Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Elementary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Rio Salado College, Arizona State, Pima Community College, and Mesa Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Arizona State, Northern Arizona University, and University of Arizona.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Dine College, South Mountain Community College, Arizona Western, and Cochise.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Yavapai College, Central Arizona, Prescott College, and Phoenix College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Prescott College, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and Rio Salado College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Northern Arizona University, Dine College, University of Arizona, and Arizona State.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Prescott College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Dine College, Prescott College, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Northern Arizona University • Flagstaff, AZ
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2000)
• 6/29/2011
"I loved it! I thought it was such an excellent program that prepared me for teaching my own group of students. I loved how comfortable I felt when I went into student teaching and how ready I was to take on my very own classroom when I graduated from the program at NAU."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would absolutely recommend this program. It is a complete program that teaches both theory and practice. It provides all that is needed to become a great teacher. The classes required for graduation make the program well-rounded. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Out of all the larger Arizona Universities, I feel NAU has a great reputation for Elementary Education. It is one of the only programs that offers students the flexibility and choice of selecting different routes of experience. The program allows students to gain classroom experience not only through the Flagstaff School District, but also through Sedona's School District. |
| Program Quality | 10 | NAU provided a great academic program for elementary education. The courses really prepared me for the classroom and I loved the experience we received before obtaining certificates. I felt extremely prepared going into my student teaching experience. |
| Instruction | 10 | As stated above, NAU's program provided a lot of hands on experience, and teaching opportunities well before student teaching. Most of the professors were extremely knowledgeable as well and set great examples of what quality teaching is and looks like. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There were certain courses that required more work than others, but all were manageable. The field experience was more work, but allowed me to be prepared for actual classroom teaching. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | NAU offered a good balance of book learning and hands-on learning. It was more heavy on the hands-on learning, but teaching is about doing. Watching others and trying techniques out is how you learn what works for you and the students. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | NAU offers summer school and evening classes. They also have many different remote sites that offer lectures so that students do not have to always travel to NAU's campus. Online courses are also offered for some of the classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | When I was at NAU 10 years ago, the facilities were adequate. I did not use tutors, but did occasionally meet with professors and they were always available when needed. |
| Social Life | 6 | NAU is a smaller school when compared to ASU or U of A, so the athletics were not as exciting as the bigger universities. The dorms would organize social events and NAU offered intramural sports. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I had not problem finding a job after graduation. All of my friends who graduated from NAU's Elementary Education program have had no difficulties finding teaching positions either. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I think it is about average or a bit above average. I honestly have not needed to use it, but still receive information about it to this day. |
Rio Salado Community College • Tempe, AZ
Studying Post-Bachelor Certificate In Primary Education (completion in 2007)
• 7/12/2011
"It worked really well for me, and I enjoyed it. However, because the program is unfamiliar, it's not as respected as other programs. Also, there was confusion at the Arizona Department of State with the requirements and class offerings."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I think it would depend on what they were looking for in a school. Many students don't work well in an online format, and some need the structure of a traditional classroom. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Very few people know their program exists as a post-bac certificate, so there is no reputation to speak of. Those that do know of the program generally don't know any program graduates but me. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The online program was very convenient. It also provided me an opportunity to work at my own pace. Perhaps the classes could have been more challenging. |
| Instruction | 8 | Most teachers provided quality feedback and outside resources to further my learning. The resources they selected/created and the presentation of lecture material was also well organized and easy to follow. |
