Western Governors University

I truly value my degree from WGU. I learned a great deal working toward and earning a Master of Science degree in information security and assurance. I graduated in 2014 and I believe the attainment of this degree was a key factor in my promotion with my current employer. I believe on-line degrees still have a stigma, but in this digitized society that stigma is fading. For me it wasn’t about the degree itself. I really had a deep interest in the subject matter and WGU was the best way for a non-traditional student like myself to obtain that knowledge in an organized and affordable manner. WGU does have its faults. Some of the content was recycled, some web pages had broken links to course content, some content had misspellings or general errors, but overall it was good. The mentor is like having another boss and the work is challenging. Their program states the degree is self-paced, but they do push you to get the course work done on-time. For me it’s like everything else, you get out what you put into it. I did learn a lot. It was a lot of work and I’m glad I am done with it, but I do not regret my decision to attend WGU. To be successful in this program you have to have the desire to achieve. You have to be a self-starter. And, in my opinion, you have to be willing to go it alone. WGU does offer plenty of assistance, but the truth is you are better off figuring things out for yourself.

I have tried to get my MBA in the past from UoP and was so disappointed in the quality of the education that I dropped out. I cannot empahsize enough the difference between the two programs. WGU is actually challenging. As a result, I am proud to display my WGU MBA. I have been telling everyone that I know about the school and the opportunities that they offer. It is a great value, and a very worthwhile program.

Excellent school with an excellent model! I went straight from WGU’s BS course of study to their MBA program and it paid off big, I am now in upper management as a direct result of my academic accomplishments. The university mentors were amazing, the curriculum was tough but well laid-out and I loved the work at your own pace model. I have recommended this school to a lot of people and they are all on their way to graduating either with a BS or an MBA.

My experience has been positive, though I agree with other reviewers that WGU is not for everyone. College isn't for everyone, either, but if you are considering an online program it is probably important to note some of the differences between virtual and brick-and-mortar venues. Each has its pros and cons, many of which have been tallied in other posts so I won't repeat them. I would, however, like to add value to this thread by commenting on the nature of WGU's programs as being "competency-based." This is an important element and it took two master's degrees for me to really appreciate it. In 2013, I began and completed an MSN. I did this in one semester by reading, writing, taking tests, and studying 8 to 12 hours most days. I don't recommend this, as it's fairly obsessive, exhausting, and has side effects like ending personal relationships. My point being that it can be done, but it takes a lot of focus, self-motivation, and established competencies in the field of study. After completing my MSN, I began an MBA program. I no longer had 8 or more hours a day to devote to school, but I still put in the recommended 15 to 20 hours a week. It has taken me the full two years to complete the MBA on this schedule, but my background and competencies were in patient care and not business... so this makes sense. Having completed an associates, two bachelors, and a clinical doctorate at brick-and-mortar schools, and now two masters degrees online, I will say that I consider the online venue slightly superior. The education seems equivalent and I don't have to travel or circle for parking. You do indeed get out of it what you put in, but ask yourself what you want out of a degree. If you intend to network, then brick-and-mortar may be better with Ivy league being ideal. If you just want knowledge, then the Internet is likely all you need. I will also say that WGU, while excellent, has all the bureaucracy of any other university. That being said, I would absolutely recommend it if you have the time, motivation, and skill set to succeed.

I am currently doing the MSN in management and leadership. GReat program and with great course materials. I am enjoying so far and using the materials for current work. I don't find the system easy nor hard. I don't need a lot of help and coaching either. Just what I expected for a self paced online degree program.

I hear people (mostly anonymous) complain about the system used at WGU, but to be fair people need to ask questions and do their own research before attempting any training program, whether online or brick and mortar. The weekly calls from counsellors are to make sure you are setting goals and not slacking off, they are not there to answer homework questions. There are cohorts for almost every class, that means that you can attend live interactive lectures, or watch them at your own leisure. It costs under $3,500 for 6 months, a fraction of the cost when compared to U of Phoenix. Not to mention that WGU has a better reputation among IT companies. Yes, you can skip the work tabs and take a pre-assessment before taking your final, this lets you know how you are doing and where you are deficient, it gives you a percentage score per category so one knows what to study. There are plenty of tutors available for free, I have used them and have completed 40 credits in just one semester. Why people complain? Maybe they do not take time to study, maybe they do not know how to research questions and topics, I use my mentor as my last resort. One can meet many other students taking the same program, WGU offers many ways to connect with like minded students on social media, including a custom page developed by Facebook for WGU students. It is a great school if you apply yourself and understand that it is not high school, but college and study time is required. Read things carefully, do not assume anything and when in doubt research and ask. There are plenty of resources available to students, failure rests solely on your hands.

WGU was NOT a good experience...Thank God I got away from that school before I was buried in debt....The mentor was annoying because he called to see you if I was finished with the assignments but never to help with questions about the assignments. Please please please consider whether or not this is something for you...Lack of support is what I got from this school. I was going for a Masters in Health Management and if you have not been in school for a while as well as have a life, i.e. working, family and work in the community this is NOT the place for you.

