University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is a business just like all schools. Of course the admission specialists are working to get you enrolled and get that money, but what you have to remember is that you are going to pay for your degree regardless of where you decide to pursue your degree. I did enough research to understand how demanding this program would be and how much it is costing me. I love that I can track my progress to my degree any time. I am 59% complete with my program. There are times that I feel like I have been doing this forever, but it's been about 2 1/2 years. I am not expecting to fast-track my degree, but what I am doing is completing it as fast as I would if I was attending a campus-based university full time. I am completing about the same amount of work that I would complete in a regular school setting, but it's consolidated into 5 week courses. It is intense! I was able to apply previous school and military experience as credits towards my degree and I will be completing my CLEP exams this year to possible eliminate up to 8 months of courses. Many people think that they are going to get an easy and/or quick degree through Phoenix, but if that's what you are looking for, then you may not be ready to commit to a degree program at all. One thing is for sure, I would not have made it this far without my academic counselor, SUZANNA KIMBALL. She called a lot during the beginning of my program to answer questions and check in. She now calls me at least once during each course. There have been times that I would have trouble making attendance or participation and she would give me tips that made a difference. Sometimes, just printing out my text book helped me through tougher courses. She has been through the programs, so she knows how to successfully navigate through them.

Although I was required to finish my degree on-line because our local campus closed, I became very proficient working on-line and as a result improved my computer skills dramatically. I found the instructors helpful & demanded high standards. I did not BUY my degreee, I earned it! HOmework was intense. Teamwork as usual was difficult because every group had slackers who had to be pushed to do their part (same as at work)! I loved the on-line/ electronic textbooksbecause of the ease of research.I used the on-line library and the reviewing software for my papers constantly. These two programs definitely helped me achieve high marks. I give UoP high marks for setting and enforcing high academic standards.

I just spent 2 weeks in the GEN class that I have already taken in other colleges, but is a REQUIREMENT of this University to charge you again for a class you have already taken. The gest of the book "How to become a Master Student". The book is downloaded, about 200 pages, and you have to print it..... if you can get through the security requirements to get it. The organization of the classroom is not organized at all. You spend a great deal of time looking for the items needed to start and understand what the course is trying to teach you. I withdrew from the school right at 2 weeks and am now being told that I owe then 500.00, the University itself is more expensive than accredited colleges with better programs. Now I am expected to pay for receiving absolutely nothing, as I did not learn anything. I would not recommend this University to anyone, and should have listened to my better instincts to wait.

I would have to say that a lot of the bad reviews that have been given are from people who didnt finish. The best review on here was the guy that said take it for what it is. This school will open doors for you , IF YOU FINISH! 99% of a degree means no degree. With that being said, dont think you are walking into an interview and are just going to floor some manager with the fact that you have a UOP degree. This school is more for those people who already have a somewhat promising career path and a great resume that is only lacking the basic qualification of a degree. If the best thing on your resume is your degree and you have never held anything but entry level positions, then go a cheaper route. A Bachelors checks a box that gets you an interview. It will not land you a position as a CEO or executive. Your work experience will do that. The degree has helped me but my success will be determined on how I perform in the positions Ive held. This is the way America works unless you went to a top 25 school. It is what it is. Id say its worth it if you fall into this category of working adults who have hit a ceiling.

I have attended college at the University of Cincinnati and University of Phoenix. I found both experiences to be different, but equal in educational value. I have learned a lot at UoP and found the classes very challenging.

The UoP Lectures (in class) are generally amazing; however, they are still lectures and certainly there are topics we all hate. I attend on campus, and hold a 4.0 GPA currently 66 credits earned towards my degree. I can see the frustration with attending a university only online. I can not learn by reading only, I have to be active in the degree and in the discussions. UoP on campus lectures are far more informational than a book ever could be. The books here are dry and boring, as I imagine they are elsewhere. The use of technology is improving but some of the technology they do use, is rather irritating. They are accredited, do your research about what you want for your future, and what you NEED for your future to avoid not obtaining the correct degree. This university is solid, fast paced, and at times difficult. If you attend this university, like most other universities, you will get out of it what you put into it.

I am working on my IT degree in programming. If you dont have tje dicipline to read amd practice what youbare learning you will fail. I think this school isnt for everyone. If you dont like to work hard amd reach out for help then you will fall behind. When ever I needed help I could call and talk to my teacher. Thwy were always very polite and helpful. I like to learn on my own and have support when I need it. If your the same then I think you will like it.