| How Difficult | 3 | The work load is what you make of it, since the classes are online. The classes can be challenging, but the teachers are always willing to help. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The class content was primarily book learning, however many of the classes required classroom observations which the school helped set up. These experiences often involved interactions with students and other teachers which helped to see our book learning applied in a classroom. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The entire program is available online, so students can work at their leisure. On the rare occasion when a seminar must be attended there are generally multiple days and times to choose from. Also, the final exams have no scheduled times, so students can take them at their convienience. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | As it was an online program I rarely used the resources. However, people answered the phone and addressed my questions immediately. Also, the library resources were available online. |
| Social Life | 1 | Only at the rare seminar did I ever see other students. Occasionally teachers would set up class discussions where we could interact. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They set up interview days during which they invited multiple school districts so we could interview without driving all over town. They also helped facilitate electronic applications and announcements between students and districts. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | The only alumni information I receive is about job openings available even though I am employed. I still receive these updates even though I completed the program 5 years ago. |
Northland Pioneer • Showlow, AZ
Studying Education (completion in 2012)
• 7/17/2011
"I love my teachers and resources provided to me at school. However, the social networking and lack of hands-on work is discouraging."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It's not the perfection education school. However, it's affordable and gives a decent education. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | They don't do much advertising. Their credits transfer easily to a university. |
| Program Quality | 5 | My school did a decent job at teaching me music. It hasn't given me a great advantage in teaching, though. |
| Instruction | 7 | My teachers were very professional about the way they handled their courses. They were helpful and supportive in helping me reach my goals. |
| How Difficult | 3 | The classes were fairly easy. It didn't take a lot of time to study and prepare to do well. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We hardly ever have hands on learning. Occasionally we have a hands-on project. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | You can only take classes Monday through Friday. The class times are limited. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | They have an excellent computer lab. Their writing lab offers help to students with their work. |
| Social Life | 2 | No one even knows who our mascot is! My school does a poor job of scheduling events. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not participate in my school's job placement program. I participated in a 3rd party program known as Vocational Rehabilitation. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not participated in the alumni network. I have not participated in the support program. |
Northern Arizona University • Flagstaff, AZ
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2010)
• 7/25/2011
"I am extremely satisfied with my school. I feel like I am the teacher I am today because of NAU."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | NAU offers an amazing teacher education program. I would highly recommend attending this school! |
| Program Reputation | 9 | NAU has a great reputation for its Teaching Program. I had heard numerous good things about the program before I selected NAU. |
| Program Quality | 9 | NAU was a wonderful school and did a great job preparing me to be a successful teacher. All my classes were beneficial and all the teachers were helpful and supportive. |
| Instruction | 9 | I felt extremely prepared for my future as an educator. I learned so much and it all benefited me. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The program of study was challenging but wonderful. The work load was heavy but consisted only of necessary, beneficial work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The NAU program was very hands on. We participated in internships with local elementary schools. Our professors would sometimes use 'book learning' to help enhance learning, but it did not consist solely of textbooks. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | NAU had many class offerings that were very flexible. I was at an extended campus so I did not receive as many choices as someone on the main campus might have. There was the option of some online classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The facilities were great and the advisors were excellent. I was able to have access to many media and computer resources. |
| Social Life | 7 | The social experience at an extended campus is limited. However, at the main NAU campus, the social experience is excellent. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I received a little bit of information about job placement. I did not actively contact NAU about finding a job. I was able to obtain a job on my own. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I do not know very much about the alumni association. I have received a few e-mails from NAU since graduation, but not any including alumni information. |
University Of Phoenix • Phoenix, AZ
Studying Masters Of Arts In Education - Elementary Education Specialization (completion in 2005)
• 7/23/2011
"As my undergrad degree was in journalism, I felt this master's program provided a firm foundation in elementary education. I don't know if any program can fully prepare one for all the intricacies and challenges of teaching, particularly in a high-poverty school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's an excellent option for people who are working full-time and need a way to obtain their degree at the same time. If someone prefers face-to-face, more traditional programs, this would not be the best route for them. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Some would say that an online program is not as good as the same program at a brick-and-mortar school. However, I think this attitude has changed since I completed the course because online work is so much more common these days. |
