University of Phoenix MSN Program

Hi! I'm thinking about applying to UofP. I read that one of the admission requirements is to have a full-time job. How are the classes/lectures structured to make it possible for one to work full-time and take classes simultaneously?

I don't think you have to work FT, but you have to be working. You use work experience as part of school, you use it for credits, projects, etc.

I got my paper work accomplished and had to get a new counselor- been off since June-I am returning Nov. 11th. SHould be hearing soon what my first class will be???

When I completed the paperwork- in order for it to go through I had to inidciate that I work over 36 hours /week for my MSN-ed program.

Hello everyone! I'm really happy to have found this thread. This forum has always been helpful in my decision making from deciding to migrate and taking the NCLEX exam to finally making it here in the US! I used to work in England as an RN for 5 years in a specialized area called Infectious Diseases Unit. I now work as an ICU nurse in a LTAC hospital here in Los Angeles.

I will soon start my UoP MSN program on the 18th and I really appreciate all your input about the school and the courses. I guess I still have a long way to go but I'm sure 18 months would just fly by . I know it will entail a lot of hard work and discipline but I will definitely try and do my best. I will be frequenting this thread to hear more about UoP and your experience.

Kudos!

Congrats!

I'll be really interested to see how you like the program. I still haven't made my decision and won't until after January, so your feedback will be great!

-Emily

I completed my MSN through the Uop in July 2006. Yes, those 18 months will fly by!! It is a very faced-paced intense program, but one I truly enjoyed. The best advice I can give you is that you have the be very disciplined with your work - six weeks goes by very quickly and when you start a course you are already 2 weeks behind. It is a program that can be done. I was working full-time and have a family, so even though they felt slightly ignored, we managed.

The instructors were great, the discussions very interesting because there are people from all over. So, enjoy. If there is anything else I can help with, just ask.

Nancy

Checking to see if there are any students going to UOP - MSN currently or have you all graduated? I start the MSN ED June 30th. I was looking at another online school but chose UOP. Not sure how I will like the books online? How did you all do with not having the actual book in hand?

GiGI

Oh yes, there are plenty of us still plugging along. I started with the MSN/MHA program in July 2007. Switched to the MSN/Ed program in April 2008 because I thought that I'd be happier teaching. Yes, I enjoy teaching, but honestly, nursing administration is an area where I like the challenges and it pays better. (It's not all about the money, but you have to pay the bills!). So, with 5 classes to go, I realized I would have 5 classes left to get my MSN/MHA and have the dual degree. I just took a nursing managment position where I see myself working for a very long time. So, I am in the process of changing my degree program back to the dual degree.

Reading on the computer takes a little getting used to, but it's really not bad. I did buy the book for Economics because it was not my strong area. You'll find that most of your information comes from searching the web and researching journal articles in the UoP library.

Yes, it takes dedication to get the work done week after week, but the classmates are very interesting and I am happy with what I have learned. I was a little frustrated in the first few courses at the level of some of the students in the class. Didn't feel everyone was at a graduate level. But as I progressed along, I found that those students tended to drop off, and the ones remaining were strong teammates. (Learning teams are tough if not everyone has the same work ethic or quality of work handed in).

Good luck getting started. You'll only know if it's for you if you try it out!

JoAnn

Thanks for your quick reply. I currently teach at a community college - LPN students and love it. That is why I want my MSN to be able to do more with teaching. I have read a lot negative about these "teams" , how much of your grade is reflected by the team?

GiGi

Hi Gigi... I did UOP for both BSN and MSN... once I got going I went all the way... I would not have done school any other way... I LOVED the online format... are you on Facebook? There is a UOP application there too that people are "fans" so you can chat with other students there too. Books...well I am the type who doesn't like to read online books...one of the ladies I teach with went to UOP had a lot of the books I needed...but you can get books through Amazon...used copies are well priced...and then you can sell them back through Amazon... it is a fast-paced program (but I loved that classes didn't take an entire traditional semester like ground programs)... so you do have to be dedicated to the program. Support from your family is a must! There will be times you can't "go out" because you have to log into class or get a paper/group project worked on. But it's 2 years!! That's it! I took the Nursing education track and now teach in a nursing program at the local community college. I finished last Nov (08) but am headed to Phoenix in a couple weeks to officially "walk" at graduation... very excited about that. I agree with JoMom, a lot of the research you will do is found in the UOP library... some of the books for classes I barely even opened... which is why I sold them back on Amazon.

I hope that helps. I am so happy I went back to school at UOP!

If you get onto Facebook, check out the UOP group!

Team projects are pretty good... I have to be honest, you get good people and you get lazy people...but I had better success with teams at the MSN level. At the BSN level I think there was a lot of catfighting and I think people were just not cut out for the online environment. Going through the MSN program, I found people to be more cooperative and had less problems with groups. At the end of each class, the group is always swapped around anyway...you are never in the same class of people...because there are multiple classes of the same course starting at the same time. The facilitators (as the profs call themselves) say that they take into consideration (and grade accordingly) people in the learning teams who don't pull their weight. I really only had a problem with 1 lady over the course of 13 classes so that was very good.

I teach LPN students in the lab through the year and in the summer teach them OB at clinicals. My state (PA) board is cracking down on nursing programs...even adjunct clinical faculty MUST be an MSN or be actively working on their MSN. So going back to school is a must for those adjuncts who want to continue teaching.

I agree that sometimes you have to buy the text book, it is nice to have later on.

The teams do prepare you for life, usually 20% of your grade. I enjoyed the program I graduated 2006.