I have attended two apprenticeship programs in the electrical/electronic field and wished to continue my education online with lack of better options. I did very well in both programs and it helped me earn an outstanding career in the electronic field. This was all done PRIOR to working toward an online degree. My work schedule, 3 weeks on 3 weeks off, placed traditional education well out of reach and left me with very few options to obtain a bachelor's degree. So I turned to the University of Phoenix Online (UOP) to see what they could offer. I would like to acknowledge the positive side of UOP before I get into my disappointment of the over all program. As far as student support, there is a tremendous amount of support from both academic advisors and financial advisors. They were very helpful in providing me with the tools and motivation necessary to prepare me for my online education and were always within close reach. The UOP library, from what I used of it, appeared to have a wide variety of academic support, ranging from mathematical and writing tutoring to cited references and other useful literature for academic success. *UOP does provide students with the tools to learn, however, the use of those tools are rarely required by faculty. Finally, out of the 15 classes that I completed at UOP MAYBE three of the teachers put extra effort into inspiring their students to learn... these were also the three that provided typed weekly lectures. One alluring component of the UOP was the amount of credits that I was able to transfer from the military (SMART transcript) and the classes that I attended at a local community college. With the exception of a humanities credit my class schedule consisted of core business and management classes. The first couple classes seemed pretty convincing and the curriculum for a management degree also seemed beneficial and challenging. As I progressed I noticed that there were very few quizzes, exams, and other inquiries from the instructors to check that students were actually reading the provided materials for class. It seemed that there was more focus on student participation and discussion questions than testing of acquired knowledge. Each week consisted of vague discussion questions that could EASILY be answered with prior experience and sometimes, if required, a sentence with a quick reference to a website or required reading. Student typos and completely unrelated discussions ran ramped through student discussions. Weekly papers that were assigned were nothing more than long discussion questions that needed to be presented in an APA format with a certain amount of references and roughly over 1,000 words. Content and quality of those papers took a back seat to meeting format expectations. I wrote some of the WORST papers of my life at UOP that met the minimum requirements of formats and still received a perfect score on them! Once I noticed a pattern in the grading structure and my GPA remained above 3.7; I began to lose motivation (ironically in the Human Motivation course PSY320). At this point it was too late to start over in another college and I started to build resentment toward UOP and just wanted to get it over with. I continued my remaining classes with average to below average work and participation and still received high marks in all of my classes. Upon graduation of the Bachelors of Science Business Management program I felt terrible that I had spent over $30,000 of the GIBILL (taxpayer's money) toward a piece of paper that in my mind was equivalent to a bachelor's degree in typing and surfing the web. My advice to someone considering an online degree program, PLEASE only do so if you are already set in your career and wish to advance. Many employers have degree requirements for advancement and I can see how a degree can measure one's motivation and determination for goal setting and achievement. For someone considering an online degree that is not already employed or working for a company that can provide experience in your ideal career, DO NOT waste your time or money (or taxpayer's money at that). While I was attending UOP my now fiancée was enrolled with University of Florida online working toward a bachelor's in business administration and her experience was WAY more engaging than mine. They provided video lectures, Skype tutoring, and weekly quizzes on learned material. The technology for online learning is out there, however, for-profit schools are not the best bet for the main objective of student education... LEARNING. I wish I watched this video before I enrolled with UOP. http://video.pbs.org/video/1485280975

I would not recommend University of Phoenix to anyone! The material for the courses are not covered in adequate timing, the instructors are not helpful, the online tutoring is even more unhelpful and I believe it is true what others say about buying a degree from here! I have been attending since November 2010 and have not learned a single thing from any of the courses. Everything we have went over, is what I have already known...and I have a GED! plus, I have been out of school for since 2004. This is definitely a waste of time, money and example of an education.

Everyone holds their own opinion, and I do appreciate when someone takes the time to write a review-good or bad. I wish I had seen this page before enrolling in their online program. This was my experience. I obtained my AS online, so I knew the commitment and sacrifices that would need to be made in order to get my BS. I chose UOP because I was told all my prior credits would transfer and I could graduate in 2 years. I am withdrawing after this first class is finished. I have been a student for 5 weeks and still I have no official count on my credits since someone “overlooked” the mailing requesting these items. Financial aid is still not in place and due to this I am responsible for the $1700 for the entire class. Every class has a “team project” that is due. There were 4 members in my team and it wasn’t until two days before the assignment was due that one of my team mates said she was “too pregnant to help”..I’m not kidding! These projects are 20% of the final grade. Fortunately, the remaining members, and myself, were able to pull this together in time. However, her portion was not done well since we had to research and try to combine while we all lived in different time zones. Do your research when looking at universities; it’s all about the numbers.

