Western Governors University Reviews of Bachelor's in Small Business Management

"I transferred from a community college (didn't earn Associates). Most classes were accepted. Only non-degree related courses weren't transferred. I just finished my 2nd term for the Bachelors in Business Management. I really enjoy this school. I work 48 hrs a week, have a 6 year old daughter, and own a house. Due to my schedule traditional schools weren't realistic options. This format is great for me. I have my regular counselor that I speak with weekly. Her role is essentially to support, motivate, plan my curriculum, and help me navigate through the several resources available to me. I'm the type of person that doesn't need much outside support so our conversations are short, but whenever I do have a question she is able to answer it. She also responds to emails in a timely manner. Every course also has several mentors associated with the course. These are the mentors that help with your studying. They have previously recorded content, usually powerpoint presentations, covering every module of the course. They also offer live webinars and cohorts. The text book is also there if you wish to just read it yourself. I usually utilize the powerpoint presentations and the text book. It has worked well for me. These mentors send emails offering there services. It's up to the student to utilize them. The courses that require tasks use a third party called taskstream. The assignment is submitted and graded in taskstream. I feel they are very thorough when grading, which I like. When I did my first task I thought I did a good job, but I had it sent back with comments. For the most part I did a good job, but there was one section that they wanted me to improve on. I can see people being annoyed by that but I personally like it because I feel a great satisfaction when I submit a task and it meets there high standards. A course will usually have two tasks. A task is broken down into about 6 or 7 sections. Each section is graded on a scale of 1 unacceptable - 4 exemplary. There is no way you pass the task if you have less than 3 on any section. You can have all 4 and one 2 and you won't pass. When a course requires a test you use a third party called Proctor U. A proctor monitors you via web cam. Before you take the exam you have to show id, answer security questions to further validate your identity, and use the camera to scan the room you are in so that they know that no one else is there with you. It seems a little over the top but I appreciate the thoroughness. I haven't failed an exam but my toughest one was the last one I took this morning. It was Integrated Sciences. I thought this course was pretty cool because it contained aspects of physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and earth sciences. It focus on how all of these sciences connected, such as gravitational, magnetic, and electrical force, weather on rocks, photosynthesis, ecosystems, planet formation, stars, nuclear fusion, and so much more. I really enjoyed that course. There were over 50 videos because there was so much content. The exam had 65 questions but it was actually over 100 because many questions had different questions within them. Sorry for the long post, I'm just very excited and happy with the program. I hope others enjoy it as much as I do."

"First, I have to say that Western Governors is not for everybody. Because of the nature of online learning, you must be a self starter and able to learn on your own. While there are many options available for you to get additional help, this program really requires a lot of self teaching. Also, the reviews I have seen here in regards to the student mentors have been completely opposite of my experience. My student mentor has been great! When she sees that I have passed a final she sends me an email of congratulations even in the middle of the night! I am very appreciative of her help and consistency. She calls every week right on schedule and pushes me to finish ahead of my schedule. Now that I have gotten that out, I'll share some more about my experience. I attended a brick and mortar college to earn my associates several years ago, and I can say without a doubt that I have learned more in this program than I did in the previous school I attended. I also have found that the information that I have learned has been very valuable in my current profession and I have been able to have strong, competent discussions with others incorporating the knowledge that I have gained through my degree program. I have even had conversations with other college grads who didn't learn some of the concepts that I have had to tackle. I researched several colleges before choosing WGU and spoke with their representatives. I also spoke with other WGU graduates before making my decision. One of the best things about WGU is their policy of not making you re-learn concepts that you already know. Although I did not have a full formal education, I have held some high positions in several companies and had to teach myself much of what was required for me to complete my job duties. Because of this, many of the concepts in my program I already knew and was able to move directly to the finals and pass the classes. I greatly appreciate this because sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecture on things I already knew would have been a huge waste of time for me. I haven't graduated yet, but will be shortly and am very excited to do so. To sum this all up I just want to re-state; if you are a self starter and have the motivation to read textbooks and learn on your own and at your own pace, you will enjoy WGU. If you are not and need more personal time to grasp concepts then WGU may not be the place for you."