This entire course has been a horrible experience. From inadequate mentors to convoluted lessons and drawn out processes I have hated it. I am at the end of my degree but feel as though I have not learned anything. I am no better off than I was before I started. Do NOT waste your money.

WGU is a great school for people who have a full time family life, work and no time to go to a traditional brick and mortar school. The MSISA (Masters of Science of Information Security and Assurance comes with certifications and real world application. For those who are contemplating this degree think about 1. Cost 2. Certifications 3. Accreditation. If I would have known about WGU prior to attending UOP I would have taken my bachelors there as well. The certs that come with the bachelors degree are relevant for anyone working for the DoD or private sector. If I could critque WGU I would suggest to replace the ISO 27001 GIAC exam for the CISSP. Most companies or government organizations have a requirement for the CISSP. Attaining the GIAC 2700 certification is challenging but in hindsight I would ask WGU to replace that cert for the CISSP. That cert is what most companies are looking for. As for tuition...you are allowed to take as many classes as one can handle within any given term for the same price. One is charged per term and not per unit, so this is an excellent value for cost consiencious people like myself. Good luck and choose WGU. If one is interested in attending and applying please shoot me an email. I can save you the $60.00 application fee, and I get a $20.00 discount for referring. Not looking to make money but I am looking to pass this information on to those who have a full time schedule and no time to attend a traditional brick and mortar school. Good luck go for it...totally worth it. BTW, I was just promoted to Vice President due to attaining my Masters Degree.

I completely love wgu and my experience. I am 2 classes away from a Marketing Managemnt degree and I'm really excited! I love the concept that the working adult can attain a degree that you can pay off as you go! This is a huge answer to the need for many Americans to finish their education with minimal debt. I love the student mentors phone calls weekly, they are very quick and to the point. This keeps you on track for the week. The course mentors are amazing and spend extra time with any student wanting to work hard. I am very self motivated and enjoy a new challenge so this program worked well for my goals. This degree has taken a lot of work, it's not easy material So dont be fooled. I've very pleased with my experience and will continue to hold WGU in high regards. I think the school is innovative and ahead of its time. I would and have strongly recommended their programs to potential students.

I recently graduated from WGU, and am now entering into the Graduate School. I spent 4 years here, listening, learning, and a whole ton of writing. I see these negative reviews, and the only thing that comes to mind is whether or not these people have adjusted their tin-foil hats. WGU was an outstanding University. I took my Degree to University of Chicago, Harvard, and UCLA. All three of them accepted the Undergrad without any problem, so anyone who tells you that WGU isn't 'accredited' or 'reliable' needs to rethink that. Those three schools are amongst the finest in the country and even known around the world. If THEY will accept the degree, how is anyone going to call WGU's degree 'questionable' or 'unreliable'? The Mentor thing... it can get old, but only if you have a closed mind and are bored or uninterested. If the Mentor didn't care, they wouldn't call you. My mentor, Xavier, was the finest you could ask for. Period. The classes are challenging. If you think this school is some flimsy diploma mill, you obviously don't know a thing about it. My only issue with WGU is the Evaluators... they would beef me on everything.

I completed my MBA at WGU in February and it encompassed a self paced - self taught - self disciplined approach on my behalf. I have read all the positive and negative reviews written about WGU and I must say only one is warranted the transcripts. The transcripts are very vague and will be very difficult for any human resources professional to discern, why! The transcript only lists the name of the course and pass or fail listed next to it with no GPA. You heard correctly it does not list a 3.0 GPA next to the course. The transcript has light printed text on the back that boasts that each student has achieved at least a 3.0 in every course passed. Also there is no course description what so ever regarding the competencies attained with each course. I find this aspect of it disturbing at best the reason is I strenuously more effort into this than most and received perfect scores on most of my writing assessments and in this system of grading there is no honors graduates such as CL or MCL. Further by not having a course description does not aid the graduate in applying for certain positions relevant to the degree. I have attempted to by pass this problem my making a WGU MBA portfolio with all the course context and grading sheets from task stream contained within. In light of the issues, I highly recommend to WGU to add substance to the student transcripts and to also reorganize the current system of grading at once because the rest of the college in my opinion is excellent. If you seek help from the mentors and instructors you will receive it. If you have questions about anything student services will take care of you. I enjoyed my time at WGU it was an incredible interactive learning experience that I was able to accomplish at my own paced with at a highly reduced cost compared to traditional universities.

I've read a few gripes about this school, most are the result of flawed expectations. This is NOT a traditional school, it cannot and should not be compared to such. This school is for self-paced, self-motivated adults who already have a firm grasp of the field they're seeking a degree. This school is NOT for people who need their hands held. This is a great, accredited school, at a great value, period.

