university, doesn’t make them smarter!
All I have to say is that I received a pamphlet from
UOP.I thought it was something worth looking into.I was already considering going back to school to further my education.I have been researching UOP for the last two days and wow…The controversy surrounding this university is ridiculous.I have looked at I don’t even know how many blogs,websites, ect. and they all contain the SAME thing, each comment contradicting the next and so on and so forth…blah blah blah.I can honestly say that I think I had my mind made up about UOP within the first 5 minutes of my conversation with the counselor.I found her phone tactics very disturbing and I felt as if I was on the phone with a telemarketer.She became very defensive when I questioned her motives for such a speedy enrollment.I was just asking questions like any other potential student that would be spending money and time on this place.It struck me as very manipulative.If the school is so great then why are they so desperate to enroll anyone and everyone at the drop of a dime? It’s very fishy to me. Trusting my own instincts I started digging and I found all of these arguments very interesting at first.Now I’m just sick of it.
It’s enough to make you peel your ass off the computer chair and go to a “real college” by that I do not mean to belittle anyone who has continued to pursue their education online.It was appealing to me as well.I have kids and online classes would be very convenient for me.But I have to many doubts about this school and it is not worth the worry.Keep in mind that what works for one person
may not work for another.If I am not mistaken I think that there are more state colleges that are offering online classes now, If online is your only option. Then you wouldn’t have to worry about the bad rep.Bottom line is ,do your research people and trust your own instincts before you make any rash decisions about your future. You don’t need an online course to teach you how to do that.There are more options available to you.Don’t jump on the first thing because some pushy recruiter told you to! be careful…I conclude that I am tired of reading this crap and I will be moving on to something else now.There is to much B.S. involved with UOP!
I have had some good and bad experiences at UoP. I am graduating in about 6 weeks or so with an M.ED. in special education. I have to say that there were some instructors that great, others that were good, and a few that were bad. However, that is the same at any college or university. The amount of work was tremendous compared to a traditional university. However, I am not sure if this is due to the online environment or not.
Nevertheless, my student teaching field experience was excellent. However, the first online class was not. The instructor told us to keep our discussions about the field experience to the chat room. This was a seminar class based on the field work. The class focused more on theory. He was also a first time instructor. This meant that there was someone monitoring the class. I have never seen that at any traditional university. I feel like the internship is all day and all night. You do not have a life during the internship. My site supervisor is great and I do not have to become licensed in Arizona, only in New Jersey where I live. There is the good and the bad with UoP just as there is with any other school.
I have two concerns about obtaining an online degree. The first is the huge sum of money involved. The price-tag of a MBA in Human Resources Mgmt. is around $29,000. I think that really is preventing me from jumping in. Second, is the job factor. Will I find a job after doing the work? I did not find a job after attending undergraduate school. I would hate to repeat this. I know there are no guarantees, believe me. It really is the cost of the program.
I like reading different imformation about uop.
One thing I’ve found is that working adults who attend UOP act like big babies. They want their hands held all the way through and do nothing but gripe and complain about how much they paid for the school. They feel that since they paid alot for school they should receive an A. When they get a B, C, they cry to the councilors. Comon, get real! This is the real world. If this was a State Univ they’d laugh their *sses off at you.
Not to say that everyone I came across at the school is like this, but alot of people are.
I am interested in the Masters of health administration from UOP but I am still concerned how this degree will be recognized when applying for a job?
Lisa,
Your comments are amusing at best. Perhaps a BA is more in order for you at a community college. If you haven’t noticed but more institutions are moving more content online – USC offers more than 30 MS degrees in engineering (http://den.usc.edu/), Concord now offers a JD online (http://www.concordlawschool.edu/), Duke and many more institutions are offering programs online.
My recommendation is that you talk to folks who have attended UoP first hand. I’ll finish the MBA/TM program in November. Faculty quality has been pretty good. Student quality has been all over the place. Some clearly are there for a piece of paper. Others are very sharp and would compete with anyone at a brick and mortar school. Boeing pays more tuition to UoP than any other school (USC is second).
I would have to agree with Chris on this one. All of the faculty in my special education program have at least M.EDs.or PhDs. It is a requirement. If you choose to go online whether through UoP or not, it is beneficial that you first have a traditional college background. That is what I have discovered.
This was an email that was sent to me by my site supervisor for student teaching at UOP.
For those of you who think you do not have contact with UoP instructors, you might want to read this:
This is something that was sent to me via email by my site supervisor. I think this will benefit everyone.
I am just checking in to see how things are going with Thomas.
Are we still on for our April 24th site visit?
4/24 Tuesday Visit Thomas O�Brien, Lumberton, New Jersey
I just wanted to touch base with everyone regarding Tom’s midterm evaluation.
There was not a formal “grade” earned for the midterm, but I do believe Thomas is right on track (and even above) with his performance and teaching competencies.
In fact, his lesson planning is exceeding my expectations. His lessons on the theme of Black History month were excellent. I have asked him to give me permission to display his lessons as exemplar lessons used by the University for our artifacts and exhibit room. During my visit, I also observed that Tom seems to have an advanced talent of meeting the needs of the diverse learner in the classroom. This is a skill I do not usually see (at this level) in developing teachers. During both of my visits his lesson plans reflected additional supports and variations to address the individual learner. On my first visit I noticed Thomas “highlighted” important information in each student�s lesson to guide them and develop critical comprehension skills. During my second visit I observed that Thomas had continued to develop this skill in the students and many were now able to identify the important ideas in the text independently.
I also noticed that Thomas has a calming effect on his students. One fella was very agitated with another male student during the Science lesson on “stressors” in the environment. Thomas was able to “redirect” the agitated student on several occasions and successfully bring him back to task in a respectful and calming manner. In addition, I was very impressed with Tom�s ability to remain composed and relaxed during a discussion by this student who was seeking direction and counsel regarding how to deal with a girl �coming on to him� in a provocative manner. This young man attempted to use very graphic words and details regarding his experience. Thomas remained calm and continued to redirect him connecting the objectives of the lesson to his real life experiences. This �problem solving� exercise was productive an successful.
Mr. Cottrell, Thomas had some questions and has expressed a desire to possibly engage the IEP process. Would it be possible to allow him to be an �involved� observer as you take one of your students through the process of identification/recertification, testing/retesting, writing/revising the IEP, parent/team meeting, and the final revision and implementation plan of an IEP? I think this experience would really benefit him as he moves forward on his professional journey.
You all have a GREAT school! I was very impressed with the way all the faculty and staff handled the little �disruption� the last time I was there. This was a new experience for me and I totally admire all of you! Your commitment and courage to provide a successful and productive learning environment for your students is commendable! BRAVO! High fives to each of you!
I have never been asked to have something put on display at a traditional university. With the amount of students that they cater to in every classroom, they do not have the time to do that. This is just something to think about.
I have read through all of these comments, along with the comments about UoP on other websites.
I think its pretty easy to draw a conclusion based on an amalgam of these experiences:
Motivated people who study hard generally find the University of Phoenix education to be rewarding. They learn a lot and they tend to praise the institution.
What they often don’t seem to realize is that unmotivated students, who hand in poor work, with poor research, poor grammar and spelling, and sometimes just plain poor English; who slide along on the work of others, and are lazy and sometimes just not very intelligent also pass their classes. They graduate from UoP with the same degrees, many times with grades not much lower than those who worked hard.
So both viewpoints are valid. People who think they got a good education often did, in fact receive it. But that does not mean that the slackers also received a good education.
What I am trying to say, is that, amazingly enough, UoP can be both a great learning institution and a degree mill, both at the same time, depending on the quality of the student and the effort put into the programs. –
For the outsider, the company who is hiring employees, this might mean reducing all UoP graduates to the lowest common denominator and assuming that the person did not receive a quality education unless proven otherwise.
As others have pointed out, it is not the education that gets you the job. It just (maybe) gets you an interview. In the interview, the job seeker will have to convince the person hiring that they were one of the motivated students who actually did receive a good education.
I am almost completing my MBA at UOP and my experience had been great. My professors had been very accesible for questions and very challenging. I attended a “brick and mortar” top university to complete a BS in Engineering and see no real difference between the traditional and online format. My humble opinion is that no university can teach you if you are not willing to learn, dedicate time and do your best efforts.
I don’t know. I have mixed feelings about UOP. I’m currently enrolled and I don’t work very hard at all yet I get good grades?????
During my first class, I did an essay. I didn’t put too much effort into it but I also didn’t “wing” it. I ended up getting 92%. I was surprised by the grade and on the next paper in the same class, I didn’t put as much effort into it and yet I got 94%. I’m very confused why I’m getting good grades and I’m putting in less effort then I would be in Grade 11 or 12??
The 2 Math course I took were a joke. I’m terrible at math and some how I ended up with a B. During the tests, the teacher would give us “bonus points”?? The instructor didn’t care if we would look at each others papers during the test. He just pretended that he didn’t see it. Every week we would have a math quiz. After the quiz, we would go through the answers, but here is the thing, we were ALLOWED to grade our own quiz!!! Come on?? Who wouldn’t change the answers?? On the last class when we had a final math exam, we were not allowed to grade that BUT it doesn’t mean we weren’t allowed to let our eyes wander. I’m REALLY REALLY considering leaving because I feel that I’m just paying to get a degree. So far, I haven’t been challenged. Plus, are any companies out there really going to recognize University of Phoenix???
However, through UOP I have been able to meet a few working professionals that have offered me jobs once I finish my degree. I’m 23 years old and have no “professional” background. I graduated form high school, took a year off. Then I went to a College and earned about 16 credits. Then I hopped on over to University of Phoenix. This “university” is good for networking. The only thing I’ve truly gained from here are the people that I’ve met.
Juan – I find it stunning that you admit putting no effort into your classes at UoP. Why would I hire you regardless of where you earn your MBA. Sounds like a work ethic problem in general. Why are pursuing an MBA anyway? Passing inferior students happens at many brick and mortar schools. If you find a group of classmates you like at UoP, you can request through your advisor that you are placed in the same classes together throughout the program. I have classmates from Boeing, Pfizer, GE, etc. – so Fortune 100 companies find value in the UoP curriculum. It’s up to you whether you learn the material or not. If you need babysitting then UoP may not be for you.
This is directed towards Keith.
I unfortunatly do NOT have the ability to quit my job and just go to school. I have to work. I have a family and a house and 2 cars. This is why I choose to go to an online university. Where I live, the colleges are horribly overcrowded and aren’t worth the time and effort to find a parking spot. I have tried a university before, and that is the another reason I am switching. If it weren’t for the online classes I would NOT go back to school. Online schools might not be important to you, and that’s fine because it’s your opinion, but to say its a “Lazy Way to attend college”, by quitting my FULL TIME JOB and RESPONSIBILITY TO MY FAMILY and going to school is the LAZY WAY. My family comes first, then everything else. A degree is a piece of paper, a family is a lifetime of memories. I will take the memories over some piece of paper than can be burned. So, I guess I will take the “lazy way” and spend quality time with MY FAMILY instead of sitting through hard tests and exams and lectures. Oh Goodness, whatever will I do!
Brandi – very nice reply and I’m in a similar situation – have a family (three kids), etc. Another point is the fact that any degree gives you a piece of paper (diploma). What you actually do with it is the important thing. If you slacked off at a brick and mortar, have you done yourself any good? The answer is no. Realize also that Keith’s comment was from 2005 and there have been a wave of new online options – MBA, JD, Engineering, etc. “Online” no longer has the same negative connotation is did years ago. There are too many big name schools now offering an online component (Duke, Syracuse, USC, etc…)
I think Wayne summed it up quite well…
I am a UOP graduate (BS in Business/Management) and although I found my experience valuable and quite relevant to my job, I did see a few students who didn’t try very hard to learn anything and just sort of slid through on the backs of their team mates. I don’t know their grades, but they passed and I was never aware of anyone who failed (some just dropped out, probably due to other issues like money or time).
I too had a few bad instructors (lodged complaints about one), but the materials are usually quite good and you can take charge of your own program and learn as much or as little as you want. The grading does seem rather lax (or maybe I’m just way smarter than I thought?).
If I was young and new to my profession and my degree was my only credidential, a degree from UOP might not be the best choice. However, I already have 30 years in my profession and the degree was sort of a minimum requirement of my current position.
I love the format, flexibility and content and I’m considering going back for my MBA. But then I have a job and this only increases my value to my employer. If I have to find work in another company, I assume my experience, more than my degrees, will get me the job. For those of us with tons of experience, UOP degrees simply fill those nasty minimum requirements most organizations have about education.
Good luck to you all!
Joy
I am in my 5 class, in the MBA/HR, on-line program at UOP. I really enjoy it. It is more challenging than my Associate’s and Bachelor’s degrees, which were obtained at traditional schools. Before I started classes, I spoke with many professors at the local state college (Idaho State College). All of them said good things about UOP, and each saw positive things about on-line education. The two keys they all pointed out is that most traditional schools now have some or parts of their classes going the way of on-line. The other they said, and I recommend it this as well, is try for a combination of both. Get your Bachelor’s degree in a tradtional school, and get your Master’s on-line.
Please, anyone and everyone, answer this if you can. I joined UOP so that I could obtain a completely new career. I no longer want to be a social worker. I am in the MBA program. I often here the importance of experience, as well as education. I have 7 years of experience as a social worker, but little experience as a manager or with business. Even if I can find a job in which I will make $7,000 more a year, I will be extremely happy. How has this degree helped you find a new career, despite the fact you might not have had much management/business experience?
Norm, I think they gave you good advice about doing a combination of both. That is what I did and I have found it to be beneficial. I would definiitely recommend that. At the bachelors level, it is necessary to experience the “college” experience. However, it is not necessary at the Masters or doctorate levels. I have spoken to students who have attended UOP before I signed up. I would not worry about what others think. As a student teacher in special education, I have found the online format of learning more beneficial.
Anyone, are UOP degrees respected in the education field? I am finishing my Masters program this week and I am just ready to move on. I have received calls for interviews. Right now, I am in the job hunting process and I do not want to be laughed at. From everyone that I spoke with that I actually know, they did not have any concerns with UOP. One of these people had a doctorate in education. Other people I spoke to mentioned how difficult the education programs were as well.
It seems that the main problem with UOP is the on-campus programs.
I am considering attending UOP but was wondering how the assessment for prior learning experience is. Can anyone post some of their issues with that? Maybe the number of credits and whether they thought it was a fair evaluation.
I have a degree from UOP and my take on the whole thing is there is a lot of bias by traditional educators toward UOP. Sadly…
Of course, if you take it apart bit by bit, you can see why they are so biased.. UOP is rocking their little boat! Most of the bias seems to have come about from the non-traditional format of the classes (6-week sessions) and the fact that the majority of the instructors are part-time instead of full-time tenured, and that the school is for-profit..
Personally, I am on the opposite side as the traditional educators! It’s well time someone rocked their boat! Has anyone noticed what a big business college education is in this country? I didn’t realize how many institutions of higher learning there are around the country until I started my latest hobby, saving logo graphics of institutions of higher learning.. That was a month ago, I’m still saving them (and I haven’t researched all the states yet)! What an eye opener, I already have a couple thousand colleges and universities in my folder (easily)..
You could almost say it’s a real racket! How many people in this country are employed in this profession? This is defintely big business and very profitable for some. Especially for the traditional instructors who live their whole lives in the school environment.. I don’t even think most even know what the real world is about! They’ve never had to work or cope in the real world, rather they stay in their little “cocoons” instead. So much for “tenure” in my book, it’s not worth much folks, just means someone stuck around to get a nice pension, that’s all (at the taxpayer’s expense).
That is what I like the most about UOP, their instructors have “real life” careers, just like me! I’d rather take a programming class any day from someone who’s been down in the trenches working with the code, than some stuffed-shirt instructor who read a book about it.. That’s not my idea of “quality” education (and I’ve had plenty of instructors like that at the local university, believe me)! The last time I tried taking a tech class at the local university, I found they were about 10 years behind the times (two-year community colleges are much better though)..
I guess from all the negatism about the UOP degrees (I had one woman say to me “why waste your time and money there, go to ASU and get a real degree instead”, I had feelings after I recieved my degree that it was inadequate, didn’t mean much in today’s world.. I was almost embarrassed to tell people where my degree was from because of all the bias.
But after my logo graphic venture, what I’ve come to realize is that very, very few people in this country who have their college degree actually went to any kind of prestigious university (like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, UMichigan, etc.), most went to Podunk U… The vast majority in fact.
So tell me, why is there degree better than a UOP degree? Frankly, it’s not, probably in most cases their Podunk U. degrees are sub-standard to UOP degree..
The traditional university in this country is designed for the 18 year old just out of high school. What that means is half the experience folks get from the program is education, the other half is the social experience.. (living on campus in dorms, etc.)
Well, at my age I certainly didn’t need the social experience (I already spent 2 semesters in a dorm when I was 20).. Enough.. I didn’t go back to school for the social experience, I went for a degree.
UOP cuts through all the crap and little hoops the traditional educators want you to jump through! At my age, I didn’t feel it was necessary to “string my education” along in a traditional classroom setting (showing up 3 times a week, MWF, and sitting in an uncomfortable chair next to an 18 year old.) I’ll bet you that if the majority of 18 year olds knew this, they wouldn’t be sitting through all that crap either! Plus, how much time you spend in traditional classroom setting is listening to the instructors stories and dealing with his little ego.. Found a lot of that going on.