| Program Quality | 4 | It provided an excellent overview of the art and science of teaching along with field work and an internship. However, there was not a great deal of emphasis on the challenges of classroom management, especially addressing the needs of students with severe behavior issues. |
| How Difficult | 5 | My program was online which allowed for a robust discussion on various topics and creative collaboration through group work. However, the fast pace of classes (1 class every 6 weeks) made each course extremely consolidated. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The majority of the coursework is reading, responding to online discussion prompts, completing research papers, and group projects. There was a decent amount of fieldwork related to various courses, and the culminating class was an internship. However, I think even more fieldwork/observation and hands-on teaching experience is needed. Also, there was little to no discussion or fieldwork related to family engagement and the unique needs of Title I students. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I was able to continue working full-time while taking what was considered a full course load. I could log on at anytime in the evenings and on weekends. It was extremely helpful to be able to complete work when and where I wanted to. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The online research library, textbooks, our online discussion boards, email, and other services were easy to access and reliable. I can't provide feedback on any physical facilities as I only attended courses online. |
| Social Life | 5 | I connected with a few students and we were somewhat of a cohort as we moved through the program. You don't experience school spirit events as you would at a traditional school. However, you do build rapport with your instructors and students through online discussions and group work. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not really receive much guidance at all beyond information on basic testing and certification requirements. However, as it was an online program, and I was going to teach in another state, I didn't really expect any personalized placement assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have received some correspondence, however, I find that I receive more regular mailings and information from my previous college where I studied for my undergrad degree. Perhaps due to the online nature, I've not kept in contact with other students who I completed the program with. |
Northern Arizona University • Flagstaff, AZ
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2009)
• 8/3/2011
"I really enjoyed the program. I thought it was a very well rounded mix of things."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on the person. NAU is not for everyone, but those it is for tend to love it. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I always hear people talking about how good of an education school NAU is. People say it is one of the best in the country. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I really enjoyed the program. They had a lot of hands on activities within schools and around children. |
| Instruction | 8 | I thought the instruction was very good. The teachers always tried to help with any questions or concerns. |
| How Difficult | 6 | It wasn't so difficult for me because I really loved the program. I did however, have a lot of work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I went to elementary schools a lot of the time to work with kids in their classrooms as well as to observe. There were many projects like this. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | There is no weekend offerings. Evening and summer courses are offered. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | They have an amazing on campus library with very good hours. A tutor can usually meet your needs. It's not necessarily the exact time you ask for, but it's still good. |
| Social Life | 3 | I usually did not attend social events. I did hear they were not that good. |
| Placement Services | 3 | All they do is make you take a dumb test about where you would fit best within the career field. They don't help much. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I hardly ever saw alumni around. They did not help out much. |
Oakland University • Laveen, AZ
Studying Elementary Education With A Bachelor's In Social Studies. (completion in 2009)
• 8/6/2011
"I was very happy with my school. I came out confident and ready to enter the classroom. I did not know everything, but I am pretty sure I could figure out anything I needed to. I got a job in less than a month and have been teaching ever since, even in this bad economy."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would and have to many people. I have because I a proud gold grizzly and I feel I came out very prepared for life as a teacher. The classes are fun and informative and taught me skills I use all the time in my room. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I really do not know what there reputation is. I know that most of my group is teaching now, so I guess it's good. I really do not pay attention or buy into reputations. CCS has a very good reputation for Industrial Design, but most of the people I was in class with are not working in that field. So rep means nothing to me. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I was exposed to a wide variety of different teaching theories which helped me come up with a good way to reach most of my kids. But I was not taught enough about classroom management, so it took me a while to discover how to discipline. |
| Instruction | 9 | I was very well prepared to enter the classroom. Most of the skills I was taught have proven helpful in my classroom. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I started off as an industrial design major at CCS in detroit, so most of my credits came from that. When I changed majors and schools I found the work load a lot easier then at CCS and was able to excel at OU. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was almost all hands on, project based learning. We did a lot of role playing and group projects. | |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | OU was very flexible for me. I was able to work full time as a manager while attending classes. |