I recently graduated from WGU in the MBA program and I am very happy to say its over. I have written well over 1000 pages during my time at WGU and I totally believed once I received this degree that it would further my career and it has not. I have applied for numerous positions within colleges and state institutions only to have this degree rejected because it has no GPA and the transcripts are so vague all it lists are the courses with pass or fail listed. I have been rejected by numerous college institutions for entry into DBA and PHD programs because there is no GPA associated with WGU degrees. Sure WGU states when you pass the courses you have obtained the equivalent of a 3.0 GPA but this is meaningless as WGU will not offer a letter to anyone stating this fact because I have requested it to no avail. As far as support my mentors previous job was a used car salesman and every time I had a question about course content he had no answers and quickly changed the subject. I am not going to go on and be negative about WGU because that's simply not my way however it is what it is, I will not be getting a better career nor will I be accepted into a DBA or PHD program with this degree having said that you make up your own mind.

I just completed my MBA with WGU. The degree took me exactly 1 year to do, from start to finish. I worked hard. I came home from work every night and worked on papers and projects to get the work done. I averaged writing 75-100 pages of text per month. [Many folks write less, a few more.] The level of work is not for those who want a quick easy ride. You have to read, study and not just regurgitate information but digest and utilize. I felt like I learned a great deal. My mentor was fabulous. She called weekly and helped keep me on track. For anyone who is self motivated and really wants an education and not just and easy C that will get them a degree should consider WGU. If the school has a Masters in Health IT or Informatics I would re-enroll for that as well.

Like any other college, you'll get out of WGU what you put into it. Unlike other colleges, you won't have peer pressure, deadlines or an instructor hanging over you pushing you to deliver. If you're self-motivated and want to learn, WGU provides the materials and access to the instructors. They won't come looking for you, though. You have to seek them out when you need help. I've never had to wait more than 48 hours for a response. In most cases, a response has come within an hour. If you decide to just complete the assignments and try to blow through the courses, you'll only have yourself to blame for "not learning". On some of my MBA courses, the links and cross-references in the material have comprised literally thousands of pages of reading. You could just skip it all or do the bare minimum, but that's a personal choice. Nobody is going to hold your hand and make you do the reading. If you want to learn, though, you've got access to pretty much anything every published. When I came across something that wasn't in any of their databases, I just put in an inter-library request and had it a day or two later. That privilege alone was almost worth the price of admission. To be fair, you'd have to understand the material or actively cheat to pass the assignments. You can't just fake your way through them very easily. In fact, in a B&M, it's a lot easier to BS a teaching assistant into ammending your grade. I think that's one of the main reasons for anonymous assessors. If you're forced to just submit a revision, it avoids all of the potential arguments and debates. The comments and feedback are often sparse. But, again, you can reach out to a course mentor for help interpreting the feedback and understanding the assignment. They won't read your paper or provide direct commentary on your work. But they'll gladly tell you what's expected and where you might have gone wrong. Even with all of this, there are still those that complain that they weren't learning. Some people may legitimately have a problem learning in a self-paced environment, but WGU was brutally honest with me in my entrance interview and in the initial "Learning Without Borders" course about what to expect. They provide the resources and the competency assessments. It's up to the student to prepare themselves, do the work and seek out help when needed. Similarly, on the teams that I was a part of, there was always one person who was "phoning it in", doing the bare minimum, bouncing it off assessors and then doing as little as possible to get the assignment to pass. (and in one case, actively complaining about the number of revisions needed). If they want to piss away their investment, that's their choice. But, you're only going to grow if you push yourself to learn and do better. If you're not capable of doing that, then WGU is not for you. For those who complain that they lost financial aid, I find it very difficult to be sympathetic. The requirements for maintaining SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress) are pretty minimal and far less strenuous than a B&M. I completed my program (in far less than the recommended time) while working a full time job, a part-time consulting business and maintaining my family life. Yes, it's easy to get overwhelmed, but if you were honest in your self-evaluation, you would have known what to expect and if you were capable of doing it. I wouldn't blame WGU for that. Taking a course down to the wire and getting an "incomplete" sucks, but that's also not a secret. Before the end of the term we all get "the email" telling us to get the assignments in by mid-month if we want them factored in. Also, one incomplete wouldn't blow your aid unless you were only doing the minimum number of credits to maintain it in the first place. If you have the drive and discipline to learn on your own, WGU is a virtual candy-store of resources and materials. The course material will provide what you *need* to complete the program and will point you towards additional materials if you want or need to learn more. They also provide a huge library of searchable materials include books, research papers, multimedia, courseware, etc. But they won't spoon-feed it to you. It's up to you to determine what's personally relevant and to proactively reach out to instructors if you need guidance. It's not for everybody, but for those with the willingness and ability to take responsibility for their education, it's an unparalleled opportunity. One last word of advice; If you get a student mentor that you don't connect with, ask for a switch as soon as possible. A good student mentor makes all the difference to your experience in the program.

