ASU(west), U of PHX, or Agrosy? (Phoenix: credit, loans)

[jacie316]

HI! I'm looking to go back to school next year for an undergrad Psychology degree. I'm currently deciding between ASU(west campus), Univ of Phoenix, and Agrosy University. They all seem to offer good programs but I'm not sure which would be best. I'd like to start some online classes this fall and then start full tiime on site next year. I wouldnt be living on any campus, so the social portion or scenic area isnt that important to me. What is important to me is having a school that has a good support structure for students, and which school looks best on a resume!....any thoughts?

[blisterpeanuts]

For what it's worth, there's been a lot of discussion here about U. of Phoenix; do a search. Opinions range from "They have a bad rep, stay away" to "I spent a lot of money on U of P so I have to defend them" or "I got a degree and then a good job".

Bottom line is, you do sort of get what you sign up for. U of P is a cookie cutter "chain store" approach to education that doesn't impress too many employers. ASU West is in danger of closing because of spending cuts. Even if they stay open, they're talking about doing very silly things such as closing their nursing program and masters of education.

Argosy sounds like an interesting program except that they have this weird policy linked to their front page:

Argosy Education Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively “AEG”) comply with laws and regulations and are committed to protecting and respecting consumers’ rights to privacy.

AEG maintains a record of the name and telephone number(s) for consumers who do not wish to be called. Upon request, consumers’ telephone number(s) will be added to AEG’s internal Do Not Call List within five (5) business days of receipt of such request. This record will be retained for at least five (5) years.

So, they were annoying people with their telemarketing efforts and got slapped with some kind of restraining order, or something? Doesn't sound like a not-for-profit educational institution.

I would recommend you look into ASU and U of A for more mainstream, well established programs. Best of luck.

[observer53]

I would stick to the mainstream as well. I'd never heard of Argosy until this thread, and UOP does have an "uneven" reputation.

ASU West may be undergoing some changes, (the nursing program is at ASU Downtown, not West, BTW, but that doesn't directly affect you) but I think they are talking less about closure. There has been some talk of spinning West off into a truly separate college as well, but that, if it happens, is off in the future somewhat. I would go ahead there if you are staying in the Valley.

[azriverfan.]

To be on the safe side, go mainstream as observer noted. I can't speak on behalf of other industries but if someone applied to medical school with a bachelors degree from the University of Phoenix, their application would probably discarded upon receiving it. Even community college is fine as long as you transfer to ASU after completing your associates degree. I would go to ASU main. I wouldn't risk the chance of ASU West closing but that's me

The bottom line is people are not stupid. They know it's always harder to go to class, taking tests and competing with students the normal way versus completing an on-line curriculum. In a tough economy, you don't want to give a company a reason to reject you by questioning your education. And before someone says "Well I have a family to support" Hey, I had people in medical school that had a spouse and multiple children who were living on loans with no outside job. If you are serious about your education, it can be done

[observer53]

Well. in the now unlikely event that ASU west closes, the credits will transfer without a problem to ASU main. So, if west campus is more convenient for you, I'd start there.

[JH6]

My girlfriend was looking at the Argosy masters program.

It was very pricey, we looked into reviews, and some people are calling it a diploma mill, similar to ITT Tech.

A worthless degree.

[foma]

I don't know about the other universities but be careful about ASU West. They are going through a HUGE transition right now due to all the budget cuts. In fact, I don't even think the campus is called "ASU West" anymore. I think they renamed it to the "New College" or something cheesy like that. I did an accounting certification program there and loved the campus. I'm older and didn't live on campus but it's definitely a commuting type school (although they do have dorms). The school itself is pretty good but again, because of all the changes going on, make sure you do your homework on the campus, like if the program you want is still going to be around in 4 years.

[observer53]

I don't think a psychology degree program from ASU is going away anytime. It does have a different technical name now than "ASU West", I'm not sure what it is. The chances of it closing have gone down a lot recently, with stimulus money, tuition surcharges, etc.

Depending on how many credits you already have, you could also start at the community college level to get all those first two years in, with credits that will transfer to ASU at whichever campus to finish the degree.