Sponsored Description: Founded by 19 U.S. governors to expand access to quality higher education, Western Governors University is a private, nonprofit, online university that offers three accredited MBA programs, with concentrations in management and strategy, IT management, and healthcare management. WGU’s College of Business emphasizes mastery of the skills and knowledge that are essential for continued advancement in the competitive business world. WGU’s unique competency-based model measures learning rather than time in a classroom and provides a relevant, rigorous professional education designed to enhance your job skills and prepare you for career success. Your progress is determined by your ability to pass assessments—tests, projects, essays, and task assignments—that measure your knowledge and skills in critical subject areas. Students who already possess the required skills and knowledge are able to leverage these competencies to complete assessments faster and accelerate their progress. WGU also gives you unparalleled flexibility and control over your education, a dedicated mentor committed to your success, affordable tuition, and a trusted, accredited education that is valued by employers.
Accreditation:
Regional Board - Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
This is a great online school. I joined this school in December 2011 for MBA. I am finding the course material and resources great. I don't expect any teacher to get involved in an online collage. I believe in self study. Hence I will comment only about the course materials which is great. There course structure is also good. One most important which people do not know is that this is an accelerated degree program. It means if you are willing and more committed than you can finish your 2 year course in less time. People finish this course often in 18 months and some in 12 months. The amazing aspect is that you have to pay your fee according to the semester and not according to credit hours. It means if you are very fast, you can finish your MBA in just 3250+200 = 3450 in six months. Basically they charge for each semester and don't restrict you to from taking multiple subjects in one semester. I didn't know this aspect till the time I joined this university. This is amazing and I am planning to finish this course in one year time.
As a professional with 10 years of experience I am finding course material and evaluation process very simulating and satisfying. This university is actually far better value for money compared to how it is appearing on this site.
The admission process for this university is also very simple and does not require any GMAT.I will suggest this course to anybody who just want to have a good recognized MBA degree in his resume.
The program's individualized schedule can be both an advantage and a challenge. Since students move through the program as fast as they want/are able to, much of the work is done independently. This is a great benefit to students who are self-driven and want to move quickly through the program.
Also, since so much of the work is done individually, students don't need to worry about coordinating assignments and schedules with a group.
However, the lack of a cohort and group interaction can act as a detriment to an MBA student. Students of the program do not have the same opportunities to build the network and relationships that they might at other schools.
WGU has an innovative method of achieving an affordable and accredited MBA by allowing students to prove their knowledge through competency exams. Only drawback is that the degree doesn't carry a specific business accreditation like ACBSP or IACBE, but with WGUs good reputation, that may still be a possibility.
I have heard good things about Western Governors University and many of my friends who have gone there said that they were impressed with the quality of their education. I personally think that it is convenient that Western Governors University requires proctored exams when other institutions do not.
Name: sal velasco
Post On: May 11, 2009
Grade: A-
I am mid career in my life. My goal was to find an online school that would be valued in the corporate world. I checked around to discover regional accreditation is required.
The program was somewhat difficult to start as each course is completely self study. You buy the books, write essays and take a proctored test. One item you will like is studying with a real world case study from Harvard and other universities and writing your papers on theory related to the case.
Once you get the hang of setting time to study, writing papers and preparing for the proctored exam then you will be fine. Be very sure you find a great place to take your proctored exams.
Initially, it is difficult to get all the materials in one binder to carry you through the course. Fortunately, you have to conduct a call every week with a competent mentor to guide you and there are specific school run blogs to help you.
I give the program an A- so far as it is not easy to press a button to buy and download everything I need to start a course. On the other hand, I save about 30% by shopping for books. One last thing: buy all the books for each course as the proctored exam will touch each book.
