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Akitakoi

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 31, 2008
221
1
I start University of Phoenix Feb 16th.:)
I am Enrolled in Associate of Arts in Information Technology/Web Design program.

Anyone else here going to college in their PJ's?:D
 
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but most online colleges are degree mill scams. I don't know about the University of Phoenix, but the one my mom went to gave everyone straight As no matter what they did and were only accredited regionally, not nationally. In other words, no one would hire her with a degree from there. Please make sure your college is a real school that is nationally accredited before you sink too much money into them. Many online "colleges" are publicly-traded corporations who live off of students that get financial aid from the government and will let anyone in and give anyone a degree just to make a profit.
 
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but most online colleges are degree mill scams. I don't know about the University of Phoenix, but the one my mom went to gave everyone straight As no matter what they did and were only accredited regionally, not nationally. In other words, no one would hire her with a degree from there. Please make sure your college is a real school that is nationally accredited before you sink too much money into them. Many online "colleges" are publicly-traded corporations who live off of students that get financial aid from the government and will let anyone in and give anyone a degree just to make a profit.

This is very true to some degree and there is some sound advice in there somewhere.

You do need to make sure UoP is properly accredited. I took two courses there, learned absolutely nothing (who learns a semester of instruction in 5 weeks) and found contact with the teachers was absurd. I believe they've gotten better, but it is still difficult to say how much one retains in 5 weeks when the instruction goes by so fast. It is not like the instruction is thinned out to make up for the lack of time, they just pile it on you.

I personally would never attend again and went onto to get my degree from a school that is nationally accredited, though the majority of it was done online. I will also say that UoP was very interested in my money and not so interested in my grades.

I will say this though, you're wasting your money paying for an AA from UoP. Community college is way cheaper and will most likely get you an AA with some sort of concentration, but it requires you to get off your ass and go to class.

Online is not for all, it takes a highly motivated self starter to really complete the courses and actually learn something.
 
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but most online colleges are degree mill scams. I don't know about the University of Phoenix, but the one my mom went to gave everyone straight As no matter what they did and were only accredited regionally, not nationally. In other words, no one would hire her with a degree from there. Please make sure your college is a real school that is nationally accredited before you sink too much money into them. Many online "colleges" are publicly-traded corporations who live off of students that get financial aid from the government and will let anyone in and give anyone a degree just to make a profit.

Thanks for that but I did some research and they are fully accredited.

What is accreditation?
Accreditation is a process of quality assurance and review that institutions participate in, generally on a voluntary basis. Accrediting associations are most often groups of like institutions whose purpose is to establish standards by which appropriate practice can be judged. Accreditation is a symbol of the quality of an institution's educational programs. Accreditation indicates both an institution's compliance with the standards held by accrediting bodies and the reasonable grounds for believing it will continue to meet them.

How is University of Phoenix accredited?
University of Phoenix is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. University of Phoenix was granted initial accreditation in 1978 and the accreditation was reaffirmed in 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, and 2002. The next comprehensive evaluation visit by The Higher Learning Commission will be conducted in 2012.

What is regional accreditation?
Regional accreditation is an institutional-level accreditation status granted by one of six U.S. regional accrediting bodies. According to The Higher Learning Commission, this type of accreditation evaluates the institution as a whole, assessing "formal educational activity" as well as governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student personnel services, institutional resources, student academic achievement, institutional effectiveness and relationships with constituencies inside and outside the institution.

What is national accreditation?
National accreditation is granted to specialized institutions—technical schools, health or computer related institutions, for example—that offer at least an associate’s degree. The national accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education are:

Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
Accrediting Commission for Career Schools/Colleges of Technology
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools
The Association of Theological Schools
Council on Occupational Education
Distance Education and Training Council
What is programmatic accreditation?
Often associated with professional organizations, programmatic or specialized accreditation applies to specific programs or coursework within an institution.

Why doesn't University of Phoenix apply for more than one regional accreditation?
Accreditation by more than one regional accrediting body is not permitted by the U.S. Department of Education. Regional accrediting bodies grant accreditation to an institution as a whole regardless of where it may operate, even locations that fall outside of a regional body's geographic scope. Additionally, the six regional accrediting bodies recognize each other's accreditations. Seeking additional regional accreditations is therefore unnecessary.
 
I'd barely trust my education with a number of real institutions, let alone online ones. Seems like the lazy way out to be honest.
 
This is very true to some degree and there is some sound advice in there somewhere.

You do need to make sure UoP is properly accredited. I took two courses there, learned absolutely nothing (who learns a semester of instruction in 5 weeks) and found contact with the teachers was absurd. I believe they've gotten better, but it is still difficult to say how much one retains in 5 weeks when the instruction goes by so fast. It is not like the instruction is thinned out to make up for the lack of time, they just pile it on you.

I personally would never attend again and went onto to get my degree from a school that is nationally accredited, though the majority of it was done online. I will also say that UoP was very interested in my money and not so interested in my grades.

I will say this though, you're wasting your money paying for an AA from UoP. Community college is way cheaper and will most likely get you an AA with some sort of concentration, but it requires you to get off your ass and go to class.

Online is not for all, it takes a highly motivated self starter to really complete the courses and actually learn something.

Can I ask what school you went to?
 
I start University of Phoenix Feb 16th.:)
I am Enrolled in Associate of Arts in Information Technology/Web Design program.

Anyone else here going to college in their PJ's?:D

I got a degree from UoP -- I would highly advise against going there. It'll seem great at first, but then you'll realize what a real farce the whole thing is. I was too far along in my program and decided rather than spend another fortune on school just to stick it out, but I'm also 47 years old, so more education at this point in my life probably isn't going to matter a whole lot. I would agree that UoP is a "degree mill" and if I had to do it all over again, I would certainly avoid UoP.
 
I just graduated from a "normal" university but they essentially forced me to take several of the major classes from my last few semesters online, which I wasn't expecting at all. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone *unless* you're taking general classes that you don't care about too much. But unfortunately for me I was taking major classes online because there weren't enough students at the local campus signed up. I learned a little but the experience isn't very good and you really do have to motivate yourself to learn, or else you're just getting by and getting a grade. Good luck.
 
I'm not sold on "Online Education" but who knows, that seems to be attracting the "Me" and "Now" generations. The number of students pursuing a degree online is increasing and financial aid only goes so far online. Remember that these are secured loans and the Federal Government (USA) will get their money, no matter where you live!
 
Thanks for the replays.
I did a little checking and the local Tech School offers the same degree, all online for a 1/4 of the cost. Also I have the option of using the school library, meeting personally with other students and instructors. I don't think I am actually enrolled yet so hopefully I can switch without to many problems.

I sure am glad I asked here.:) Thanks everyone!:apple:
 
Online degrees are possible through REAL Colleges and Universities. Mostly graduate degrees though.


Strictly online schools...is common sense not that common or what?
 
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