University of Phoenix Reviews
University of Phoenix Online is the Largest Private University in the U.S and offers the largest number of accredited online degree programs of any online institution. Founded in 1976, University of Phoenix was one of the first accredited universities to offer online college education with complete degree programs via the Internet. Most students can earn a degree in as few as 2 years.
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U of Phoenix is a solid option
By Lane Zeitler - San Diego on
November 2, 2008
I was looking for a graduate degree program that was offered online but was not on the 4 week class schedule such as National University. National University I thought had a better, more accepted reputation as being a "real" school but the classes are done in a 4 week time frame which for me was just too rapid. I work around 60 hours per week and have a family. U of Phoenix offers similar programs as National but they do it in a six week time frame. Those extra two weeks really help. I am almost done with their MS in Psych program. One thing about graduate level classes is you get what you put into them. There are no tests like in undergrad. It is all papers and this degree program uses the APA style (yuk). If you really want to learn something with each class you will, if you want to just get by enough to pass and move onto the next class you can do that too. The graduate level classes are not cheap, about $1500 per class. Their Online Learning System (OLS) overall is effective in getting the job done but when I was deployed to Iraq in 2006 I took my first grad level class with them and that older version I thought was more user friendly. The online class room thing (whatever the heck it is called) DOES go down from time to time but overall it is not very often. I am in my 9th online graduate level class with them right now since mid 2006 and overall it has been a positive experience. I am sure their are many other accredited schools out there that offer a similar type of graduate level deal but my initial exposure to the U of P was when I got my AS with them in the mid 90's. I was already familiar with them so I decided to go back to them for the graduate stuff. It was just convenient to do so. They are not outstanding but they are accredited and most professionals know of the school. It works for me. The six week long classes are just the right length. Also note one thing, if you end up having a professor who makes you turn in your assignments on friday you can always withdrawl from the class and class right back up in a week or two with a new instructor. I had to do that. Who in their right mind can expect working adults with families to have 1400 word APA style papers ready to be turned in on a friday? I thought that was what weekends were for, to get the work done and then submit the final product on sunday or monday. Most of the instructors were cool and did not request the papers until sunday or monday. On a 0 to 10 scale with 10 being absolutely outstanding I would rate them a solid 8.
Potential Student
By Leah - N.VA on
October 30, 2008
I was looking to return to school over the summer and asked for more information from UoP. They called me some time after I already decided to attend community college and I told the person who called me my plans. He began to ask questions about how long the program is (Assoc. degree would be uh...2 years) and what I was doing. I said that UoP was too expensive and I was going to community college to get my associates and see what happens after that.
He proceeded to call me twice in the following two months, in which I repeated what I originally said. Since classes started in September, he now calls on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. It's completely turned me off and I have no desire to EVER go to a school where the employees harass potential students.
UOP is definitely NOT a place for "higher learning"
By Lynn - St. Augustine on
October 26, 2008
When I first started with UOP, I thought it was a great experience. There was rarely a night I didn't run in to site problems but this was easily forgiven as when there was a problem it usually didn't last long. The introductory classes were very thorough, the instructors paid attention to their classes, and my advisors were very supportive. Sadly, I have found that experience to be short lived. The classes often contain assignments that require prior knowledge of the subject (the text either doesn't discuss the material required for the assignment, doesn't explain it thoroughly enough, or doesn't give a coherent explanation). I have been lucky in that I chose a degree where I was already familiar with the material being presented, but deeply sympathize with classmates that don't have any prior knowledge of the subject as I can only imagine how difficult the work must be for them. Despite having prior knowledge myself, I too have ran in to difficulties in areas where I had hoped to gain a more solid understanding but have been left bitterly disappointed by the lack of clarity in the text. There have also been assignments that have nothing to do with the classes themselves. The instructors seem to only pay attention to their classes as much as they absolutely have to. Calls and emails to each of my advisors have gone unreplied so many times that I have given up trying to contact them at all. The only reason why I am staying in this program right now is because I can't afford to quit and go with a different school. Mind you, I'm not a disgruntled, failing student - my GPA is a 3.8 and staying there. I'm just frustrated that had I not had prior knowledge I would never had a chance at getting that high of a GPA no matter how much I studied. The chance to learn is simply not there.
While I'm sure this is a decent enough school for those who just need the paper to prove what they already know, I'm equally sure that this is a horrible school for anyone that is wanting to learn a new skill set. I'm very glad that I chose to go for an AS instead of a BA, and you can be assured that once I am done with my AS I will be looking to get my BA elsewhere.
