These glowing reviews do not mesh with my experience. I did not find challenging course work or state of the art technology. The technology I experienced was crude (glorifed e-mail), poorly organized, and not well-supported.

The course content was worse: the learning objectives were not supported by the tasks, materials or tests. Indeed, some of the task prompts were not written in coherent, standard English. The tests were easy but rather random, often fixating on minor points at the expense of other more important concepts. For example, the test on teaching reading was basically just a phonemic awareness assessment. I didn't even buy the books and I passed.

Don't start me on the grading. All right I'll tell you the secret: the graders don't know jack (really they don't) so all you need to do is paraphrase some semi-related jargon from the Internet and if you don't pass the first time submit it again. Worked like a charm for me. One of my little offerings went from failing to a perfect score through the magic of grader shopping.

If you are willing to trade low quality for a good price and convenience, consider this program- it worked for me- but as you read the glowing reviews ask yourself whether they seem just a little too like the work of a marketing department.

Overall I had a fantastic experience at Western Governors University. The coursework was very challanging but flexible for those who can work independently and demonstrate competency. The online tools were state of the art, providing real time conversations with faculty and other students, along with the use of virtual classrooms and other online tools. My MBA has increased my band level at work, allowing me opportunity and growth I never imagined!!

I have been enrolled at WGU since January 2005. I am finishing up my last assignment currently and will then be certified to teach elementary school level. My experience with WGU has been exceptional. I will say that there are many changes with the school at this point, but the reason for these changes are due to the growth the university is experiencing.

The program is also not for someone who needs a professor standing over them telling them what to do and when. I have had no problems scheduling exams in my three years with the university nor have I ever waited two weeks for a response from anyone at the university. I will say that I have had a few mentors and my last one was not very helpful.

As a WGU student, I often find it necessary to call my mentor for advice and she is available to help me immediately either through online messenger, email or phone. I feel that as an adult student I am able to be successful in this independent learning environment and finding a great mentor was the best thing for aiding my success.

I have and will recommend this school to anyone who is an independent learner looking to accelerate through their program. I have enjoyed my time with this school.

I've been going to WGU for almost 2.5 years and just about to complete the program. For IT professionals who are self-learners with limited time to sit in traditional college or university classroom, this is the perfect program. The competency based learning model has allowed me to use my existing IT and work experience to take advantage of the program and accelerate my degree (I'll have a 4 year degree completed in 2.5 years).

Even if you need a little hand-holding (which is understandable for an online degree), WGU has mentors that are much more hands on then Universities counselors. They actually require communication every couple weeks and are there to help you every step of the way. Additionally, the work can be challenging and arguably more difficult then a traditional class as the range of what is covered is much broader. For example, in traditional college class you may take say Algebra I as a 3-4 SH class. With WGU, there's a Quantitative Literacy objective exam that covers Algebra, Statistics, Geometry etc...Very difficult exam that requires real knowledge of the subjects in order to gain competency.

I just completed my BS/marketing degree at Western Governors University. I completed the program in 3 years. I could have accelerated it a bit more but I took some time off for family matters. I was so pleased with the program that I have re-enrolled to begin work on my masters program. I did extensive research before I began an online degree program. I found that Western Governors University was the option that most met my criteria, they are NFP and fully accredited. I had a great mentor who helped guide and prepare me, I had no problem getting quick responses or feedback. I think in today’s techno savvy world, online degrees are becoming more and more acceptable.

Every brick and mortar university that I am familiar with offer online courses, and most offer full degree programs. Your human resources departments are fully aware of online programs and the merit of their content. Just make sure you choose a good program! I found some of the course content extremely difficult and other courses were extremely easy. I found a direct correlation to my existing experience in the business world. If I already had experience or expertise in the subject mater or partial subject matter, the course was easy and went quickly. I can honestly say that some of the newly acquired knowledge has already been useful in my current occupation. The Western Governors website says that they consider a B grade passing, anything below that and you must take the assessment again.

The study guides are very broad and general, you are forced to learn much more than what is on the exam. Most other traditional classes I have attended actually focus more about what is on the actual exam. I suppose this is Wester Governors’ way of making sure you have subject matter competence. If I were forced to say anything negative regarding Western Governors University, it would be about the exams. When they are completed, you receive your score (usually within 24 hours) and a noted pass or fail. You are not given any feedback regarding wrong answers. I always wish I knew what questions I marked incorrectly so that I could continue to learn from my wrong answers.