Capella University vs Western Governors University (WGU)

What Members Are Saying (AI-Generated Summary)

Members are discussing their experiences with Capella University's BSN-MSN program, including the number of courses required, the flexibility of the program, and the translation of points into traditional GPA. They also share advice on choosing specializations, arranging preceptorships, and asking questions about remote practicum experiences. Some users express concerns about changing specializations mid-program and the impact on GPA translation for future educational or employment purposes.

I'm wondering if anyone can give some updated light on which school (Capella vs WGU) would be better to attend. Are there discussion boards, group projects, and how many papers for each class?

Specializes in M/S.
On 8/4/2019 at 5:20 PM, Nurse Magnolia said:

Glad to hear this! I start at Capella tomorrow! Hoping to finish fast as I only need to take the 8 core nursing courses.

I am leaning towards Capella also but worried about having to find a possible field site myself. That is the only thing holding me back I started filling out the application but stopped when I saw a statement saying that 'field site' is the responsibility of the student. I am a travel nurse so I move around a lot.

Specializes in Informatics.
1 hour ago, Tonya Sori said:

Would it be possible to look at the breakdown of the classes papers projects etc . Trying to decide between Capella and GCU

There are 4-5 assignments for each course usually they are a 2-3 page essay on a given topic.

Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.
On 1/17/2020 at 5:05 PM, movano said:

Hi Nurse Magnolia I am trying to decide between Capella and WGU for my MSN in education. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi, I started Capella on Oct 7 and I have two classes left and expect to finish my BSN in March. So, 6 months to complete 8 classes. The program is very clearly laid out and you know what is expected of you. The only issue I've had so far with flexpath is that the official transcript is not translated into a GPA. I'm applying to NP schools currently and they required it be translated, so I had to call Capella and get a translated one mailed. No biggie, but I didn't know that ahead of time.

I am writing A LOT of papers. Usually, each class is 4-5 assessments and each assessment is on average a 3-4 page paper or PowerPoint presentations or video presentations. It's tedious. I'm doing a ton of research, which I guess is what BSN is supposed to teach me how to do. It's not helping my floor nursing job all that much. But we already knew that - A BSN does not make a better floor nurse. But, it will help me for research in my NP program.

I'm not sorry I chose Capella, especially since my employer paid for it 100%.

Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.
On 1/23/2020 at 11:44 PM, movano said:

I am leaning towards Capella also but worried about having to find a possible field site myself. That is the only thing holding me back I started filling out the application but stopped when I saw a statement saying that 'field site' is the responsibility of the student. I am a travel nurse so I move around a lot.

For the BSN? I haven't had to do a fieldsite assignment yet. We did have some clinical hours where we had to present a seminar to others, but those others could be coworkers, family, etc....Or you could go to a fieldsite. But it wasn't required. I have two classes left.

Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.
On 2/22/2020 at 2:35 PM, Levi Austin said:

I know this is an old thread but I was wondering anyone had a bachelors In something else prior to starting the BSN program. I also would like to know how are hard are the assessments. Any information will help .

I had two bachelor's in non-nursing disciplines before starting my BSN with Capella. All of the other classes transferred in so I had 8 classes to complete which took me exactly 4 months to complete. But, I worked on it pretty much non stop when I wasn't at work. It was a lot of work. Not difficult per se, but tedious.

The assessments are usually about 3-4 page length APA style research papers, powerpoint presentations, video presentations or a combination of all of the above. Most classes have 4 assessments per class, some have 3 and capstone had 5.

I did learn a lot about APA formatting and how to do research. I'm not sure that everything was applicable to my practice as a psych nurse but I was able to tailor my research to psych most of the time. I'm very glad this is complete and I'm moving forward now. I had no desire to get a 3rd bachelor's degree - but it was a means to an end for me.

Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.
On 4/25/2020 at 3:29 PM, PgrassRN said:

Are those other classes the prerequisites for the ADN/ASN? For instance, BIO 101, A&P 1 and 2, CHEM, MicroBio, Humanities, Statistics, Algebra, etc.?

I can't answer this part specifically, but I know several nurses who did or are doing the capella program. If you have another degree you will most likely only need to take the 8 core classes. My friends who did not have a degree ended up needing 9 or 10 classes after all of their other credits transferred in. It's individualized. I will say that myself and two close friends all finished the program in 4-5 months. I know many others who did it in 6. It's not easy to do, but it can be done.

Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.
15 hours ago, Lonnie48 said:

I see that this was posted last year. Did you enjoy using Capella's program? I am currently looking into it. Thx!

Yes I did. I ended up starting in October, and I finished my 8 BSN classes in February. It took me almost exactly 4 months to complete while working full time. There is a lot of work and a lot of papers, but there is enough information given to point you in the right direction. As with everything in college, a lot depends on your instructor. I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I'm done. I wouldn't do an MSN at Capella, but for RN-BSN I think it fit the bill perfectly.

Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.
On 5/21/2020 at 8:32 AM, MALR said:

Why wouldn’t you do an MSN at capella?

I think the RN to BSN was fine for what I needed it to be. However the program was very much a teach yourself program. I did fine, but the program was not challenging. I finished in 4 months. I just think for an MSN, a more reputable non profit school known for challenging students would go further towards employment opportunities.

There were several times in my BSN that I thought the instructors barely read my work. Other times instructors would be randomly difficult for one student and not another. The grading was not uniform across instructors.

I did flexpath for my BSN. It did exactly what I wanted it to do....I completed it quickly and without a lot of hard work...at least not compared to nursing school. It was a waste of a degree if you ask me and I only did it so that I can move on to upper level positions.

I personally wouldn’t do any for profit self paced program for grad school. WGU is non profit and I may consider them, but more likely if I go to grad school it will be at a brick and mortar school.

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
On 5/21/2020 at 9:26 PM, Lonnie48 said:

Would you keep us updated to your experience? I will not make this leap till 2021 so still undecided.

Just to update as promised: I am almost 4 weeks into the program and am starting my 4th course. I don't really know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't completing a course per week. But I'll certainly take it. ;-)

I currently enrolled in Capella's RN to BSN as well and so far its not bad. I chose Capella over WGU for GPA reasons.

Specializes in Psych, Case Mgt.

Hi,

Have been researching Capella vs. WGU and noticed someone earlier in the thread talking about Capella being more expensive. I just talked to them yesterday and was told they currently have a 30% discount for the entire RN to MSN program until the end of the year, so flex-path is $2015 per 12-week quarter...... Just FYI. ? (Could be for all nursing programs - not sure - but I am only interested in RN to MSN...)

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
On 8/23/2020 at 4:26 PM, NurseDep said:

Hi,

Have been researching Capella vs. WGU and noticed someone earlier in the thread talking about Capella being more expensive. I just talked to them yesterday and was told they currently have a 30% discount for the entire RN to MSN program until the end of the year, so flex-path is $2015 per 12-week quarter...... Just FYI. ? (Could be for all nursing programs - not sure - but I am only interested in RN to MSN...)

Yes! That’s the discount I was given, and now that I’m almost done with my 4th course since getting started, it’s actually a cheaper option for me. If I maintain my pace, I should have 7 courses done by the end of my first term. I’ve slowed my stride just a bit. ?

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