Western Governors University Reviews of Master's in Management

Like anything in life, you get what you put into it. I own my education and completed my Master of Science in Management & Leadership in 5 months from WGU. Although the proctored exams were rather anxiety provoking, I thoroughly enjoyed the course design and course rigor. WGU is definitely not for those who require constant guidance or handholding but for those who are mature self-starters who can manage time wisely. I am now pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership and I had no problem transferring my degree... Read More to my current university. I am also an online adjunct of business programs at another university and my WGU degree certainly contributed significantly to landing my current role. Don't expect to be coddled at WGU because you will fail. It's designed for working professionals, not whiny miscreants who feel entitled and want a participation trophy.

I started the program because the place where I was working at the time suggested that I obtain a Masters. I checked the accreditations of several colleges and settled on WGU. I was led to believe that I would probably receive a grant to cover most of tuition. If the university offers this be wary, they don't make the decisions on who receives grants. I was assigned a mentor who was relentless on assisting me throughout the program and even when I needed a break. I found the course videos helpful... Read More and beneficial. The course instructors, not so much until the last course where the professor was in fact a true teacher. If it hadn't been for her, I would probably still be struggling. All in all, the Masters Program was very good and similar to my experience during the bachelor program at Texas A&M in Texarkana. The question is whether or not the degree is accepted by other universities and employers. To my knowledge, the US Government accepts the Masters Degree but certain Texas County governments do not because they are looking for degrees from brick and mortar universities. All in all, this was a very good experience and I would do it again. If you are considering this school, pay close attention to the course video's attend all of the webinars as this is actual classroom study and look for key words to help comprehend the information presented. I recommend WGU.

I chose to attend WGU because of the flexibility and cost. It is not an easy program but who would want a MS that you didnt have to earn? My mentor was fantastic and I learned many new concepts. I saw several poor reviews; this was not my experience. I knew it would be a busy two years and planned accordingly. I spent every Friday working the program and would take my finals on Sunday mornings when my wife and three kids were sleeping. If you are looking for an easy quick degree, I would look elsewhere.... Read More If youre willing to work hard, can handle stress and timelines this may be a good fit. Its not for everyone.

I got a lot out of this program and believe it helped me get promoted into a leadership role within my organization and then again into a newly devised team. I found the classes similar to what I expected for this type of education. I also found them challenging and at times quite difficult, as I had with my brick and mortar undergraduate program. Most classes were self directed although there were always course professors/mentors available and each student is assigned a professional mentor (mine... Read More was also a professor in the business school). I think those who post negative reviews were probably shocked at the amount of dedication and focus required to achieve success. WGU is not easy and if you are not prepared to devote yourself to school full time, its linely not for you.

As others have said, WGU is a school for motivated, driven, and disciplined students. The courses can be intense, but the non synchronous structure is great for working professionals. My program mentor was extremely helpful in keeping me on track to meet my goals and to finish in less than a year. Course instructors were responsive and the webinars were useful. The entire experience was great and although it isn't for everyone, it fit my needs perfectly. The admissions counselor I worked with was... Read More a great resource in the beginning and reviewed everything thoroughly, they want you to know what you're getting into and what to expect. Like amy school, you get what you put into it. I have and will continue to recommend WGU to anyone who is willing to work hard and earn a degree.

I'm in my mid 30s and, until last year, I had come to accept that a bachelors degree would never happen for me, let alone a masters. I'm a dad with a full time job and couldn't put my family in 30k+ debt so I accepted my fate though I knew a degree would help my career in a big way. Then, last year, I found wgu and everything changed. I was able to complete my bachelors in 23 weeks and loved every minute of it. I was challenged from the start but being able to see an affordable and accredited degree... Read More on the horizon was my fuel. I'm now 1 month out from completing my masters and it will cost less than 5k for me in the end. If you're driven and really want that degree(s), WGU is your best bet.

I started WGU's Management and Leadership masters program because I knew that I would need more schooling eventually to further my career. It was rocky with my mentor in the beginning because unlike the mentors of some of the reviewers here, my mentor pushed for me to get things done too quickly. I ended up resolving the issues and it has been fine ever since. WGU is a very self-motivated school and requires you to push yourself in order to get through the content. This is obviously not for everyone,... Read More but I actually really enjoy it. I am currently finishing up the third semester of my program and it has already helped me to improve my skills as a supervisor/manager. Everything is very applicable and useful, which is nice. Whenever I study, I usually am able to apply it into my situation. The difficulty of the program is not extremely high. This could also be because I study a lot on the topic during my off time. I wouldn't expect to coast through all of the classes though. They are rather challenging and push you to actually know the content instead of memorizing vocabulary, which is where I believe most people are frustrated. College is not meant to be easy and you are supposed to be challenged. I haven't had a lot of problems with the exams or projects. The grading can be subjective from time to time but that is because of human error, which is to be found in any situation. I really like the affordability of the tuition. I have a newborn and live in a costly area (San Diego), so being able to attend school at a reasonable price is amazing. Overall, WGU has been perfect for what I need. It isn't going to be Harvard, but then again, the price tag reflects that.

Having just completed an MS in Management in Leadership in one year (almost to the day) while working full time, I thought I'd share my experience with those contemplating enrollment at WGU. For those who are self-starters, highly motivated and can set aside - truly - at least 20 hours per week for your studies, this is an exceptional program and a great way to earn an accredited degree. Everything I needed to know was provided in the form of online textbooks, journal articles and training materials.... Read More I found the exams to be challenging but fair, and papers were graded according to an objective rubric by a third party. My mentor provided guidance throughout the program and encouraged me to accelerate my studies - which saved me the $3,250 for an originally-planned third term. The tab for the entire degree? Just $7,000. By my reckoning, the Franklin-Covey training alone would have cost several thousand dollars and provided excellent, practical and highly relevant information (i.e., I was able to implement "The 4 Disciplines of Execution" - one of the many Franklin-Covey training programs, with great effect at my place of work). Solid experience and I'd recommend to anyone who is able to work independently and remain focused.

This particular degree is a new one offered from WGU, I believe I may be one of the first to obtain it. I have to say my entire experience with WGU has been stellar. You get out of the classes what you put into them; because it's online, it's self-paced. Don't do the work, you won't get the education it's that simple. My Student Mentor, an assigned person that stays with you throughout the whole degree was wonderful. She was knowledgeable and if she didn't have the answer she found out and let me... Read More know in a day or two. When I was in a hurry, she was in a hurry too. My classes were very relevant, timely and I did struggle through a few of them. The course mentor's were more than happy to help me when I was having difficulty. The statistics class was terribly hard for me, but the instructors took lots of personal time on the phone to help me understand the concepts. My entire experience was positive. The one and only thing that was not perfect was the cost of the tassel! They contract those kinds of things out and the company charged twice as much for shipping as the cost of the tassel! The program was scheduled to be for 24 months, but I did it in 11 months to the day, so you can go as fast as you want. My total for my Master's was $7000.00. I did not have to buy a single book, everything, including the camera for taking tests was provided. All in all, a very good experience.

WGU has been an amazing experience for me. I began my undergrad BS in Business, Marketing Management Degree program in January 2010 and Graduated in May 2012. I applied and was accepted into the MBA program and have just begun my second term.

I recently changed employers and was hired in at a level that I've been advised is "unheard of." In other words...there are plenty of internal candidates for my position but I won the job offer even in a tough employment environment. I definately owe this to... Read More the academic and personal development that I achieved through the WGU experience.

If you are self-directed and self-disciplined this school can help you achieve your goals far faster than a brick and mortar institution. I rate the quality of my education highly and have nothing but respect for WGU.