Pros and Cons of University of Phoenix online?

Question

I am considering attending the University of Phoenix online due to a full time job and not really wanting to go back to a traditional 4 year college. However I am very skeptical of the whole online degree and need some opinions please.

Answer 1

I'm skeptical of an on-line degree, and so are many employers.

I'd suggest contacting some recruiters or employers first about the job prospects, should you get the degree and should you not. I did that with one online school (the recruiter the school claimed to have links with), and they basically told me that the promises were all nonsense.

The main advantage of university is making connections. If you want to be a doctor or lawyer or teacher, of course you need a degree, but for many fields, a degree on it's own doesn't mean much.

You won't usually get a great reference from a professor who's never met you, and you'll miss out on the great contacts many people make at university.

I personally don't like the subjects taught at U of Phoenix online, but strangely there are others I would consider. I'm considering Open University in the UK because I like what I learn there, and even if it doesn't increase employment prospects, I like the sense of achievement that it promises. However, if I could afford it I'd prefer something on campus.

Answer 2

There are no pros -- there are only cons.

The University of Phoenix is a For Profit corporation that accepts nearly all applicants. Most of the faculty are part time. The university is locally accredited -- but the bar for that is pretty low. It lacks any kind of prestigious national accreditation. A recent NY Times article pointed out that they have not applied for it because they know they would be turned down.

The University of Phoenix was recently fined a record $9.8MM by the Department of Education for sleazy recruiting practices. They are currently being investigated for padding their placement numbers.

The NY Times article also points out that many companies -- like Intel -- refuse to pay for their employees to take classes at The University of Phoenix because their program is not rigorous. Many employees will not take an online degree seriously.

Given that the U of P charges more for tuition than most good state universities, going to U of P would be a horrible decision.

Answer 3

From what I've heard from many employers, friends, co-workers, etc. is that it's generally a bad idea. I recruit for a large company and some people consider it an "easy way out" for getting a degree. I looked into doing it online and eventually decided to do it the traditional way. It's hard (I too work full time and I have a child), but there are ways (I chose a school with day care for example). A lot of schools now have "accelerated adult programs" too (evening hours, shorter semesters, etc.).

Basically, employers want to see that you put in the time and dedication to obtain an education, not just a degree...does that make sense? You learn not only through exams and writing papers, but through classroom discussion and interaction. It also shows you took the time to arrange your life for this...you made an education a priority. Employers will expect the same dedication to their companies. I am not saying you will not receive a quality education there...I'm sure they have great teachers/programs, I am only passing along advice I've gotten. Good luck...you can do it!!

Answer 4

I had the same issue a couple months ago. I work full time and have a very high mortgage to pay. What I ended up doing was this: taking a half day on Thursdays and taking one night class and one online class. I am almost a full time student (11 units) and yes, the load is steady but I actually prefer my campus classes to my online class.

My schedule is:

24/7: Math class online
Thursday 1:30-4:20 Humanities
Thursday 6:00-8:50 Speech

Personally, I give people who are educated online less credibility as well.

Answer 5

I have a MAED from the University of Phoenix. It is one of the recommended online universities where we can get a masters' degree in B.C. and our training is extremely rigorous. Though UOP is a university for profit, I found the courses very time consuming (my GPA is 3.93) and I geared what I was taking to what I was doing. It helped me land a great job and it will allow me two avenues for retirement, both of which I can do together.
I personally think a person needs to think of what they want and if you live many hundreds of miles from a campus, like I was, it is an answer to furthering your education. Also the courses were all delivered unlike one university I looked into where you paid for course work you never took. Maybe in the USA you have more options than we do north of the border.

Answer 6

Online schooling is a great way to obtain your degree while still working. My friend did online classes to further her career. She attended a college in another state that had the courses she needed.

The one thing she really liked was the teacher would ask a question and you didn't just hear one persons answer you got to read several answers, as everyone had to answer each question. She felt that this gave her a better understanding of the subject.

Best of luck.

Answer 7

I tried that route and frankly I didn't learn a thing in the few courses that I attempted other than how to write a paper quickly. If you want to get a worthless piece of paper quickly, UoP is for you. On the other hand if you want a serious education that will command a measure of respect, look elsewhere. For the record, I work full time as well, I just manage to fit the class time into my already busy life. It can be done with a little effort.

Answer 8

145

Answer 9

I interview people all day long. When I talk to someone about their degree I personally think an online degree is less credible. That's just my perception.

Answer 10

The University of Phoenix is not worth it!! Please do not go to this school!! There are so many better choices out there!! Check out this website before you make your decision!

www.myuopmistake.com