How does University of Phoenix work??

medicrnohio, RN · Feb 27, 2005

Call and talk to one of their admissions counselors. They are incredibly helpful and very nice to talk to. They spent 45 minutes explaining the program to me last week. Here is what I understand it to be. Each class is 5 weeks long with a week break in between. You only take one class at a time. Clnicals are done as projects, case studies, etc as part of your job. There are no outside clinical requirements. The cost per credit hours is $400. (I think that is what it is. I could be wrong.) All of your classes are online and you need to log in 4 or 5 days per week to your classroom. Sounds like an interesting program to me.

Trauma Columnist · Feb 27, 2005

I did the BSN completion through UofP and it is very easy. You do have to remain focused though and have the self-discipline to log in and participate though. The five week classes go very fast. I was in a hurry to get finished though, so I skipped many of the one-week breaks and doubled classes in order to finish in 18 months. The clinicals are 110 hours total and do involve some outside work, but not much. For instance, in my community nursing clinical, I rode a couple of shifts with our crisis mental health worker, for my family nursing clinical - I interviewed a neighbor family. It was all stuff that I arranged though. As I have had no experience with EC, I can't say one is better than the other. My understanding is that EC is a self-study, self-paced. UofP is not. However, I know that EC is not accepted in Illinois and I wanted something that I could build on. I'm currently doing the MSN through UofP and will finish in June. Patrick (one of the other moderators) is also in the UofP BSN completion program. He'll be along soon, I'm sure.

Jo Dirt · Feb 28, 2005

It is very very expensive. By the time you spend the money to pay for the so-called convenience, you could pay for several semesters at a local college, and it doesn't matter what Phoenix graduate tells you otherwise, a degree from a regular college will ALWAYS look better than a degree from the U of P.

Trauma Columnist · Feb 28, 2005

LPNtoRN - since this is a thread about how UofP works, I stand behind my statements. I know (by looking at your public profile) that you are pursuing an EC degree. My remarks were not meant to incite an EC versus UofP war.

Jo Dirt · Feb 28, 2005

Well, I wasn't saying one was better than the other, only in the terms of cost.

Sorry about that.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2005

The University of Phoenix is a good program, and is indeed marketable as there's a shortage of BSN prepared nurses in some areas.

The cost is outrageous I agree. I chose another online program because it's cheaper than UoP. However, the local college is indeed about three times less. So I'm paying a high cost for the conveince of not going to class or clinicals they send you to. It's worth it to me.

Sorry, off topic, as the o.p. was asking about how UoP work. Sorry. :)

sockov, ADN, ASN, BSN, CNA, LVN · Feb 28, 2005

Thank you everyone. WOW. 5 weeks per class! That seems fast and that it would totally stress me out.

Wonder why EC does clinicals and UoP does not. (in that "clinical" type way)

Trauma Columnist · Feb 28, 2005

There is a difference between UofP and EC. EC - is self-study, while UofP is classes that are a set time. It's just a matter of preference and what your state accepts. Some states do not accept EC because of the "no clinicals."