1 of 3: Application and Enrollment
Written: Nov 19 '01 (Updated Aug 11 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 99% online application and financial submission
Cons: Layout of site could be better, FAFSA PIN# required to digitally sign.
The Bottom Line: Thus far, I'm not terribly impressed yet I am not dissapointed. I'll see how things progress...
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| myoptical's Full Review: University of Phoenix |
My assessment of this school will be broken into 3 reviews:
1-Application and Enrollment
2-Mid-program assessment
3-Program completion (goal is 2-2.5 years)
This is the first of a set of review where I will narrate and offer my "epinions" about matriculating through University fo Phoenix's Online MBA curriculum.
As the largest private institution in the US, they have good support infrastructure. They are also publicly traded on Nasdaq (UOPHX). From researching into online education opportunities, UoPhx is on the forefront of true distance learning. There are some who believe that online education is nothing more than a "degree mill" and the quality of education is not the same as sitting in a class. If so, why are more and more institutions of higher learning including distance learning as an option? Is it a race to empty pocket books? Or is it an earnest attempt to engage in a new methodology of education? I'll tell my epinion... In this fast-paced, ever-changing economy, adults (not highschool graduates) are becoming desirous to further their education. From single-parent mom's to executives, the common thread is that the ability to drive to campus, spend all day standing in line to register, walk around getting classes setup, standing in line at the book store, driving back home, driving back to school to sit in class for hours, driving back home, driving back to study at the library (whether alone or in group study)....is not a feasible option.
I do recognize that distance/online education is in it's infancy; technologically-speaking. As technology continues to progress, we may one day have literal "virtual classrooms" where the professor is a live 3-D image. Until then, it still should not be discounted due to it's relative newness as an educational tool. Many elementary, junior high and high schools are offering online access to school materials and resources in a similar format. One of my coworkers had his daugher over for the weekend. She asked him if she could get on the net. She logged into her school's website, accessed a class and began to do some of her homework. He was flabergasted! She was only 9!
Now, there is a big difference between an elementary school kid doing extra work from home and earning a degree online. I'll admit that much. Personally speaking, I hated going to class. Actually my last 2 years of college I only spent 25% of my time in class; I simply didn't go. I showed up for the quizzes, tests and finals. This made me very unpopular with my peers and the Dean of Student Affairs at Huston-Tillotson College. The Dean yanked me into her office to inquire why I had over 20 absences in one of my major classes. When I explained to her that I had a A- grade and didn't need to be baby-sat, she left me alone. I'm a conceptual, reading learner and don't always need the kinesthetic or verbal to get the message. Give me the book and leave me alone! Does this online education fit my style of learning or what?! No more being held back by other students who are uninterested or not keeping up. I can learn it as fast as my schedule and brain will allow.
UoPhx does not require a GMAT score and only requires that, like other MBA and grad programs, you maintain a B average GPA or higher. When I looked at the curriculum of Kellogg's (NorthWestern) Tech and E-Commerce MBA they were almost exactly identical. When compared in price to St. Edward's University (located here in Austin) it is only $60 more per credit hour.
Application Process - Applying was 99% electronic. Signature pages (between 5-10) had to be faxed or FedEx'd in. The site was laid out alright, but I saw some things which would make navigation more intuitive. There were some discrepancies or clarifications in policy which I thought should have been better defined or easier to access. An Admissions Counselor will be your initial guide into University of Phoenix's (UoPhx) world. Ms. Carter was able to answer all my questions and address my concerns before and during enrollment into their Technology Management MBA program.
Financial Aid - Was also primarily electronic. Word to the wise. Go to www.FAFSA.ed.gov and apply for a PIN#. This will allow you to electronically sign your government financial aid application negating the need to print and fax. It takes up to 2 weeks to receive snail mail confirmation, so do your homework ahead of time. Financial Aid covers any possible expenses I could incuras a grad student, so I took out the max for the academic year. Their supporting documentation on Financial Aid was comprehensive and complete. Minor questions were answered promptly (less than 4 hours) by members of the Financial Aid staff; whether by email or phone.
Student Services - from the Services jump on the Student and Faculty Web, you can gain access to: Financial Aid, schedule and grades, ordering transcripts, update personal profile info (address, etc.), the writing lab, a Proficiency Assessment (required for all undergraduates) and a GPA Calculator. Publications gets to to the Course catalog, curriculum, Little, Brown Enhancements for writing, and a few misc. helpful tidbits. Tutorials are available on how to use the online functionalities.
The Library (online) delivers the following article/research databases to your fingertips from remote:
ProQuest®
EBSCOhost
InfoTrac OneFile®
ACM Digital Library
Alt-HealthWatch
CCH Health and Human Resources Research Network®
CINAHL and Medline Article Summaries
ERIC Resources in Education
Facts on File
Mental Measurements Yearbook
ProQuest Digital Dissertations®
RDS Business Reference SuiteTM
Want encyclopedias/dictionaries? Use Grolier Online, Oxford English Dictionary along with 5 other subject-intesive resources. There are also org directories, financial reports, country profiles and economic data resources. Now how is this a degree mill if they consolidate and streamline access all this digitized data? I'd like to think that the Information Age can assist greatly in improving the method and quality of education.
Classes typically last 6 weeks. Clearly defined tasks, assignments and milestons help keep you on track: minimum logins per week, required interaction, etc. Since this is unlike the traditional semester or trimester syste, an academic year consists of a minimum # of credits completed during a given week timeframe (~45). Your "virtual" classrooms are setup via Outlook Express (5.X or higher w/ IE 4 o higher) using folders and newsgroups. All students submit a personal bio to introduce themselves and their background to their peers.
Well, you'll see my next review soon as my first class "Managerial Communication" begins on November 29, 2001 and ends early December 2001.
FYI
While writing this review I was brushing up on my skills using the Skills Enhancement Center (SEC). It's required for all undergrads and I felt it couldn't hurt to put myself through some refreshers.
Critical Thinking, English Grammar - APA style, English Grammer - General, English Grammer - MLA style and Math are the topics. Each topic is complete with explanations, examples sub-topic level exercises/questions. After completing them all you can take the Proficiency Assessment System test. I aced the Math portion without studying. I went through each of teh English and Grammer sections though. I learned some new things. As when I was in college, online documentation was in it's infancy. The documentation of such information wasn't clearly defined yet. That has been long-since remedied and these exercises acclimate you how to use, cite and document them properly.
Happy computing!
John
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
myoptical
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Member: JOHN B. WADE III, all liberties reserved
Location: near Chicago, Illinois Republic
Reviews written: 59
Trusted by: 64 members
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