WGU pro's and con's thread

featherzRN, MSN · Oct 8, 2013

I'll play!!

Pro: Fast (if you want it to be and have the time), cheap, fully accredited.. and not overly difficult IMO. Having a student mentor to prod you along is a big help.. And everyone so far has been friendly. Did I mention fast and cheap? :) :) (three months and 3.5K for me - how can you beat that?). All materials (like if you have a lab class) and e-books are included in the price.. No extra fees like a graduation fee..

Con: Communities/forums are not much help (posts are censored and you get kicked out right after you pass), tests are inconsistent as to whether they match the materials provided and/or the pre-test (still quite passable, but they could be better), long grading times in taskstream which appear to be getting longer. Class mentors sometimes don't know enough to be helpful, especially if you get a 'new' class.

And yes, I hear the new MSN is a bear -one reason I haven't yet signed up. That said, I am a WGU cheerleader! I don't regret getting my BSN there for an instant.

Misskala · Oct 9, 2013

And yes, I hear the new MSN is a bear -one reason I haven't yet signed up. That said, I am a WGU cheerleader! I don't regret getting my BSN there for an instant.

Slight detour on this thread...but can you give a couple sentences on how the MSN program changed so to to make it undesirable? Thanks, and then you can go back to Pros and Cons :)

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Oct 9, 2013

The MSN program actually added the 'three P's" which are soon to be required of ALL MSN programs. The reason they have not been included previously is that WGU's master's in nursing degrees are non-clinical (education or management tracks). So there are now more credits required for the degree.

*Three P's are advanced patho, advanced pharm and advanced physical assessment.

This is actually a benefit if you are then going to go into a post-master's NP, CNS, CNM or CRNA program.

featherzRN, MSN · Oct 9, 2013

See the other thread on 'WGU's new msn curriculum' if you want more info on that program. I am not in it - I actually would like the three P's, but apparently there are some issues going on now regarding a few specific classes (not those). I am sure WGU will get them worked out, however! I do not NEED an MSN, so I am still on the fence. I may get the MBA instead. =)

And they changed ALL of the classes in the MSN, not just added the three P's. Course names are all different with new OA/PA's. I've been a guinea pig for a few brand new classes and I prefer to wait until they have the kinks out. :)

allnurses Guide · Oct 15, 2013

It bears noting that ANY institution of higher education that is of high quality is constantly reviewing and revising its curriculum to keep up with what is pertinent to medicine and the current market as well as evidence based practice.

schnookimz · Oct 15, 2013

I love WGU so far and would highly recommend it.

That said, I do find issues with typos in the assessments and that annoys me.

featherzRN, MSN · Oct 15, 2013

It bears noting that ANY institution of higher education that is of high quality is constantly reviewing and revising its curriculum to keep up with what is pertinent to medicine and the current market as well as evidence based practice.

/agree, and I do think it's a good thing to constantly update. However, I've been in a few brand new classes there that literally had a mentor hired the day before it started that hadn't even looked at the course of study. I made it through, however - and once they get the hang of those new classes I am sure it will be well. Can't imagine going anywhere else, that's for sure. :)

(also, in WGU's defense, I am not sure they expected anyone to get to those classes as quickly as I did =))..

MatrixRn · Nov 4, 2013

I received my MBA from them last year. I will play.

Pros

Cost

Convenient

Great mentor

Easy to use website

Structured format

I learned only what I needed to learn to achieve the goal

Worked at my own pace

No logging in to meet a class

No going to class

Webinars taped so can be watched at any time [i am a night owl....loved that!!]

All books included

Cons

None!

I am actually considering starting the MSN in Leadership in a few months.

pacnwRN · Nov 4, 2013

I graduated with my BSN in August-Pros:Work at your own paceAffordable tuitionConvenientBooks includedCons:Makes applying for other Grad schools a little more challenging if they have a GPA requirement and/or are competitive.Length of time for grading assessments seemed to increase during my studies, however was never unreasonable- only a slight annoyance