The process of inquiring about the program was a disaster! Beware when asking questions if they over-simplify the process. I was deciding between two online master's degree programs. UofP rep walked me through the admissions process so that I could take a free course designed to help a student decide if an online program would work for them. The process was screwed up even though I was assisted the entire time I completed the application. I could not sign up for the free course and could not reach the rep for further assistance. One month later, I received an e-mail asking for forty five dollars. I had never agreed to pay a forty five dollar fee. I only wanted to experiment with the free course. I explained to the financial advisor that I should not owe any fees, and very rudely was told that "there seems to be a misunderstanding". How about speaking to the rep that walked me through the free course that I did not even enroll for!

For me, the on-line environment is the best, due to my long work commute and my rural living area, going to a physical facility is just not an option. While there is quite a bit of discussion regarding for-profit vs. not-for-profit higher learning, I feel that most of the classes I have taken I have really had to work to earn my grades. That being said, there are certain elements about the classes I don't like, such as the learning teams, but I have been able to live with that. If I was looking at schools again, I probably would have researched a little more, as UofP does seem quite a bit more expensive than other on-line programs.

I am four classes away from earning my BSM with UOP. Years ago I experienced the traditional campus setting, but after marriage and 2 children I chose a school that would meet my needs. Having a FT job and being a parent didn't allow much room for me to attend classes on campus. I am proud to say I have enjoyed this school and for those who don't think it's the same as the traditional setting, that's your opinion. I have experienced both settings and this one was just as challenging as the other. It takes discipline to be an online student and I am glad I chose UOP to help accomplish one of my long-term goals.

I recently graduated from the UoP with a BS in Management. Prior to enrolling in the school, I was already an established and successful business owner with a decade+ of executive management experience and a corporate background that’s second to none. I completed 3 full years of college, at a well respected B&M school, before leaving the program 13 years ago to pursue my business ventures. It always bothered me that I did not finish. Since then, I got married and had a child. I recognize the value of having an education and plan to hold my son to a very high standard with regards to attending college and even graduate school. I couldn’t hold him accountable for that if I hadn’t done it myself so I decided that I was going to earn a Masters degree from a reputable university and I wanted to get into graduate school as quickly as possible. In order to accomplish that goal, I had to come up with the quickest and easiest route while still being able to receive credit for the previous university work I had completed. I basically didn’t care where I got my BS degree from because BS degree’s these days are about as valuable as HS degrees were 15 years ago. The University of Phoenix fit the bill perfectly. They accepted my transfer credits. CHECK The curriculum was easy. CHECK They are regionally accredited and the degree would be accepted at virtually any B&M school. CHECK I could acquire my BSM in less than 12 months. CHECK So, I signed up and I have to tell you, every single one of my objectives was met. Sadly, the school’s reputation is warranted. The courses are a complete joke. With the exception of ONE finance class, I passed every course without reading any formal text. There are NO TESTS. How the school has regional accreditation is beyond me, but, I could care less. I applied for the MBA program at Florida International University as soon as I finished my BSM at UoP and I was easily granted admission. In lieu of my outstanding cumulative GPA (3.8 – thanks again to my straight A’s at UoP), I didn’t even have to take the GMAT for acceptance to FIU’s business school. With two letters of recommendation, a short essay, and my UoP official transcripts --- SHAZAM, I’m attending one of the Top 25 business schools in America. The UoP did nothing to prepare me for the challenge I will face acquiring my MBA but I understood that from the beginning. I’m an intelligent adult with enough business experience to rival that of most or all of my future professors. In the end, schools like the UoP can serve a useful purpose as long as you know exactly what you’re getting from them. They provide you with a paper that can open doors at any legitimate school in the country. In exchange, you give them your money and complete a bunch of busy work. If you expect anything more than that, you’re a fool.

