(09-05-2020, 11:02 PM)tjguitar85 Wrote: Follow up: I decided to do WGU, but I'm wondering if I've made a mistake to not consider Unviersity of the People. For my purposes, I don't think it would matter if RA or NA as long as the US Departmnet of Education recognizes the accreditation.
I suppose maybe WGU will go faster because half the courses are exam-based.
Yes, USDOE recognition is the minimum bar for any legitimate degree in the US, but don't underestimate the value of an RA degree. You never know what you may want to do down the line. For example, if you decide you want to pursue grad school, having an NA degree will limit your options a lot. It doesn't make things impossible, but you will find fewer schools will recognize your degree to meet entrance requirements.
As for exams going faster... in my opinion it takes at least as long to complete a PA course (papers, projects, presentations) as an OA course (exams) at WGU. While taking an exam usually takes less time than writing a paper, the diversity of study that is required to prepare for an OA (considering you can never be certain what will be covered on the exam) will take longer than the prep needed for the PA (since you are often writing while studying).
In my case, I found that I was able to complete most of my PA-based courses in less time than it took me to complete my OA-based courses (significantly less in a few cases). There were a few exceptions. like the capstone and a couple of others, but this held true for the majority.
Working on: Debating whether I want to pursue a doctoral program or maybe another master's degree in 2022-23
Complete:
MBA (IT Management), 2019, Western Governors University
BSBA (Computer Information Systems), 2019, Thomas Edison State University
ASNSM (Computer Science), 2019, Thomas Edison State University
ScholarMatch College & Career Coach
WGU Ambassador
Complete:
MBA (IT Management), 2019, Western Governors University
BSBA (Computer Information Systems), 2019, Thomas Edison State University
ASNSM (Computer Science), 2019, Thomas Edison State University
ScholarMatch College & Career Coach
WGU Ambassador