After I completed my BA at Indiana University, I wanted to find an MBA program that did not require the 3-5 years management experience to be accepted. WGU had just come to Indiana as a new state school, so it seemed legit. I will admit I did not research it enough, as I was too excited to start and get moving on my MBA. I did classes for about a year, then decided I wanted to graduate from a stronger MBA program, as there are many online options. Below are the main problems with WGU: 1. Structure of School - WGU thought they could reinvent the wheel in regards to the standard structure of a university. Rather than the having an advisor, and a professor who teaches your classes and grades your papers, what you get is a personal mentor who calls you every week to check up on you, a class mentor who is basically just there to answer questions in regards to the class, and a third party grader who has no involvement in the class other than grading your paper. 2. Cirriculum - I was under the impression I would be having a standard syllabus with due dates on assignments flexible enough for the working person. Also, I thought there would be SOME multimedia and recorded lectures. What I got was a final project that you need to turn in to pass the class, and a bunch of material and quizzes that you can essentially bypass. They take random chapters from a variety of books and the final project has nothing to do with what you just read. 3. Grading system - When I enrolled they told me it was pass/fail but a passing grade was a 3.0 equivalent. To me, this meant that when an employer or university asked for my transcript it would show a 3.0 average. Not so... no GPA exists at WGU. 4. Going back to the structure of the university I will dive deeper in to the problems that plague WGU; a.)Personal Mentor - When you are new to WGU, you have a lot of questions, and it is helpful to have someone on call about how it all works. However, I am a very independent person. After a few weeks when I figured everything out, the calls got old quick. The mentor went from helping mode to essentially becoming my academic boss. They check up on you in a scheduled call each week, and start getting on your butt about getting the class finished. What I found out soon after is that mentors are paid commission for students they retain. If you fall behind or drop out they are denied commission. So they start panicking if you aren't up to par. Toward the end of my second session I seriously lost all motivation because I realized the program was both flawed and a sham. I just started ignoring the calls from my mentor, and he soon informed me it was required and I could be kicked out of WGU for failing to talk to him. Let's just say the mentor is an annoying pain in your side after the first month or so. b.) Class mentor - These were likely the most helpful people at WGU, as they actually understood the coursework. Unfortunately their help is of little good, as what they want does not coincide with what the third party grader is looking for. I even had multiple class mentors admit that while they prefer it a certain way, to simply stick to the ruberic you are given for the class in order to pass, which brings me to the next section; c.) Ruberic and third party grading - Unlike most professors who use a ruberic to a certain point but still have an understanding of the material you are writing, your paper gets submitted, then either approved or denied by a third party. Example, I finish a project for a class, submit a paper or project, then submit in their database. 5-7 days later I recieve a message saying that I did not pass, and must make revisions. Then you get a scale of 1-5 in each category, you must have a 4-5/5 in every category to pass. While the ruberic is acceptable, there are times at Indiana where the professor did not understand what I was getting at. When I talked to them and explained the situation, they accepted it or gave me feedback on what I did wrong. You get none of this at WGU, just accepted/rejected and numbers. You can have a different person grade your paper each time you submit. For example, I submitted an e-commerce project which required 10 links on the webpage. I have over 10... closer to 15 links. The grader just thought the links were blue underlined font and told me I only had 2 links. This would easily be resolved but there was no communication with them. I think they have updated this so the student can actually send a message back to the grader, but it is still third party grading... they literally outsource it to a company. To me this is unacceptable and I don't even know how these guys are accredited. I started the program in 2/2011, and left 11/2011. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I am now looking at an online MS from a decent program so that I can eventually get into a top tier AACSB accredited school, hopefully IU Kelley School of Business. Save yourself some time and money, don't go to WGU. When I read good reviews for this school it blows me away. I literally learned NOTHING over the course of a year in this MBA that I did not know from IU. I am paying for an education not a degree mill.

I am a current student of WGU and about half way through my MBA program. So far I am really enjoying this program and the school. The work can be challenging but there is a lot of support. The mentor calls weekly to check in and see If I need anything. When I have a question that she cannot address she reaches out to the course mentor, and I will generally get a response with in the hour. That said, I can call or email the course mentor myself. The turn around time on that is about 2 hours. As to the person who wrote a review about the term ending and he did not have his work done. Getting the work done is the responsibility of the student. The online interface has a ticker in the corner that lets you know how much time is left in your term and if you are on track to finish your classes that you need to complete before your term ends. And if that is not enough the mentor calls once per week and they give updates on your time deadlines.

Just waiting for my final Capstone project to be graded for my MBA in Strategy and Management. It's taken me about 20 months, many do it faster, but I work full time and am a single Mom of a 4th grader. Attending a brick and mortar school was just not an option for me. I completed my B.A. in an online program from a brick and mortar university so I was familiar with online learning. That being said, WGU is unique in their format. The performance based competency approach at WGU has exacting standards. Proficient writing skills are a must as is the ability to think strategically and translate quantitative analysis into business decisions on paper. This program is for those with a high level of self-directed learning and time management skills. The support of mentors is greatbut there is very little hand-holding. For those that rate WGU poorly, I feel they must not be putting in much effort or are expecting something different out of an online university. There is interaction with other students via forums and in several courses where you work as a team to run a simulated company (conference calls, web cam, etc) I am very satisfied with the educational experience and I'm not $30k+ in debt from attending a brick and mortar school.