| Social Life | 5 | I really did not socialize during school. I was going to school full time and working part time, as I picked up job teaching kids for a company called Young Rembrandts. There appeared to be a lot of things going on, so it must be about average. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I have not used it, therefore I cannot comment on it. Once again most of the people I finished with have jobs, so it must be at least average. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not really had a chance to use my alumni network so I cannot really comment. It's there and thats all I can say. They did make me aware of the job fair that helped land my job back in 2009. |
Grand Canyon University • Phoenix, AZ
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2005)
• 8/8/2011
"I got out of GCU exactly what I wanted. They built on my undergraduate education and got me the accredited and certified master's degree that I needed."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend GCU for their strong online program. Also, if someone wanted to go to school in Phoenix, AZ, I would recommend their education programs at both the Graduate and undergraduate levels. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | GCU has a pretty good reputation among people in Arizona and the surrounding states. Here, in Michigan, nobody has heard of it. |
| Program Quality | 6 | GCU had a very solid online program that I enjoyed and learned a lot from. Compared to my undergraduate education at Oklahoma City University, it was not exceptional, though. |
| Instruction | 7 | The curriculum was useful for my future classroom experience. It prepared me for the challenges I would experience in the classroom. |
| How Difficult | 4 | My graduate work at GCU was not nearly as challenging as my undergraduate work at OCU. I don't feel that it was too easy, but it certainly was not overly challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | GCU was more book focused than most graduate programs. There was a mixture of collaborative assignments and regular individual, book based work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | GCU offers their classes both online and on campus. This flexibility made it much easier to finish my program quickly, than if I had to take all of the classes in the classroom. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | GCU has a very nice campus. Phoenix is a beautiful city. Combined, both are average for similar schools. |
| Social Life | 5 | As a graduate student, I didn't participate much in the social events at GCU. Despite that, I was aware of many activities going on that seemed like they would be fun. |
| Placement Services | 5 | GCU's placement services are pretty good for students remaining in Arizona and the surrounding area. They weren't able to provide me much help for jobs in Michigan. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | Again, GCU's alumni support network is active and effective. It just isn't nearly as good as what I get out of alumni services from Oklahoma City University. |
Phoenix College • Phoenix, AZ
Studying Special Education (completion in 2005)
• 8/10/2011
"I'm very satisfied. It was a great experience going there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a great school. Was easy to learn and great resources are always available. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Im not sure of their reputation. But I believe they are a great school. |
| Program Quality | 9 | It was a great school. They had a great staff to help you along the way. |
| Instruction | 10 | Everything they taught was relevant. It really prepared me for the job. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It is a challenging field. Also, it requires a lot of hard work and dedication to work in this field. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | After learning something new, we would get into groups and try out what we just learned. Easy way for me to learn. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Very flexible. Can choose between night or day classes which made it easy for me. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Everything was there that I needed. I had all the resources I necessary to accomplish my goals. |
| Social Life | 5 | Didn't have a lot of parties or activities. I would say it was average compared to any other school. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I got a job right away. They assisted me in finding a job right after graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Everyone was very nice. The teachers were very supportive. |
Arizona State University • Mesa, AZ
Studying Education (completion in 2010)
• 9/15/2011
"My experience at ASU was very good. Overall, I am pleased with my experience. If I decide to further my education, I imagine I would go back to ASU."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The flexible schedules make it possible for anyone to go back to school and achieve their goals. I would highly recommend ASU to others pursuing a degree in education. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I believe ASU is rated in the top 100 universities in the US. I don't know what my program was rated, but I would imagine it is pretty high as well. |
| Program Quality | 8 | There were several issues involving student teaching placement that were frustrating. Overall, I was happy with my school. |
