Why I attend UOP St. Louis Campus
After some encouraging from my manager, I decided to check out some universities in the St. Louis area. I really liked the accelerated programs and that I could complete a class in 5 weeks. I liked that the class only met one night a week, which I thought would allow me to still spend time with my family.

What I do NOT like about UOP
I'm going to start with my complaints and what I consider to be the weaknesses of University of Phoenix in St. Louis. They advertise their program as a solution for the working adult "It's only one night a week". However, I have found this to be very misleading. It is true that you only attend class one night a week; however, because the course is accelerated you have an enormous amount of work to do between classes and even before your first class.

On average, I spend about 20 hours per week doing homework. In most of my classes, you will read what is equivalent of at least 3 chapters per week in a text book. You generally will write one individual paper that is somewhere between 3-6 pages every week. You meet with a team for about 5 hours each week, and I spend about ten hours doing work for my team assignments. Part of the team assignments includes a presentation, and sometimes multiple presentations over a five week period. The work load can be very exhausting if you are working 40 hours a week and spending any time with your family on a regular basis. I'm not sure how single parents do it, thankfully my wife is a huge help and support to me.

I have been going to UOP in St. Louis for more than 2 years and the rates keep going up. I understand that all colleges are raising their prices, but it is clear that UOP is making a lot of money (profit) on their students. By the time you pay for books and tuition, if you go all year you can expect to pay around $10,000 per year.

What I like about UOP St. Louis
While the 5 weeks are often painful, it goes by so fast that I have found I can tolerate it. I live my life 5 weeks at a time. A few times, I have been ready to give up after the second or third class, but then I realize I am half way done. I have found that I can endure just about anything for 5 weeks. The 5 week program is really great. I'm not sure if I would still be in attending a university if I had to attend for more 2-3 months.

I also like that I am only away from my home for one night a week to attend the class. Although I am doing homework the other six nights, at least I am at home. I also think that the four hours you spend in class are truly quality learning time. When you attend a traditional class for 1 to 1.5 hours an evening, you barely get into a subject and then the class is over. On the contrary, at UOP you spend 4 good quality hours learning what you are paying good money to learn.

This leads me to another important point. The UOP St. Louis campus is truly an adult learning environment. For the most part, your fellow students are mature and they are they to learn. What you talk about in class is generally relevant to what you do at work. There are many times that I have been able to take what I learned at school and apply it to my job the next day or week! Students are encouraged to talk during class and to share their experiences and knowledge with other students. Unlike traditional colleges that tend to be a lecture and take note format, the UOP classes are very much a participation learning environment.

I can also say that most of my teachers/professors have been very good. They generally know the topic they are teaching in the class room, because they have a real job doing what they teach. I remember taking an evening course at a traditional college, where the professor did not have a clue how do what he/she was teaching. It was difficult to sit and listen to someone telling me the text book way of doing something, knowing that in the real work world it did not happen that way. Thankfully, in the two years I have been at UOP I have never heard a teacher give a bogus text book answer that was not consistent with what goes on in the real world.

Conclusion
I think UOP has a good adult learning program with their 5 week/one night a week courses. However, do not be fooled by the marketing, it requires a ton of work during the rest of the week. If you can afford to pay the tuition, I think UOP has one of the better programs available in the St. Louis area.

Recommended: Yes