I just finished my first term. I got all my papers turned in by the end of the term but I had one that they graded and returned to me for revisions after the term ended. They put a not passed on my transcript and informed the VA that I did not go full time but half time. WGU changed the entire term to half time, even though I went full time the entire term. So just a warning to be careful. They advertise as "independent of time and place" (see their main page) but you are still in terms and you still have deadlines. I am a single mom with 4 kids, full time job in which I drive an hour and 40 minutes ONE WAY to and back every day. I kind of feel like they have cheated me and yes I am bitter about it. The VA has not taken the 4200 dollars back yet and I have written them with a statement plus all evidence that I turned all my assignments in on time. Hope they have mercy on me. Besides this, I still love WGU. My mentor, course mentors and all support staff have always been there for me. I know they are following their policy so that is why I wanted to post this to let everyone know that it is not really "self-paced." I didn't have to take this course over btw, the credits were added to my next term. But still, 4200 dollars from me and my family because they returned a paper to me 2 days AFTER the term ended and said I needed to revise it....

WGU is for the highly motivated person who does not shrink at hard work. I graduated from a brick and mortar accelerated degree program for my Bachelors in Accounting, and this is arguably as, if not more difficult. The most beneficial aspect of this program is that it will hone your ability to research and report a subject. It requires you to think for yourself to come up with workable solutions to real world business problems. This MBA will give you actual skills and knowledge, in which one can immediately apply. I cannot say how this program compares to others as I have not attended. What I can say is that, insofar as the actual skills and knowledge it provides, along with the very reasonable cost, is that I would recommend this program highly to the already established working person

I've been attending WGU for awhile now. As one reviewer said..WGU is fine in the beginning when you're busy learning your way around...I'm near the end of my program and have no choice but to finish at this point...The mentors are useless but are good at calling you each week to ask about your progress. Trying to get help on a conference call with several other students is a joke. I honestly feel that I've gained nothing from this self-taught experience...but oh well,, I'll have an MBA

This is an excellent program for the self-motivated student. You must want to work, want to finish, want to progress. The materials are abundant and included in the cost per semester. You can work at your own pace, at 3 in the morning, at 3 in the afternoon or any other time. The blog sites (communities) allow you to interact as much as you want/need to. The mentors are there to help and always responsive. I have learned more in this program that I thought I would. A well-rounded curriculum with just enough challenge to make you think and dig. A really good school. This is the future of advanced degrees!

I am currently in my 4th MBA class, and so far I am quite happy. My course mentor contacts me on a weekly basis and supports me by answering any questions that I have. For the MBA program all books are included with the program, so there is no additional books to buy. My only criticism here is that I have to link into a few different areas for my books, but on the plus side the links are right in my Course of Study. I do not have to search for them. I put the teachers at a 9, because I really have not had to interact with them. They create webinars and written presentations that can be viewed. I have found them to clear so far, so have not had to call them. I know of other students who said they called the course mentors, and got a reply back with in an hour or two. The value is great. I will be able to get a degree online from a fully accredited school for $6,000 a year, while working at my own pace from my computer room. Great Stuff!!

Like others have said, this is not for the unmotivated or for those that need constant reassurance. For those that are self-motivated and good with time management, this is a terrific experience. I've had no problems with resources being unavailable. In fact, the resources and materials are far beyond my expectation and needs. The materials that I've been presented so far are top notch; every bit as good as in a brick and mortar school. As most things in life, you get out of something what you put in, so yes, WGU is NOT the place to be if you think you can skate along to a degree. I HIGHLY recommend WGU!

I am thrilled WGU is not for profit. I am encouraged to be successful even accellerate, not just remain enrolled so someone gets their commission. The only way I could go back to school while working full time is on-line, during the hours I am available. The course mentors I have worked with have PHDs and even called me from home on their day off. I'd say the course mentors I've experienced are excellent. I was able to log-on and have the course mentor show me math problems on a white board just as if I was in class with her, while speaking on the phone. The overall student mentor for my time at WGU is a teacher with a Masters who is overseeing my progress and helping me prepare and time when to take my state skills test. She is fine if we check in less often and so that is flexible. We are currently checking in every 3 weeks and she knows me well enough by now that I will email questions and concerns as they come up. My experience is getting quick responses. The opportunity to accellerate is huge for me as I am returning to school as a much older student. Others here have talked about submitting work and having to wait for results. I have had times when I waited 5 days for results, and times when it was 24 hours. It does vary. Rsults are clear about what needs to be corrected, added or eliminated. Objective exams give results immediately. You always have an opportunity to test again or correct your work. I like the independence. A student has to be self motivated, there is no doubt about that. For me this was a wise choice.

I have read several of the reviews on this site about WGU that were not that positive. I completed my Bachelor's degree in 2011 with another for profit university that required teaming and constant postings, etc. It was a pain and I was NOT thrilled when my grade was dependent on others. I chose WGU because of the self-paced environment to be quite honest because they pretty much leave me alone. If you want a university environment where you have a great deal of interaction with teachers and fellow students, go to a traditional university or one of those other for profit universities.