Maybe it's different for other degrees. I don't know. I do know however that UOP is definitely not the place to go for anything IT (Information Technology) related.
UOP
By Chris - Philadelphia on
September 12, 2008
I have been attending UOP online for over a year and think it is a great school for working adults. I will be graduating in a couple months as long as you do the work you will be fine and learn a lot.
I like the program
By Carlos Borjas - Caracas (Venezuela) on
September 7, 2008
I think when you go to online studying, the most important part of your experience is yourself. What I am saying is that a great part of your success depends on you and your own motivation to effectively complete the program. I am just completing the management associates degree (Axia college of University of Phoenix) and enrolling into the psychology bachelor's degree program. It has been quite a challenge, specially because usually when you enroll at online programs like these is because you are occupied with other activities such as a regular job. So far, all my professors have had a great curriculum, very unbiased (important) and supportive. I recommend it.
Review of University of Phoenix
By Katie Worden - Rochester, NY on
August 24, 2008
I find that the distance learning program with University of Phoenix is a great program. I am a single mother and I work full-time and find that this was the only option I had to get a higher education. The classes are not bad at all and I find that the students are helpful too. I have always wanted to go back to college and I think this was the best way. Even though they are a little pricey, you do get what you pay for. The ability to work at my own pace and understand the work yet have the deadlines for homework works well for me. I have checked out other online colleges but they were very pushy and a typical sales person. When I was put in contact with a representative he was amazing. He told me about the school and he explained everything thoroughly to me. I had not made a decision right then and there and I eventually contacted him a few days later to go ahead. He helped me a lot through the first 3-4 months of school and then I was put in contact with my own Academic Advisor who has since been great too. I'll be sad to lose him once I go to my Bachelor's Degree program. But I have done distance learning with high school before so this was easy for me. You do have to have the motivation and have to self motivate yourself and the dedication to do something like this. It is not for everyone as I work with people who have tried this and it does not work for them. Everyone's learning curve and how they learn is different. I couldn't be happier with University of Phoenix and I can't wait to start my Bachelor's Degree!! =)
Business Management
By Torrie - online on
August 11, 2008
I liked the online learning format because I worked FT when I was getting my degree and didn't have to worry about attending classes at night or working classes in around my work schedule. I liked the fact that I could complete my assignments when I was able to - it might be at 6am or 10pm. I could take as many classes or as little as one class and still be considered a student in a degree program. I also liked the summer classes that were fast track (3 weeks in length). I just think the online degree offered so much flexibility. I liked the school because the advisors were very proactive. If you had a questions or needed assistance an advisor would call you within a day at home or at work. The instructors were also very helpful and readily available. If you needed something you could e-mail the professor and get an answer within a few hours. I think I would improve the way that the syllabus is set up for some classes that I took. When I start a class I like the syllabus to be laid out for the entire course so I can plan accordingly. In some classes, it was only a 2-3 week plan.
B.S. in Management
By Mark - Southern Colorado campus/online on
August 11, 2008
Having attended both conventional schools and distance learning, I can say that online is more difficult and requires more discipline. The classes are five weeks long, but they cram 16 weeks of learning into that time. Students were required to write at least two papers each week, one on your own and the other as part of a team. That's where the problems came in. Students are not permitted to choose their teammates. They are, instead, assigned by the instructor. This can often lead to one or more members of your team dragging their feet while the rest cover their load. This was easily the worst part of my UoP experience, since students on the same degree track often found themselves on the same team class after class. The good part is that the classes move very quickly and the books are almost all online. Even considering the extremely high tuition, I would recommend this school if you can take the pressure and have the dilligence to set your own schedule. If I were to change anything, it would be to lower the tuition to something more reasonable and to eliminate the teams.
UoP
By Paige - Tacoma on
August 9, 2008
Overall this was the first school I decided to go back to finish my BA after taking a leave of absence from school and I would not recomend it to anyone. It is highly expensive and you can get "more bang for your buck" at other schools. It seemed like they were always raising tuition to match whatever my Financial Aid reward was, so there was never any money to get books. Also, the degree did not increase my earning potential and I ended up with about $78,000 in debt. I am now attending Capella for my Master's Degree and find alot of the things taught at UoP aren't really seen in a favorable light by many teachers and students, it is actually a thorn in alot of people's sides. If I had a say I would recomend another school....just do your research.