I don’t need that bull.. Been there, done that. To me that doesn’t guarantee a good education in any way. It just means the instructor will get a nice pension, regardless of what kind of job he does on you!
Yeah to UOP! I think as time goes on, the bias will cease, especially since so many “traditional” schools are jumping on the online bandwagon.. It will be more and more common to have a non-traditional degree in the future (and more accepted)..
I’ve already noticed the GenY’s seem to love the online and non-traditional formats.
Go UOP!
Tom, Just read your question about the assessment..
The “traditional” student at UOP already has two years of college (not all, but majority). Something that most of the folks who are biased against UOP don’t take into consideration.. Yes, the first two years of most UOP graduates degrees were spent in traditional classrooms (just like everyone else who gets a degree)..
The main difference I found is that the traditional universities really get their little noses stuck in the air about the credits they’ll accept and the credits they don’t accept.
I don’t have time or money for that bull.. It’s all a big game (racket) designed to pull as many dollars out of your wallet as possible and keep them all employed. Of course, they want to tell you that your previous coursework is worth nothing in their hotty totty school! So you find yourself sitting in the same class you took 20 years earlier, learning nothing.. In many cases, the classes were watered down compared to what I took 20 years ago to boot..
I am a case in point! I attended Arizona State for two years in my late teens. When I went back to finish up my degree THEY WOULDN’T TAKE HALF THE CREDITS I EARNED AT ASU!! The same school even, not credits from Poduck U across the country! What total BS.. Their excuse was “oh, we don’t offer this class anymore (meaning they simply changed the name of it) or your credits are too old”!!! Too old for what?? I spent good money and hard work getting those credits..
I sat there and looked at the counselor and said “Yes, but you are my age, apparently took all the same classes 20 years ago that I took and got your degree.. Now your degree still seems to be worth something but my credits are worth nothing??? What total, BS, hypocrisy… She just smiled and looked at me.
At the same time ASU was telling me this, the state legislators were working on a bill to limit the amount of credits the state would match funds on.. Meaning, if you took more than the 120 credits to get a normal degree, you would end up footing the entire bill yourself (instead of the state paying half).. So right away they put you in a bind. You already took the credits, but now they are forcing you to take them all over again and pay through the nose to boot?? What a slimy racket… It reeks.
Not sure the bill ever went through, but I didn’t wait long enough to find out, found my way to UOP instead. I felt they were much more accepting of my prior credits. Which is how it should be. I took the credits, earned good grades. They are worth every bit as much as anyone who already has a degree.. Enough of that nonsense..
Plus, I’m convinced the traditional educator doesn’t really want anyone to get a degree! After all, if everyone got a degree, they would have competition wouldn’t they? Heaven forbid.. They want you all to think how high and mighty, above you they are after all!
I’ll never forget my very first classroom experience at ASU (way back in ’72). It was this huge lecture room with 300 people crammed in and the arrogant Dr. W got up in front of the class and said “Take a look at the person on your right, now take a look at the person on your left, at the end of the year only one of them will be left sitting there”.
Isn’t that unbelievable?? Proves my point exactly, they don’t really want you to graduate.. They do everything in their power to impede you and discourage you.. I’ll never forget those words, how UNENLIGHTENING!! Arrogant jerk!
Have you ever noticed the dismal graduation rates from the traditional university?? Really dismal.. I think the general public should start demanding more for their tax dollars.. Recently they did a study at ASU and found that it takes 6-7 years for most people to find their way to a degree there (instead of the four they are touting). I’m convinced the reason is because of all the hotty totty bullcrap they make you dance through.. Remember, most of them don’t really want you to get a degree!! Personal take on it yes, but I’m totally convinced. I imagine by the time you get up to year 6 or 7 they’re telling you they won’t take the first two years of credits (too old)!!
Last time I looked, UOP graduates about 60% of the students who already have two years of school under their belt. Pretty good actually..
As for the assessments, not quite sure what you are asking? They do make you take an assessment of your general knowledge going into the program, and then you take the same assessment when you are done. This is largely how they are able to retain their accreditations, by proving that folks have learned something.. I never saw such a test at ASU. Who cares if you learned anything there? They just want you to take as many classes and many years as they can squeeze out of you so they can all keep their jobs.
Overall though, I think UOP was much fairer and more reasonable than traditional schools. Since most folks already have 2 years of college, they are generally assuming that you have finished your core (english, math, science, etc.). So overall, the greater majority of classes they offer are upperclass (not many beginning classes, at least not when I went there, maybe that’s changed now?)
Most of the people who didn’t already have a solid two years of college, would go back to the local community college to finish up the core.
In all honesty, I didn’t really see much “credit for prior learning” in the transfering in of credits. UOP was really expecting you to have the solid core of 65 credits for your first two years, however, where it does take place is in the actual classroom situation. You are really able to take what you’ve learned in the real world and apply it to the class projects. In fact, most classes you pick a real life business problem someone is having and turn that into your team project.
Unlike traditional universities, where everyone sits through the muck, even if they already know it (like a business communication class my son recently took where he learned about writing a meeting agenda).. You don’t have to waste time with that kind of class at UOP because you’re an adult and already know how to do things like that.
That is what helps cut the class down to fewer hours of instruction, prior life experiences and learning that you don’t have to muck through again.
Truthfully, I attended UOP. I just graduated this week and I have already had 2 interviews for teaching positions as well as numerous calls for interviews. They did not care where I got my degree as long as I had it. They did not even ask me where I went to school.
Nancy, I have to say that all of this nonsense about bashing UOP is nonsense. I just graduated with my masters degree in special education there Monday. I had 2 interviews in 2 days. The person who interviewed me today told me that he had already cut approximately 40 resumees and interviewed me. I was in the final 20 candidates for 4 positions. I have had several phone calls from all over the country. Schools do not care where you get degree as long as it can be used to obtain licensure.
I didn’t have time to read all the responses, but did want to add my opinion to the pile. I got my BS in Business and Info Tech in January of 2006 and completed my MBA in March of 2007. I will start another MS with a respected state university in a week and a half. My application to the state school was approved almost immediately with an extra “this is a nice strong application” note tacked to it.
Were there cheaters at the U of P? Yes! In my classes as well as those my daughter is taking at the state college near my home. Sloppy, unfair and unprofessional instructors? You betcha, but I have to say, I’ve seen LESS of this than has my daughter at her school. No school is perfect. Life is unfair. You get out of your degree program what you put into it. With the incredible proliferation of information resources around us, that is more true now than ever. As a small aside, I would say that people who absolutely must have “face-to-face contact” to get anything done are going to have a pretty tough time in the increasingly global, telecommuting, virtual-team marketplace once they’ve finished their degrees.
I suspect that the reputation of the U of P will improve steadily as more and more people drop out of it because it is harder than they thought it would be. Ever notice that the people who call it a diploma mill didn’t usually go there for very long and the other side of the complaints are all people who said it’s just too darned much work? Those last four courses of my MBA, I regularly (and quite literally) got a sore butt on Monday nights from pulling all-nighters in my computer chair churning out assignments. I remembered wondering if my butt could take another degree attempt. I would advise anyone who doubts the prestige of the degree to complete it and then follow it up with another degree from a state school. This shows that your education was a good one because you’ll perform well in your subsequent efforts, but it won’t be as long and hard as those darned 7,000-word papers you have to churn out at the U of P.
Best of luck all!
I�ve been reading the comments here, but have resisted commenting until now. The University of Phoenix business school has just received AACSB accreditation (http://www.aacsb.edu/General/InstLists.asp?lid=1). Guess the whole accreditation argument goes out the window.
Correction�. UOP has obtained ACBSP accreditation which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The CHEA accredits both AACSB and ACBSP. I don�t think there is a official announcement, however my instructor forwarded me the email. Good news for UOP students.
Hi, i was wondering how much to part time university instructors get paid, at UOP? does anyone know?
How much do part time online UOP instructors get paid?
Is it really AACSB accredited, than how come it says that they aren’t on there website?
I actually called to make sure and ask if they are AACSB accredited, and they said no, they said they are a member of AACSB, but they aren’t accredited by them.
Is University of Phoenix accredited by AACSB?
No. Since the missions of University of Phoenix and AACSB differ, the University has never sought accreditation from AACSB. University of Phoenix, however, is a member of AACSB and in that capacity shares in the exchange of ideas about creating quality business programs.
I started my BSIT in 2003 and because of work and family life I just completed my last course. I do agree with some of the posts I have read in reference to the quality of some of the instructors but like a brick and mortar university there all kinds of instructors. The bottom line is that in education, whether it be traditional or online, you get out what you put in. If the instructors are mediocre, the books are there for a reason. As for the Manager of IT that indicated that he would not hire a person who has a degree from UOP, ultimately it is his loss and with that mentality the place of business would probably be less than desirable as well. When I started I worked for a Mom and Pop shop and now I work for a fortune 100 company. As far as knowledge and competency is concerned it doesn’t matter whether you complete a degree at a traditional university or online, if you are good at what you do, you are good, period.
Did any of you have difficulty finding teaching jobs after graduating from UOP? I am on the fence about this. I have just graduated with a Masters in special education and I am being told that you have to have the certification already. The problem is that in New Jersey, it takes at least 8 weeks to get it.
Lou wrote: “When I started I worked for a Mom and Pop shop and now I work for a fortune 100 company. As far as knowledge and competency is concerned it doesn’t matter whether you complete a degree at a traditional university or online, if you are good at what you do, you are good, period.”
Good point. That is what I have said all along.
Just yesterday I officially withdrew from the UoP online program. I was enrolled in the human resources management certificate program. Th eprogram was to help develop HR management skills as well as provide a total of 18 credit hours in 30 weeks. The academic portion of my experience was fair and the classes worked well with my schedule, but the financial aid dept and the advisor to which I was assigned are the most unprofessional and uninformed group of people I have ever worked with. I was constantly provided with the wrong information and it took 4 months for them to tell me my total out of pocket. I started in Feb and just got my financial aid “certified” on May 10th (go figure). To make a long story short, don’t waste your time at UoP. In my opinion they are more about making money then they are about education.
Please, anyone answer this. Did the MBA degree from UOP help you to find a new career or a job with a new employer? That is my ultimate goal, and I do not feel that I will be able to get a new career based on my BS degree.
http://www.acbsp.org/index.php?mo=st&op=ld&sid=s1_025about&stpg=141&par=4237 (UOP accredited by ACBSP?)
http://www.ncu.edu/press_release.asp?press_release_id=77 (ACBSP accredited NCU)
http://www.usq.edu.au/handbook/2007/bus.html (Online degrees, Australia!)
Does anyone has any experience or interest with USQ (Univ. of S. Queensland)?
Has anyone taken the DBa degree from UOP?
Please feedback. Thanks.
I’ve just completed my MBA at UOP. Suffice it to say, everyone has a little truth. Your education is what you make of it. Did you lead your team or lay back. Have you, by your actions, educated yourself to be support personnel the rest of your life.
Bad professors are everywhere. My classes were as difficult as my questions made them. By the way, I took classes in Nashville, TN. Several of my professors also taught classes at Vanderbilt University, Trevecca University, Belmont University, MTSU and TSU.
My current position is as the Director of Operations for an Energy Exploration Company. Tests do not usually measure your ability to apply the material. I don’t care if you know the proper definition. I only care that you can get it done right the first time.
I’ve worked with Harvard MBA’s, Yale Grads, and other from “Ivy League” schools. Some were ignorant in the basics, others were brilliant. In the end, a degree is a piece of paper. Your reputation is all that matters.
Hi! I wanted to comment that I just finished up my MAED-CI (masters of education–curriculum and instruction) at UOP and I REALLY enjoyed the experience. It was a new and different way of learning for myself, but it was one that worked well for ME. I’m thinking of getting my phd in education at UOP in the near future too.
Did any of you UOP grads find it difficult to obtain jobs in education? I have had several interviews and only heard from some.
I am so glad that I found this blog. I am about to start on July 30th, 2007 at the University of Phoenix ( Diamond Bar, CA campus). I am married and a mother of two. I have great work experience but no degree and I think that is the difference between making more income. Unfortunately I can’t go to school everyday because my children are small ( 18 months and 3 years old). I do understand that to ensure their future I must take steps to improving myself and what better way to do that then by educating myself. I will be going for my BS in Business/Marketing. Is there anyone out there who took these courses and how was your experience? What is the outcome for you now. Please let me know. Thank you so much!!
Hi Marylou,
I commend you on your efforts to go back to school while your children are still young. I just finished my AAB online with UOP, and will be taking a short break before heading back for my BS in Business Management, also with UOP online. My overall experience with UOP was a good one. The staff and professors always have a positive outlook and are very encouraging. I would, and have, recommended UOP, either online, or campus courses to everyone I know. I wish you luck with your choice.
These diplomas are no different from some fake college degrees. People would do anything to get their hands on more money and better jobs.
“These diplomas are no different from some fake college degrees. People would do anything to get their hands on more money and better jobs.”
UOP degrees are recognized by state departments of education depending on what state you live in. However, a UOP degree by itself is not enough in getting a job. I am experiencing that now. I still have to take two tests to be highly qualified in certain areas for my education degree. UOP should have an entrance exam before allowing students into their program.
I took a few classes at UoP awhile ago. I had to discontinue. So I was looking again and called UoP again. I have spoken with a rep on and off about attending. I was on the fence. I did some research. I came across one local college and one university that offered online classes. I made my decision on the college.
I received a phone call from the rep and he asked if I made my decision. I said I will be attending the local college. He said the college is not in the same league as UoP because it is not a university. If you move, people would not know the school since it is not nationally recognized. I told him a degree is a degree.
Talk about being unprofessional. He was degrading another institution that has been around since 1800’s.
When I called the university to decline my acceptance. A woman said if I need any anything down the road. Give a call. Talk about being professional.
I guess there is a difference between for-profit and non-profit schools. If someone declines not to attend, thats their decision. Don’t try and force them. I guess he was upset that he did not get my $$…
Folks –
Fascinating discussion. I have been “facilitating” at UoP for close to five years now. I work way too much for the pittance in pay. For the folks who asked, we are paid approximately $200/week per class and we are employees at will. That means that each class is a contract that doesn’t guaranty any additional work or pay. Why do I continue doing it? Because I like the work and it keeps me current in my field. Like Dave, I teach IT classes for the most part.
The quality of the students varies enormously from abysmal to very high. About 1/3 of the students plagiarize in each class. In comparison, I recently earned an MBA from a traditional “brick and mortar” school and found the overall quality of the students to be higher, but that school did have admission selection standards.
what are the requirments to become a uop online instructor, and are they strict about it?
I love this Blog! Very thought provoking discussion s and I am very interested in the different opinions that everyone has on The UOP. I just received my AA from there finished my last classes yesterday and I have to say this last block of classes were the hardest I have had. I Enjoyed all of my instructors and learned alot from each of them that i can use in real life in my career. I also have a 3 and 4 year old that have watched me work through the entire process. I think that they will remember this and it will motivate them to also get a degree. I am continuing on to get my BS in Business/Marketing then my Masters. I am looking forward to reading more!!
I am in my last week of my MBA with a focus in Global Management. I chose a degree that has more interest for the international students, and therefor I had some truly intense real world team projects. In my forth class at UOP I was working with a gentlman in Shanghai, a Kenyan woman working in Tokyo, and a Pharmaceutical executive that is based out of Florida but was constantly traveling from South America to Germany. The four of us had odd hours late night teleconferneces that we set up to meet about our group work and had to meet West Coast U.S. deadlines.
It was truly an excercise in global project management. My classmates grasp of proper grammer and APA formating was always in general worse then mine…but the education was invaluable.
UOP is like any school in the world. Some teachers are outstanding others are awful. Sometimes the advisors suck…sometimes they are great. Sometimes..people do nto cancel the begining of their class as responsibly as they should and the University expects them to pay for the online(seat) that they left open for them…shame on the student.
The bad instructors I shat on in their exit survey. The great ones I praised.
Like any education in the world you get out what you put in.
For me, an east coast Father of three with a stay at home wife, it has been the only way I could have earned a high level degree to help further my degree.
I LOVE UOP nad UOP loves me…so do their shareholders.
I have a wide variety of experiences at UOP. I originally enrolled in their BS IT/VC program, and took several classes. Then, I found out they offered continuing education classes at the graduate level, so I took those for relicensure (I’m a teacher) and for salary increase. I am currently enrolled in a MAED Curriculum & Instruction/Computer Education. I had a pretty good experience in the BSIT/VC program. All the instructors I had were attentive, intelligent, and quick with feedback. The Learning Team assignments were frustrating, but doable. In my continuing education program, I’ve found the instructors to be pretty good. Learning Teams were not required except for a basic Web design class, but that often varies from instructor to instructor. I’m set to begin my first class in the MAED program Aug 27th.
I live in a very small town in Vermont, where the nearest college is 2 hours away in any direction. I chose UOP because it is online, convenient for me as a teacher, and they had a variety of degree programs to choose from.
So far, the financial aid process has been manageable. Stay in contact with your counselors (enrollment, academic, and financial) and you should do just fine.