WGU has a very challenging Masters Degree program the assessment papers that you have to write will challenge your knowledge of the subject and your writing ability to the fullest extent. The student gets several chances to Master the paper and I like that aspect of it, However the mentor and teacher support is absent. This is a do it yourself compentency based program, they provide you with the materials you do the work. This is the most challenging MBA program out there don't let the cross talk fool you. If you dont know anything about one of the classes in the program they provide you with the materials to get you through it but it can take months of self study. Overall for business professionals who already know their fields this is a great program. I have been a student for 1 year and my papers get graded in 3 to 4 days max and they have always provided clarity on what i did or did not do! I would recommend this program for anyone who has a Bachelors in Business or finance and who are great writers.

WGU is NOT a traditional school. It costs very little in the way of higher education and they offer an accredited degree. Personally I think this speaks for itself. I suppose it is what you are looking for. If you want someone to stand in front of you and read a power point presentation, this is NOT for you. I, personally, am a very independent learner and the only reason I went to class when I was getting my associates was because it was required. In high school I never went to class except for test day and passed with flying colors! (This really pissed the teachers off!)If this is you and and you would like to expand your opportunities with a higher degree than go for it. If you would like to have philosphical discussions with a renound Professor, than this is not for you. I know there are professors who write the course material, but I have never talked to one, nor had the desire to. The mentor conversations are a little irritating, I feel like I have my weekly check in with my mother to make sure I am doing what I am supposed to! Other than that, if you are self motivated and a self taught individual, then take advantage of the great price a flexibility.

I attended WGU for 3 years and got my Bachelors in IT with an emphasis in Network Management & Design. I definitely enjoyed the experience and was exposed to many different subjects, although there were times that I just wished it was over already. The way it works is that you're assigned an overall mentor that tracks your progress and calls you weekly to check up on you. I felt a bit bad at some weeks because I didn't accomplish much that week because my job or life constraints got in the way. It kind of felt like you were being watched & checked up on, which I didn't enjoy too much but it did make me more productive as a result. The courses were mostly assigned learning resources, such as a website or chapters in a book that you had to read. Afterwards, you either had to take a final, get a computer certification, or write one or more papers. There was another mentor (aka professor) for each class that you could ask questions to, but I rarely interacted with them & just learned on my own. They did hold weekly conference calls to discuss certain sections of that classes curriculum, but I never dialed in to one of those. I graduated over a year ago and in the meantime, have gone through two periods of looking for a job (I had a contract job that ended). During the job search, no recruiters or hiring managers I talked to asked excessive questions about the school or disparaged it in any way. A few asked about the name & when I told them it was on online school, they seemed interested or like they understood & they went on to other parts of my resume. I could see how the school could be seen as an impediment for some younger graduates who don't have much experience on their resume. Having been a hiring manager myself though, I can't blame them, they discuss what they see on the resume and if it is sparse, they'll look for things to talk about. At this point, I'm seriously considering going back to WGU for my MBA. Honestly, the biggest thing holding me back is the fact that I'm not sure how it would look on my resume with both my BS and MBA coming from the same online school. Also, another tip is that it helps you get through the course if you can get friendly with other students that are roughly on the same track as you so you can be study partners, bounce questions off of, etc. Ideally, you'd have a friend or two who joined the school around the same time as you and have a similar curriculum. I hope this was helpful and good luck on your education journeys!

Since everyone has an opinion, I guess I will be the one that really can't judge...yet. I transferred in with 30 credits, I have been at WGU now 4 weeks. I have already completed 19 CU's. I have yet to be challenged. Before you say it, I have completed the some pretty hard courses. I guess if you are an independent learner, its for you. I couldnt stand brick and mortar. Learn at my pace. So far great.

Since I have been at WGU for a while now, I can give you the a realistic view of this school. I am well past the excitement phase. The problem with this program is not anyone in particular, but the way the program is set up in general. After about 8 months, I realized that I just cannot take any more self teaching. There is no interaction with the "class mentor" unless you have a question. There is no interaction with the other students. You have a mentor who calls you every week to check up on your progress. At first it was nice because everything was new, and I had questions about the online setup and the program in general. Week after week I kept getting a call, and it got to the point where I felt like I had a boss checking up on my work progress. The one aspect i liked was that I had access to all course material for only about 30 bucks! Last week I get an email saying the price is jumping to about $130. An over 300% increase for no difference in material? Lame. The way the classes are set up, you can totally bypass the reading material & exercises and skip to the final projects, the only part that is actually graded. Here comes the fun part: a third party that you have never met does all the grading. Did I mention it takes them about 10 business days to get your paper back? Everything is graded pass/not pass rather than percentage, so its either accepted or rejected. If it's rejected, you are expected to fix what they say is wrong, even if what they say is not correct. There is no two way communication available. This can become very frustrating. WGU if you are reading this, this is what you need to actually have a legit MBA program. 1. Drop the class mentor 2. get a professor on a live webcam feed 2. Offer realtime student interaction while the professor is teaching 3. Have assignments that actually require the student to read the material 4. Have exams/projects that actually match the material 5. Have the professors grade your material on a percentage rather than a third party on pass/not pass I honestly can say I have learned virtually nothing since I started at WGU around 8 months ago, so optimistic at the time. I did read the material, but when the projects do not match the material, you learn nothing. If all you want is a degree, I guess this will work for you. I am going to drop out, take the GMAT, and get into a real MBA where I can actually learn something.