BA in Psychology
By Christa - online on
August 7, 2008
I would reccomend the university of Phoenix to any student that can not physically go to class or that is worried about travel cost or just enjoyes learning from home! I am a single mother of two kids and it would have been impossible for me to make it to four classes everyday! University of Phoenix allowed me the freedom to learn when it was convinent for me and it took the stress out of getting my degree! There are tons of choices of degrees available and the overall experience was much better than my experience with brick and morter universities! The Psych program through University of Phoenix made my degree possible for me!
Bachelors of Science- Accounting
By Linda - Arizona on
August 7, 2008
My experience with online learning was positive. I found the majority of instructors to be knowledgeable and helpful. UOP has a very user-friendly online format that makes it easy for a student to check into the classroom, participate in discussions, and submit assignments. Additionally, the student can choose the best time of the day (or night) for them to attend school, making it ideal for working adults. One area of improvement that I noted when I attend several years back is that the student teams could use a more efficient way to communicate. Perhaps a team chat room, or a UOP instant messaging system. All too often students were exchanging personal information, such as work and home phone numbers to complete strangers.
BSBA
By Sarah - online on
August 7, 2008
My experience with online learning was great. It took me five years to complete my degree, so of course there were rough moments at times but overall I wouldn't have done it any other way. From what I have heard the drop out rate is high for people going exclusively online. So if you are thinking about it you really need to be a self-starter, motivated, and not the ultra social type who need lots of people interaction. One thing that I like about my school was that they were one of the first doing online learning. They are accredited and super reputable. I wonder when I see some schools being advertised that you can get a bachelors in 2.5 years what kind of quality teaching is going on. One challenge I had was the math classes. I am actually very good at math, but I realized that I missed having a teacher writing problems out on a board, so I missed the visual element with those classes. Another thing that I did not like about the University of Phoenix was that their academic counseling staff was changing all the time. So when new people were assigned to you it was annoying because they didn't know your case very well. They are on the expensive end, so I would make sure that you were committed to finishing. They do have options where you can earn credit from life and job experience which is also really helpful. Overall, I would definitely recommend the University of Phoenix to anyone thinking about online learning.
MBA Global Management
By Cody - Ann Arbor on
August 6, 2008
The whole experience was good for the most part. One problem is the team projects. U of P is not set up to cope with those team members who slack and are simply along for the ride. Another point to realize is that I have had several companies ask me if U of P is even accredited. This was almost shocking because I just spent 40k on a piece of paper. I really believe that had I attained my MBA from another college I would have a better paying job. I just had another interview today where the CEO automatically assumed that my degree was all online classes. If I had it to do over again I would have done my research and went somewhere else.
Associate of Arts in Communications
By Peter - Sandy Springs, GA on
August 5, 2008
I had a fantastic experience with my online education. I was very surprised how interactive the classes were. Instructors and classmates would gather in virtual classrooms for lively chat discussions. There was a virtual bulletin board for posting questions and questions were answered quickly. What I liked best about my school was the faculty were all leaders in their fields. Thay not only had academic experience but professiona as well. I know my online education rivals traditional classroom learning. I would improve the online support. I found myself unable to log into and assignment. The help desk numbers was slow to answer and took an very long time to fix my issue.
Bachelors in Business/Management, and MBA
By Carla - Online, but based out of Phoenix, AZ on
August 5, 2008
My experience with online learning was encouraging. I felt like I learned and grew from these programs; however, I have been unable to improve my earning capacity, am actually earning less than before I had my degrees, and now have $75,000 in studnet loan debt. I did enjoy the school and would recommend the format, but not if one is looking to make more money. The classes are usually small, 10-15 students, and 5 weeks or 6 weeks long. Each week is structured where you must log into the classroom several times per week to post responses as well as turn in writing assignments and power point presentations. Your instructor is like a mentor, providing feedback and participating in group discussions. They all seemed to grade fairly, provide useful recommendations for improvement, and got assignments back in a timely manner. Regionally accredited. The assistance after graduation would be what I would like to improve, some mentoring on how to best utilize one's degrees to advance in the workplace. Many employers view UOP negatively due to many degrees being obtained online.
