Western Governors University: Legit Online Degrees?

[Connor]

Lately I stumbled upon Western Governors University and they happen to offer online degrees in computer science and they also offer a degree in cloud computing. I was wondering does this online university seem legit? They seem to be regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Besides that how would employers treat me different if I was to end up with a degree from there? How would other schools treat me if I decided to get a graduate degree someday?

 

[Vanadium 50]

You should read their Wikipedia entry and references therein.

 

[Connor]

Why is that? I'm assuming that most of you guys are against online degrees accredited or not?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Why is that?

Because there is useful information there, and it is faster for you to read what is there than for me to type it all out again and then to have you read it here.

 

[Connor]

ok?

 

[symbolipoint]

Lately I stumbled upon Western Governors University and they happen to offer online degrees in computer science and they also offer a degree in cloud computing. I was wondering does this online university seem legit? They seem to be regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Besides that how would employers treat me different if I was to end up with a degree from there? How would other schools treat me if I decided to get a graduate degree someday?

You can read a recipe and all the recipes you like. At some point, you must actually peel and chop an onion.

 

[Keith_McClary]

WGU is mentioned here:
https://tcf.org/content/commentary/need-retain-protections-scam-online-schools/?session=1

 

[Connor]

I read the article. So do you think WGU is a scam?

 

[symbolipoint]

WGU is mentioned here:
https://tcf.org/content/commentary/need-retain-protections-scam-online-schools/?session=1

I read the article. So do you think WGU is a scam?

Maybe he presented the article so you know of it and may read it. You can then decide if it is or is not a scam.

 

[symbolipoint]

I have now taken a look and partial read of that article, https://tcf.org/content/commentary/need-retain-protections-scam-online-schools/?session=1&session=1. Any online degree program as I can imagine, if it is completely online, will be missing some important instructional components. Must this be explained in some detail?

 

[CrysPhys]

I have now taken a look and partial read of that article, https://tcf.org/content/commentary/need-retain-protections-scam-online-schools/?session=1&session=1. Any online degree program as I can imagine, if it is completely online, will be missing some important instructional components. Must this be explained in some detail?

I read the article in its entirety. The core issue presented there isn't so much online vs. in-class as it is the degree and regularity of teacher-student interaction (which can be online). Note that the author of the article doesn't dismiss the possibility of effective instruction without teacher-student interaction. A key takeaway I got from the article is that, regardless of the mode of instruction, we need methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of a program:

" This isn’t to say, however, that fully automated education will never be up to snuff. The innovative computer-programs-that-think-and-teach are welcome in higher education now, both in concept and in practice, and are eligible for federal aid for up to half of a college’s operations. But before we change the law to allow for a college run completely on artificial intelligence rather than human teachers, we should get to know these automated surrogates better.
...

It is anyone’s guess how soon fully automated instruction will gain widespread acceptance. Maybe never. But to prepare for its possible arrival, we should gain experience with more robust and reliable systems of human peer review to test the rigor of our current college programs, so that if and when the robots arrive, we will be able to keep them honest. "

In the "...", the author discusses his proposal for program evaluation. In other words, we're back to the old adage, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" (my analogy, not the author's).

With the continuing chaos in education due to the lingering pandemic, various non-traditional modes of instruction will be executed, whether we like them or not. So evaluating effectiveness will be paramount.

<<To clarify: I'm not weighing in on the OP's question concerning WGU. I don't know enough to form an opinion one way or the other. At any rate, a deeper dive than this one article would be needed.>>

 

[Dr. Courtney]

My experience has been jobs in computer science depend more strongly on your demonstrated ability, and a degree from an accredited institution is just "checking the box" for the company hiring you. That is to say, the reputation of the school matters a lot less in computer science than in most fields of engineering and physics.

So the bigger question becomes, will you learn enough about cloud computing to be useful to an employer in the field? Other than the degree, how will you demonstrate your ability to potential employers? Internships? Completed projects? Released code?