BFC – I’m assuming you teach online? I agree with all of your comments. I finish my MBA at UoP on Monday (8/6) and the quality of students really does vary. I would estimate that 50% of them are inactive participants and your 1/3 figure for plagiarism is probably low in my opinion. In fact our faciltator in MBA/580 made each student submit an acknowledgement of the plagiarism policy. She wouldn’t accept the week 1 assignment unless this was ‘signed’. I’m also finishing an MS in Engr Mgmt at Washington Univ (a top-10 school). I wouldn’t say the quality of the instruction was that much better although the student quality was significantly higher. I questioned whether some of my classmates at UoP had a degree – the writing was so poor and the analytical thinking was terrible. They thought like consumers instead of as managers. Quite frankly I have very mixed opinions on the UoP MBA program.
I have BSIT from UoP and am currently in the MIS program. And to the senior IT manager I also have Microsoft, Cisco and Novell certifications and have worked in this business for 25 years. I wanted to go elsewhere for my Masters but it would have taken too long. Traditional schools should adopt the 6 week single course at a time model that UoP uses. Would I have gone here at 18 right out of high school? Not a chance. But for an old fart with a family, full time job, and other obligations this school and schedule work great.
WELL LET ME TELL YOU ALL A STORY!!! I attended the University of Phoenix online and had NOTHING but problems. First I live in IL and was not told anything by any of my adviors about tests and program verification forms. So when I graduated it took me five months to complete all my Illinois requirements and then UOP was so incompetent they lost everything I ever sent to them which kept me from getting a job for a YEAR!!! Every single month I had a different advisor or counselor and no one knew anything. I WOULD STAY FAR AWAY FROM UOP ONLINE!! I have a 24,000 dollar piece of paper that is worth NOTHING!!
P.S. Every time I called to speak to a supervisor they talked to me like a dog and I never got any satisifaction.
John – I will agree that the administrative help at UoP leaves much to be desired, but it sure sounds like poor planning on your part. Why didn’t YOU do the resarch required to identify all the requirments up front before you began the program? I’m assuming you were in an Education degree program? It seems odd to me that you would invest the time and money on a program without knowing the end state. You can’t tell me UoP was the only source of information for you. Why did you start/continue the program if things were in such flux? Your comments seem to have nothing to do with the course/program content. There are numerous others in Education that have not had these issues with UoP. I think we have perhaps identified the constraint.
Hey,
I wanted to talk with you about University of Phoenix. Two years later I still don’t have a masters degree and really thinking about going ahead and starting with them this fall (looking at either Masters of Management/Public Administration or Masters of Business/Public Administration … leaning to MM/PA but it is only offered online).
Wanted to know about your experiences, did it meet (or exceed your academic goals), and do you feel it was worth it (from a financial, emotional/physical, and career advancement perspective).
I know this is a lot to ask, but feel free to either call me or respond here. Thanks.
Bruce
houstonmacbro@gmail.com
Bruce,
Check out the following – http://www.webster.edu/online/programshow.php?prog=mba. It’s an online MBA from Webster University, a local brick and mortar school. Looks like the courses are 9 weeks long, you have real textbooks (UoP textbooks are in .pdf format – I’d prefer the actual book). Quite frankly if I knew this was offered before I graduated with my MBA from UoP I would have chosen this option. The value of an MBA regardless of where is always an individual thing. What are trying to use the MBA for? Are you paying for it our of pocket? Does your employer want a brick and mortar school or would UoP online work for you? Everyone will answer these questions differently. The term “online” no longer has the negative connotation it used to have.
UOP is currently phasing out telecommuting positions, reconsolidating their employees in a new complex across the I-10 from their Online offices. Why is the school that pioneered the “Classroom of the Future” regressing back to the workplace of yesterday? Should investors read this regression as an indication that the University is losing confidence in the online format? Also, with the move toward “green” workplaces, UOP is taking a step backward as well, increasing the number of employees driving to work, making the University an even greater part of the global warming problem, rather than part of the solution.
I’ve been in online education for several years now, and it’s become clear to me that the more a learning institution tries to run itself like a business, the less seriously it is taken as a learning institution, both from within and without. At UOP (as well as DeVry/Keller), meeting student expectations ALWAYS took a backseat to meeting shareholder expectations. ALWAYS. And forget about employee satisfaction. No matter what department one is in, he or she is constantly reminded just how replaceable they are.
I worked for UOP years ago and was also a student in the Master of Management program. Though I enjoyed the courses and the format and the flexibility, what I was floored by how divergent UOP’s management style was in contrast to what they were teaching. I interpreted that as a sign of both organizational incompetence and a lack of confidence in what they were teaching. A fellow employee noticed this as well and spoke with a department director about it. The director’s answer was classic UOP – “Because that’s the classroom and this is the REAL WORLD.” These are the people who are RUNNING the company.
As employees, we were fed all this stuff about how UOP works with Fortune 500 companies to develop realistic, cutting-edge business curricula, and yet none of that was seen as worth implementing into UOP’s own way of doing things, at least not in the Online division. Again, I saw that as incompetence, a confirmation that when it came to business, UOP could talk the talk, but had no interest in walking the walk.
My experience with DeVry/Keller (where I was a student as well) was no better, though I felt that Keller’s MBA curriculum was a bit more challenging than UOP’s.
I have nothing against online education as offered by for-profit educational businesses (if that’s what they want to act like, that’s what we should call them), as I have found both programs I was enrolled in to be challenging and well-run. However, having worked for such businesses and seeing the incredible chasm between what they teach as effective management and what they try to pass off as effective management internally, I have a pretty hard time taking them seriously anymore.
Hi, I am currently a student at UOP. After 6 years, a deployment, a baby, and 5 schools, I have finally determined UOP as the school I will graduate from. Often times I feel overwhelmed by the work (especially since I am a Psychology major) and REALLY dislike the team aspect of it (only because of the other students involved sometimes). However, I do think that after completing the degree, I will be equipped for today’s working market. I feel I am learning a lot! This will be the last and final school I attend. There is not another school I’d rather be a part of!
Joe – interesting comment and not too surprising. It’s much easier to teach the material than to live it. This chasm is the norm in most companies unfortunately. I can cite many examples from my own organization, a Fortune 100 company. Even many brick and mortar schools have administrative/managerial issues.
April – I finished the MBA program and the worst part was the learning teams. 75% of my classmates were there for a piece of paper and their writing skills were not close to graduate level caliber. I questioned whether many had undergraduate degrees quite frankly. Some waited until the last day a project was due and would post after 11:30pm – that’s insane and incredibly inconsiderate of your other team members. I’m also finishing an MS in Engineering Management at Washington Univeristy, a top-20 national school, to balance out the education from UoP.
Ok,
Now that I have finally read all the blogs, here is my take on the UOP issue. The classes are not for working adults because there is too much reading and writing. You must post 10 times and each post must be 150-300 words each time. You must do a paper every week ranging from 750-4000 words and work on team projects. The work load is stupendous and laborous. If they were a degree mill they are not now. The instructors post lecture notes in the classes I have attended.
The problem I have is with the staff. The financial aid department is horrible and ineffiecient. I lost a $1000.00 grant because they kept saying they could not see all of my tax papers even though the financial advisors saw the entire document and when I complained and filed a formal grievance, they acted like I did something wrong even though I faxed and scanned the document 8 times. Next they lied and told me all my books were online when in fact they expect you right off the bat to buy a greggs manual and APA Manual out of pocket, then there are other books to buy and they tell you because it is an online school, financial aid will not allow them to take the books out of the tutition. That is a definite lie. I believe they only care about getting their money and to hell with you and your books. The Academic Advisors, Financial Advisors are impossible to catch up with. The tutition is $1557.00 for one class. I guess that’s how they can afford to spend so much on advertising.
Overall, the educational side is too much work for a working professional. Nothing like what they said. I feel a huge paper once a week is too much considering the team must also produce a huge paper. The participation is crazy, 10 posts in 4 days and if you make a good post one day but fail to make another post on that same day you will not get credit it must be two posts in one day.
The adminstrative side is horrible because they lie all the time and sometimes have bad attitudes and do not seem to try to complete student records such as financial aid quickly.
I am thinking of moving to another online school any one have any suggestions?
Joyce – I completely disagree that the workload is unacceptable for working adults. I do agree however that the participation requirements tend to be very burdensome. The workload is not overly laborious for an MBA program!! What are you expecting for a graduate MBA program? A couple hours a week? Standard issue is three hours for each hour in class – so a total of 9-10 hours a week for each class should be expected which is probably accurate in my case. There were those with more and those with less. I would not consider a weekly 5-7 page paper (double spaced) a huge paper. All my books were online with the exception of the two you mentioned which were free when I enrolled. Check out Webster University’s online MBA program – http://www.webster.edu/online/programshow.php?prog=mba
I would have attended Webster if I knew the program existed at the time I enrolled at UoP.
I would expect 9-12 hours per week at Webster as well. If the time commitment is the issue then perhaps an MBA is not appropriate at this time.
Even though the work load is quite a bit, I would not enroll in this school again unless I was given some form of financial assistance. I have been on 30 interviews for teaching and not heard anything yet. I did have interviewers ask me about the program out of curiosity and one was checking my references. In regards to the messages about the posts, they are burdensome. However, they are necessary in an online environment. One thing that I hated was that I had to complete my states requirements on my own. In my opinion, it is UOP’s job to help students with those issues.
UOP is the worst educational experience. My wife and I both tell anyone that will listen to not attend UOP.
I agree with Chris – the writing that is accepted is not at the graduate level and the worst part … the paper will still get an A. I have never received so many 100% in my life. I suppose I should be happy but I know I am missing out by not getting honest feedback on my work.
You’re right Eric although I really couldn’t care less about that other are getting as far as grades are concerned. I did my own research, learned the material and then applied it to my workplace. For the ones who don’t do this they are wasting their time. Interestingly, in my final MBA class we had a facilitator that graded very difficult and in fact 50% of the class dropped – many as late as the fourth week. Too bad this rigor wasn’t consistent throughout the program. I had no visibiity to other student’s grades.
http://christopherjohannblog.blogspot.com/
I recently completed an MBA program at the University of Phoenix. I must agree with a few of the comments regarding teamwork. Throughout the entire MBA program, i feel like i alone did about 70 percent of the teamwork. Most of the students can’t even write a correct sentence and you just wonder how they got through their undergraduate studies. I must disagree with those that say the course load is too much and not for working adults. What are you guys looking for? A degree without the work? Impossible. If you guys go through a traditional school MBA program, you will see that UOP is by far the best for working adults. I doubled up on all my classes and that’s why i was able to finish in a year and 4 months. I could have tripled-up if they’d let me. I was also working a 60 hour work week at all times. The course load is appropriate and even sometimes, not enough. I only disagree with the teams you are forced to work with. It didn’t teach me anything as i deal with this on a day to day basis at work anyway. I had a few good teams but they were mostly bad.
Posting 4 out of 7 days is not too much – geez, a post should take you 10 minutes at the most. Those that complain about this just do not want to do any work at all – in my opinion. After spending a year and a half at the school, i can definitely say that MBA program is well worth the price.
On the other hand, i currently witness my husband take the bachelor’s program and i agree with some of the posts regarding the instructors. Some of them do not know anything at all and you wonder how they are even allowed to teach. Some add assignments that were not part of the syllabus after school starts and when you complain, it does not go anywhere. The advisors were horrible and they were changed and replaced almost every class. The knowledge i gained from my MBA courses were excellent and i’d rate that aspect an A. Everything else, customer service, teamwork, etc, will definitely get an F.
Bibi – it sounds like your experieince with posting has been different than mine. In the majority of my MBA classes we were expected to post 25+ substantial posts per week with each one >300 words. These are not 10 minute posts. Often your response had to include a reference of some sort. These took a little time. Sure, you can crank through the material with little effort, but in the end – did you learn everything you could have? Perhaps not. I would never hire a person based on a piece of paper (MBA), but would rather test their abiity to think analytically. I do agree that the work load is appropriate.
I just received my M.ED from UOP in special education. I went into a school for a day to substitute. I am substituting till I find something. They asked me if I was possibly interested in working with them based on my certificate. Credentials are asked for at every school that you go to. Maybe it is different in business classes and the corporate world. To say otherwise would be unfair. They did not care if I graduated from UOP or not and even though I did not get hired in some schools, I was told that my credentials were excellent. Now, in the education program there is a required 4 month internship. I have 2 interviews scheduled on Monday and another possibly coming up. It seems like most of the complaints are about the MBA program. I personally know of schools that have allowed UOP students to do their student teaching in their districts. I have also been interviewed by 30 districts. IF UOP is so bad, schools would not be calling for possible jobs.
However, some of the complaints about the learning teams are appropriate and true and counselors have changed a few times for me as well. However, that was in the beginning. Towards the end, most of the people that were in my classes were knowledgeable and they remained the same throughout the core coursework. My idea is to get the experience along with the UOP degree. Your chances of getting hired will improve. I argue that the same things that people are complaining about UOP happen at other colleges as well. I know that personally.
Is there internships through the MBA program?
I did one in a classroom with students with severe emotional and behavior disabilities through UOP. The classroom experience far outweighs what you learn at UOP or in a traditional college.
I have to admit that I wondered about some of the things that everyone is complaining about. My suggestion is to get the experiences on your own. A degree, UOP or not, is just not good enough anymore. One of my concerns is that people are simply leary about online degrees.
When Chris mentioned: “Bibi – it sounds like your experieince with posting has been different than mine. In the majority of my MBA classes we were expected to post 25+ substantial posts per week with each one >300 words. These are not 10 minute posts. Often your response had to include a reference of some sort. These took a little time. Sure, you can crank through the material with little effort, but in the end – did you learn everything you could have? Perhaps not. I would never hire a person based on a piece of paper (MBA), but would rather test their abiity to think analytically. I do agree that the work load is appropriate.”
Chris, those were my experiences as well.
I am so sorry to see so many negative remarks about UOP. When I graduated high school in 1992 I attended Rutgers University. I had to withdraw for financial reasons. I started attending UOP in 2004 and had to completely change my lifestyle in order to keep up with my classes. The majority of my instructors were very hard. I cannot remember how many times I cried when I had a difficult paper or a difficult team. I can honestly say that I have worked hard for my BSBA. I am in my final class with a current GPA of 3.89 (My second statistics class was murder). I plan on continuing with UOP for my MBA. My father is a lawyer who went to some of the best schools in New York and New Jersey and works for the U.S. Government. If he can be proud of my accomplishments at UOP, then I can be proud of myself.
Judith, I graduated from Rowan and I can say that the UOP degree has gotten me far more interviews than the degree from Rowan, a state school in New Jersey. The bickering is ridiculous and I see no reason why UOP students should be discriminated against when looking for a job. It seems like some of these people are just frustrated about their own experiences. That should not be a reflection on the school itself. You are right, I did receive A’s but I worked very hard for them. Each class had about a 20-30 page syllabus compared to maybe a 5-10 at the traditional school.
I graduated from the UOP on July 6, 2007 with a BS in Management with 3.7 GPA. I am currently enrolled in the MBA TM. My first course is MBA 500 and only one other male student besides myself has any real world experience to contribute and reflect upon, the other 13 female students have nothing to contribute. I have 13 years IT experience with A+, Network+, iNet+, Security+, MCP, MCSA, MCSE and Office User Specialists Certifications. My greatest concerns: Will I find a good job when I finish this UOP MBA? How fast can I find a job? Will it pay enough to cover my house, car and educational bills that will be coming down the pipe 6 months after graduation? Those are my primary concerns. My 2ndary concern is that UOP MBA program is not AACSB accredited. Certain corporations do not hire MBA grads from non AACSB schools. Yes all the comments above me are true. Bad students, bad facilitators, high staff turnover, good curriculum, good online library resources, average group experience. The bottom line, you reap what you sow, and you get what you pay for. It’s the reason why I’m transferring in January 08 to join ASU’s W.P. Carey MBA program online –it is AACSB – accredited. That means your MBA is accepted anywhere in the WORLD——-PERIOD.
Paul – it really depends on what you are going to use your degree for. If you are going to use an MBA to change careers then UoP may not be your best option. UoP doesn’t shy away from the AACSB accreditation – they are a member of the AACBS, but they do not attempt to be accredited. They are not catering to fulltime students. AACSB has some provisions that they must do this before they can be accredited. I do agree that the caibre of students in the program are pathetic. There are a number of other good schools, that offer online programs that are not AACSB accredited. Webster Univeristy is one of them.
I was on an interview. Before the interview, I was speaking with someone who taught math courses at the College of New Jersey. She asked me where I got my degree from and told me that she thought that online courses were very difficult. I also went on an interview where one of the principals praised UOP’s education program stating that they drastically improved their education programs.
Sorry “University” of Phoenix supporters and those that have been suckered by them, but this is nothing more than a modern diploma mill. I took the trouble to earn a degree from a real school (brick and mortar) while working at a real job with real and very serious responsibilities. It took years and lots of sweat and a few tears, but in the end worth the effort. My educational effort was certainly not easy or convenient, but few worthwhile things in life are.
I am a manager responsible for recruiting and hiring technical folks and I tell you now anyone who applies using a “University” of Phoenix “degree” is not considered for employment here. Why? You are admitting you are stupid, lazy, gullible, and are attempting to defraud me and my organization.
Want to improve your lot in life? Suck it up and go to a real school part time. I will be impressed with your effort in the interview while the “University” of Phoenix “Degree� Holders are at the mailbox attempting to read the rejection letter.