I completed my degree in July, 2009. This school might have its problems just like any other B&M schools and other online institutions, but is a good school. The price could seem high but it saves time, money in gas, in parking fees that some colleges charge to students; even in food if you attend classes after work or over the weekends. With UoP you have access to all books for 75.00 dollars, is up to you if you want to save them in your computer, print the material you need. Books are very expensive; therefore UoP system saves you money. About learning teams that was my biggest complain with the program, but let’s face it in real world most of the time you have to work with teams; therefore UoP gives you a good foundation on this respect. I believe most of people who have complained about this university had a different idea of online education, and never thought that online programs could be as demanding as UoP programs are. In regard to instructors, you will find good and bad even in the best universities of the country; same goes for counselors and or administrative personnel with whom you need to work during your life as a student. In my opinion, regardless the type of school you decide and are able to attend, at the end is your own responsibility how well prepared you will be by the time you graduate; because it will be you the one who will decide the time you dedicate to your studies just because you attend a regular school that does not guarantee that you will receive a better education, you still have to do homework, go to class, participate in class (I would assume). On line you participate even more, you have to expose your ideas, you have to read and be ready for discussions; same as if you go to a classroom. I wonder if those people who complain about this school, has been able to find a school that fits his or her needs, I hope so. Speaking on my behalf UoP is a good school, where I worked hard, I learned a lot of real world situations; and believe I was not an straight A student; meaning that classes were not as easy as others have commented. I wish the best to each one of you who are trying to obtain an education.

Excellent school overall. The online system is much better than the other schools I have tried and examined. The courses are challenging and very informative to real world situations. The instructors are very motivating and very responsive. This type of education works well with my schedule.

I have been going to UOP for 4 years now. First I went to WIU which is their sister school to recieve my Associates degree and then transfered to UOP for my bachelors degree. I will continue on with UOP for my master's program and my PhD program. I LOVE UOP! They have always treated me with respect, dignity and with a feeling of family. I would and have recommended UOP to anyone.

I will be finishing my BSM in Feb 09. After that I am at a loss as to what this degree will be able to do for me. I entered the program with very little knowledge of what to put in, to get what I can get out of it. I got into the program because all my years of managing health clinics in the military amounted to nothing without a degree under my belt. Yes, there are alot of papers to write for this program, but if you have a good learning team, support and work load is fair. I had no classes that I struggled with. I think it was "to easy", as I tended to be a C-D-F student in high school and now I am pulling A-B's. I think the mentality is that since I am paying for the class, the teacher is under some obligation to pass me. The subject material was interesting, but I dont think I read maybe 10% the required reading assignements and just participated fully in all class room discussions. There were no hard final exams to be taken. Each class was 5 wks long, once a week for 4hr sessions.So sometimes classes seemed to breeze by while others dragged on. Regardless, I am still unsure how to apply my degree into finding a better career. That is my dilema I suppose....but the UoP at least provided me the means to do so. ( A piece of paper putting my military experience into something tangible for the civilian world)

As I entered my third year with the program, I was handed over to a new financial advisor whom of which was located about 350 miles from my location. As you can imagine, this made it very difficult to get in touch with her, especially when my organization needed signatures and information when it came to my continued funding. I left phone messages and emails when my funding company needed just one signature from her. For the next month, we ended up playing phone and email tag. Finally, the day before my deadline for the signature arrives, she emails, me and simply states that all I had to do was log-onto the university's financial website and fill it out and then she would sign whatever it was I needed. It takes me 3 minutes to do the online university's FAFSA. I email her back to let her know that it was done. This was her email response: "Our system won't see the results of your FAFSA until after 45 days. Unfortunately, you will miss your deadline for your company's funding! I need to know how you are going to pay the remaining balance of $480. Have a great day!" I was cut from student rosters for the next class. She had all month to tell me one simple request: Get online, complete FAFSA, and wait. And because of this she has inspired me to take my money elsewhere. If you are looking at the UofP as an option don't do it. I would check with a community college or other traditional college. You'll get more bang for your buck there.

I have been with the University of Phoenix for 2 years and I love it!!! My wife is in the military and we are located at a European base where I can not work. So my choices are very limited as to what I can do. All of my counselors have been helpful, I have maintained a 3.75 average and have enjoyed the experience; as a matter of fact so much so that I am going to finish my Masters with UOP. I was even offered an opportunity to come to Phoenix to work for the UOP. Just remember this type of learning environment is not for everyone, and it is not the most prestigious school in the world, but if you were able to attend Harvard you would be there instead of here complaining about UOP! The cost is a bit high but, you are paying for education, and convenience.