| Instruction | 10 | All of my professors were extremely knowledgeable about education. I really felt as though my instructors cared about my success. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Compared to my BA, the work was similar. I was expecting more from a Master's degree, but was pleased with the end result. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some professors were very hands-on, while others taught from the book. My student teaching was very hands-on, and I find hands-on learning to be more helpful. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | As a working student, I was able to take night classes at ASU to complete my program. I consider this to be extremely flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Overall, ASU's resources were very helpful. The library, computer lab, classrooms, and professors were especially helpful to me personally. |
| Social Life | 9 | Although I never participated in these social events, there were many of them. I received emails almost weekly letting me know about upcoming events. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I wasn't aware that my school had a job placement/career services office. This was never mentioned to me, though I never had a need for it. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I occasionally get emails from my school about donating to certain causes. I feel I would rather learn about how the school is doing and volunteer programs I could be involved in. |
Arizona State University • Tempe, AZ
Studying Education (completion in 2010)
• 9/24/2011
"I would recommend the program to others. I was finished quickly and am making more money because of it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school has a good reputation. The department has since changed in terms of who is in charge so there could be good or bad things happening with the program. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | There are many online schools providing the same degree. These schools are not acceptable to many hiring principals. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I could attend in the evening. I thought the professors were knowledgeable. |
| Instruction | 9 | There were a few classes that were unrealistic. The second language courses were useless. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There were courses that you could almost phone into if attendance was not required. Most of the courses required real work, though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was always annoyed about buying a book for a course and never using it. I thought the mentoring area was very good. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I attended in the evenings. Some courses were available during summer session but they were more expensive. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I used the computer lab on a regular basis. I never used the writing tutors but I heard they were very good. |
| Social Life | 5 | Due to attending in the evening, they had no "events." They did have many events in the daytime. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not need their services. They do send emails when they hear of postings. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They contact me constantly, but I did not see any real networking available. |
Arizona State University • Tempe, AZ
Studying Education (completion in 2010)
• 9/27/2011
"I think the great attributes speak for themselves in regards to the school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I definitely would recommend the school. The world needs more teachers and if you really want to teach you should go to ASU. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | They have a very good reputation for many areas of study. Education is just one of their many amazing programs. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I was very happy with the school and Master's program, but they did take a while longer than I expected to help with finding a job (they offer assistance with that but it isn't always quick). |
| Instruction | 10 | The classes tend to be large, but I had no trouble learning or comprehending the material. The instructors know what they are talking about. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Teaching can be difficult, but I thought learning to teach was not very hard. It is probably just as hard as many other academic studies. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It is school so "book learning" is going to be a major part of your experience. They did well when it came to hands-on work and placing me as a TA. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I don't recall any flexibility but I know my classes were perfect and I did not ever need to make any scheduling changes. They do not offer too much online now and did not at the time I attended either. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There are a lot of resources, not only on campus but online as well. You can pretty much use anything as far as computers, labs, rooms etc. I did not need them much. |
| Social Life | 10 | I made plenty of new friends, some who I am still in contact with because we teach at the same school now believe it or not! I liked the variety of people from so many different backgrounds and areas of study. |
| Placement Services | 8 | You expect them to help you out right away, but it took a little longer than expected. I was a little unhappy about that but in the end it all worked out. I suppose they had a lot of people to try and help, but either way it still worked out. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | They have a good alumni support and you always feel connected to the school. I have used their support for finding a new job. |
University Of Phoenix • Phoenix, AZ
Studying Curriculum And Instruction (completion in 2007)
• 10/11/2011
"Despite the reputation, I liked my experience at the University of Phoenix. I was satisfied overall."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend the school if they were not trying to actually teach at a community college. I would recommend it if they were just trying to obtain their degree to move higher up the pay scale. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I wish I had read more reviews of this school before I enrolled (and paid). I thought the University of Phoenix had a decent reputation. However, upon graduating, I have learned that many in the teaching profession consider it to be a joke. |
