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Question about degree - University of Phoenix - Kind of Long
Hi Ladies, this is my first post on The Nest, and I have a question for this board.
I am in the process of finishing up my Associates degree at a community college. I am majoring in Marketing, with a specialization in Events. I am dead set on getting my Bachelors, but I am not sure how to go about doing that. Here is my situation:
I work full time as a nanny and take all online classes through my college. It works out great for my schedule. I graduate in May of 2013 and am getting married in Sept of 2013. I hope to begin my Bachelors program Spring semester of 2014. I cannot pay full time tuition unless I am working full time, and I avoid student loans at all costs (not a single one so far!).
So here is my question - I am considering The University of Phoenix to finish my Bachelors. They have 2 "campus" buildings in my area so I could take a few classes on campus, but mostly I will take online classes, so I can work full time also. I am worried that on a resume a degree from The University of Phoenix does not hold up against a degree from a more mainstream four year university. I dont want to set myself up for a tougher time competing for jobs.
What is your opinion on The University of Phoenix ? Would you "deduct points" if you came across that on a candidate's resume ? Do you know anyone that has a degree from them ?
TIA for the help and advice 
Re: Question about degree - University of Phoenix - Kind of Long
I would laugh my ass off if someone applied for a job at my school with a degree from the University of Phoenix. It does not have a good reputation and I would assume the person couldn't get into a better college, even if that's not true.
Depends on the job though. A nanny? I wouldn't care.
What metro area are you in? Maybe we can make some other recommendations for schools for you.
Univ of Phoenix is accredited... by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association, which many legit schools also belong to. I know that UP gets a bad rap... so let's see if there are any other schools that might be just as good a fit in your area.
I would also add that if your goal is to avoid loans, going to a traditonal school would be better. Often, for profit schools (like UoP) dont have funding options other than loans (no grants, scholarships, etc) and more often, they are more expensive than a traditional school. Students who have gone to for-profit schools have a higher default rate on their student loans, mostly because they take out sooo much, and are entering fields that dont pay off those loans quickly (coupled with a very competative job market). Their student resources arent as good as a traditional school, imo.
I personally think that for-profit schools are very predatory and rely on students who are uneducated about the education system in general or are naive about what they are getting into because there are much better options out there that are comparable.
There are lots of brick and mortar schools that have online, distance, or evening/weekend classes that are affordable and easy to use
Many people would judge a degree from there negatively, although not everyone. I personally wouldnt want to take that chance.
ETA you may also find that your associate's credits dont transfer, and you'd be more behind than you are now, wasting what you've already accomplished. If it were me, I would look for specific programs and see what transfers the most, with the most financial aid options and flexible classes that fit your schedule/life style. Talk to a couple schools/programs.
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Generally, U of P has a bad rep. That being said, I know 2 people with a BA/BS from there and it has not affected any part of their career. I also have a teacher who is currently going to UP for her Doctorate. However, they both got AA degrees (plus over 10 years in their field PRIOR to going to UP). One has their Master's from an on campus program. For these two people, it worked out very very well. The one with the Masters also has a lot more things on their resume that balance it out in their favor.
There are other college that offer online classes for a full degree that are not in the category of UP and other similar colleges.
I would look around. As the PP stated - some of your classes may not tranfer and it will put you behind. This will depend on your grade, the class comparison and whether or not the BA program requires it.
So many colleges have online options or hybrid classes. I'd look into it.
Good luck!!
Yes, I do not hold a degree from UP in high standard. I am in HR and higher education.
My biggest issue with UP is the cost!! 1 class = 1500-1800 depending on the program. If you are trying to work and pay as you go, you will be in school forever! As the others stated, look for the a brick-and-mortar school that offers evening/online/online-hybrid/weekend classes.
The cost for 2-3 state classes or 6-9 hrs is the approximate equivalent to the cost of 1 class or 3 hours at UP. My Masters was from a TX state school and 9 hrs graduate tuition was around $2700. A coworker was online at UP in a similar program and her tuition bill for 9hrs gradate was 4900!
G/L!
Also---super great advice from a pp to ensure your AA is a direct transfer. Most community colleges have a strong partnership with the larger universities and have course equivalent charts. Meaning 101 Eng at community college will be 1301 Eng at X University, or 301 Eng at X College and so forth.
My older brother (and sorry to say has a pretty big ego and thinks he's more intelligent and sophisticated than he is, as much as I love him) did a Masters program with UP...He's been trying for a new career for some time since finishing his degree, but he can't get an interview and he doesn't understand why.