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration
By Yohan - online on
August 5, 2008
I had a very positive experience with online learning, the University of Phoenix provides a very casual atmosphere that includes social interaction with other students online, and in a way that caters to whatever time schedule you may have. Another thing I really appreciated was their live graduation ceremony, it was worth the travel, and they definitely make it official. One thing that's very important that people may not realize, you will receive ALOT more work than you would at a physical school. It has to even out somewhere, you're already conveniently going to school from home, as a trade off for the convenience, expect a much larger quantity of work, for any subject! Perhaps if they could find a way to change that, more people would be on board, but it does ensure that only serious people finish it all up. The only other thing I can think of improving is the job placement system, I think increased employer partnerships could be of great use to the new graduates such as myself.
If I only knew then what I know now...
By Jounie - Alexandria on
August 3, 2008
...I would've stayed away.
I am scheduled to graduate from UoP in October with my Associate of Arts in Information Technology. I have not enjoyed this school and I strongly recommend all prospective students to do research before enrolling here.
First, let me point out some pros. The process for enrolling was pretty simple. I don't remember experiencing any problems. Financial aid was fairly straightforward and the finance department always notifies the VA of my status on time (never experienced a delay in VA benefits). You don't have to register for courses; they are all laid out for you in a schedule, so that's one less headache.
Unfortunately, the bad greatly outweighs the good. The cost of each associate program course is $975. The cost of a bachelor's degree course is just under $1500. That is a lot of money. You can find better quality schools for half that. You also pay $65 for each course that is called a "resource fee." I was told that this covers the licensing costs to use the textbook excerpts you use for your course. That's right; you don't even get access to the whole book. You only get excerpts. If you want to order the book, you are charged about $100 each.
I've had 4 finance counselors in the year I've been enrolled here, and I have only spoken to my academic counselor twice. The first time she called to incorrectly tell me that I was in danger of becoming dropped for lack of attendance, but quickly realized she had the wrong student. Speaking of attendance, you have to log in twice a week. To meet this attendance requirement, my class mates simply log on to the chat room and do "check in" posts which are only two words (checking in) and extremely annoying.
The assignments have not changed. How do I know this? If you copy and paste your assignment in to Google, you'll see answers to almost every assignment. This allows constant cheating and one of my own class mates admitted to me that he has cheated pretty much the whole year without getting caught. That's how I knew you could use Google to get answers to the assignments. The assignments are not challenging at all. In the past year, I can honestly say I haven't learned a thing here despite trying to.
Lastly, this school has a terrible reputation with HR managers and employers in general. My step-dad recently graduated with his Masters degree from UoP but can't find a school that will let him use it to enroll in a doctoral program. My former boss left my company to work for UoP as an admissions counselor and was able to earn his bachelor's degree from the school. I just spoke with him yesterday and he hasn't even been able to get a Help Desk job (considered entry level for IT). I've had little luck transferring my credits to several schools I've contacted.
I strongly suggest you do your due diligence and research this school before enrolling. Look at all of your options before making a decision on where to spend your time and money.
Best of luck.
Online - Negative Experience
By Chris - Florida on
August 2, 2008
University of Phoenix was a great experience at first, but soon changed after I saw that a faculty member had posted something very unprofessional on the wikianswer site because one of the students had asked a homework question on the site. I notified the school and told them that I felt it was wrong. In the beginning they couldn\'t believe it, but soon changed there toon and said it didn\'t happen. They started treating me badly and acting in a way I never thought any school would. I ended up telling them I wanted to withdrawl after the current class I was taking because of how they were acting and I that day I was locked out of my class, I contacted them several times to get the problem fixed, but they would not unlock the course (I still have all of the emails). Now no matter how much proof I give them they insist that I pay for a class I was only allowed to participate in for 2 days and locked out of because I pointed out something that was wrong. To be honest I thought I was doing the right thing by pointing it out because it could reflex negatively on them. I also did some research and there are many others like me who have had situations like this arise. Sadly, the value of a UOP degree is actually declining and I was told on an interview a few months ago that degrees from University of Phoenix are looked on unfavorably by many companies. I asked why and he said personally with his experience those with UOP degrees did not fair well against there peers. He said that my resume would get looked at more if I took the classes I had taken with them out. I have no idea if this is true, but it didn\'t make me feel good about putting them on my resume anymore. I would hate to think that people are paying thousands of dollars for an education that reflects badly on them.
MBA
By Cheryl - Online on
August 1, 2008
I am still working towards my MBA degree from the University of Phoenix Online (UOP). This institution is the leader in offering online degrees. What caught my attention to this program was the learning format. My specific area of study offers a team approach learning environment. In other words, you will constantly interact with your classmates from around the world. The professor will assign each classmate to a team. In return, the team choses a team leader and begins to implement a learning strategy to complete a specific course.