Please take any of the negative reviews of WGU with a grain of salt. I can honestly say that WGU is a great value, yet a tough program. Granted it's certainly not for everyone: you must be disciplined and willing to put in the time on some hard work, as well as be able to handle large academic writing assignments. The few negatives on here I would attribute to those that thought this was an easy out, and a simple online way to get a degree without hard work... this is certainly not the case with WGU. The work is self paced, and the cost is much less than a traditional school. The advantage of being able to work ahead or take finals at any time provided you know the material is another distinct advantage that can allow you to finish your degree sooner. The course mentors, and academic mentors are always there to help and support, as well as the rest of the student community. My only complaint might be the "absentee" feeling you get at times from professors in the course materials... most lectures are simply recorded, and that may be off putting for some. Just like anything else, you get out of it what you put into it.

I have to post this comment because I have been an online student for 1 year now with WGU and the support you get from your mentors and teachers is troubling it takes days for them to respond to your questions and emails. I really do not understand why this is but it's going on. I am not the only one either, I have seen questions by students posted on forums go days without being answered or not answered at all. I had to file a complaint against my mentor just to get him to respond. If you have extensive knowledge of the program you are planning to enter and you think you can pass these huge writing assignment courses no tests on your own with very little help then WGU is for you. I will also comment on their teachers! They do nothing. They post one recorded session for each class, they do no grading, they wont review your work to see if your on the right track before you submit your work to a third party for grading (that takes up to 2 weeks for you to get back) They say they are not allowed. its a joke! This is the truth from a real student who has spent a lot of money trying to get a masters and who cares less what you think. Now I understand why WGU only has a 20% grad rate. I will be transferring to another college next semester I am sorry I ever enrolled at WGU, their courses are very good but their support system is very bad. Look elsewhere.

I attended WGU after receiving my first Bachelors degree from Florida State University. I'll have to say it was a lot harder than I expected, but I learned a lot. The knowledge I gained plus the skills I developed in researching information have been invaluable at work. I was able to take much of what I learned and immediately apply it to activities in my career. It is not for someone who needs information spoon fed to them. You must be willing to go get it. My mentor was invaluable during this process. If you have a busy life but also have to drive to finish your education, WGU is a great choice.

I have been in the WGU MBA program for a couple months now. I spent my undergrad at Indiana University so I have a good comparison to a major brick and mortar school. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. I have been very impressed with WGU's mentor system, since I was originally worried about not having a formal professor. It is set up so that you have an overall mentor (acts as advisor) and then each course has its own mentor (similar to professor). While you DO have to teach yourself, the mentors have been great about being there to answer any questions you may have, and are very willing to help. I will admit I was a bit apprehensive about going to an online university at first, but WGU gives you so much for your money. All your books are provided in e-book and the cost is only $45 a semester (i spent 500-600 at IU), and you have access to literally thousands of texts in WGU's online library. Unlike most universities they do not charge you for every little area they can, I remember seeing about 600-800 in random fees every semester when I went to IU. The overall value in relation to the tuition is outstanding. As far as the education, it is very challenging and I definitely have had to step my game up from undergrad. It is up to you how fast you get through the material, so if you are working you can fit it in your schedule, or if you are going full time like me you can fly through it. Although the MBA is not AACSB certified (top business accreditation), it IS regionally accredited, and WGU is non profit, so its not even close to being in the same category of schools like Phoenix or DeVry. I live in Indianapolis, and WGU Indiana is now a state school, so it gets positive recognition rather than being seen as a worthless degree. Living in the MidWest with 4-5 months of the year having snow and ice, it has been nice not having to take the time to drive to class in harsh conditions. I can wake up, make some coffee, log in my laptop, and get to work. Overall, I have really enjoyed my experience so far at WGU and I recommend it to anyone who thinks they are a dedicated student and/or needs flexible hours. I especially recommended this program if you tend to skip/miss class. I was always a good student at IU but i would miss some classes and make up for it with self study, so this program was a perfect fit for me. You really cant beat the price in comparison to other school's MBA programs, just look up their price specs.

I was hesitant to do an online degreee program given the stigma and reputation from the early online programs. However, as I thought about it more and more, I realized that in the real world when your boss tells you to research something, you're entirely on your own to seek out the information. Furthermore, when comes to 'learning' something, its all up to you to begin with. I am a self-taught in VB, ASP.NET and SQL Server. The information was not just handed to me, I had to seek it out and LEARN. Fortunately, with the WGU degree programs its actually much easier thanks to learning resources being provided to you. You don't have to dig and dig to get an answer to something that seems obvious. Its all right there in front of you. The move to online education is a result of the vast about of information available to a person. Prior to the Internet Age, it was up to a student to sit at the feet of a teacher and to learn from him or her. The information had to be shared person to person because there was knowledge transfer couldn't occur any other way.