A degree from an over-advertised and out there for the buck school like this won't do you much good. Employers will ask why you didn't try harder to go to even a communicty college or state school. UP will accept you because they're in it for the business, not the point of education.
Try other options first or you'll end up like my brother and people will ignore you.
I would never ever attend any for-profit school. It is such a huge waste of money. You need to see what sort of distance education/online programs are available at state universities in your state.
Better yet, consider taking out some federal school loans to attend a state university full time. College classes aren't just about getting credits for a degree. You need to network and go after internships, and that is far more likely to happen if your are attending school full time and face to face. You are only talking about two years of loans. I think the debt is worth it.
Me too. As a hiring manager, this may be a factor.
From these statements, I wouldn't go for it. U of P is expensive...
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Thanks for the answers ladies !
I didnt want it to sound like I am against student loans and more main stream schools. I spent 3 years of undergrad at The University of Toledo majoring in Education. It wasnt quite what I thought it was going to be, so I moved back home to save money and work on my Marketing degree.
I HAD to move home because I could not take out any loans in my own name, and I did not have a co-signer for anything past my freshman year. I was out of resources. So now I can take as many classes as I can pay for out of my pocket, which at a community college is a full time load.
I have worked hard to pay off the loans I accrued while at UT, and have now had the pleasure of realizing that my loans each month are close to a mortgage payment. I would like to be smart and avoid that as much as possible.
I hadnt really done that much research about UP, besides that they had a marketing program.
I live in the Cleveland suburbs, and attend Cuyahoga Community College (if anyone is from the area). The University of Akron has a great marketing program that I would love to apply for, but it is quite a drive from where I am now. I also am not quite sure where I will be working at the time that I need to start my Bachelors (so I am not sure where I will be living with my new husband or driving from), as the nanny job that I have now will be ending in fall of 2013.
I am just having a hard time figuring out my path I suppose. The road to Marketing is much different then the road to Early Childhood Education, and this is all new to me !
Thanks for all the help, and I appreciate any other opinions or advice
Well I can't speak on how a manager looks at UOP I will say that I am finishing up my Bachelors degree in Marketing their right now. I will be finished in March and while I have not looked for any other jobs at the moment I have never had a person interviewing me look down or not take me seriously.
I think you really need to take the time to look into all your options. I did that after I left a traditional college and found that UOP was the school for me. At the University of Toledo where I was at college before they did not offer a lot of online classes to allow me to work full-time to pay for college or any living expenses. After I got married and we moved to Dayton for my husbands job I looked into the two colleges in the area. They both did not offer any of my classes online and I was not interested in driving nightly to take classes after working full-time. For me I also found out the hard way that traditional classes did not hold my interest as much as the five week classes I am participating in online does.
So please do yourself a favor and while taking the advice from the other posters do not rule it out just because of the bad rap they do receive. You have plenty of time to look into different options and see what fits you best.
Good luck and if you have any specific questions please let me know.
Wow, there are so many misconceptions about for-profit universities and it is so sad! Yes, there are some bad apples, but please do your research before you lump them all together. Did you know that when they report default rates, they just consider loans that are not in repayment? So if I graduate from a for-profit and then enroll again for a Master's and put my loans in an in-school deferment (totally legit) this will count AGAINST the for-profit?
If you are interested in going to an online, for-profit don't be scared away! I've hired people with similar degrees and have found them to be top notch. Just make sure that the school is regionally accredited and that the PROGRAM is also accredited.
To the rest of you: please don't write off for-profits without doing your own research!!
As a hiring manager, I would much prefer a graduate of a traditional school. That said, actual experience is most important.
I am only familiar with schools in my own state, KS. Here, Ft Hays State University has 100% online courses. I'm sure there are many programs in other states that are similar and the cost is way less.
I've done my research, and I would never attend a for profit program either. Granted, I'm in the not for profit world, lol, so it would not make sense to.
From what I understand,t here are a few programs (like nursing) where there are good for profit programs. For the most part, run for the hills though.
To be honest, I don't know much about a lot of the stuff others have been discussing. However a few years back when I was throwing around the idea of going back to school, I mentioned UOP to my DH and he said "Heck no!". I asked why, and he said they (and other similar for-profit colleges) are known for sending excessive e-mail and spamming. (DH is a computer nerd so this is something that he takes an interest in). That would be another reason why it might not look the best on your resume compared to another college.