University of Phoenix for BSN

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Hi All

I am starting UOP on Sept 7th and was wondering I have seen the threads but haven't heard what people are experiencing in the workforce lately. Is UOP being scoffed at? Do you feel like HR dosn't look at your degree as prestigious as other ground campuses? Do you feel that it was way to easy? I am so afraid to get this degree and then be scoffed at while trying to advance and then be sorry I paid 45, 000 plus as I do plan on getting my Masters there also. Any input is appreciated.... thanks

Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.
Let me clarify - the basic consideration is NOT the method of educational delivery (online, classroom, webcast, etc) it is the quality of the curriculum & instruction. Commercial schools fall short because their primary focus is to return value to their shareholders or investors. Traditional schools have a different focus - sure, they need to make enough $ to stay in business, but they also have to maintain their academic reputations/prestige in order to continue to attract necessary funding & fulfull their missions.

Instructors at commercial schools are treated like temporary itinerant workers (academic sharecroppers) rather than educational professionals. They do not have opportunities to engage in scholarly activities or post-graduate development - they are paid piecemeal (by the course) & cannot deviate from the canned courseware handed out by the school. NOTE: teaching at a commercial school does not attract anyone who is serious about an academic career, because it's mere presence on one's CV can be a career-killer for other academic appointments.

Commercial schools do not have all the elements needed to establish or maintain the scholarly atmosphere that is really essential for meaningful graduate education. This is a crucial issue when it comes to Master's and Doctoral education. MSNs from commercial schools are not in the same league as those from traditional programs.

Advice to the OP - look for well-respected traditional schools (with regional accreditation) that have a variety of delivery methods, including online... most do.

VERY WELL SAID!!!

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Im sorry guys. I may have written my post wrong. I meant that my BSN will be 23,000 and probably the same for the Masters and I was estimating the toital would be around 45,000 when I am dont with my masters!. I know this is expensive and no I do not hav etons of money to spend however, considering that I am working full-time, and I do not have to be anywhere for class at a particular time, I do not have to pay for gas, I do not have to pay for all the books just a flat rate of 90.00 per class, No wear and tear or auto repairs, convenience of my program at my leisure, I can take up o 29 days off between classes or none at all, all classes are 5 weeks long by the time I get stressed the class is over. I just feel that there are alot of hidden costs also that we may not be looking at. I know this program is expensive compared to others but I feel for me it is conveinence and my ability to accomodate my family time and work with school. I am just questioning the thought of someone saying that the degree was scoffed at by HR. Of course I dont want ot do all of this and then feel insecure about where I got it from you know what I mean.

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IMO, even $23k for a BSN completion program is still highway robbery. There are much more reasonably-priced online programs out there, designed and intended for people who are working full-time (most BSN completion programs are based on that assumption -- that the students are employed full-time as RNs), that are offered by completely legitimate B&M schools with no potential "shadow" over them (i.e., not proprietary, for-profit, commercial schools).

However, if it makes you happy to pay a whole lot more for the degree than necessary, you're free to do so. That's what keeps UofP in business -- clearly, there are plenty of people who feel the same way you do.

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I also recommend Western Governors University or any other program where the cost is more reasonable.

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Specializes in Community Health.

Fronline: College Inc.

UoP has lost all credibility in the real world just by virtue of how it does business. The BSN program may well be legit but the name alone has a poisonous association.

Not to mention $23,000 for a bridge program is insane

sorry to be so blunt but they are con artists and I just hate to see people get ripped off :(

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Specializes in IMC/ICU/Med-Surg/Tele/Ortho.

I'm starting UoP BSN program in two days. My wife is as well. We just used the federal financial aid, which I guess Obama has taken over and now it is all backed up by the government? I think our BSN's will cost $24,000 combined...