The only drawback to this model is that unproductive team members could receive credit for work they are not worthy off. However, that issue can be resolved because the team leader is responsible for resolving this dispute and can even recommend to the professor that the member be removed from the group. The institution gives you an email account and daily discussions are conducted through forums. You can always use IM for private discussions and to set up team meetings. I enjoy attending the UOP and look forward to receiving my degree from this institution. It is more costly than some of the institutions which I have attended in the past, but it's worth the money.
No Degree Completed
By Diane - Online on
July 25, 2008
I took three online classes through the University of Phoenix, all three classes had a majority of the grade based on “group projects.” In all three cases, there was an individual who contributed absolutely nothing to the project, but received the same grade as the others. When this was brought to the attention of the instructors, the response was pretty much along the lines that that is the way the real world operates deal with it. Needless to say I was not impressed with their systems.
Bachelor's in Law and Society from Penn State w/ transfer credits from U of P
By Sara - Phoenix and Pennsylvania on
July 25, 2008
I found my experience with both online schools to be quite good. They have really different formats--Phoenix is 1 class at a time for 4-5 weeks, Penn is a normal semester setup--but both worked really well for me. The biggest problem that I had with Phoenix was the group assignments. Working in a team tends to be difficult anyway, but working on a team online was incredibly trying. I ended up with really good grades though. With Penn State, school was a lot more difficult and required more studying and more attention to due dates. It seemed like the instructors expected more out of the students than they did with Phoenix. My grades dropped a little because of the shift in format, but I also got into the degree program that I wanted--one that wasn't offered at other online schools. I also like the way the program was setup online. It was a little more user friendly and didn't require any newsgroups or anything like that. I would recommend online school to people, but only if they are really dedicated to getting the work done.
B.A. in accounting
By Veronica - Online (based out of Phoenix, Arizona) on
July 24, 2008
The online experience has given so much flexibility for me to get my degree while I maintain my household and family. The network system for the school has proven to be almost flawless and reliable. If there is a problem, the technical support team is available for help. I have not had to contact the department more than twice in the last year and a half.
I like the out of classroom setting it offers since I work better by myself. The classes are five week courses so there is a vast amount of information given in a short time. This could be seen as a negative factor in the learning process but given the material to refer back to once class is completed helps refresh and give me a chance to continue to review and learn. I would recommend anyone to do online degree programs especially the busy homemaker or employed individual.
Majority of the classes are easy and the instructors are understanding, cooperative and knowledgeable. I had one tough instructor in the twenty four classes I am taken so that is not too bad. Even though I enjoy the short weeks, one more additional week would not hurt the learning process. Overall, I have enjoyed my experience with learning online.
Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration
By Bridget - Nashville, Tennessee on
July 24, 2008
I found the online learning process somewhat difficult. This type of learning environment is definitely not for the social butterflies of the world. For example: You are asked to create papers, and although there are numerous resources to help you expand on ideas, there is no “face time” with your instructors, nor your peers. E-mailing back and forth at different hours, and even days, can be most frustrating. I believe the instructors are very trained at adapting to the individual requests they receive; however, there is still a missing factor that does not take into account the “individuality” of the learning process.
I did enjoy the anonymity of the online learning process, and even found it enjoyable to be able to e-mail papers I completed at 1:00 a.m. or later. I also like the availability of the instructors; however, I believe a web cam would go a long way in overcoming the anxiety that I felt during the completion of my first paper. I would have felt much more comfortable with the whole process had I have seen my instructor’s face during my first few days online.
Tuition
By Angela - Greensboro on
July 22, 2008
I liked my experience for the most part. I would suggest that they offer classes without teams. The main thing they need to do is to lower their tuitiion. It is ridiculous. They have even increased all undergrad courses as of July.
Axia College of University of Phoenix: Associates in Business
By Richard - Phoenix, AZ on
July 21, 2008
The experience was great. The classes are structured and there are assignment due dates, but you can log into the forums at any time and complete work online in your own time. The one drawback to online learning overall (I looked at other colleges), is the cost. They are almost 3 times the cost as a traditional classroom environment. If it wasn't for the fact that my work was paying, I would not have been able to afford to attend. Lower the costs. Overall, it is great, I learned a lot and enjoyed it at the same time.
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