I am attending my 22nd class at the University of Phoenix. I have one class left before I earn my BS in Business/Management. I feel that the courses are comparable to those at traditional B&M schools. In fact, Stanford used the same text and their syllabus was almost identical for my Organizational Behavior class. You get out what you put in at the University of Phoenix. If you don't like writing papers every week, you won't like this school. If you like 3 hour lectures and professors holding your hand, you won't like this school. The learning teams are as frustrating as everyone says but you face the same challenges at work. There are always people trying to do the bare minimum and then attempt to take full credit for the work. I have already been interviewing for new jobs within my organization and the degree I will be receiving is well regarded. I have not attempted to market myself outside my current organization. The cost of attending the University of Phoenix was prohibitive to getting a degree fast. I am attending on my employer's dime so it has taken me four years to finish my degree since I ran out of money half way through each year. Everyone I know that has attended the University of Phoenix got completely fed up with the school about the fifth class for one reason or another. I was ready to call it quits at that point. There were so many writing assignments I thought I would go crazy. I channelled that energy and created my own little system for each classs that made the experience much more tolerable. A B&M school would not have been an option for me as a working parent of 3. I know there are cheaper schools out there that may enjoy a better reputation but the University of Phoenix fills the needs of working adults. If you can afford the tuition and like the online environment - the University of Phoenix could work for you.

I have had a great experience with UOP. I attended Rider University for two years and when my life changed I thought my chances for a degree and a better life were over. Then I found UOP and I was able to attend school on my schedule. I caution anyone who is entering the online or distance education realm, there is a great deal of writing and as you will find at any school, you get out of it what you put into it. That said I would have liked UOP to have a better system for downloading books without DRM and in their entirety instead of chapter by chapter as is often required.

I took 8 courses at UOP and really got quite a bit out of the curriculum. However, the school is too big. My advisor wasn't helpful. My financial advisor was even worse. I was a reservist getting Tuition Assistance and she kept telilng me something different from my education office. (Turns out I was right). I agree with everyone that this school is only concerned about money. The classes are ridiculously priced for both on ground and online. Plus, I believe that a UoP degree still isn't as highly regarded as a B&M school. For those who want an online program that is flexible, try Fort Hays State University, Touro University, Park University, Colorado University or American Public University's online programs. They are much more AFFORDABLE and still quality education. In addition, they do not boast being a for-profit university. I wish I would have knew of the other schools before I wasted so much money there.

I haven't been attending the University of Phoenix that long but I spend more time handling administrative issues than I do with actual coursework. My recruiter really pushed hard for me to start as soon as possible. They assured me that my financial aid and VA provided financing would be fine and I could start right away. I had plenty of questions and concerns but I fell into the trap. I've finished a number of my courses and still my financial aid is in limbo along with my VA assistance. I have to call each group almost on a daily basis to ensure thing are still moving foward. I can never reach my academic or financial advisors and when I do, I discuss an issue and receive little help. I always ask them to send me an e-mail with the answers to my questions during the call. I usually get one of the canned e-mails which have nothing to do with the conversation we just had. The courses have been basic learning, which will work for those looking to get their 'paper degree'. Some of my teachers have been good and others make their own rules. I guess it is their only power in the world and they thrive from it. Overall I would have to say what I've seen so many others state. Plain and simple, they want your money. Essentially you are teaching yourself and paying an extremely high amount of money.

The people who have given poor reviews or complained would probably do so even if God was trying to educate them. The online experience is all about flexibility of a physical nature not time. Of course, there needs to be a balance to make up for no physical encounters or tests or quizzes etc. Enter the learning team model. Though I agree that the learning team model could use some reprogramming, the essence of its purpose is sound. It is designed to meld course concepts with the crazy notion of collaboration. Again, I would love to see how some of these negative people interact with colleagues at their current work environments. I was never more focused and driven about my education before enrolling at the UofP. The writing requirements are demanding, but that is what makes the UofP/online experience different, unique. If you want to sit in a classroom for three hours once a week and take pop quizzes and final exams, go to a traditional college, university. Besides, I want my personal credentials, qualifications, expertise, skills, experience, and yes knowledge, to land me a career - not the name recognition of where my degree is from. I went back to school to "earn" knowledge to better myself personally and professionally, not to buy a $30,000 picture to hang on my office/den wall that does nothing but collect dust....

I will be finishing up my online degree with University of Phoenix, and I have learned more through my online experience than from my traditional college experience. My teachers were exceptional, my classmates' employment experiences added real world situations to the classroom discussions, and I had to read and study the textbooks to prepare myself for the rigid work requirements. I would recommend this school to anyone!