Wow!! So you went a real (brick and mortar) institution? Obviously you do not have a degree and are far from getting one, furthermore, many officers in the military have degrees from UOP, are they stupid, lazy, and gullible? Second of all, make sense when you write….defraud you and your company??? What does that mean? Did that actually sound intellectual in your head as you wrote it? Was that you talking or your (brick and mortar) “degree”? It’s a good thing that you chose to stay anonymous because your managerial and hiring ethics can easily be predicted as a law suit waiting to happen. You have heard of discrimination and stereotyping haven’t you? For everyone else, it is harder to on-line learn than to attend a class, besides, any kind of education is better than no education at all.
Jason, I think that it is funny that people who choose to berate our education do not even say who they are working for. By the way, Mr. Manager at somewhere else, I did get hired with a UOP degree!!! However, I just had the wrong state certification.
To A Manager Somewhere – your comment is laughable. Clearly you haven’t a clue in terms of the expansion of online programs and the narrowing of the divide between online and brick and mortar schools. I agree – there are many drawbacks to UoP, but the outright dismissal of online education is misguided. For example, USC, a top-5 engineering school offers 30+ MS degrees online. If you had taken the time to do any kind of analysis, you would have drawn a slightly different conclusion. Which “brick and mortar” school did you attend? The absence of a name seems intended. Hmm.
I recently graduted with my B.S.IT from UOP Online and I must say that this is definitely not a degree mill. You really have to put the time in for this degree and you definitely will come out of it with some knowledge. You just have to remember that this should not be the end your learning process. Certifications are all important in IT for skill recognition. This is why I am currently working towards my A+, MCSE and my CCNA certs.(all company sponsored)
I have experienced some negatives with the program, such as bad professors and some classmates that dodn’t hold up their end on class projects, but this not unlike anything you might experience in any program, brick and mortar or otherwise.
You definitely get out what you put in in this case.
BTW, The “field-tested” instructors are a good source for networking once you do graduate. I have and maintain contact with several of them for that purpose.
I’m going to enroll into the Master of science in accountancy program and would like to get feedbacks from those students who are already in this program. I understand that this is fairly new -two month old course that has been created for students who wants get prepared for a uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.
Any comments are greatly appreciated.
I am totally agree with all of ya’ll who are against UOP. When I came to UOP, I was told that they had a RN (nursing study). Come to find out when classes started that they don’tthe Rn program as they advertise, they only have Health Adminstration(which is a secretary job). SO now I have done my first 9 weeks in this school , which is hard from hell. ALot of crictal thinking and papers.My finical aid has still not gone though and I have been switched though three differnet finical adivors inmy 9 wks. They can’t never keep there stories striaght. SO I can hostly say, I am a disappointed attender
UOP is alright. I currently go to UOP and a State University through my job. UOP material is harder and I have learned a lot more that at the State University. Shame on State Universities that put curves and other bull into their grading. I passed a math class on a curve where 5 out of 20 was a C. That is random guessing. There were other classes that were similar. In all, go with UOP at least you don’t have to talk to idiots in public all day.
I took a course last year and had students change my work on the team project. I was intelligent enough to hand in my own copy before the “group project” was “edited” or plagarized as I said it was. The course however was fantastic. The center for writing excellence is a gem and you learn a lot at this University. It is an excellent experience.
I am signing up to begin my MBA at UOP next month.
I am really excited.
I have gone to many brick and mortar colleges (and have moved with my job many times to different states, counties, cities…, and changed colleges to find I cannot transfer my credit). Each time I lose credit, face a timeline to complete my degree or loose credit, can only transfer 2 or 3 classes…Good old state schools with their policies, procedures, and better than you attitudes. Within the same state, they have the same rules…what if this applied in high school? Some kids would never graduate. I have went to school over 2 years and am still at ground zero basically at my 3rd state school due to this and the classes not being offered consecutively or around my work schedule and child care (I only have on pre-teen child)…this should be easy.
I have attended colleges & universities who have downed online degree programs. I have watched professors talk about their children for hours and their sports, band, etc. I have paid my dues to the football teams and smiled as the stars pass by on their athletic scholarships. I do not feel this is bad; however I have worked and went to school full time for many, many years and feel they were given special treatment and consideration. I can positively tell you some teachers and councilors work very hard to keep enrollment up by changing curriculum and graduation requirements. I want my curriculum pre-approved, in writing, and guaranteed before I ever pay for and take the time to attend another class so they do not change their mind at the last minute. This happened to a family member, and then to me…”looks like you will need one more course, at this college, etc., before we can sign you up for graduation.”
I am glad have to finally made the decision to a school that is for profit…so I know where the money is being spent and who understands what business means, because they are in business to make money. This makes much more sense than tenor and popularity contests I see in many schools. I am not looking to ride on a float, I need online skills and diverse relations and experiences to better prepare me for work.
I work for a worldwide company who is expanding each day. I may move again, and when I do, I know everyone will have heard of my school this time and not ask, “I’m sorry, where is that?” when I tell them the name of my school at my next interview.
My manager and two other managers I work with finished their BA at UOP. They are ahead of me, for now, with my state school BA. I can say there is no difference to the employer other than with degree or without. They do not care where it is from or much what the degree is in, they are mainly interested in experience, GPA, professionalism, and long term goals.
Wish me luck!
I have attend graduated with a B.S. in Eng from Pitt (1996) and a B.S. in Accounting from Point Park (2004). I took 1 class at uop and thought it was the biggest joke.
I think this issue goes beyond whether a school is “online” or “brick-and-mortar”. College life at a high-quality institution can be a cold shock to the high school student not accustomed to thinking or working at his or her intellectual peak. Earning a bachelor’s degree, or any degree beyond that level, should be a life-changing experience. If you’re as motivated and as smart as many of the students that I see posting here, consider checking out a school whose reputation is beyond question. Yes, it will be hard–you may have to quit your current job, or move, or carry out a personal campaign to get the classes you need during the time you can take them, but it will be worth it. As far as every school having the same problems–a common theme I see here–well, it’s hard for me to imagine for instance going to Stanford to do computer science and encountering an incompetent teacher. It’s not impossible, but such a teacher wouldn’t last long there. A school’s reputation preceeds it–and it draws talent both from faculty and students who want to be there and be a part of it. Whatever field you’re interested in–check out the school that excels in that field, then do everything you can to get in. Don’t sell yourself short…
The issue really is whether someone has experience and not whether they have attended UOP or not. No one has questioned my UOP degree. In fact some employers inquired further about it in interviews saying how good they thought a UOP degree was. Yes, I do not have much experience in the field I have seeked which is my problem. However, I think there are many more reasons as to why some students from UOP or any other school may have difficulty finding jobs. In education, a person who goes through UOP or a more traditional program still has to fulfill the same testing requirements by their state and the federal government through this new highly qualified law mandated by NCLB. I know this from experience. My suggestion is that if this is the case, do an internship or work in a position that may be lower than you expect in order to prove yourself. It is rather unfair to assess students from on school to be less competent than students from another. The sad part is that this happens all of the time.
I think before you think about signing up for UOP (especially because the tuition is generally high) you should check you local university in the state you have residency in for online programs. For instance, the University of Washington and Washington State University both offer online degree programs, and if you live in the state, you get the discounted tuition and an accredited degree from a real university.
I am a current student of University of Phoenix. Some of my teachers have been awful, but there are even more amazing teachers that get you through the degree. My employer has encouraged me to keep up with school and even go after my Masters. That is one thing I like about UoP, if you work full time you can still go to school. They were one of the first schools to encourage full time working adults to continue their education, because of them so many other universities had to take on night and weekend classes because of the demand.
I have attended Community Colleges and a University and they do not compare to the real life experience that I have gotten from UoP. It is the most challenging school I have ever attended but it is not meant for everyone. I have had to work full time since I was in High School and this University was perfect for me. But if you have the money and time for a state University then by all means go for it but for us full time working adults this is the school for you.
Something to think about for some skeptics of UoP. Obviously not every single person that attends the school will be completely satisfied. Also, just as there are unemployed, or underemployed, people that have degrees from UoP there are people from “traditional” schools in the same situation. UoP will soon be the school with the largest amount of alumni…ever. The school is working hard (not perfectly) to be one of the best out there. With campuses in 40+ states and being THE largest online university there will only be more and more alumni joining the working world. Eventually the people with the UoP degrees will be the people hiring you.
One piece of advice to all potential students ask enough questions to make your counselor’s head spin. This will eliminate all the angry comments people are making about getting into a program where they need to do extra steps in certain states. DO NOT ENROLL UNTIL YOU FEEL ALL YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED. Finally, if you have someone tell you that they won’t hire you if you have a degree from University of Phoenix, it is not your fault or the degree’s fault, the people obviously have no idea what the school is like. Rather than reading all these entries find out for yourself if the school is right for you.
I am currently a student at the University of Phoenix. I am putting together a report for the director of HR who is constantly putting my schooling down and who disregards the validity of the education.
I am looking for people who have been able to use their degree to further their career. I need specifics, like what position were you in before you obtained your degree from UoP and where you are now. It would be especially helpful if I could find people who work for well-known corporations.
Just wanted to comment- there are a lot of bad teachers at a lot of schools. I don’t think I know anyone who has completed a college degree and loved all of their teachers.
Also, I think that when you enroll for an online program, you should be prepared to teach yourself for the most part. It comes with the territory.
I attended University of Arizona (brick and mortar) for my Bachelors of Science and University of Phoenix online for my Masters in Computer Information Systems. Comparing the two schools I would say that I had great teachers and terrible teachers at both universities.
I had a professor in chemistry at UofA who was only concerned about his research and ignored his students. He was obviously only teaching because he had to in order to keep his position at UofA. From that experience I learned to change classes within the first week of class if I smelled another “dud” teacher. The rest of my school career at UofA went much better as a result. When I got to UofPhoenix, I applied that method. The first bad teacher I encountered, I changed to another class. It worked. I got to keep learning and moving forward, but I got to avoid the bad teacher.
At both universities I found wonderful staff and staff who treated me just like a number. I think you can find that at any university. There are always good and bad employees everywhere you go.
I worked hard at UofA, and I worked hard at UofP. I spent every Saturday, every Sunday and every weeknight for 2 years reading, studying, interacting and writing papers like crazy for UofP. I would like to think I got out of it what I put into it. I worked hard and I felt very accomplished when I finally graduated.
I am disappointed that some people still view UoP unfavorably. Sometimes I even get that reaction out of people in regards to UofA because “it’s a state school.” I have come to believe that some people are just school snobs. Sorry, I didn’t go to Harvard. I’m not “as good” as you. 😛 (I don’t believe that for a second!)
School is what you make of it. The skills of self directed learning, self accountability and self discipline are still skills I use to this day at work. I didn’t learn those at UofA, as I was too young. I learned those at UofP as an adult student. No one was standing there making me go to class. I had to learn for myself that not reading, not studying and not getting my work done was my own fault. I learned very quickly how to budget my time and discipline myself to get things done. It was good for me.
I recommend UofP online to people who are self motivated. I think if you aren’t, then maybe you need a ground campus and more accountability that a brick and mortar school provides.
Kristel
I have finished my first year at the UOP of phoenix on line, I could not be more happy. It is very hard work, it is not for everybody, you really need to foucus and do you online interaction. But for me my best right now is to accomplished my BS as soon as possible and maybe go for the MS in Education.
If you have the capacity, desire, and will to learn, UOP is a great place to pursue this goal (money can be found in grants and government student loans). UOP delivers excellent resources and knowledgeable educators to the students. Most of the individuals I have come across who complained about UOP have never finished the program. The university delivers a good program that is the sum of its parts. By the end of a UOP program, most individuals are washed from the system due to the difficult process experienced while attaining the degree; some people leave embittered. If I was only exposed to the initial few classes which are more of an acclamation to things to come, I would probably feel disgruntled. Yet within the full scope of the degree, I believe the university delivered a degree that is worthy of the money spent. I graduated from UOP in 2007. In the recent competitive market, I was able to obtain a job with this degree. I am currently enrolled in UOP�s master program in counseling and I am enjoying this program as well; yet there is a lot of writing involved. Do not go to UOP if you dislike writing papers or speaking in public. Good luck with your choice of education.
I agree with those of you who said you get what you put into it. Its pretty expensive and some of the teachers are on the ball while others arent. For those of you wondering if you can actually get anywhere with the UOP degree I feel that its possible. My manager at UPS received his degree from UOP online and it helped him move ahead.Any questions shoot me an email, Ive completed about 11 classes there.
Rob
My UoP degree has not opened any doors at all. I am applying for jobs that have people with state degrees and they all get hired over me and I have a good amount of quality experience. I have the certs and the references but the degree is holding me back. I was so concerned I called up in advance of my visits to find out what the companies HR thought of UoP. Bottom line is no respect…
to jc, I am in aomewhat similar boat. MY philosophy is to prove yourself to them. By that I mean, sign up as an intern for them.
I understand that UoP is not a diploma Mill, however during an interview the interviewer chuckled when I stated University of Phoenix. If in fact they are truly not a diploma mill why isn’t the Apollo Group doing more to prove other wise besides raking in student money?
We have used graduates from Univ of Phoenix and have been happy with the results. I don’t know if it was the education or the fact that most of these people went to school while working full time and already had the strong motivation and work ethic.
I have attended three classes for the BSIT program at UOP and am withdrawing immediately. I have an AS in econ and had almost finished my BS in history, both summa cum laude and with honors at UCSB. So I wasn’t surprised that I was ahead of my fellow students educationally.
My first class was a joke, group encounter crud, which just cost a ton of money for one big group hug. I was astounded with the language skills of my fellow students, and they all got A’s. The only academic thing taught in the entire class was how to do correct citations, and at the end of the class none of my learning team had a clue, I fixed it all for them. But they had to turn in individual assignments on citations in the prior weeks. And in the end they were surprised when I had to correct their because they had all received A’s and thought they had it down. One student didn’t even grasp that the last name comes first when followed by a comma, and had hers all reversed.
The two classes I just finished were marginally better in student quality, about half could actually put a sentence together. But those who can’t just move right on through.
So I began to question the value of this degree. How could it be worth anything if these people passed? So I am doing the research and don’t like what I see at all.
I was torn because I reasoned, you get out of it what you put into it, and I wanted that particular skill set and I thought a BS would be handy too. But then there is time and cost to consider.
I already do on-line accreditation programs from software manufacturers, and that is much cheaper and skips all the busy work. And I don’t think anyone will really care at all about the degree in the fields I am interested in. All they care about is if you can do the work. The UOP degree doesn’t guarantee even minimal competence.
One of my current classes is business systems, why I had to take that with an AS in econ, you tell me. It has been a cake walk for me. But for my fellow students they are lost in the wilderness. They just don’t have enough background and can’t receive it while making all those worthless posts, sharing of ignorance is really what they are, to understand why current ratios or ROA even matters. So it is just a drill for them. They don’t really learn it, one student described a fixed asset as a fixed rate like you get in a 401(k) plan. I can’t even say where to start to correct all the wrong assumptions in that statement.
This blog has sealed the deal for me. I’m out. The main reason is the posts from the almumni that are supportive of the school show such terrible language skills, that they tell the whole story.
Joni
Hello everyone and I have enjoyed reading your responses. I just wanted to let everyone know that I have graduated from UOP and I fully stand behind my degree. I have attended a community college in the past and had a hard time. My mother tried to kill herself and I tried to put my school on hold. I spoke with everyone finding out the best thing to do and no one helped. UOP was completely different. They cared all through my degree program and helped me achieve a goal I had never thought imaginable. I was so moved by the experience I had I applied for a job once I was finished. (I also had numerous job offers based on the posting of my resume to help all of you know the degree is viewed the same if not better then other colleges) After working here I am even more a fan. I work with the most amazing people. They are all positive and genuinely care about the student. Each person that works here is here because they believe in what they are doing. Most also attend school here and believe in the degree and stand behind it. I too hope to start school again and obtain my MBA from this great school. Thank you for letting me share.
I have been accepted to FSU RN to BSN and UCF RN to BSN as of today. Yet, I am set to enroll at UofP for April 8 RN to BsN. I am very apprehensive about the nursing program here. Pls help, anyone who has been thru it and is going thru it now. I’m 39 and cannot waste time and money. Someone please tell me your story of the UofP RN to BSN program and what to expect….
I am expected to start RN to BSN program 4/8 but I am very apprehensive. I need details asap. I have been accepted to FSU and UCF nursing RN to BSN programs and don’t know which way to go. I’m 39 & can’t waste anymore time….pls tell me the whole truth and nothing but
For all you people who are so proud of your struggle to succeed with going to college part-time while working full-time–jealousy is no reason to discount progress. You should be proud of what you accomplished, but you should also not dismiss everyone who has not had to struggle this way. I’m currently attending UoP, and I have experienced much of what others have in their posts here; however, none of these problems are unique to either an online school, or a private school. The whole reason UoP exists is to provide an opportunity for people who have a family to continue their education. If you took one class here and dropped, you don’t know anything about this school. If you dropped while you were still taking gen ed classes, you don’t know anything about this school. Therefore, since you don’t know anything about this school, you can’t really judge it, can you? How can a person who hires for a company possibly put down a college/format they have no personal knowledge of? That being said, everyone should know that a degree doesn’t mean you’re smart–from any school. In all the comments I’ve read from here and other sites, the people who have negative comments on UoP are either: whiny intellectual children who think they should have the degree handed to them (after which they would whine about it being a diploma mill) or people who think everyone should have to suffer more to get a college degree.
