Western Governors University Reviews of Bachelor's in Healthcare Administration

"I enrolled at WGU with high hopes of bridging over to my Bachelor's degree. I went through 3 program mentors. Two of them were useless babysitters who half the time never showed up to the meeting and when they did, it was nothing more than a babysitter check-in. While taking my Foundations in Healthcare Data Management class in my second semester, I ran into some issues. I failed the final once and used what little the results showed to study in the areas I lacked. Took the exam a second time and it was completely different. Failed again and noticed the weighting of each category had changed. It was not the same as the first in which categories were the percentage of questions. I met with my Course Instructor and explained that some of the scenarios came off really gray or didn't make sense and it was very hard to determine, even using the process of elimination. She advised she was aware of this issue and went on to explain that final exams are created by an outside firm WGU contracts with. This firm, however, does not use subject matter experts. She stated that this had been brought to "higher management" at WGU by several CIs but nothing was done and the CIs were not given a copy of the exam nor the questions. I did the course feedback survey as my CI advised. She then also stated that some students took up to 6 tries to pass this final and there are other courses she knew that were like this as well in my program. After 3 tries, WGU makes you pay for each additional exam retake. I brought these concerns to my Program Mentor, Jessica, who advised she was going to investigate as she had no idea how the finals were created and had never heard of this. She acted outraged and understanding and asked me to focus on another course while she looked into it. Weeks after being told this was being reviewed she advised she spoke with her manager who stated the CI must be "bitter" over not being involved in creating the final exam. I explained that was not helpful and encouraged them to find a way to fix this. For multiple weeks she avoided our bi-weekly meetings stating she had internet problems and never rescheduled. Stating we would just meet at the next scheduled bi-weekly. Finally, I emailed demanding an update as we were not 3 months into the issue and had no resolution. She advised "investigation" was a strong word and started back peddling everything she had voiced to me on our phone call. I was advised that the curriculum was under review as it was due for it. However, they still refused and avoided any review of the final exam. I heard from another student that they had a similar issue but the school offered the student an option to do a paper instead of an exam. I've never even been given the option. This school is a rip-off. This is how they make back the money you think you are saving. They take no accountability and refuse to address issues. When you review a paper with the CI they tell you what the school is looking for. The CIs are just figureheads and have no say in material or tasks either. DON'T waste your money!"

"Overall, I rate the school a 3. I think that most students paint this whimsical picture of WGU because, essentially, you can complete as many courses in a term as you can pass, but the whole picture is diluted by this image. [Personally, I have been accelerating as well, and averaging about 2 courses per month. By the end of my term, I will likely have completed 40 credits, and 50% of my program. So, I expect to graduate in 2 terms. Do I think that it is possible to complete my specific program in one term? Yes, I do, but you would have to have a very strong foundation in most of the material, and be ultra-focused without distractions to write the number of papers necessary and study for exams. Its kind of strange, actually, to hear of people who complete 30+ credits in just one month, but I won't speculate.] What I will say is that the courses are not presented to you in such a way to make learning the material effortless or ideal for self-teaching. I mean, I have had maybe three courses where there is really nothing the school could do or not do that would make the course difficult to follow, but I can't say that about 98% of the courses. Often times, the material is vague, there isn't any learning resources to guide you or interpretation from someone with expertise, no study guides to focus you on specific information, and the instructors and mentors don't usually add value to your experience as a student. My last statement is subjective, because for some reason, some students justify the mentors' job because they call you weekly to check your progress. Personally, that doesn't add value to my education. Mostly because I am self-disciplined and take initiative without the oversight of a supervisor (which is necessary in the real world, especially management) and because having someone micromanage your progress in college is strange as an adult anyway or as a student in the US; it's not really a thing. I mean I run my own schedule, home, and family; I don't need someone to check on my progress, but hey. I have no issues with picking up the phone and playing along, but when I have really tried to take their job seriously and use them for their purpose, it was a joke. I think what most students would really appreciate is more interaction from the school and that is blinded by this mentor thing. They would add value if they were subject-matter experts to my actual program and could answer course questions or degree specific questions, share what worked for other students, etc. They usually can't even answer program specific questions because they have degrees not related to your program, for example a degree in nursing when my program is health information. Also, sometimes it feels as if you are paying the school so that you kiss up to the mentors and instructors. Anyway, I could overlook any of this if the instructors were useful. Imagine starting a course that you have zero experience in and there is nothing within the course except the textbook and instructions for your assessment. It's even worst when the instructions are vague or missing information that is necessary for you to succeed. The school will say to make an appointment with your instructor, which I think is code for we want to slow down your progress because even though we market for acceleration, this is still a business. [sorry?] Most people don't care because they only want a degree, but it is not a question that for me I must complete a course with the satisfactory feeling that the school has given me everything I should know. Literally, there are courses with textbooks that are missing the rest of the sentences, or that vaguely explain terms and concepts. I even had a course that initially I felt great about because it appeared interactive, but I soon discovered that the school had not updated the software and when you filled in answers they wouldn't save or some right answers would be marked wrong. Can you imagine an instructor saying, oh btw don't use the interactive text because it's not programmed to work? Now, I do not know how much power the actual instructors have in designing the courses, but I have had an instructor that made it seem as if they had full authority over how the course was presented and their course resembled that of any other online university course from any public or for-profit school. WGU presents most of their courses in a correspondence structure, where you do all of this god-awful reading and then test or complete essays that don't really have a significance to the field you'll work in or at least the assignments aren't tied together, they all just seem randomly selected. There is rarely student interaction as well, even the facebook groups act as if they are scared to really share information like any other normal school. The courses need a lecture, whether the students want it or not. A good presentation of new information would include a lecture, so that you understand why you are completing the assignments that you are completing. Tie it in with real-world application. Can you pass the assignment without a lecture? Yes, but you're being cheated as a student. WGU doesn't care because they base what's working on how many students are passing, and the majority of vocal students don't care because they want to get on with it and complete the degree, so that is the culture. So, I rate the school a 3 because as a working adult and provider, I am able to finish my degree sooner and take care of my family; they accomplish that mission. However, as a student and consumer, I feel that their standards are low and other students are too busy raving about how quickly you can move through the degree to even care about rallying together to make WGU truly topnotch. I have taken online classes in public state universities and you could say that they were presented in a correspondence structure as well, but they always had lecture videos or notes that provided interpretation of the information presented to people who have never seen it before. After attending my first term, I'm not sure if students brag about accelerating as a way of encouraging other students or if they are trying to say, ha! WGU take that! I recommend this school if you can overlook these things because you are smart enough to pass anyway, can't afford a 4year university, need to get promoted, and REALLY have the time to take advantage of the ability to accelerate. I don't recommend if you already need academic accommodations or have a learning disability [ I can't speak on how much support they provide students who need additional accommodations, but students without the need already get virtually no support, so it's a gamble 50/50]. Lastly, if you can't realistically accelerate and will likely take one course per month or longer (you have to know yourself-if you want it bad enough you'll do it, but if you give up easily, it's something to reconsider), just take your courses at a JC and/or public 4-year college. You can take your time and you'll get a lecture and instruction in a small class. I have invested and completed at a really good pace, so I will see my degree out, but I likely won't return for a master's."

