HiI try to decide which way to go. I am looking for a Masters degree in Education (incl licensure) for the Elementary level. Both Universities offer an interesting program. UofP will lead to an Oregon license, WGU will lead to a Utah license that can be transferred. Does anybody know if this could be a disadvantage. Also I see so many negative reports about UofP, are there any trustworthy opinions out there?? Does anybody here have experience with either the UofP or WGU teacher programs??thanks Stef

If it were me, I would lean toward WGU.  They have really developed a nice teacher education program which has accreditation by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.  You will also pay a lot less to study with WGU than you will at UoP.

You don't say which state  you live in, but once you are licensed through WGU you can transfer that license and teach anywhere in the U.S.  

 By the way, WGU was founded and is supported by the governors of 19 western U.S. states (hence, the name Western Governors University).  Oregon is one of the supporting states of WGU.

 

 

I agree -- if I were in your situation, I'd go with Western Governors University as well, for the same reasons.

-=Steve=- 

No contest! WGU!  

I'm currently enrolled in the school of business at WGU, and could not possibly recommend more highly - with the single proviso about the competency-based system.  Unless you can set a schedule and stick to it, no alibiis, no excuses, no exceptions, go somewhere - anywhere - else; you'll never adapt to a competency-based system and be completely miserable from the moment you start until you ultimate thown in the towel.  If you want to be completely free of seat-time, being hobbled with cohorts, and real authority to set your own pace, and none of those short-term 'residencies' there simply is no other choice and nothing comes remotely close!

Go to the website and browse through the specializations at the master's level in education; follow the links and download the program guides for the ones that interest you; this will give a bird's eye view of what you'll be doing and how you'll be doing it.  Pay particular attention to the capstone but don't be intimidated by it - everything you do in the program will be leading up to it, and knowing what's coming next will help you better prepare for it. 

EWOB is the orientation - learning styles, study skills, navigating the web portal, and the computer software that will be required, how the competency-based system works, how to work with your mentor, developing your academic plan, that sort of thing.  They have made changes to this since I took it, so I'm not absolutely certain about the time-frame, and the school of education may be slightly different from the school of business, but you should be finished quite easily within two or three weeks, then you'll be assigned a mentor and together you'll set your academic plan for the next 6 months. [Don't panic!  It's tough, but not insurmountable! And the mentors truly excell at making the capstone  as quick and painless as all the other assessments that lead up to it.]  Most of the mentors have PhDs and there is a mix of traditional brick-and-mortar and DL,  and every one of them works full-time at mentoring for WGU not as a sideline to pick up a few quick bucks as some mentors and adjuncts at other colleges.      

Being competency-based, the focus is on passing the assessment, but how you prepare for it may be a small, short-term course (usually limited to 12-16 students, and 6-12 weeks in length), CDs and other multimedia, (my favorite) self-directed study; that's entirely up to you, but never hurts to get help deciding from your mentor.  You will get a score but it  will be based on specific rubrics that you'll know during your preparation; a passing grade is equivalent to a 'B.'  Because it's competency-based, it's necessarily about performance rather than rote memorization, but you will have several proctored multiple-guess exams and a couple of proctored essays - and I would imagine all these pre-assessments that you can take as a final check before the RealDeal(tm) so you completely bomb.

Don't hesitate to ask questions here or with the pre-enrollment counselors.   Not that it matters, but with the new term starting January first I will have even less 'spare time' than ever so I doubt that I will be active on this forum or even lurk.

 

I have just completed my MBA with UOP and had a wonderful experience.  I have read the both the good and the bad publicity about the school and it is my opinion it is up to the person.  The workload is extensive and the professors request professional work. I started on my MBA in February 2006 and just completed my courseowrk in Dec of 2007. I was pleased with my academic counselor and my financial counselor as well.  Yes they are about business as well as education, but the school hasn't survived all these years holding people's hands and handing out kleenex when things didn't go their way.  I think with any program you are going to have some good and bad aspects, it is up to you to turn it into something successful

Congratulations on finishing your coursework!  

And thanks for the positive comments about U. of Phoenix!  It's always refreshing to hear positive comments and testimonials.  I have to say, though, that this is one of the few places on the Internet where that infantile jihad isn't the mantra of the day.   Go through the archives and you will find very little bashing, and it has never gone unchallenged - which is more than I can say for some of the other websites.

 

 

Personally, I think UoP serves a very important purpose.  It helps adult students obtain regionally-accredited college degrees in order to advance in the workplace, or change careers.   The only problem I have ever had with UoP is the cost.  I think is it extremely overpriced, and there are definitely lower-cost options available.  However, if a student is able to receive tuition reimbursement from work,or student aid which will cover a significant portion of the cost and UoP suits their current and future needs, then UoP is a great option. 

Students should be aware that there are some employers (such as Microsoft) which do have a bias against UoP, and distance learning schools in general, and will not hire graduates of these schools.  Make sure UoP will serve your future needs, and you should be fine. 

ROFL!  That last paragraph may or may not be true for some companies and some DL programs, but I do know that Microsoft has a senior VP on WGU's advisory board.  I'm not an alumni, so I don't read about the job hunting and sucesses, but I do know that at least one IT grad student working for MS who mentioned they were picking up the tab  - not a new hire, to be sure, but certainly a precident - and an accounting major who was excited about landing a gig in Silicon Valley (I want to say Cisco).  I know I've seen enough on the websites and advertising from DL-only to know that it's not the case for all companies or all schools.  I do agree that there are many, many instances of bias in the past, but it's not ncessariily the norm because most of the graduations of these DL schools have proven there is no significant difference - which is precisely what all the research has been saying for years.  That's not to say there aren't idiots out there on the wrong side of the desk who are pre-determined  not to hire you because you didn't graduate from a brick-and-mortar they wished they could have attended or because they've never heard of your alma mater - brick-and-mortar or DL.  Trust me, you really don't want to work for or with idiots like that!

 

 

 

tcord1964:

Students should be aware that there are some employers (such as Microsoft) which do have a bias against UoP, and distance learning schools in general, and will not hire graduates of these schools.  Make sure UoP will serve your future needs, and you should be fine. 

Don't confuse distance learning schools with for-profit schools -- Phoenix has more students on campus than they do online. I agree there's some bias against for-profit schools (more than is warranted, in my opinion), but these days Harvard, Columbia, Brandeis, Penn State, UMass, SUNY, George Washington, and other well regarded schools do distance learning, and schools like WGU and Fielding are exclusively online and are still well regarded.

-=Steve=-

I have heard a great deal of UOPbashing over the years, but it worked out best for me.  I shopped around and it was the only school that allowed me to work on my MBA on my terms.  The nearestUOP campus is in Jacksonville, FL.  That is an hour away and driving that at night in a city that has a terrible crime rate was not part of my plan.  Also the other schools that offered MBA programs online still had a requirement where you had to go on campus one weekend out of the month. (St. Leo and U of Florida)  This did not work as well because the expense of staying overnight was way too much.  I have a family which consists of two boys and my little girl, which I gave birth to while attending UOP.  Yes this college was expensive, however, I was paying for the convenience of not having to be pulled away from family, the safety of being close to home and the piece of mind that I would not have drive every month to some school hours away from my family. 

Oh yeah, my boss is a UOP graduate as well so at my job UOP is tops.

I'm not confused.  I was basically talking about the for-profit schools...although I do know of employers who won't accept a degree from ANY distance learning program, no matter where it was earned.  No, I would not want to work for them. 

 

By the way, my earlier comment about Microsoft was specifically in regard to UoP.  Sorry if that wasn't clear.