The point I’m trying to make is that dismissing this school on any grounds other than facts or personal knowledge is (and you know it) preposterous. If you stuck up hiring managers or education elitists would like to compare test scores or IQ numbers, feel free to let me know.
I am a BSB/Marketing student at UoP. I cannot speak to the post graduate experience (yet) but I do know that a number of students in the classes I have attended suck. I have been at this 3 years now and I have had instructors asked me why I don’t transfer to a more reputable school.
A number of the students I worked with on teams cannot read or write properly. We are also expected to make presentations usually at the end of a course. This has been an excellent experience for me. It has help my PPT and public speaking skills. I was taught by one of the best in public speaking.
For the most part I have instructors who actually use the Team Evaluation to determine team grades.
Admin support sucks. The first year was awful then it got better in the 2nd and part of the 3rd year. Recently they changed both my financial and academic counselors and no one informed me.
My current instructor has a PhD and my previous one has 5 advanced degrees 4 Masters and a PhD and works for one of the largest companies in the world.
In total I have had 10 instructors with PhDs and all the others have Masters.
The work like others have said is not easy. Statistics courses were tough and the expectations from my instructors are high. They fail people on at the drop of a hat. I’ve seen classes go from 21 people to 8 in no time. Trust me they did not leave because the work was suspect, they left because of the opposite. They could not cut the mustard.
UoP has image problems and the senior management of the organization has not placed priority on this. For this reason they seek individuals who are already employed because it lowers the need for their graduates to actually go seek work.
For this reason a UoP education comes with a disclaimer saying they by no means guarantee employment upon graduation.
I have 42 credits until graduation, however after 3 years I no longer will stay at UoP. I am transferring to another school where they place more importance on the ability of their graduates to actually find employment. They don’t guarantee it but they give you a fighting chance.
BTW my GPA is 3.95
“For this reason a UoP education comes with a disclaimer saying they by no means guarantee employment upon graduation.”
Not for nothing, no school does. How could any school garuntee that in a recession?
My husband and I have four children and are both 27. I am attending UOP and hubs is attending KU.
At 27 he doesn’t really fit in. He was really ticked the day a girl in his CALC 2 class (he’s going for civil engineering) was walking around before class asking guys to sleep with her. Many of these kids don’t show up at all, and then whine when they don’t get the grade they want. A majority of his classes have been taught by undergrad TAs who are just as clueless as the students sometimes, and he has to seek out tutors and the real professors (if they are not too busy doing research of their own) to learn anything. Only one professor he has encountered thus far (including department chairs) has had any real-life experience beyond the walls of the school. Not for nothing I would HOPE that the civil engineering department chair would at least have a clue as to how the industry beyond the walls of the school works to train their students for it, but alas, this is not the case. Hubs recently discovered that as a Navy Nuke he knows more about how radiation works than his PhD chemistry professor does who teaches it. Oh yeah, take a class that requires a lab at KU, and you will have lab partners to rely on for reports and analysis. Lab partners who, if they show up, show up drunk or hungover, or are expecting someone else to do the work for them.
Also, a majority of kids in college today are getting more worthless degrees than ever, that would never garuntee a job later on. I mean what are the employment oppritunities for a girl with a BA in femminist studies? Not much, other than to go work a secretary job at daddy’s office (yes, I have seen that one here). A majority of students are not pursuing anything that will get them employment later on, but something easy that they can party through, only to be smacked with reality when they have to pay off students loans or mommy and daddy finally decide not to fund it any more. This is part of the reason why lenders are cutting back on student loans. They’re not going to loan money on degrees and schooling they won’t get back.
Now, at UoP I have worked quite hard, and while I have run into the occasional terrible student, I find that as my classes progress these become few and far between. I think many drop when they find they don’t have the discipline for it. Have I had one or 2 bad instructors? sure. But at least they’ve all had degrees and could speak english (did I mention the non-english speaking Calc TA/instructor at KU? or the blind one? yep folks, that’s right). I also find that with the quieter ones if you email and ask they will do. They’re looking to help those who want to work, not necessarily those who are skating by.
Things aren’t always what they seen at traditional schools. I think in many ways it’s overrated
Oh, and yes, I have done the bare minimum (on my terms) for papers before and been shocked that I’ve done so well. After doing peer reviews on papers, I have realized that it’s because, like everywhere else, UoP facilitators grade to a cruve. Apparently standardized testing is right and Americans (generally) lack in skills in their own language and can not write to save their lives.
I spend $50k for a bachelors and mastaz degree (MBA) at Univarsity of Pheonix but cannot find good kine job at all. Why? Why they no hire me? I got okey GPA of 3.4, i think is pretty good? Why they no hire me? I work at carwash as towel-boy so i get planny experience. Why they no hire me? I cannots say I to happy about this univarsity. I think they cheated me out my money? What you think and why they no hire me?
As an IT manager, University of Phoenix has the same credibility as the educational institutions in India.
Experience counts more. I’ll hire someone who has no education but has demonstrated ability in their field with references. Of course folks with ivy league degrees do stand out, and will get some attention. Generally, ivy league graduates are not an indicator of proficiency in the professional field, but experience with a reputable institution does entice a phone screen.
During the month of December 2006 I received a phone call from a representative of University of Phoenix Online. The person on the phone explained to me that I would be able to go to college fulltime, which I have always wanted to do. I asked only the questions I new to ask and those consisted of how much will it cost me and is the diploma credible. I was told the college is credited and many students have graduated. I was so excited�finally, I to can attend college! I have always had a love for business so I signed up for the associated program of business. The man on the phone who turned out to be my enrollment advisor walked me through all the paper work including financial aid. When my first day of class arrived a few weeks later, I was very eager to start my new challenge. I was so proud of myself and so was my family. I attended University of Phoenix from January 07 to September 08. During the month of September, I decided to call Sallie Mae to see how much I owed them. I was stunned when I was told more than nine thousand dollars. The following day I started to ask friends and co-workers how much their first year of college cost them. Most people I asked attended community colleges for their first two years. I was stunned to find out that they were paying an extremely lower price. The next week I spoke to my enrollment and finance advisors to let them know, I had chosen to terminate my attendance with the University and pursue my educational goals at a more cost friendly college. I requested a copy of my official school transcripts and took them into my new college a few weeks later. I started doing some research on University of Phoenix and found out there are tons of former students claiming faulty, inaccurate information by the University. I also learned that University of Phoenix is not AACSB accredited. I also found out that University of Phoenix is a for-profit college. Their advisors make commission on how many people they enroll. Once I learned this, I started to look at my statement though the University. I was never told how much classes would cost and was never given a booklet about classes and prices. All I was told was not to worry because I qualified for financial aid. I never even got a chance to pick my classes. I started a class one day and directly after the final exam started another. University of Phoenix online charges $885.00 per class and $70.36 for course materials. I found out today 06/18/2008 from my new college that none of my credits from University of Phoenix will transfer because they count as technical courses. I have to start all over as a freshman! My new college, Lone Star Community College, is willing to look more into my classes to see in they can get any of them to transfer and they told me to get a copy of my course syllabus from all ten courses I had taken. I called University of Phoenix for the records but they told me they have no access to the materials. I asked if they could give me the contact information to all my instructors but they told me again they have no such records. I am heart-broken! I have spent over nine thousand dollars and year of my life on a fraud. A fraud that is broadcasted everywhere. I am not the only former student that has been let down by an institute that claims they are here to help better their people lives.
Catherine stated: Now, at UoP I have worked quite hard, and while I have run into the occasional terrible student, I find that as my classes progress these become few and far between. I think many drop when they find they don’t have the discipline for it. Have I had one or 2 bad instructors? sure. But at least they’ve all had degrees and could speak english (did I mention the non-english speaking Calc TA/instructor at KU? or the blind one? yep folks, that’s right). I also find that with the quieter ones if you email and ask they will do. They’re looking to help those who want to work, not necessarily those who are skating by.
Things aren’t always what they seen at traditional schools. I think in many ways it’s overrated”
I have to agree. I work in education with students with emotional problems. There is no way any college can prepare you for what I have seen. Experience matters the most and while UOP has problems, they are by no means just associated with UOP.
Karissa mentioned: “I am currently a student at the University of Phoenix. I am putting together a report for the director of HR who is constantly putting my schooling down and who disregards the validity of the education.
I am looking for people who have been able to use their degree to further their career. I need specifics, like what position were you in before you obtained your degree from UoP and where you are now. It would be especially helpful if I could find people who work for well-known corporations.”
All I can say is do what you need to do. I am now teaching for a private school which would have never been able to do without the certificate. I started about 4 months ago. First, I started as a long term sub. However, I am still looking for better.
It is amazing about how many of the people who downgrade UOP cannot even write. (There are also some people who support UOP on here that cannot write.) Then, you expect to get any type of offers from jobs. Get over it. Judging from some of the posts, I would not hire some of you. If you really want to solve a problem or two concerning the university, take it to them and continue to do so. No school is perfect and those of you who want to sue the school should have done your research before attending. UOP is not perfect. They have their problems. I do believe in free speech. However, making all of these negative remarks is only going to ruin things for everyone else.
For those of you who say that you would not hire a UOP grad based solely on the fact that they went to UOP, you are the one that is being stupid. There are plenty of people at other universities that are just as incompetent. Peristence is the key to success. I was looking up a site for mock interviews for my life skills class that I will be teaching and the site mentioned that passion is the key to success. Take a look at this site: http://www.collegegrad.com/jobsearch/Competitive-Interview-Prep/The-Most-Important-Aspect-of-Interviewing/
I went to UOP and graduated with an M.ED. degree.I deal with EBD students. (emotional and behavior disorders). No school has trained me to deal with these students. Experience is extremely important and should overlook any degree because the experience should provide you with more experience than what the degree can give to you.
Update:
Now my state is making new regulations concerning the requirements for teaching. Of course noone told me any of this when I went to UOP. I am so frustrated because I now have to study for additional tests.
Hmmmmm…I start next week at The University of Phoenix on Tuesday, July 29, 2008. I was excited when I first enrolled with UOP, but since reading all of these comments have become quite disturbed. I will be working on my masters degree in human resources. I am concerned with UOP being an accreditation school. I hope and pray that my success is far greater than the comments I have read above.
Wish me luck!!
Kiara, drop now before it’s too late. University of Phoenix is one of the last places I’d go for an HR degree. HR people are the ones who are on top of evaluating degrees, so it’s highly likely you’ll not get anywhere with that degree in this field and may end up being in a much more difficult position than, say, someone trying to get an IT degree from them.
Kiara, do not go here. I graduated with an education degree and now I have to take all sorts of tests to get the job I want.
I obtained my BS/BM from UPO, and I saw the steady decline in what I would call people who were of “college material”. In my capstone course, I found it amusing that most of the students still could not do a ppt presentation and some could not even pronounce the words on their slides. When the recuiters came in to try to “sell” me the MBA program, I firmly declined. I truly belive that you get out of the program what you put into it, and several people I knew just wanted a degree so that they could advance at work…and thats exactly what they got. Now, for the real world, when you get a degree, you should be able to build on the foundation that UOP has provided to better you professional situation. I personally think that a majority of the students are lazy (I worked full time, have a family, and was still able to coordinate with my team on group assignments in a timely manner). There is a thing called time mgmt. and if you are a college student, you should look into this. While some of the instructors were knowledgeable, I would say about 50% of them were just there for the paycheck, just like the percentage of the students are there for a piece of paper that say “hey look at me, I have a degree”! Now that I have continued my education at a traditional college, I realize how easy I had it at UOP. All you have to do is researching and writing papers…but when yu get into a traditional collegr, you are actually tested on what you know, not if you know how to format a paper. Now think about it, is it going to be more benificial for a person to know how to format a paper or is it more important to know the subject matter….I think it depends on what you want to do with your life…do you want to be an administrative assistant with a Bachelors degree or do you want to own a company? As far as the complaints about having to do too much work at UOP….go to a real college for a semester and you will be begging UOP to take you back. My UOP degree was a breeze and if your having difficulty with the basics, maybe you should look into a trade school so that you can learn a trade and do that for the rest of your life. Showing up doesnt count—being in class prepared and ready to get class started does count. And it is those students who will get what they want out of their degree.
Unfortunately, I have to agree with Casey. After I have graduated from UOP, I have had to continue studying for the various subject level tests. I felt like I was at a disadvantage. Now, I am being tested on what I know. The worst thing is that I cannot get the job I want if I do not pass these tests. I do not know what to do. I even had administrators tell me that they cannot find people who have passed these exams.
I’ve been a UoP student for six months. I agree with the others that say you get out of it what you put into it, just as with anything in life. In every school, in every job, in every relationship. Whether you attend traditional school, or online you will encounter good and bad instructors, students, experiences. I can tell you, as someone with experience in both settings, I can tell you that I’ve learned more and at a faster pace than I did in a traditional setting because I’m learning at my pace. What you know in the end is what matters, not how quickly we can cover material, or how much material we can cram in as little time as possible. Something else, it takes a good deal of discipline and self motivation to get the work done. UoP isn’t this, the instructors aren’t that, it’s a paper mill, it’s not good enough for this or that or the other. I agree with the assessment that those that are making these comments fall into the bias and fallacy allure. They either haven’t taken a single course from UoP or they dropped it when they discovered they couldn’t handle the work. They complain of the incompetence of not only the instructors but the other students as well. I tell you, I’m glad I’m not surrounded by the negativity these nay sayers conjure for and around themselves. The claims they make are not backed by sufficient if any reasons or facts to support their absurd claims. For those that are willing to put in the necessary time and effort, you have made an excellent choice with UoP.
University of Phoenix Online is DEFINITELY not a degree mill. I have been going since Jan. 2007 and have been busting my butt just to maintain my 3.7 GPA and won’t graduate until late next year and that is with next year’s courses being doubled up the whole year and already coming transferring to UOP with an Associate’s.
With that being said, some of my complaints are the groups and group projects. I don’t understand the purpose of it and I don’t benefit from them. I would rather take a test, it’s that bad…lol. But besides that, I have been learning a lot. One more other complaint is that I wish we would get hardcopies of our books and that Critical Writing be a mandatory class for everyone.
Some people have complained that people at UOP online cannot write but a lot of people in college do not know how to write, you just don’t see their work b/c it’s not posted online for everyone to see. Take care. 🙂
I have to say the program is a complete J O K E! They will let anyone in that is willing to give them money. I finished the program to only enroll into the best MBA program out there 5 months later. The current MBA program I am in is completely different and applies to real life issues. There is nothing in the UOP MBA program that has helped me. In an interview, the person interviewing me made a statement about the program and the rep it had. I decided from that point on to NOT put it on my resume! I am so mad at myself for sticking to the UOP program and not leaving sooner. There were 3 people in my class that did not even deserve an MBA. The real world does not write papers every week APA style. The program is great for lazy people and people that just want the degree. No real value or help. I went to Dr. Calhoun numerous times about issues only to be ignored. When I refused to fill out my application for graducation, so that their numbers look better, I got a phone call from her stating not to pull any punches with her and tell her why I felt the way I felt. Accredation…..JOKE! Professors let you out an hour b/f your suppose to be out. That is the only reason the SCHOOL has an accrediation. Funny how not applying for my MBA degree caused Romona ro call me. All my other complaints were ignored. The only reason people get defensive about this program is b/c you are the people that were not smart enought to get into a real college and are taking the easy way out! I prefer to not be associated with UOP. This is a chapter in my life that I am so glad is behind me. I feel for people that get sucked into the program!
The program is a complete joke including the M.Ed. program. Now, I have to take classes while searching for the job I want to pass these stupid highly qualified requirements. I can get only elementary jobs because I am having trouble passing these tests. I have tons of experience luckily. I do nopt think it is an easy way out because you do have to go out into the field. Once I get into another school, I am taking it off of my resume. I really cannot complain because I am getting interviews. However, no one told me about the requirements afterwards.
I can only speak of UoP’s MBA program. It is indeed a complete joke. I will throw your application out if you listed this as you’ve essentially “bought” your degree. Why? No credentials needed to get into their program — GMAT scores need to be submitted into any credible MBA program, even unranked ones from state schools. UoP’s requires no such thing since if they did, it would exclude about 75% of the applicants who can’t even score high enough. Ditto on minimum undergrad GPA requirements — at any credible graduate program it’s a 3.0 minimum. I am scared to shivers to think what kind of undergrad GPA some of these UoP MBA students earned. Actually I need no imagination, as I had one applicant with a 2.1 undergrad GPA who boldly stated they were a UoP MBA student. I sure was impressed — NOT. UoP MBA students buy their degrees, nothing more.
Gee, I never knew we bought our degrees. There are minimum g.p.a.s and guess what for the graduate degree, it is a 3.0. It is on ething if you are a student and are having problems. However, if you are not, you really have no right to say anything.
By the way, I have several tests to study for because of the highly qualified requirements.
It’s a shame that most people still allow others to think for them. One person says UoP has a bad reputation so the student no longer sees value in the school. If that person told you they didn’t like your clothing style, you wouldn’t agree to change it to their liking would you? Or maybe you would. People that are unwilling to work for their degree are the ones complaing about having to write papers every week, complaining about the other students not being smart enough. I’m glad those people who are complaining have decided to move on, we don’t need you.