| Program Quality | 8 | When I started my program, I wanted to be a master teacher. However, by the time I graduated my focus had shifted to helping parents with their children. |
| Instruction | 8 | The overall program was easy but we had many homework/reading assignments. At times I feel the readings did not relate to the assignments. Eventually I stopped completing all reading assignments and skimmed to determine answers to questions. |
| How Difficult | 5 | This question was hard to answer for me. The work itself was not difficult. However, group assignments were hard to complete because many people did not turn in quality work. Also, the assignments were numerous compared to classes I have taken in person. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This program was all book learning. We did have to write a paper using a scenario from our work environment. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The flexibility is the number one reason I chose this school for my degree. I was able to work when I had time and determine the pace of the program. I finished in less than two years. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Again, this answer is difficult since my classroom was my kitchen. The accessibility of the professors was excellent. Most returned emails within a few hours. |
| Social Life | 3 | Since we were online we did not interact. I had a few IM chats and a few phone calls with my team. |
| Placement Services | Truthfully I do not know firsthand. Although I receive regular publications from my school, I do not use them for these resources. | |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I receive emails regularly from the Univ. of Phoenix. I choose not to respond or join any networking groups right now. |
Grand Canyon University • Phoenix, AZ
Studying Curriculum And Instruction - Reading (completion in 2010)
• 11/8/2011
"I was happy with the knowledge I took away from the program. I thought I learned a lot and that it was a challenging program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | There were many difficult classes and I would have to look at the person I was talking to. I would not recommend it for people who are not self motivated. |
| Program Reputation | I do not know the reputation. I do hate to tell people the name of the school because it sounds corny. | |
| Program Quality | 9 | I thought the education I received was top notch and I learned a lot. The curriculum covered all of the newest research in reading. |
| Instruction | 9 | The curriculum was fast paced, but got in depth when needed. I learned a lot while taking the courses. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Since it was an online course, there was a paper due weekly, as well as journal entries and discussion boards. I would often stay up late into the night to accomplish everything. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of the material was presented through book learning. However, as a teacher, what I learned was all hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I only did the online learning. This in itself was not flexible - you had to do things at the time you were supposed to do them. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Professors were easily available and I had no trouble getting into contact with them. The online portal worked very well and I had very few problems with it during the 2 years I was doing my Master's program. |
| Social Life | 1 | This was an online program. I socialized on discussion boards - but that was it. |
| Placement Services | I do not know anything about it. Have never had to use it. | |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I don't know anything about it. I have not been contacted by anyone. |
University Of Phoenix • Tempe, AZ
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2004)
• 10/23/2011
"It got the job done and got me to a successful career. I just wish the classroom had been more valuable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on where you are in life and in your career. If you simply need the degree UOP will work. If you legitimately need the instruction I would go somewhere else. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | People know what UOP is, a means to an end. As such it does not have a good reputation as a program. The only good part is that you are in the classroom so much you can build your own reputation. |
| Program Quality | 4 | UOP is a school to get your degree only. I learned very little during the classes at UOP, the only value were the practical experiences. |
| Instruction | 3 | It is a diploma mill. Teacher's with minimal experience teaching new teachers with no experience. It was not a valuable experience (but an expensive one). |
| How Difficult | 3 | Classes were easy because they wanted you to pay for the next one. Only a couple of the teachers provided valuable instruction. Reading methods and the integrated social studies classes were of value. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | UOP will tell you there is an equal balance but unless the quality of instruction has improved it would be difficult to believe that is the case. All value came from practical experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Very flexible program. We met once per week on Thursday nights with some group work. Overall it was a very easy program to accommodate my schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | Everything is electronic at UOP, no books or library. If you are not online you cannot succeed at UOP. |
| Social Life | 1 | UOP is a commuter school. It specializes in providing an alternative to the regular college experience. There are no social programs |
| Placement Services | 1 | Again I have not heard from UOP since I graduated. If they have a job placement program I never head about it. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I d not believe they have a network. I have not received a call or letter from UOP since I graduated. |
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