Okay I’ve had several people ask me if I liked WNMU better than
Ashford University or vice versa. The truth is I like them both but for entirely different reasons. Comparing the two is difficult to say the least. So in an effort to be fair I’ll just give everyone a pros and cons list.
Ashford Pros:
1.) It’s very easy to enroll and get started, almost effortless. Trust me this is a commodity in the online learning world where enrolling and getting all your “I”s dotted and your “T”s crossed can be exceptionally difficult. Ashford’s enrollment process is seamless, working like a well oiled machine and any other cliché’ I can’t think of right now to tell you how organized and well laid out these people are.
2.) Ashford is accelerated. We’re talking about a full blown MBA at lightening speed yet somehow you still manage to learn a lot.
3.) Ashford gave me a lot of individual attention, I felt like they cared whether I succeeded or not.
4.) Ashford is results oriented, everything about their school and program is designed to get you to walk across that stage and they’ll map out everything you need to do to get there. They don’t compromise rigor, nor do they allow shortcuts, but if you’re willing to do the work and have the aptitude you’ll make it.
5.) Ashford’s student support services were simply the best I’ve ever seen. Yes even more so than Southwestern College which in of itself is saying something, Southwestern is a special place to me.
6.) Ashford has a knowledgeable yet down to earth faculty that talk to you like an adult, trust me this isn’t as common as you may believe.
7.) Ashford knows business. I mean they really know it. As in with my new job I’m discovering all kinds of stuff I learned in school that at the time I was thinking “really?”…well I’m here to tell you “really!” I’ve used or will soon use so much stuff I’ve learned in their program it’s almost like they knew what my next job would be and trained me for it exactly. Even some of the budget and finance stuff, scary huh?
Cons
1.) Ashford is expensive. No they aren’t the most expensive but they’re nowhere near the least expensive either. They are probably right around the mid price range for an MBA.
2.) Ashford is a relatively unknown school. So far this has not caused me one bit of trouble but I always get asked where I went to school twice. Like “where did you get your MBA?” I say “Ashford University” they say “oh….” Then think for a minute and say “where again?” or “where is that?” That sort of thing.
3.) Proprietary books suck but there are a few you need at Ashford. Okay I understand that these are program specific tailored for the condensed and accelerated pace but the they are pricey and I’d just rather not if I had a choice. Granted I only had 2 classes that required them and standard textbooks are no more expensive, but I always buy used. Proprietary books do not leave that option.
Western New Mexico University
Pros
1.) So far the faculty is very involved with the class, almost abnormally so in fact.
2.) The materials are good and the topics covered are thorough.
3.) They are very inexpensive.
4.) They have a very flexible payment plan you can used to keep from borrowing money. Always a good thing.
5.) They use texts that I can find plentifully used, however I was required to buy an out of print DVD. That was annoying.
6.) The interdisciplinary studies degree is extremely flexible. I dig it.
7.) Honestly it’s too soon to list all the pros, I’ve only been in class 3 weeks people!
Cons
1.) I occasionally am spoken to as if I’m a kid. I know they can’t help it, they are primarily an inexpensive state school that also has a community college so I can only imagine the student body they deal with day in and out. Being that I’m a 31 year old professional I am sure that I am an anomaly to them.
2.) It is tough to get enrolled online, there are a ton of hoops to jump through and I think I called and spoke to no less than 20 distinctly different individuals before finally getting in. Oddly enough as I write this I’m still not fully matriculated. This is a state school with a fledgling online program that isn’t necessarily geared towards distance education. As in I get email invites to movies on campus, I’ve been asked to come by an office, etc. Going to school there out of state again makes me something of an anomaly.
3.) Their technology is dated. I’m not a fan of WebCT though I know Steve is (my counterpart here) and overall it just isn’t as slick as say…Ashford. Really it’s not their fault, Ashford costs more and thus has more money to spend on their online programs. Hey I’m paying beer prices at WNMU, I shouldn’t expect champagne.
4.) The workload is somewhat off putting at first. I have to log in 3 distinct and separate times per week regardless of whether I do any work in each session or not. Hmmm…. Sounds a lot like being required to come to class if you ask me. I’m sure they do it to keep the younger students focused, one instructor even requires his students to log in every day. Remember what I said about being treated like a kid?
I hope that satisfies any more comparison questions. :)