The UPX MBA is an intense and difficult program. As one of the top performers in the class, I can readily agree that I felt as though some folks were cruising through the program without much effort (averaging B’s and A- grades). This annoyed me because I read every word from the texts and attended (ground campus) every minute of class for 20 months.
Some friends of mine with masters degrees from traditional schools tried to assure me this also happened in their programs, but I still felt uneasy because of the UPX reputation.
Then I read an article called “Ivy Retardation” in our local Sunday newspaper. (http://tampabay.com/news/perspective/article771666.ece) It is a very well written piece and suggests Ivy League schools are guilty of the same problems we are reading here about UPX.
Folks, the bottom line is you get out of this degree exactly what you put into it. I now have a great education covering finance, human resource management, business law, statistics, logistics, strategic planning, etc. The texts we used were certainly as high quality as anything I was assigned for reading from the University of Maryland for my undergrad degree in management.
To the person that completed the UPX MBA and is mad you didn’t get the respect from a perspective employer you would have liked – it’s partly your own fault. Either you did your work and got a great education and gained competencies from that experience or you slid by, doing the bare minimum. If the former, then you owe it to yourself to be an ambassador of the degree program and to show others that UPX graduates are NOT substandard – thereby increasing the value of the degree for yourself and others like you for the future.
If you’re a slacker, then welcome to the club because there are many of them at all schools who are just getting by. There will always be slackers and sliders and lazy people with the money to get a degree. Heck, George Bush got B’s and C’s at Yale (On the other hand, so did John Kerry). The education from UPX is reasonable, especially if you *gasp* supplement the in-class learning with experience from the more experienced class mates in the *gasp* terrible learning teams (follow this link, I dare you! http://www.princeton.edu/admission/whatsdistinctive/experience/the_preceptorial_system/) and additional research.
For those of you unable to complete a degree from UPX and who are angry about it, I’m truly sorry. I know you blame the school, the instructors and other students – I suppose that’s only natural. If they had higher entry standards perhaps you would have been eliminated from the program before you made a costly mistake.
Maybe you just came expecting a degree mill and are angry you didn’t get what you had hoped for. Education requires a degree of introspection – perhaps the day you are able to criticize yourselves to the same degree you are able to blame shift you might want to try again. That may be hard to hear, but I sincerely wish you all good luck in your future endeavors!
When I transferred in my 72 credits to UOP, I was told that I only needed 4 classes to get my BS in Management. Of course I was thrilled since I am military and had been taking classes with different school for years.
Turns out later that my education counselor calls me and tells me I need many other courses. He also enrolled me in another course without my consent. I’m a soldier in Afghanistan and I can take classes when the war allows me too, not when they want me too.
UOP has now lied and charged the Army’s tuition assistance program for a class that I didn’t need and even put me in a program that I didn’t want.
NEVER use UOP
Now, I am trying to find a job in teaching only to find out that I need to take an additional course in Mathematics to help me pass the test. I cannot stand the fact how UOP takes advantage of people. Get this, until I pass the test, I cannot get the job I want.
I read this article that Garon posted and it makes sense. I am going through the same thing with some tests that I have to take.
Well, I have read the comments on this blog, and I’d like to stick in my two cents’ worth.
I am currently in the M.Ed./Elementary Education program at UOP, and I’m okay with it so far. I have to admit, you do have to be self-motivated and work hard, but if you’re not willing to work, then don’t enroll.
I have had some great teachers, and a couple of @$$#)!*$ (one of them marked down my work because she didn’t like how I posted my assignments to the forums, not that there was anything wrong with my work), but that’s life. Yes, sometimes it’s hard to ge hold of counselors sometimes (I’m just persistent as hell, and I eventually get hold of the person or find the information I’m looking for), but that’s part of life, too.
My biggest complaint is about the learning teams. Of course, group work is part of life, and I have nothing against it, but there are some instances where a group can be a headache. I’ve had to deal with overachievers and slackers both; sometimes I have had to carry an unmerited burden while keeping up with my own individual assignments. However, that’s life, and I wish I could get out of the group assignments, but since they’re part of the UOP educational experience, I’ll have to live with it. Besides, I’m almost done, I’m carrying a 3.78 GPA, and I will survive.
There are two things that have helped me through this program–I’ve already earned a master’s degree, so the rigors of graduate study are not new to me. I’ve had years of various types of classroom experience in various situations, and that has helped me in program at UOP. As far as completing the requirements for state teaching certification for my state (I’m in Illinois), I simply made sure that I knew what tests I had to take for certification and made sure that I did what I had to do to fufill the student teaching requirements (I have the state’s Assessment of Professional Teaching exam to take and I’m finishing up the application for student teaching in the school district where I am to do my student teaching in conjunction with UOP requirements), so I should be all right there.
My advice is: work with what you’ve got, ask questions and find out what’s what, and let nothing sway you from your goal.
I attended 7 classes at UOP and I made the decision to drop out due to the following reasons:
1. The classes are too expensive for the education the school provides. The classes are 5 weeks and each student walks away only learning the basic fundamentals of each course.
2. I already have two years of college under my belt from a brick and mortar state college and I honestly believe that the education is better in traditional colleges and CHEAPER.
3. I was in the software engineering program and the only math required was the math I took for my AA. I know many software engineers and they ALL had to take additional math classes for their B.S. degrees. They told me that it was not a good sign and I tend to agree.
4. Some of my classmates had horrible writing skills and I wondered how they managed to pass their classes. It is said that students attend UOP because they can’t “cut it” in a traditional college and I didn’t want to believe that. It started ringing true as I went through the classes.
5. They advertise that they are geared towards working adults but I went to a local university and they offer some of their courses online and have evening courses for working adults at half the cost. I just can’t see spending close to $1600.00 every 5 weeks for sending countless emails.
I spent a year in UOP and was doing fine until I was given true reason to leave.
~ I was flat out lied to about financial aid. I was told that I would have no problem with financial aid, and the first year ended up having to pay out-of-pocket for a percentage of two classes.
~ my finanicial aid was canceled for my second year, and I was not informed prior to taking classes. I owed UOP $3,200 before the fessed up to my questioning and told me, oh it was canceled.
~they put me on a back burner for re-certification. It took two and a half months to get my funds reinstated, and it was their mistake, not mine.
~I noticed I was carrying most of the weight in many of the “team” assignments. Thus my grade was given to the rest of the team, when they did little of the work.
~I found a school that is Highly accredited in the Norh Eastern United States is a traditional school and has developed a completely 100% online program that is half the cost of UoP.
~UoP Simply is not always professional about responding to questions. I have to send several emails prior to getting a response.
Is anyone from and working in Canada who did take or is taking a masters degree at UoP or another online university.
What are your opinions about recognition of the degree by Canadian employers. Are there other, better and less expensive online graduate programs?
Thanks!
Mixed experiences come from students attending any college or university and the University of Phoenix is not an exception. All schools have strengths and weaknesses too.
While most schools stuck their noses in the air and responded with the standard “diploma mill��? accusations, the University of Phoenix was breaking ground, serving a market ignored by others and creating a whole new system that allowed working adults to earn an education and reshape their lives and careers, they also happened to make a mint while doing so. Good for them and us too.
UoP offers excellent online education. I went to a community college and transferred nearly all of my credits. I am happy with most of the instructors and all of the class experiences had at UoP. The work encountered is equally rigorous to anything I have had at the college and my ability to do it is greatly enhanced by UoP’s online format; I can attend class anytime of the day or night.
UoP has an awesome technical support department too.
I have heard different reviews from some of the IT students. Most have said they do not think their program will help them in the market after graduation. For the other programs though, I have heard nothing but good stuff.
I am a 36 year old single mother of 2, who was going nowhere fast. About a year and a half ago, I checked into this whole online college deal. What I found was, most state universities and technical colleges offer online classes. I started out a state university and attended online for 2 semesters. Unfortunately, I couldn’t focus due to an impending divorce and custody battle. I was worried about my already tainted GPA, so I transferred to a different state technical college. Now that I can focus, I am doing wonderfully. I am pursuing an associates degree (2 years), and will be able to complete the entire thing online.
When my ex-husband decided he was going to attend UoP, I begged him to check into state colleges instead. His only reason for choosing UoP was that it’s online. I informed him that all the state colleges now offer online classes, at a fraction of the price. The State University I attended last year charged about $200 per credit for online classes, and the state technical college I’m currently attending charges about $150/credit, plus a few minor additional fees. Currently, I am taking 15 credits, and my total tuition for the semester was less than $3,000.00. My federal pell grant and state grant covered this, so I was able to use my Stafford Loans to pay rent and buy a car. I haven’t worked in almost 2 years, and have been surviving off of my student loans. If you attend a private college like UoP, every penny you’re eligible for in financial aid is paid for tuition.
My point is, why pay over twice as much to attend a school that isn’t even taken seriously in the job market? I’m guessing, after looking at their website and realizing the only way to get any info is to speak to someone in person, is that they have some very talented sales people in their employ. From what I’ve heard, they promise degrees in much less time than it takes at a state college, which is probably enticing for some. Common sense says, who would want to hire someone who cut so many corners to obtain a degree?
Do yourselves a huge favor and stick to state (public) college. They are always taken seriously on a resume, and will cost you less than half of what a private college like UoP charges.
The only reason that it takes less time is that you go all year round. That does not mean it is a good school. There are many negatives.
State schools go year-round, too, and they offer shorter and more intense classes all the time.
I truly believe that UoP cuts corners. You do not need to take a foreign language there, for instance. I suffered for two semesters conjugating the French verb, yet people who can afford it can get out of it. My husband has his BS in Business from a State University and had to take calculus. My brother holds the same degree from UoP, and all he had to do was one month of algebra.
I’d rather take the time and get a quality education. After reading all these posts, I am convinced I will “stay the course” and keep going to my local State college. I have never seen so many grammar and spelling mistakes in my life.
i am currently attending UOP at the OKC campus in Oklahoma city, Ok. I started in July of this year and i enjoy it so far. I am not too big on the group assignments because when everyones not up to it, it makes it really hard to complete a project together. However, it has also brought me into contact with alot of nice and interesting people i would never have met otherwise.
I completed both my undergraduate and graduate degrees at UOP. Overall I have found my learning experience both challenging and rewarding. Since earning my degrees, I have been promoted many times and currently earn a six figure income and I am recognized as valuable asset with my present employer. With that said, I don�t necessarily attribute my success to my education alone. I am a hard worker and strive to do everything in excellence with integrity and I always continue to learn and excel at the workplace.
However, I recognize the vast amount of criticism UOP receives (as proven in this blog alone) and admittedly have questioned if I ever made the right decision by completing my higher education at a non traditional school verse attending a traditional school instead. I would ask myself things like:
Would things be different if I had graduated from a traditional school?
Would I be making more money or less money than I do now?
Would I be smarter?
Would I be more successful in another position?
Then I come back to reality and accept the decision that I have made and realize that I can�t change it either way. Through the course of my adult life I have attended many courses at traditional colleges and universities alike, and while I can�t say that I graduated from any of these institutions, I can objectively compare both types of learning and can honestly say that learning through the UOP is not inferior to or less quality than that of the traditional learning method. Although, there is one NEGATIVE aspect that I didn�t like about UOP�No football team!
I have been in this program fur one year now, and I can clearly tell you it is all about money. High priced education for a cut corner low quality education. The first semester they call you like 3 times a week to check on your progess, then poof their gone never to be heard from again. They no longer return calls, they told me this past summer I could put a week off inbetween my blocks. Then I was informed that because of that I had lost my pell grant, which they PROMISED would not happen. There is one word to describe this wonderfull university. “CLUSTER F***” because that is the service you recieve….
it is crazy.. the staff s totally messed up and are rude. I am happy to paste my conversation with them…it all happened because I did not answer their one phone call as I had to travel on an immediate client location and was on board…. – he says that I am not serious… i had a couple of email exchanges and I am posting all of that – – – Njoy
John G. to me
Sunil,
You missed our appointment. Since now I know you are not a serious student I am not going to go out of my way to help. I looked at what you wanted at other Universities and we do offer the same program and the ones I looked at, we are the fastest, most comparative priced.
JohnAnthony G., Enrollment Counselor
University of Phoenix | Online Campus
International Division | 3157 E Elwood |CF-A101 | Phoenix, AZ 85034
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Me to John
show details Feb 7 (3 days ago)
Reply
i missed my appointment with you because I am a consultant and I had
to leave for S.Cal….
Anyways, the whole crew of University of Phoenix seems to be arrogant
and it is proved with your email….thanks for welcoming me so much
warmth and saving my dollars.
My seriousness in pursuing a second masters degree in my career will
no ways be affected with your immature comment.
I would appreciate you or your team not contacting me back on my cell
phone / email.
If contacting someone and leaving a voice message saying that you are
busy for the next one hour on our scheduled meeting time then I think
you really went out of your way in neglecting your already existing
appoibtment with me on your calendar…
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John G.
to me
show details 8:35 AM (3 hours ago)
Reply
You were rude with one of our staff long before I was rude with you Sir.
You are not serious about your education or you would have made the
time. I had two other staff members try contacting you.
But you are right. We are arrogant. We have the right to be. You called
us and wanted us to take time away from our other students to help you
and you cannot even make time for a twenty minute appointment; nor, can
you seem to keep a professional attitude while on the phone with our
employees.
If you cannot make a twenty minute appointment with three people calling
you, how can we expect you to make it through your degree program?
Since you cannot remain professional with our staff, why would we think
you are going to be professional with our other students?
I hope you find another program because your education is important. I
am sorry you don’t see the need to peruse it diligently.
This will be the last contact you receive from our University. Feel free
to take your education elsewhere; you are not a good fit for this
University.
John G. E.C. UoP B&T USFC
(602) 387-8813
(800)-366-9699 Ext. 3878813
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This is a fascinating discussion; especially when I am deciding whether or not to attend UOP. What type of books do the students use at UOP? Are they all online or do they use physical books? Is the price of the books included in the tuition?
Don’t do it! I owe 40K and cannot find a job. It is too expensive, and it is very hard to change careers… if that is your motive. If your employer is going to pay for it and give you a better job do it.
Bryan,
I can answer for the Masters and Doctoral programs: the books are electronic although there may be some that are physical books in the doctoral program. Usually you pay for the books along with tuition for each course – they call this a resource fee. This only holds for electronic texts, physical books you have to order from them or Amazon(cheaper) for instance. In the doctoral program, they offer free books for a period of time depending upon whether they are advertising a special in this aspect.
My recommendation is that if you are doing an associates or bachelors program, shop the prices with your local university or technical schools. I did this with my two daughters and found tuition cheaper and scholarship opportunities better at the traditional university such as state scholarships for academic performance, life scholarships, etc. These are only available to local-to-your-state universities.
Like Norm said, if your employer will pay for it – do that. I am in a doctoral program and am financing this myself. It is expensive, but to me, worth it.
Good luck with your education and shop wisely.
I am in the same situation as Norm. I would not recommend this school to anyone. Most of it, i believe is due to the economy. In fact, a good majority of people are working part time.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/181935
Be careful of what you get yourself into. Today, I overheard a manager at a KFC say that she rather hire mature people.
I’ve been reading the beginning of this blog and I really think a lot of issues have been worked out since 2005. The school is tough, but extremely convenient. This is what you pay for at UOP – convenience. I have not missed any vacations or weekend getaways because of class. I can work as late as I need to.
I also read a post from an employee that said UOP will allow anyone to enroll. Well…if it had not been for UOP, then I would not be in school. I really messed up my first year of traditional school. I don’t wanna show those transcripts to anyone. To this day my folks have not seen my freshman year grades. UOP was designed for working adults. So, if you are an adult who can not rearrange your days at work to go to class, then UOP is for you.
I teach at a private university, and I’m currently taking classes at UoP as well. I find some of the comments about the writing ability of UoP students compared to your traditional schools to be myopic. While I completely agree that many students you see online are horrible writers, it’s not all that different at traditional universities either. Their writing is just not on public display for everyone to see.
As for difficulties with the administration and staff, well, that’s not unique to UoP. That happens at many schools. One of the biggest complaints of my students is with administration. And if you think only UoP has bad instructors who are difficult to get help from… well… you just have no idea.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not speaking on behalf of UoP nor am I promoting them. What I am saying is any learning you do regardless of where you do it relies heavily on the effort you put into it.
Do you know anyone in school that need text books. I found a great website that you can rent the books for a low price. I personally saved $300 last semester. Chegg.com Enter promo code: CC100221 and get an extra 5% off your order. Save between 65% and 85%.
As a current UPhoenix Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in the final phase of completing my dissertation, holder of a UPhoenix Master of Science in Computer Information Systems (MScCIS), previous brick and mortar student and recipient of 4 masters degrees (an MBA and MScM (Management) from a U.S. school and an Executive MBA, MScIM (International Management) from a European school), a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in pre-law and journalism from the University of Washington, and dual Associate of Arts and Science (AAS) in criminology and journalism from Olympic College, I am fairly well experienced in both the brick-an-mortar and online environments
As has been stated a number of times since the beginning of this blog on April 3, 2005 (at which time I was a UPhoenix MScCIS student), what one gets out of the UPhoenix is dependent on what one puts into it.
With, at least from my perspective, two caveats.
First; the attitude and professionalism of the UPhoenix support staff.
In the Masters program (2004-2005), I encountered nothing but professionals and dedicated, hard-working academic and financial services counselors who went out of their way to make my life as a student easier.