But now I hear that Obama is going after all the "for-profit" universities, ground and online, and threatening to withdrawl financial aid from students who attend a program which does not meet 'to be determined' requirements... roughly 300,000 current students currently in programs may be in jeopardy... It's the "Gainful Employment" regulations set up by Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education under Obama...

For-profit universities like UoP and other could be hit hard, and students could potentially be screwed...

Anyone have any other knowledge?

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Specializes in OB, L&D, NICU, Med-Surg, Ortho.

I have been attending U of P for my BSN. I'm too far in to quit, but it isn't a school I would recommend. They tell you that it's "convenient" for the working person. It truly isn't.

Most classes require you to post two substantial posts on four separate days of the week. Substantial varies by professor. Usually means 100+ words and I have had professors require a peer-reviewed reference for each reply. If you work 3 days a week as an RN, you'll spend the other four online.

On top of those eight posts, you will be required to answer two "DQ" questions a week. These answers must be referenced.

So far..you're up to ten posts.

Each week you will also have a "big" assignment. This could be:

* creating a power point presentation of 10-15 slides with at least 3 references

* writing a professional, APA formatted paper of 1050-1500 words in length using at least 3 references

* creating a pamphlet

OR.. the cream of the crop -

You may have a GROUP assignment due.

Group assignments generally count for 1/3 of your grade! You will be grouped with 3-4 complete strangers who may or may not have any work ethic at all. The groups are the most frustrating part of U of P. I have had very few pleasant group experiences.

There is always the type "A" person who wants to micromanage OR

The no-show who waits until the very last minute to turn in their portion OR

The person who turns in a poorly written, grammatically incompetent piece that is unsalvageable OR

The foreign person who has not completely grasped the English language and can't put sentences together properly.

OR.. you could get lucky and get one of each in your group!

Did I say each week? Yes. Each week you will have to write a paper or do another big project. It truly isn't "convenient" for the working person. My friend goes to Univ of Jacksonville and she only has to post two days a week. She says they have video lectures to watch as well. There are none of these at U of P. It truly is self-learning with an outrageous price.

I will not be using U of P for my Master's Degree.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Let me clarify - the basic consideration is NOT the method of educational delivery (online, classroom, webcast, etc) it is the quality of the curriculum & instruction. Commercial schools fall short because their primary focus is to return value to their shareholders or investors. Traditional schools have a different focus - sure, they need to make enough $ to stay in business, but they also have to maintain their academic reputations/prestige in order to continue to attract necessary funding & fulfull their missions.

Instructors at commercial schools are treated like temporary itinerant workers (academic sharecroppers) rather than educational professionals. They do not have opportunities to engage in scholarly activities or post-graduate development - they are paid piecemeal (by the course) & cannot deviate from the canned courseware handed out by the school. NOTE: teaching at a commercial school does not attract anyone who is serious about an academic career, because it's mere presence on one's CV can be a career-killer for other academic appointments.

Commercial schools do not have all the elements needed to establish or maintain the scholarly atmosphere that is really essential for meaningful graduate education. This is a crucial issue when it comes to Master's and Doctoral education. MSNs from commercial schools are not in the same league as those from traditional programs.

Advice to the OP - look for well-respected traditional schools (with regional accreditation) that have a variety of delivery methods, including online... most do.

:yeah::yeah::yeah:

Very well said.

I am so happy to see that people are starting to realize that some of these educational options are not as high quality as others. For something as important as your education, you want to consider the QUALITY of the school you go to as well as the convenience for you.

A decade ago, there were few opportunities for BSN completion programs that were online, etc. The "for-profit" schools stepped in and captured the market -- often providing a lower quality education at outrages prices that seduced people into taking them because they seemed to fit their needs as working adults. But time did not stop dead in its tracks. The world has moved on since then. A lot of the "traditional schools" have expanded their options to include online classes, non-traditional schedules, etc. While there are always exceptions, as a general rule, such schools offer a better quality education at a more reasonable price. They also have better reputations among those "in the know."

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