Online Bachelor's Degree

Q: I just finished a Master's program with University of Phoenix online. It was expensive (they are a private university).I completed my degree in 18 months. It was pretty time consuming b/c we had to post and respond to postings 4 out of 7 days in the week (weeks started on Tuesday to allow homework to be done on the weekends). Since it is online there are also a lot of papers to write. Group projects are also a big part of the program... in my case it went very well with our groups never meeting f2f, but using IM and email instead. The upside it that you never have to got out of your PJ's to go to class and you get done a bit quicker, even if you put in a lot of time (I was also teaching and have a family to care for, so UoP on top of it all was probably overkill!) I have to admit that I learned a bunch and feel like it was worth my time and money to complete the program.

A:You might take a look at Western Governor's University, http://www.wgu.edu. They offer a bachelor's degree in HR. Most of WGU's programs are competency-based. You work at your own pace, and exams are taken at online testing centers e.g. Prometric. Completion is based on demonstrated competency, not seat time. WGU is a cooperative venture founded by governors of 19 western states. It is fully accredited. Since it receives some public support, tuition is somewhat less than the for-profit outfits like U of Phoenix and Leslie University. The University of Phoenix has a solid, though hardly "outstanding", reputation for offering fully accredited degrees via online and site-based programs. It is a very large school with a physical presence in most major US metropolitan areas in addition to its comprehensive virtual campus. It is run for-profit and its focus is mainly upon practical fields like business and education. As such, UOP relies heavily upon part-time, untenured faculty who are practitioners in their fields rather than the academic and research-oriented professors and TAs who typically teach at traditional institutions. The price that is paid for convenience is found in UOP's relatively high tuition and fee structure (presently $475/c.h.-undergraduate), but it remains one of many options that is worthy of serious consideration. Though less well-publicized, many traditional universities also offer fully online programs that are often accompanied by a greater prestige factor and lower tuition bill than schools like UOP. In the area of Human Resources, for example, Indiana State University (http://www.indstate.edu/degreelink/) offers a fully online degree completion program for the in-state rate of $208/c.h. or $2878/semester regardless of residency, provided no on-campus courses are taken concurrently. Kansas State University, UMass-Amherst, and Drexel are just a few among the numerous other schools offering online bachelor's degree completion programs in virtually every field with graduate degree programs likely even more numerous. Schools like UOP meet many learners' needs for convenient accredited degrees, but one should be as careful in considering among all of the degree program options available online as they would in considering programs in the brick and mortar environment.

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