I recently completed my MBA from WGU and would highly recommend the program due to the course content, accessibility, and affordability of the program. The mentorship program at WGU provides support and guidance and is an extremely helpful part of the transition into WGU. The mentorship program provides the human touch many on-line programs lack. WGU is a great fit for people who are use to working at their own pace and meeting deadlines. The competency approach of WGU allowed me to apply the 20 plus years of business experience I had to study and complete courses at a faster rate than a traditional university. You are allowed to take as many courses in a six month period as you can complete which provides flexibility to finish your program at your own pace.

I just completed my MBA program at WGU. I received my undergrad and grad degrees from highly respectable Northeast brick and mortar institutions. Didn't feel like spending tons of money at this stage in my life on another degree. WGU is fantastic and you can't beat the value. Just look at how they're spreading across the country with the support of our nation's governors: WGU Indiana, for example. The MBA program was rigorous. I busted my hump. No cakewalk: try passing your Advanced Business Concepts/Quantitative Analysis exam on the first try. Good luck on that. I did. But it was very difficult. WGU has a great model. It's the future of higher ed.

I'm about to graduate from WGU in June 2010 with a Master of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management. My background includes several years of management experience and a brick & mortar undergraduate degree in business and social sciences. Because I brought a foundation of knowledge to the program, I was prepared to work and learn independently without seeking a classroom experience. Because I believe my academic objectives strongly match WGU's model, I am thriving as a student and quite happy overall. My only disappointment comes from the flat 3.0 GPA that everyone has due to the pass/fail grading at the B level.

I found the material in the MBA program to be immediately useful in my professional life. WGU is not easy, there are many papers to write, projects to complete, reading to do, and exams to pass. If you're looking for an easy MBA this is not it. If you're looking for something that has value and relevance and are willing to work hard, WGU is something you should strongly consider.

I went to both brick-and-morter and online schools. I learned the same amount at WGU as I did when I went to Pitt. The difference is the amount of teacher interaction. I prefer being a completely independent learner seeking little input or guidance from the instructor. I prefer to be given a mission and to "find a way" to complete it successfully on your own. This describes WGU. Some people will just not be able to handle this and need frequent motivational, intructional interaction or just general hand-holding (as you may have at a brick-and-morter school). Those people will be very disapppointed. Just make sure your personality fits this school before you apply and have a bad experience. This is why the reviews are so extreme so far....it either works for you or it doesn't. It worked for me and it has helped me significantly in my job. Thanks!

If you're looking for a quick, easy degree you don't have to work for, you'll be disappointed in WGU. If you're looking for a degree you work hard to earn and you can be proud of, and if you are capable of thinking and performing at a graduate level, WGU just might be the school for you. I absolutely loved it. My only regret (I did both undergrad and grad school at WGU) is that they do not offer doctoral programs. However, I certainly had no trouble getting into a doctoral program as a WGU grad.

I would select this school again. Very inexpensive and regionally accredited.

There seems to be a mixed review of the school itself. I truly believe that if you are not satisfied with the school before you start, then don't go. If you feel confident in your ability to maximize resources to your benefit and use the topics covered to study and learn from, then you can truly make something out of it. For all the "brick and mortar" graduates here, I would put you on the same level. I know plenty of people who attended traditional schools that don't have a clue what is going on and it is the same for online.....I have done both and from several online courses and inclass room from the University of Houston, local community colleges, and distant online only. All are the same....all have successfull people that will use their education to benefit themselves and there are also those that will complain the whole way through. From my experiences WGU is excellent.

I began WGU on August 1st. Boy was that a disappoint. From day one it has been horrific. First I had to PURCHASE an electronic "book" that was $30 some dollars. There are tons of "cases" in them. Then all of your assignments are tons of ESSAYS. First is like a 3 page essay, then a 10 page essay and it keeps going up! I did not have a teacher like I thought I would have. You teach yourself everything. What am I paying for? Someone to grade my papers. Then my whole "plan" got screwed up. I was majoring in Business, to obtain a Masters. But when I logged in one day, it had me majoring in Elementary Education and all my curriculm based that way. It took forever to get it changed. Things kept getting worse, my mentor quit, etc, so I decided to withdraw and put my money towards a local college that also offers online accreddited degrees (indiana wesleyan). I withdraw right after a month of attending. NOW They are coming after me for almost TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS! This is incredibly insane. I will not pay that. I never got the service to pay for that. It was ridiculous! I also spoke to employers and they said they do not consider that a "reputable" university. I know it might sound nice, I sure thought it did, but I certaintly changed my mind after "trying it".

I've read several reviews that speak to the lack of guidance at WGU. If you need a professor to tell you what to do, and when to do it, WGU may not be for you. If you’re an independent learner that understands the steps to competency in a subject, and can assess when you’re ready to test on a subject, then WGU is the perfect fit. WGU offers helpful mentors and a vast array of material. It is up to you to decide how much or how little you want to use.