In my DBA program (2006-present), I have encountered nothing but what may only be politely termed gold-bricking, dirt bags (both female and male), who have exhibited what may only be called extreme pleasure out of being negative and unprofessional.
Where the counselors servicing the Masters Program did not hesitate to put forth the highest levels of professionalism, customer service, and positive attitude, the counselors servicing the Doctoral Program are lazy (taking days, and sometime requiring a half-dozen or more follow-up emails, to get answers to even the most simple questions/requests for information), unprofessional (not answering the question asked and then getting irritated/huffy when it is pointed out that they provided a lot of ancillary information without answering the question that was actually asked), and downright harmful (sending incorrect information and not sending information about changes to the program and/or financial aid that ends up stopping the program until the information/need for information they failed to pass along has been corrected).
What is more, the lack of professionalism is an across-the-board, systemic problem by Doctoral Program Support Staff in both the Academic and Financial Assistance Departments (and yes, as I know well from personal experience, they are different departments, run by different supervisors, overseen by different Assistant Deans).
The most polite thing that may be said about the Doctoral Academic and Financial support staff is that if I had encountered the same lack of professionalism and customer-service orientation in the Masters Program, I would not have ever enrolled in the Doctoral Program, and if I ever have the opportunity to meet Carola Garfias and Marcus Rodriguez in person in front of the Dean of Academics for the Doctoral Program, I will not hesitate to tell them to their face exactly how poor they are at their jobs. I will be especially pleased to tell Marcus Rodriguez in person, in front of the Dean, how I feel about him and his lack of professional attitude and poor customer-service attitude, as each time a complaint has been submitted about him by a student, he has ended up receiving a promotion from his supervisor. Which says he knows how to play the politics even though he does not know how to provide the proper customer service he was hired to provide.
Second, the religious extremism and lack of academic professionalism of some, certainly not all or even the majority, but still a small, but politically powerful (within UPhoenix) group of the academic instructors.
As I experienced in several classes, classes which are easy to spot when looking at my grades, yes, there are instructors in UPhoenix who, like the support staff dirt bags, should not be allowed to teach in any school. In fact, at least two of the instructors were so bad that I dropped their classes and had to threaten to file a grievance against each of the two of them for violation of the UPhoenix code of standards in their emails and online postings before they would agree to let me out of their classes without an academic penalty.
Interestingly, the female instructor tried to counter-threaten me with an EEO grievance if I did not back off from her, and ended up being surprised when I turned around and filed a grievance against her for that threat. In the end, she backed off, and I dropped the grievance. But, that was only after I sent her email to every member of the Apollo Group Board of Directors, UPhoenix Board of Directors, and UPhoenix Dean.
To be fair about it though, again, based on my personal experience in 50 online and 3 residency classes at UPhoenix , and 77 classes at brick-and-mortar European and U.S. universities and colleges, professors, instructors, facilitators, or whatever else one may choose to call them, are no worse than their counter-parts at brick-and-mortar institutions. In fact, to me, if anything the overall quality of the online instructors at UPhoenix are head-and-shoulders above most brick-and-mortar institutions simply because they live their academic lives in a glass house. That is, as pointed out by a number of people on this blog, one is not always able to see what goes on with professors at brick-and-mortar schools, because things are easier to hide (or, at least, keep off online forums). At UPhoenix, instructors and students post their comments, papers, ideas, and even, in many cases, very personal information on one of the forums; classroom, chat-room, team-room, etc. Therefore, anyone who has access to the forum is able to see what is going on with UPhoenix, and, as I did with the email from the instructor who threatened me and later on with another instructor who crossed the line with comments in one of my classes, it is possible for students, or anyone else with access, to take the comments and move them out to public forums for all the world to see..
This is further proven by the poster in this forum who cut-and-pasted his email conversation with the idiot UPhoenix sales person, students are not shy about taking what is posted in a school forum or received in an email from counselors or instructors and posting it on a public board somewhere (such as this blog).
In a brick-and-mortar program, the verbal ignorance of fellow students, instructors, counselors, and the like are, for the most part, forever hidden from view. Which means, unless one carries a hidden recorder around and takes a chance on not being sued, thrown out of the program, or even being physically attacked to have the recorder taken away from them, no one ever learns about many of the real, very ignorant, often racially prejudiced, sexist, and possibly illegal, comments that instructors, especially, as I have learned first-hand over and over again, instructors and legacy students from the wealthiest families at what are considered the most elite schools in particular, make when they do not believe anyone else can hear what they are saying to someone else.
What this does, is make it seem as if UPhoenix, and other online schools, have problems that brick-and-mortar schools don’t when, in fact, the brick-and-mortar schools have the same problems.
To get back to the rest of the story though…
Regarding the degree programs, instructors (most of whom, in my personal experience in the 50 online classes and 3 residencies in two different online UPhoenix programs I have completed since 2004, prefer to call themselves facilitators instead of professors, teachers, or instructors), and teams:
As I have personally experienced since earning a UPhoeinx MScCIS and reaching the point of UPhoenix DBA (ABD), i.e., Doctor of Business Administration (all but dissertation), the acceptance and non-acceptance of UPhoenix degrees is very much an up-in-the-air situation.
A situation which may, or may not be exacerbated or cleared up, based mostly on how the degree holder chooses to address it.
It is up to the UPhoenix degree holder to respond with confidence when asked where they earned their degree and the person they are talking to comes across as doubtful, and/or negative. That is, as mentioned in more detail below, the UPhoenix degree holder can make a difference by how they respond.
Respond like you are ashamed, with negatives about the program, and the listener will be even more inclined to think negatively about the degrees and degree holders.
Respond in a positive way with good descriptions of what was learned, the skill-sets that were enhanced/improved, examples of others, in similar positions as, or higher than, the listener, and other positives about the program, and the listener will come around to thinking more positively about the degrees and degree holders.
In a way, it is exactly the same as customer experiences. Give the listener a negative story and reason to look down on the degrees/programs, and they will not hesitate to tell everyone they know about how horrible and worthless the degrees and programs are. Give the listener a positive story and reason to think well about the degree/programs, and they will only tell a few people, in very specific circumstances, good things about the people who hold degrees and go through the programs.
It is, to use a more down-home description, like the old adage, one negative experience wipes out everything that has been said good about something/someone, i.e., cleaned up from the original wording for this forum, “one aw-shucks wipes out a thousand attaboys/girls”.
One thing that may be worth considering by those who are considering a UPhoenix degree is that those in both academia and the professional world with wider experience (i.e., those other than, as Tom Peters calls them, “which companies choose who were straight-‘A’ students, have the right connections, or spent their lives without ever once taking a chance or actually being creative or innovative” rather than those “who are bright, creative thinkers who can produce real innovation”), especially from outside the United States, tend to consider UPhoenix degrees as good as degrees from any brick-and-mortar school.
For the most part, this is simply due to the sheer volume of degree-holders from UPhoenix now days (many of whom are, more and more often, sitting in decision-making positions in more and more organizations). Because there are more and more degree holders from online programs, those who do look down on UPhoenix degrees, even in the U.S., are becoming smaller in number.
Mostly, this is, to reiterate, due to sheer volume. Yet, again based on my personal experience, it is also due to the proven skills, academically and professionally, of the those who earned degrees from UPhoenix, and fact that they have proven themselves to be the kind of people who can motivate themselves and get the job done in soe of the toughest situations imaginable.
After all, it is not easy to stay motivated, stay on task, do the online research and reading necessary to complete assignments, and do all the other things necessary to complete the program while friends and family are going through crises (birth, death, divorce, children growing pains, and the like), or even more simple things such as friends and family stopping by looking for attention, asking if you want to go do something else, inviting you to go to a party, and the like, and/or the boss telling you to put your work ahead of your academic endeavors.
It is often very tempting to tell yourself that you will catch up later and that taking a break because of being tired from taking care of family wants/needs, working extra hours (for whatever reason), or working two, or more, jobs to make ends meet and take care of one’s family. It is very easy when one is tired to justify not doing one’s best when an academic deadline is looming. Especially, again, when one is working alone, often either before one’s family and friends are awake, or after they have gone to sleep and it has been a long day at work.
Those who stick it out and find ways to overcome the negative comments from those who have no idea what the program takes and, even more importantly, those who started the program, but could not bring themselves to make the sacrifices necessary to see the program through (i.e., like the many who have made excuse-laden comments on this blog blaming the program (i.e. too easy, too complicated, too this, too that,…), blaming the instructors, blaming teams, blaming lack of ability of other students, or, basically blaming everyone and/or everything except themselves for their own lack of willingness to do what it takes to stick it out and finish what they started); the people who successfully complete their chosen program have some very marketable, proven skill-sets. Specifically, those who complete their programs have proven they can achieve what they set out to do no matter what challenges are put in their way. They have also proven they are willing to learn, can multitask with the best of them, can conduct research, and can produce real results under even the most arduous of circumstances. For example, one of the people in my DBA program is a woman who lives in one of the most repressive Islamic societies on earth, and, although she has not ever mentioned it, knowing from first-hand experience how the society she is in would react to what she has been doing if they found out about it, she has proven that she can think outside the box, and, more importantly, that she is willing to face real danger and take real risks to accomplish her dream, and that she can ‘get er done’ no matter what the challenge facing her.
Is this lady the best writer (by English standards)? No. But, who cares? English is not her first language, and, when one looks at the real message in her writings, she is absolutely brilliant.
Such a person, and all of rest who have suck it out, overcoming obstacles and adversity, usually without the safety net offered by safety in numbers at brick-and-mortar schools, is a proven performer which companies can rely on to get the job done.
Quite simply, those in management positions with any real people experience and ability to look beyond ring-knocking, good old boy/girl politics, know that a person who has completed a UPhoenix degree has a proven track record of being able to think and operate independently, do rigorous research, and do what it takes to ‘get er done’ on time and within the specifications of the assigned task.
Proven abilities which, as anyone who has ever managed people knows (or at least learns very quickly), are some of the most important skills needed in today’s fast-paced world and organizations.
Which, in turn, makes UPhoenix degree holders, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or religious preference, more and more attractive to potential employers. At least, once again, to those employers with managers who possess more real world than isolated, ivory-tower and/or elitist myopia experience.
In conclusion, I did not, and still do not, enjoy every aspect of the online degree program at UPhoenix, and if they were to ever hire me as a change-management consultant, I would put serious changes into effect in not only the doctoral support staff departments, but also the academic department.
This is because I have had nothing but negative experiences with both the Doctoral Academic and Financial Departments since starting the DBA program in January 2006. I especially did not like, and do not like, my Academic Counselor or the financial counselor I had up until just a few days ago (I do not know if I like the current one or not, because he has never contacted me to et me know a change was made and he has been assigned to me. I only found out, because I noticed a name change on my student log-in page). And, as a professional nearing completion of a PhD with 7 degrees, 5 of which are masters degrees, professional certifications that turn my business cards and email signatures into alphabet soup, 22 years military experience, and 17 years experience as an employee, supervisor, manager, member of boards of directors, and owner of my own companies in Europe and the US, I would not hire even one of the people I have dealt with in the Doctoral Academic or Financial Departments, including the supervisory staff, as a janitor to clean toilets in Afghanistan, let alone to perform the duties of the positions they do for UPhoenix.
But, I can say that the lack of professionalism and lack of good customer-service is not limited to UPhoenix.
Heck, walk into any government or non-government office that is customer-service oriented, and, although most people seem to know how to make the appropriate sounds, more often than not, it is like walking into a dead-zone where manners, emphasis on good service, and positive attitude is an alien concept.
The worst of the worst when it comes to poor customer-service attitudes though are the companies providing television (cable and satellite), telephone, cell phone, online ordering, call center, and other customer-service-oriented services.
If you are lucky enough to find a telephone number that actually goes through to a human being, unless the answer to the problem being asked about is in the online help file, the person on the other end of the line is usually completely devoid of positive customer-service attitude.
Same thing with instructors.
Although there is a mystique surrounding instructors which is based on a societal/cultural belief that earning an advanced degree, or rising to a certain level in academia, management, or executive management, somehow makes a person better than everyone else; in reality people are still just people.
Sure, knowledge is power, and education does set one free by providing the tools consider the things they encounter in the world from a different point of view.
However, tools are worthless if they are not used properly.
Education, like religion, does not make a truly mean, petty, ethically and/or morally bankrupt person any less mean, petty, ethically and/or morally bankrupt. Education also does not change true gender, racial, age, or other social superiority complexes. That is, education does not change the fact that some people prefer only to work with members of a specific gender, age group, sexual preference, religion, cultural background, ethnicity, etc.. Education also does not change the fact that some people see themselves, their gender, their culture, their sexual preference, their ethnicity. their religion as superior to the opposite gender, other cultures, sexual preferences, religions, age groups, ethnicities (i.e. races), and the like.
Which means, in the end, the instructors at UPhoenix are certainly no worse than instructors at brick-and-mortar schools. Perhaps, at least based on my experience, it would even be fair to say that the instructors at UPhoenix are, for the most part better than most instructors at brick-and-mortar schools simply because, at least for now while online schooling is still pretty much in its infancy, online instructors tend to be less traditionalist in nature, are more inclined to think outside the old brick-and-mortar box, have more of an early-adopter, risk-taking mentality, and have greater real-world experience in a greater number of other cultures.
drs James E. Atkinson, US Navy (ret)
MScIM, MBA, MScCIS, DBA(ABD)
CAM, ChE, CDFM, CP-11 Level III , MCP, MFP, RFS
Recipient 2008 Network Professional Association (NPA) Award for Professionalism, Professional Excellence and Innovation Government Category
Member:
American Academy of Financial Management (AAFM)
American Society of Military Comptrollers (ASMC)
Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)
Association for Information System (AIS)
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
Association of Government Accountants (AGA)
Network Professional Association (NPA)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Response to Bill Thompson. Ypu are incorrect I went to UOP and obtained a BS and the total cost is approximately 46K. The classes are rigorous and you learn quite a lot but it is expensive. I did financial aid and student loans and still had to pay them out of pocker which I find to be crazy so ultimately if you factor in the out of pocket expenses the cost is about 50K for undergrad, which is sad because UCONN is less and is more reputable and they send you out on internships. In my time there I must have had two crazy instructors other than that most were great and they followed the syllabus. I tend to dislike the financial and the academic counselors because they don’t do their job, you litterally hear from them when its money. UOP needs to give scholarships rather than milk people for money with these expensive classes… but the programs besides IT is great.
I have taken classes at UOP. The courses have been a good learning experience. Actually, I have improved my leadership, research, reading, and writing skills. At first, I thought after reading too many negative post about the school , had made a mistake signing up for BS Information Systems. The school course curriculum change those thought as each course taken required more research, reading, and writing. I went to CSUDH and took couple courses no way near as intense as UOP. I will graduate October 2010 and will pursue my MBA.
I’m considering to enroll the online program at UoP in either Web Desing, IT, Graphics & Multimedia, or Web Development.
I’ve read some of the post and some positive some negative. My Question is: is there anyone who has taken any of this classes that could possibly give some feed back.
Thanks
Marteen
To Nikki
could you help me out and provide info on the colleges or college were you said the credit hour is 150.00
I am interested to get more info this might be the way to go.
It will be greatly appreciated
Thanks
I have attended UOP Online working to earn an MIS degree, and I my class room experience has been a good one. I have found the instructors to be knowledgeable and professional, and the overall quality of education has been high.
With that begin said, my experience with the other staff at UOP Online has been nothing but positive. I don’t know who is running that place, but there must be serious management issues in the counselor departments. They NEVER answer the phone, and many times my Finance Counselor did not even return my phone calls. Because of this, my aid was returned to the lender, I had to re-apply, this was held up because UOP has the wrong SS# on file for me (this was corrected once before when I initially applied to Federal aid), they invoiced me for my last 2 classes at the new, higher tuition rate, and now have my account in default status. I have sent 5 or 6 email to my finance counselor in the past 30 days, even copying her manager, and several days ago I even called the Director of Finance for UOP. Not one of these calls or emails were returned. I finally filed a complaint with the Office of Dispute Management.
If I knew the level of service that this place provides, I would have NEVER enrolled. I have had nothing but frustration dealing with anyone, except my recruiter of course. He always answered the phone and returned emails promptly.
My advice to anyone thinking about enrolling at UOP: DON’T DO IT!!!
Currently I am in my second year at the online UOP, and I love it. The staff is fantastic, my academic advisor calls me every month to talk about school and see how things are going, as does my financial advisor. They always give me loads of information; sometimes I don’t even need the amount of details they supply me with. The teachers are also great, it can be a challenge discovering what each teacher expects out of you, this drives you to work your hardest and satisfy every aspect of each assignment. Currently I have changed my courses from teaching to communications, and the process could not have gone smoother! All it took was a phone call, and a signed fax. Granted, I am not planning on fulfilling my entire education with the online UOP, I will only receive my associates there. This is only due to their inability to satisfy a degree in environmental biology. OUP Rocks!!
UOP is the worst school to attend. They are disorganized, inconsistent, and unconcerned about their students. Constantly changing counselors – to where you have to keep re-explaining your courses/case over and over. I am currently suppose to be in my last class (Double major – marketing/business administration) – and now in my last class it is like – OOh by the way – you don’t have enough credits. I had to write the Dean to get my credits (it was approved) – then they said, your good to go now and you are on schedule. Then now they come back and say – ooh the system was double dipping and you are short 7.2 credits for interdisciplinary. This was one of the worst decision I have made in regard to my education.