"This university is amazing but not for everyone. You have to realize what you are signing up for. Competency based education means more personal accountability and less help from professors. You have to be comfortable studying material and looking for answers yourself. I loved the model and the flat rate tuition. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is perfect for working adults trying to finish their degree and boost their career."

"WGU is a wonderful institution. Initially when I started my search I was a little skeptical of enrolling in an online university but after researching WGU's credibility and accreditation I was satisfied enough to start there. The program has been exceptional. I had the best student mentor and course mentors. The faculty was always there when I needed and many times went beyond what they needed to help me. It was like I was learning one on one. This program is phenomenal for people who are disciplined and can hold themselves accountable for their work. You can move on to the next course when you're ready and don't have to wait on a curriculum, teacher, or another student. Thank you WGU!!"

"I attended WGU, a completely online program for my bachelor's degree. At first, I was a little uneasy about not having that face-to-face contact with instructors and peers, but how WGU lays out the program and the different ways to connect really impressed me. Each student gets their own mentor who calls weekly to check in and to make sure the student it staying on task. They are also the gatekeeper for any questions you may have about course work. This was great for me! Knowing I had someone calling me on a scheduled day and time really kept me working hard. WGU also has online community board where students working on the same class can go and post questions or just vent. I may have not taken the "traditional" way to obtain my BA but it was a great experience and was well worth it."

"This program is difficult because of the amount of applied math involved. That being said, there is no reward without hard work from the student. Love this University. Attended brick and mortar for my first two years and this was a good transition. Not for the traditional student. If you have work, family, obligations, and can discipline yourself to put in the hours and effort, then this will be a good experience."

"This program has great potential, however please make sure you get a mentor that communicates with you. Mine had me on the wrong version of a test twice and when it was realized the university did not give me extra retakes for the exam. She also failed to mention the school's policy on how many times you can attempt a test despite my asking her. Then when I called to withdrawal from the university because of the situation, she told me I would get a refund, but was mistaken about the policy and when I called in to get my refund from the school I was told that "she knew better than that" and "couldn't have told me that". This came out to around $600. As long as you don't trust anyone at the school and look up all of the information yourself, you will probably be fine, but don't expect to get good use of your money by communicating with anyone at the university. Also, while they offer many cohorts and webinars, their harder courses don't offer any supplemental help aside from the text, so make sure to be good at self teaching yourself for an exam that has very vague parameters on what to study. I highly recommend you switch mentors if you have the mentor E.W. as she caused me to have a very bad experience at this university."

"Went from a 2 year brick and mortar community college to WGU. Impressed by the support, great, caring staff and management, and the quality of the program. REGIONALLY accredited, for the most affordable price, especially if you are one that can advance in your studies. No Regrets At All. My best experience so far are the great mentors for the courses and my current mentor. Mentors help to understand, hold me accountable, and help to keep me focused to succeed. I recommend WGU to everyone who is looking for the alternative to brick and mortar. 100 percent. Thanks."