"Western Governors University sets it self aside for other universities by offering a convenient new approach to continued education and its focus on providing the necessary resources to ensure every student succeeds. Being a full time working parent, it would not be possible for me to attend other universities because of my daily commitments and constant traveling arrangements. However Western govern university offers amazing flexibility in study times and the ability to study from anywhere with a Wi-Fi signal. Additionally WGU provides each student with their own student mentor who touches base with them on a weekly basis, this ensures that its students stay on track with their goals and have a source of knowledge for just about everything to do with their education. With no hindrance to studying and the wealth of information at my fingertips, I now have a clear path to my degree goals with no doubt that I will obtain them."

"BACKGROUND: Previously attended two nationally ranked highly recognized traditional state universities as a full-time on-campus student. Initially concerned about attending any on-line school due to being uncertain about quality of education. Now attending WGU as on-line undergraduate business student. WGU MODEL: Business program at WGU is top notch and easily competes with quality of education from traditional business programs. WGU online model is centered on student demonstrating competency in their field of study by completing online objective assessment / exam for each course. Student completes online objective assessment while being monitored live by a third-party proctor via web cam with audio. WGU KEY STRENGTHS: 1) Students are required to complete minimum of 12 credit hours per semester and pay only a single flat rate regardless of how many more additional courses are completed within the semester - in other words, once student has successfully completed the objective assessment / exam they can jump right into completing another course within the same semester for no additional cost! 2) There's no required homework - seriously! Students are given the material and resources needed to prepare for completing the objective exam / assessment and are given the freedom to self-determine what learning strategy / schedule best fits their needs. Another way to think about is, WGU doesn't worry about assigning homework because at the end of the day it's up to the student to prove they know the material by successfully completing the objective exam. 3) WGU gives each student a specific mentor to provide regular guidance and support (sometimes includes a needed kick in the butt), and the same person (mentor) stays with the student throughout their entire degree program. Mentor is someone who is also a professional within the student's chosen field - typically has at least MBA in addition to having real world experience. 4) WGU is cheap compared to other 4 year accredited universities (full time student typically pays $3,000 per semester). Overall WGU provides high quality education, provides the student greater flexibility on scheduling, and is cheaper than most other 4 year accredited universities. Would highly recommend Western Governors University to anyone. Overall"

"I was skeptical at first, however I'm glad that I took the plunge and continued my education with WGU. I went into the program with an AA and finished in about 9 months. I put in lots of hours to finish in that amount of time. The coursework was not always the easiest and the only complaint I had was with one course, QUAT, which was not written well and had poor mentors, however in any school you will find those instructors that are not the best. This program is cost efficient compared to other programs and I really liked the fact that I didn't have to depend on others in a group setting to get a passing grade. I could complete the courses at my pace. If you are motivated and put the time in you can complete the degree a lot faster than you could at a traditional school. I'm in the process of enrolling in one of their Master programs. Would recommend to anyone that has the self discipline and motivation to get a degree without having to pay a fortunate or be tied to a group."

"Earning my degree was challenging! But worth it! And I was able to achieve this goal with the help of Western Governors University. Seriously! The support and communication that I had with my student mentor was outstanding. She was my cheerleader. As a matter of fact, I just received a card from her in the mail; checking in with me to see how I'm doing....and I graduated two months ago. I did not have this kind of support at the last university I attended. I also had a great experience working with the finance department, tech support, and course instructors. I always got a quick response when I was in crisis and needed help. Trust me, when your computer is having technical issues; or you are stuck on a Statistics equation; you are in a crisis. Most importantly, I had all of the resources available to help me be a successful student."

"Having attended both traditional brick and mortar college to obtain my AS and now WGU for my BS I can say WGU does a great job of preparing students for the real world. At work I do not have the option to have someone walk me through problem solving. When I have a project or issue I have to find the answer quickly and put the information together in a package that will be easily understood and accepted. The is classes at WGU prepare students for this type of work. No one is going to hold your hand and tell you how it should be. The information is presented to you and it is up to you to decipher and interpret it. My degree has filled in the gaps of my experience and education and made me a much more rounded individual. I use some of my new skills on a daily basis. I highly recommend WGU to anyone who is motivated and disciplined."