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+--- Thread: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy (/Thread-27-credits-for-150-The-lowdown-on-WGU-Academy)
27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - MNomadic - 05-08-2019
After this thread: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-WGU-Academy-Transferable-college-level-courses
I spoke with a representative from WGU Academy and he was tremendously helpful and willing to answer every question I had. It does seem that it's just rebranded straighterline with the addition of the required PACA course and some IT cert courses. If someone wanted to go with straighterline and happened to need the courses offered, it seems like it would be a good economical way to achieve that goal IF they were able to go through the courses in 1-2 months. I also think that if someone already has background knowledge/experience/aptitude with IT subjects, it could be a cost saving way to get their CompTIA A+ cert IF they could get through it all within 1-2 months. Obviously, choosing WGU Academy for the purpose of just getting a cert or some credits does come with the caveat that you have to do the PACA course which involves weekly live sessions that are scheduled, phone calls and some assignments, none of which is worth credit.
Quote:We are pretty close to the same set up as Straighterline, but our cost is better because we don’t charge per course, just the $150 per month, no matter how many courses you complete or resources you use. As for your main question, you can stick with the IT track, but you can add any course onto your time with Academy without switching to a different track. Here are all of the courses we offer and obviously, some you know are already in the IT track:
English Composition I
Communications
United States History
Introduction to Sociology
Introduction to Statistics
Introduction to Biology
General Chemistry I
American Government
Psychology
MTA Software Development Fundamentals
MTA Networking Fundamentals
MTA Database Fundamentals
COMPTIA A+
Precalculus- you could take this course, but it is meant to meet the admission requirements for the B.S. Computer Science and does not transfer for credit.
Also, with the Certification courses, we will cover the cost of one certification exam (2 for the CompTia A+) so if you wanted to do other certification courses, you would need to go out-of-pocket for the other cert exams.
Quote:As for English being required, if you already have it, we will waive that as a requirement. We do not want you to have to retake anything!
Quote:You are correct, all competency based, self-paced, and PACA is the only course that is not exactly self-paced (due to the weekly sessions).
Also, yes, you can work on everything at the same time, we don’t want anyone to waste time waiting for the next course to open!
RE: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - dfrecore - 05-08-2019
That is a really good deal for some people, and the credits are from an RA school.
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Just read the FAQ, it is not accredited! So you can't transfer these courses anywhere other than WGU.
It's kind of sneaky, but at the same time, if you were already planning on going to WGU, this might be a good option.
RE: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - MNomadic - 05-08-2019
Q:
Will my Academy courses transfer to other schools?
Quote:Yes, in many cases. Through our partnership with course provider StraighterLine, most Academy courses have been reviewed by the ACE Credit Recommendation Service. ACE CREDIT’s College and University Network is a group of more than 2,000 higher education institutions that consider ACE credit recommendations for transfer to degree programs. Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) and CompTIA certification courses for the WGU IT school receive credit in transfer to WGU, but are not yet currently eligible for the ACE network or an ACE transcript.
RE: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - jsd - 05-08-2019
(05-08-2019, 02:22 PM)dfrecore Wrote: So you can't transfer these courses anywhere other than WGU.
WGU or other places that accept ACE recommendations
RE: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - dfrecore - 05-08-2019
(05-08-2019, 02:59 PM)jsd Wrote:(05-08-2019, 02:22 PM)dfrecore Wrote: So you can't transfer these courses anywhere other than WGU.
WGU or other places that accept ACE recommendations
I couldn't quite figure that out: so are they on a WGU Academy transcript? Or do you send them to ACE from WGU Academy? I'm totally confused by this.
RE: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - indigoshuffle - 05-08-2019
Sorry, but what is PACA?
RE: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - MNomadic - 05-08-2019
(05-08-2019, 03:18 PM)dfrecore Wrote:(05-08-2019, 02:59 PM)jsd Wrote:(05-08-2019, 02:22 PM)dfrecore Wrote: So you can't transfer these courses anywhere other than WGU.
WGU or other places that accept ACE recommendations
I couldn't quite figure that out: so are they on a WGU Academy transcript? Or do you send them to ACE from WGU Academy? I'm totally confused by this.
That's a good question.
(05-08-2019, 06:54 PM)indigoshuffle Wrote: Sorry, but what is PACA?
"
Program for Academic and Career Advancement
PACA101
The Program for Academic and Career Advancement (PACA) course helps students develop vital skills for academic success that can also translate to achievement in their career. Focusing on building self-reflective awareness, students examine how their own behaviors and mindsets influence their ability to attain their goals. Utilizing the skills and strategies learned over multiple online sessions, students will create a plan of action that will help them to move forward on their student and professional journey with confidence and persistence."
RE: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - jsd - 05-08-2019
(05-08-2019, 03:18 PM)dfrecore Wrote:(05-08-2019, 02:59 PM)jsd Wrote:(05-08-2019, 02:22 PM)dfrecore Wrote: So you can't transfer these courses anywhere other than WGU.
WGU or other places that accept ACE recommendations
I couldn't quite figure that out: so are they on a WGU Academy transcript? Or do you send them to ACE from WGU Academy? I'm totally confused by this.
Sounds like you're just sending a straighterline transcriptpt: "Through our partnership with course provider StraighterLine, most Academy courses have been reviewed by the ACE Credit Recommendation Service"
RE: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - dfrecore - 05-08-2019
(05-08-2019, 09:25 PM)jsd Wrote:(05-08-2019, 03:18 PM)dfrecore Wrote: I couldn't quite figure that out: so are they on a WGU Academy transcript? Or do you send them to ACE from WGU Academy? I'm totally confused by this.
Sounds like you're just sending a straighterline transcriptpt: "Through our partnership with course provider StraighterLine, most Academy courses have been reviewed by the ACE Credit Recommendation Service"
So this is just a cheaper way to get SL courses? Ok, well I do like that option, if someone wants to take a bunch of SL courses. Unfortunately, you're limited on which ones you can take, so it's not like you can load up on them - a lot of people will already have some of those particular courses. But it's still a nice option.
RE: 27 credits for $150? The lowdown on WGU Academy - akr680 - 05-09-2019
Q:
Will my Academy courses transfer to other schools?
A:
Yes, in many cases. Through our partnership with course provider StraighterLine, most Academy courses have been reviewed by the ACE Credit Recommendation Service. ACE CREDIT’s College and University Network is a group of more than 2,000 higher education institutions that consider ACE credit recommendations for transfer to degree programs. Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) and CompTIA certification courses for the WGU IT school receive credit in transfer to WGU, but are not yet currently eligible for the ACE network or an ACE transcript. Which courses are transferable is ultimately determined by the receiving school and any articulation agreements it has with other course providers. Because WGU Academy is primarily set up to articulate with WGU, if your primary goal is to attend some other school, make sure the courses will transfer. An Academy Enrollment Counselor may be able to help, but we can’t make specific promises about other schools’ transfer policies.
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https://academy.wgu.edu/program/it