Ok, this may be the wrong place to ask, but i am thinking about going to this school.
I figured some of you guys might have degrees in computer science, and was wondering
if anyone has heard of Western Governer's University. www.wgu.edu Their online only and SEEM good,
here is the program http://www.wgu.edu/wgu/prog_guide/BS_IT_...

any thoughts?

split from here

You've probably already looked at this, but if not –

http://www.distance-education.org/Review...


eta: also, can someone break this down for me. Are online school degrees accorded much weight in the professional world? Is it worth it to do online schooling versus self-study?

In my experience, engineering/science degrees from online programs are not accorded much weight at all. The easier stuff like business and accounting are, but definitely not Computer Science. I would never want to dissuade anyone from pursuing higher education, but if there's any way to attend an actual University, you should aim for that. Another option might be to get an A.S. through an online program, then get the B.S. in two years via the traditional manner. You'd just want to make sure that the credits from the online program would transfer before pursuing that route.

I've been on both sides of the fence, and my online credits are next to worthless and left me with a gaping debt hole. Stay away from them, unless specifically offered by an established state, or community, college as an option alongside their standard curriculum.

I'm not sure that online programs are inherently less valued than "in the flesh" programs, it's just that many online programs are offered by schools that are not terribly established. Many top schools have online courses and you finish with a normal degree. I taught classes where we had some online students, and after they finished their requirements, they came out with a straight Master's just like anybody else.

As for WGU, I've never heard of it, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

I'm currently doing my entire degree online with UMUC (http://www.umuc.edu). They offer everything face to face, too, but I'm across the country (TX) distance wise, so online it is :). Online classes are also a lot more flexible with my schedule, but irregardless of the type of classes, I'll walk away with the same 4yr piece of paper as everybody else from the university.

For what it's worth, my experience has been that your degree (at least at the Bachelor's level) is only used as a litmus test, and that if you don't have one, your resume goes straight into the bin. Every employer, in the last 10 years, I've ever interviewed with has wanted me to have some years of experience in the field, and has wanted me to know how to use all the tools they use, the day I walk in the door.

To put it bluntly, if your school doesn't teach you using the tools that the market currently wants, expect a great deal of rejection in your future. Especially since the job market is flooded with people wanting work.

And yes, I'm currently unemployed, as the demand for my university vax/vms and solaris knowledge, or my extensive linux/perl/postgres knowledge isn't so high out here in Michigan. Most shops want Visual Studio .NET (C++ mostly, a small handful of VB/C#), and most of the failing manufacturing sectors want AS400.

YMMV, and I hope it does! :)

Hmm, I've never been expected to know specific tools, or even languages for that matter, other than perhaps the Big Ones (esp. C++). In fact, my university didn't even teach "tools", typically. I guess it might depend on what kind of job you're applying for.

I would suggest the gold standard of making sure you have a widely accredited college before reading any reviews.

Also, There are many full traditional universities that have online programs for a limited number of students per semester that are super high quality (and any time can be swapped out with a physical course load.)

Often times the practical value of a degree from a school can be determined by A) The knowledge and experiences gained and B) The credibility prospective employers give it. It's usually better it's a school they either have heard or can easily look up without seeing pages of comments claiming it is a fraud. ;)

I had the option of flying out to Arizona to a relatively unknown university, going to Philadelphia (Drexel), or staying in state (Rutgers/NJIT). I chose to take the route of working my way through college; first got my associates at a local community college and then transfered to the state engineering school (New Jersey Institute of Technology). I have been employed the whole time I've been in college and for the past two years employed as a systems engineer, software engineer and research assistant. Now, my resume looks good, but it has taken me the better part of a decade to get my undergraduate degree.

I started in September of 2004 and I'll get my B.S. in December 2009; with two Masters courses under my belt, running a university newspaper, and holding jobs all throughout. Personally I would not have changed my decision because I am only $40,000 in debt to college loans, and starting a business with some amazing people. So I would suggest finding the school that fits your needs and going from there.

Your life is what you make of it. Most people look at the undergraduate degree as a litmus test and generally you do not get to do anything interesting until you are in a graduate program (or if you are lucky as I was work as a research assistant). The more you actually do the better off you'll be. Five years after university nobody is going to look at your degree and everyone is going to look at what you did after your degree.