As with anything, you must experience a situation for yourself. There are some people on here who have left some terrible about the U of P…and one was a professor! He/She sounds like there might have been other things going on PERSONALLY and NOT professionally. If you want to attend the U of P, attend. Don’t let anyone else’s experience deter you from following your dreams. As far as getting a job or starting a career is concerned, if employers are judging your work ethic or your skills by the university that you attended, then they can kick rocks! That’s definitely NOT the kind of people you want to be around…especially in the workplace.
University of Phoenix will one day be known as
one of the ivy league of online university pioneers.
The degree programs instructors offer their real world experience. Already several job offers
I have been going to University of Phoenix for my MBA and so far have had a great experience with the academia, but a horrible experience with my advisers. I have gone through three advisers so far and all have been incompetent. They do not answer phone calls or emails for that matter. They do not communicate either. They have many opportunities for improvement in this area
I graduated form U o P with my Undergrad last year. Mainly, because we are in a down economy is the reason why I am having issues getting to the next level. I feel that if not for the economy I would have no issues getting to the next level of my career. There are those that still believe that we all take our courses online but it’s just not true. I took 75% to 80% of my coureswork in a traditional campus setting. I am proud of my degree and I am looking to continue my education soon. Anyone looking to get ahead in their education should at least consider University of Phoenix. They care more than the traditional Universities and eve though it may cost more it takes less time and it is very versitle on your schedule.
I am in the process of completing my last course of an MBA program at the University of Phoenix. I have had nothing but positive experiences with this organization from the first phone call. I have gotten a good business education. Despite my 15+ years in business, currently working as an executive at a fortune 100 global company, I have learned a lot during my course work. First of all the curriculum is challenging. The amount of work that needs to be done on a weekly basis to complete assignments is staggering (approx. 15-20 hours per week). As a busy executive, I must find the time to do the readings, conduct the research, and complete the assignments. I found the time and found the assignments thought provoking. During the course of the MBA program, I did have to rearrange my life and give up some extra curricular activities, but the opportunity cost was well worth it.
Now to address some of the negatives that I have heard.
1. The administration is not professional. That may be so, but the administration at brick and mortars are not all professional either. My son had a nightmare trying to register for school at a brick and mortar. We attended the orientation at 8:30 a.m. and wasn’t completed until 9:30 p.m. when we finally got him all squared away in his dorm room. Lack of professionalism is individual and you can encounter it in the best of organizations.
2. Cost. UoP is very competitive and comparable to other universities. I did the research. Either way, the student loans that I have to pay back are well worth the MBA that now sits on my resume. I will earn more over my lifetime of employment because of it.
3. Constant Changes. I have to say I am very impatient with people that are always complaining about changes. I don’t like change either, just like the next man. I know, however, that change is inevitable. There is nothing constant but change. I can either adapt to the change or become extinct. That is the way of the world. Further, I appreciate any organization that is constantly seeking to reinvent itself. Through research and development innovation is born and from innovation comes change. An organization that responds to external feedback and makes changes based on that feedback is an organization that is geared up to be around for the long haul. Anyone that says lets do it this way because thats they way we’ve always done it cannot appreciate the achievements that we’ve made as a country by just asking the question “Is there a way we could do this better?”
4. Online Education. Look around you and you will find that more people are telecommuting; more people are working for a global organization; more people are traveling from one location to another to complete business assignments. Couple this with a fast-paced global economy and an online education begins to make sense. Take my position for instance, I travel as a way of life. I am on the road more then I am at home. When on the road I can manage my entire life from the internet. I pay bills, perform banking transactions, interact with suppliers–all online. This is the way of the world. I, as an employer, will be quite thrilled to hire a graduate that has proven experience navigating this online world because that is usually what they will have to do once they come to work for me. I will hire a graduate that has proven ability to work in groups of people from around the world via online or other type of remote work media because that is what they will most likely have to do when they come to work for me. I will hire people that has to write a paper a week, respond to online post 4 out of 7 days per week with substantial posts because that is most likely what they will be doing when they come work for me. If the employers of this world do not yet appreciate all the advantages of an online degree, it is only because the person that is doing the screening or the interviewing is not an early adopter, risk-taking, forward thinker AND I personally would not work for that type of organization nor would I allow for that type of individual to work for me.
I don’t live at home with my parents and I take my salary earning potential very seriously, but I will not work for a company that does not share in my values and beliefs. I will not work for a company that has backward thinking and is not innovative. I would rather find a way to work for myself then to be suppressed by an organization or individual that can see only as far as the end of their nose; one who does not appreciate that the world of business has moved online and that for education to be effective it must do so too.
I honestly believe that the traditional brick and mortar universities are the ones that keep up the propaganda against online universities AND this because their time is coming to an end. They can either adapt to the changes that innovation is bringing or they can go the way of the VCR, or cassette player, or dial-up internet services.
i want complete course of eth125 version 4. if you can provide then please do contact me, which has not been submitted yet.
Greetings Online faculty,
PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO STUDENTS.
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If you have students who were impacted, please allow the following accommodations:
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I am a bit confused after reading a lot of these posts. A LOT of schools offer flexible online degree programs that are a lot cheaper. I reently earned a Masters Degree that was entirely online through the University of Central Missouri.
Wow! It’s been 5 years and this discussion is still relevant. I am currently a student of the undergrad business marketing program. I was originally going for my bachelor’s in education, but have since reconsidered because of both the treatment I have received from my “graduation team,” things I have heard about the credibility of the degree in the workplace, and some shady things I have heard of their behind-the-scenes business operations.
Let me start by saying that I joined the UOP as soon as I finished my time in the Navy. It was always my plan to go to college and get a degree. At first, everyone was very nice and helpful. My recruiter said some pretty bunk things, such as I would not have to pay back my loans. Not wanting to call him out on it, I just let it go, knowing full well that I would be ready to pay those back when the time came.
It has been 4 months now since I have had a real conversation with my academic adviser, even though I have called her 6 or 7 times since. When I tried to ask her real questions about the Education program (I knew that there were in the classroom hours that I had to accomplish. Knowing that both my mother-in-law and sister-in-law are teachers and that we were planning on visiting them while my husband is on deployment, I wanted to know that specifics so that I could plan accordingly). Her response? She wouldn’t tell me anything until I was finished with my first two years to complete my minor in business marketing, the program of which I was in my last two classes before finishing.
She was actually rude and acted like I was pestering her. I wanted to know exactly how many students she looks after. I have called her several times since. For instance, I am not doing well in my current accounting class. Most of the classes at UoP are a breeze to pass. I am not a math person, but even the math classes have the convenient math lab. I felt like there needed to be an accounting lab. I did the reading, but whenever there are numbers I just skip over them. I needed a video lecture or some other interactive format as were used in previous math classes, but there were none. When I asked the instructor for help he replied that he would have to get back to me during normal business hours when he was at his office. Ok, I am glad that you have professional experience, but one of the main perks of the UoP online program is its flexibility. Don’t tell me that you’ll have to get back to me during regular business hours, when I probably won’t be able to reply.
I wanted to drop this class and start over, for it would be too much for me to go back and try to learn everything I had missed in the first few weeks. I would simply take it over and make sure I learned everything the first time. She still has not called me back. I know that if you do not post 2 things per week, it goes down as a lack of attendance. For a 9 week course with 2 missed weeks you are automatically dropped. That is my current plan. My academic adviser has left me no alternative as she has not returned any of my calls for months.
Oh, and the last time she called? To make sure that I wouldn’t fail anything because we were reaching the end of my associate program. THANKS! If you’d take a look at my transcript you would know that that was no problem for me. Plus, if there was a problem, I would call you about it. Except now, you won’t even pick up the phone.
Initially, classes at UOP are extremely easy, especially in the first year. I was very proud of my 3.8 GPA until I realized that that’s pretty easy for anyone to accomplish. The get gradually harder, but I agree with others who have wondered if they actually read the papers. I cannot say that my writing skills have improved. I was always a good writer, and it seems that if I just include everything from the grading rubric, no matter how choppy it is, I get a good grade. I agree that I have had only one teacer who went through and red-lined my papers. I have learned about APA style, though, which I doubt will be useful as I am not planning on going into Psychology.
I was very pleased with the financial department, although they changed financial advisers on me halfway through. I didn’t care much, though, they were both extremely nice. As far as helpful, though, I am unsure. I called months ago regarding the status of a grant I had qualified for and they still have not called me back. Also, why was I not told about this grant during my freshman year? There went $1,200 I was entitled to.
I had to take some time off to have my first child. When the time came for me to be taking out of classes as we had agreed upon, I mysteriously was enrolled in my next block of classes. I then had to call over and over until someone finally answered the phone and could help me work it out. I refused to pay any of the pro rated amounts for those classes and started getting letters from my lenders saying that I was not currently enrolled and had to start paying back my loans. In the end, everything got worked out. I was within the time allowed to still be considered a full time student so I did not have to start paying back my loans. It was apparent, though, that someone was not doing their job and that their primary goal was not helping their students.
All in all, I have decided to finish these last couple of classes to get my associate’s and get out of UoP. If you want to know the quality of a degree, call around to potential employers and see how much they value a UoP degree. Also, if you only have an associate’s, call to larger schools and ask if they would accept UoP credits. I will probably transfer to a state school when my husband gets out of the military and we are moved back to something more stable.
For Keith who said, “They typically will see you as lazy and will most likely hire the applicant who took the time, energy, and expense to survive the rigors of college. Go to a real college. Stay up late doing homework. Sweat out tests. Spend countless hours at the library performing original research. Spend your money wisely and insure your future.”
I realize it has been 5 years, but this still offends me. I went to a “real” brick and mortar college that was about 30K a year and I did not have the type of engaging experience that I have had online. If anything, people are smarter for going to school online since they much wasted time, energy, and money in commuting not just to the school but around campus scurrying from class to library to dorm. The online library is excellent and includes multiple databases (read – over 20) with academic journals, and other resources you would have to pay a subscription otherwise to use. I stay up late doing homework, writing papers, and doing ORIGINAL research all the time. Where are you getting your information? For someone who has never taken an online UoP class, you are definitely showing your ignorance.
I find it extremely disconcerting how much disinformation and quite frankly, ignorance still floats around about UOP, especially since some of the other for-profit universities are under fire for recruitment practices. This is strange because you wouldn’t necessarily equate something done on the UC Berkeley campus with say USF, but that is another example of where this mob mentality to non-traditional learning is going.
Here’s my experience and take it for what it is.
I was a highschool drop out and had a GED. That was after I got off the drugs and alcohol. My early college experience was off and on at a junior college, but I was always moving toward a degree in computer science although when I was close to transferring I didn’t have any money so I decided to work. That’s where I began my “career” although you can say I just did anything anyone told me to do and I always did a good enough job to be promoted.
I worked at various jobs before I found a biotech company where I did lots of odd positions including warehousing, receiving, packaging, filling, shipping, and other labor intensive positions. Eventually, I was given a chance to work in the lab as a lab technician and was found to be very proficient in running assays and pipetting and other very technique extensive tasks so I stayed there thinking I was going be happy.
After awhile I stopped going to school and worked full time, but most of my colleagues were grads and although I never felt disparaged, I did feel a bit out of place among them.
At the time I started taking classes at UOP, I was working at a small biotech lab as a manufacturing associate making bulks and testing products for this start up. I had no degree, mind you, but worked very hard at previous companies and gained enough experience to be marketable.
I was hoping for a computer science degree but UOP only offered a degree in IT. At the time, it was still a hot field so I took it, thinking I’d get a nice paying job as a network engineer after graduation.
The economy tanked during my Bachelors and I saw at least 2 or 3 classmates drop because their companies no longer paid for their classes or they were laid off.
I was terrified after graduation, I didn’t even try and get a job in IT. I stuck to what I knew, but I felt very discouraged. Now, it wasn’t that UOP was the disappointment, but it was my choice of degrees. What I had thought to be a hot degree turned out to be the worst degree to get. But that’s not the fault of the school. There are a lot of Liberal Arts or Philosophy students out there who will tell you the same about degree choices and job marketability.
I stayed in manufacturing for a few more years until I moved on to a QA position at a large pharma. It was there where I decided to go back and get an MBA. I didn’t think twice. I went back to UOP because 1. it was familiar and I didn’t hate it and 2. my company would pay for it. I was a busy 36 year old that needed to progress in my career and was hoping an advanced degree would help me out. There was no way I would be able to quit and go back to school. Years ago I think that would have been the death of any notion for me to get an MBA but with UOP, it was not only possible but achievable.
Nearing the end of my degree completion, I found out that the company was going to lay off in our group. I asked my manager what he thought and he suggested I look internally.
There was a position open within the SAP group and although I had used SAP as a business user, I was not technically proficient in it.
I interviewed and low and behold, my degree in IT was actually looked upon favorably and the fact that I was completing my MBA impressed the manager who among other things dealt with SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) issues and my MBA had classes in just that subject. It may have helped that my manager wasn’t an elitist idiot who only looked at where a person went to school and not if the person actually was qualified or was hirable.
Although I had to learn the technical aspect of the job through company paid courses, I did eventually end up with a job in IT.
It’s strange the way life works. Work hard and be patient. Even traditional school graduates don’t get their “dream” job after college. They have to hit the pavement and work at it. If you think you’re going to graduate and get that dream job right out of college, you should head back and go to graduate school, because you’re going to be sorely disappointed, but at least you’ll be disillusioned for a few more years. 🙂
One of the hardest hit groups in the job sector are recent college graduate students. The joblessness rate for the recently graduated is 50 percent higher than the national average. That means upon graduation, a respectable pay check is less probable. It may also probably be scaled-down. Many of these students already have to take out a pay day loans to pay back their college loans, and the unemployment is a real problem.
Hi Dave,
I’m completing my last year for my B.S. at UOP and am fine with it so far. My academic and financial aid counselor have been very helpful and professional, and my initial enrollment counselor (some people would refer to him as the “salesman”) still calls to see how I am doing and wish me happy holidays. I have no concept of how expensive it is or isn’t because the VA pays for my education.
The classes have been pretty rigorous. Not too many tests, but a lot of reading and writing and group work. Interesting note–I am taking a math course right now while my husband is taking a math course at a traditional, well regarded ground university. We are using the same math software for our courses (Pearson Mathlab) and studying algebra etc., but he has gone over my problems and is stumped; apparently the UOP mathlab is far more vigorous and goes into greater depth than his university. So I would say that in a lot of cases, the “degree mill” reputation is unfair since it is sometimes harder here.
I look forward to completing this and going to graduate school. The local university has stated that they will accept a UOP online or on campus degree easily for admission into their grad program (they only care about the regional accreditation). I also work with many people here at the VA that have UOP degrees, and they are doing fine with their career. Hope this helps!
I am interested in UOP Criminal Justice Associate online program so I am inquiring if anyone been through or is currectly going throufgh this program coiuld share what its like cause I have been hearing alot of bad and good stuff about this school. I dont want to go through with this program and regret it because we are living in hard times I dont have money to waste and I certainly dont want to graduate in debt and cant get a job. If someone could reply and shed some light on my concerns i’d appreciate it. Thank You.
I have my associates degree in information technology support from University of Phoenix. I am enrolled for my BS/ITS. Before I decided to choose University of Phoenix, I called around to certain big companies like Dell, HP, Gateway and others and also some private business employers. Here is the scoop. Employers will look at your resume and see if you have a degree. They will prioritize who they hire depending on what college you went to but this isn’t a full requirement though. This is what I found out around 50% of my research. 90% of employers including Dell, HP, Gateway, and others will hire a person who has a bachelor’s degree, associates degree, or masters no matter what college you go to. I currently work for Dell and they had no problem of them hiring me.
I can see a lot of people based their opinions from eopinions.com and a lot others who had a horrible experience. A lot of people need to not base their opinion off those websites. Most of these opinions are old and I did remember UoP was horrible which I waited.
I was qualified for the Pell grant 100% through out my AA program and it cost me around 19,000 for my courses in student loans. My degree got me very far then again I feel my field in technology doesn’t matter where I graduated from. All of those technology employers just want you to have a bachelors degree that is accredited.
I know a lot of Businesses do require a degree from a real university (University of Arizona, U of Texas etc) but I feel as long you have a accredited degree, you will get your foot in the door that will get you a good career income. I gave this a try no matter where I am at and so far I am happy where I am at.
Hello I have a story about UOP but on a students view point. My daughter signed up right after grads high school to take a class online and it has been a nightmare every day since. After she signed up it was good for about three days and then she stopped receiving her work, she would contact her teacher and she said she had sent it and then she would give my daughter a 0 for not doing her work after two weeks of doing this UOP dropped my daughter and demanded full payment after sending the money back to financial aid. Why should we be responsable for full payment and she did not get what she signed up for? That would be like going into a department store and buying some goods paying for them and then giving the goods back and not asking for a refund. They will not even retro for just two weeks. They want full payment for the whole course. They want stop calling. Does any one have any ideas what to do?
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services Management. So far I have not been able to even get a job interview. I live in South Dakota, and have applied for every state job they post that closely relates to my degree. So far not even a phone call. I have 4 years experience working in human services. I found this post because I was researching employers who may not hire a graduate from University of Phoenix.