University Of Phoenix Online

Highlights

• Online component of North America's largest private university system
• All students are working while earning their degrees
• Online programs established over 20 years ago
• Serves students from over 80 countries
• Classes run continuously enabling year-round admissions and accelerated studies
• The majority of students receive financial assistance
• Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

About the School

Founded in 1976, the University of Phoenix (UOP) has a mission of enabling working adults the opportunity of higher education. Between its online and over 200 onsite locations the University has over 340,000 students. Begun in 1989, UOP's online programs give students the flexibility of when and where they complete their degrees as they continue to work in their jobs. The University has over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, technology, health care, and education.

Academic Programs

The University's fields of study target careers in business, communications, criminal justice, education, health care, management, nursing, and information technology. Areas of study are organized around colleges and divisions, which include:

• Axia College of University of Phoenix (Associate's Degrees) – This online-only school offers a core education to apply to future studies and/or a career. Degree concentrations include business, communications, criminal justice, education, health care, hospitality, human services, information technology, psychology and sports management.
• College of Arts and Sciences – Designed to give students a baseline education that encompasses the interdependencies that take place between disciplines. The baseline targets development of essential student capabilities including logical reasoning, writing, oral communication, and collaborative work. Available coursework includes liberal arts subjects such as arts and humanities, communications, sciences, mathematics, and social sciences.
• Colleges of Business and Management (Bachelor's and Master's Degrees) – Courses have been developed for giving students the knowledge and abilities they will need to perform successfully in their chosen careers. Programs consider the issues faced with the highly competitive, dynamic, and global economies that students work in. Degree program areas include those for accounting, finance, communications, international business, hospitality, human resources, information systems, supply chain and operations, marketing, retail, entrepreneurship, and management.
• College of Education – Undergraduate courses are structured to prepare students for teacher licensure in their states. Graduate and doctorate programs are designed to help students advance their careers as educators, administrators and specialists.
• College of Health and Human Services – The College emphasizes the development of baseline knowledge and skill sets needed for successful careers in health and human services occupations. Degree program areas include nursing, health care, criminal justice and security, counseling, and human services.
• College of Information Systems and Technology – Undergraduate coursework emphasizes understanding of core information technologies. Graduate courses place the emphasis on management subjects. Programs explore the blending of business and technology needs, encourage teamwork, and make use of digital materials such as e-libraries and simulations. Courses cover areas such as business system design and analysis, networks, security, software, databases, Websites, project planning, IT applications, and effective communications.
• School of Advanced Studies (Doctoral Degrees) – Programs include business and management, education, health care, and psychology and are designed to help doctoral candidates learn how to develop and publish original research.
• Military (U.S. only) – The University's military division is structured to help military professionals manage their complex schedules. Military students can pursue a broad range of the University's degrees.

The University of Phoenix's programs apply a systematic process that determines educational outcomes for each course of study. The outcomes are measurable and defined through a range of inputs including practitioners from education, business, and industry.

Learning Options

The University's online programs offer maximum convenience to students as to the times and location of their studies. The online programs utilize a system that is asynchronous so that students can have full control over when and where they participate.

The availability of the University's many onsite campuses and programs gives students the option of blending online and onsite courses.

The University's online education system includes the following features:

• Electronic forums – Coursework is completed through these forums. A main forum is where classmates and teachers discuss and analyze topics. The materials forum has the course syllabus, presentations, and other classroom tools. An individual forum is for handing in assignments and directly receiving notes from an instructor.
• Login via the Web at any time – Typically students participate three or four days per week.
• Small teams – Assignments are organized around “Learning Teams” that are made up of a small number of fellow classmates.
• Administration – Online students can take care of registration, payments, book orders, getting grades and transcripts, and class research.

Other online resources available to students include an e-book library, virtual organizations that emulate the dynamics of real business issues, simulators, math and writing centers, a paper review service, and online tutorials and guides.

In addition to the flexibility of online education, Phoenix's flexible scheduling system runs enrollments all through the year with no extended breaks for the summer. This means that, unlike many other universities or colleges, students can start year-round instead of deferring until the next quarter or semester begins. This continuous scheduling approach is also helpful for students that wish to shorten the time it takes to earn their degrees.

Students typically take online courses sequentially, one at a time. Axia College students, who are earning associate degrees, take two at a time.

Faculty

The University hires faculty with the appropriate mix of academics and practical work experience. The majority of faculty members have a master's or doctoral degree as well as time practicing in a company setting. For instance there are faculty members that are employed at some of the most well known companies in the world. The University considers this kind of faculty background as crucial to the blending of theory and practice in its programs. Faculty are also given support for keeping abreast of the latest developments in their fields and to take part in academic activities such as papers, conferences, and presentations.

Student Life

Students come from many different backgrounds including a variety of countries. There are those completing a degree program, such as associate or bachelor's, for the first time while others are building new degrees on top of ones previously earned. Some are extending capabilities in their current discipline and others are pursuing the education that will enable them enter new fields of work.

Team-based education is an integral part of the University's programs. The school sees this approach as a way to simulate typical work environments and to foster interaction from one classmate to another.

The University of Phoenix's Student Services follows students from the time they are admitted until they graduate. The school has what it calls a “Personal Graduation Team” to assist students with enrollment, educational funding, and school work.

The University's alumni are a part of student life. Graduates automatically become part of The University of Phoenix Alumni Association, which offers financial and insurance services, and the possibility of buying software, travel, and computers. Those that register have access to job postings and an alumni directory.

Admissions and Financial Aid

Admission requirements depend on the specific program. Every program as a minimum requires a high school diploma or equivalent such as a GED. Rather than utilizing entrance examinations the school requires that all students work or at least be involved in a situation that allows them to apply what they learn in class. Non-native English-speaking students need to also show that they can work with English at a college level by passing a test such as TOEFL.

Graduate school entrants need to have an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university together with a sufficient grade point average.

The University works with students as they explore various alternatives for financing their education. Financial representative help in reviewing such options as payment plans, employer reimbursements, government financial aid, loans, and military plans. There are also scholarships available to students that the representatives can assist students in pursuing. The majority of University of Phoenix students receive some form of financial aid.