Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Marketing Managers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Northcentral University, Rio Salado College, Arizona State, and Pima 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, Tohono O'Odham Community College, South Mountain Community College, and Arizona Western.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Mohave Community College, Prescott College, Phoenix College, and Cochise.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Northcentral University, Prescott College, University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University.
- 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 Tohono O'Odham Community College, Dine College, Prescott College, and University of Arizona.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Phoenix • Phoenix, AZ
Studying MBA (completion in 2004)
• 11/2/2011
"My goal was to have an MBA degree on my resume, which I now do. If I wanted to leverage a strong alumni network, I would have gone elsewhere."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Learn as much as you can in an undergrad program for marketing, or better yet, in a technology or other business field. Then aim for an MBA with a marketing specialty at University of Phoenix, and mix what you learned in the two programs. Good luck! |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I believe UOP maintains a decent reputation, but is not one that hiring managers seek out intentionally. I have not had any bad experiences - that I know of - based on my school. |
| Program Quality | 6 | The University of Phoenix's online program was not the most challenging, but it provided a degree that sets me apart from other job candidates. My real-life experience has been more valuable than that delivered in academia. |
| Instruction | 6 | The content was relevant and introduced key concepts. The mental challenge was not as high as another "typical" program that I was previously part of. |
| How Difficult | 3 | The work load was average, but the tests and papers were easy to complete. You get out what you put in, so work hard and you may be able to get more value out of your interactions with teachers and other students. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | UOP's curriculum is heavy on case studies, which was valuable. The balance of book vs. case study, and then online discussion among the learning team, is a good way to explore what works and what doesn't in business. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Schedule flexibility is the cornerstone of their online offerings. Do the work on your own time, and turn it in on schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | I was always able to reach my instructors and learning teams as needed. Online resources were great, including research logins and reference material. |
| Social Life | 2 | There were minimal social interactions. However, I got the chance to meet people from all over the country virtually, and I still communicate with several over email, seven years later. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I did not take advantage of any placement services. University of Phoenix has a huge alumni base, but does not communicate with us nor offer any ongoing assistance, to my knowledge. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I was not aware there was a formal alumni network. The school does no outreach to advertise any support options. |
University Of Phoenix • Online, AZ
Studying Business (completion in 2010)
• 2/2/2012
"I think if I had to do it over, I would look into other options. I am glad I did it though. I think online classes are a good option for people who have young kids or people who live in rural areas. It's better than not having done it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | For certain people, it is a good option. For others, like my kids, I recommend they go with a traditional brick and mortar classroom where they can network easier. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | At the time, I thought their reputation was improving, but now I am not so sure. There seems to be more online colleges, making my school just a dime a dozen. |
| Program Quality | 6 | Networking is everything and online classes don't give much of that. The information was good though. |
| Instruction | 6 | Overall, the instruction was pretty good. Again, online classes are not good for connecting and communication was sometimes difficult. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The information was challenging, but I felt more challenged getting my undergraduate degree. There was a lot of writing though, which was good experience. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It would have been nice to be able to contact real businesses. They offered business simulations and went to the trouble of creating fake businesses. In the end, it was mostly book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Being an online program, the scheduling is very flexible. There are opportunities to turn in work, read material whenever it is convenient. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The online library is good. There are resources for market research that I still use. My academic adviser was available within a couple of days after I requested meetings. Other than that, there was not a lot of human contact. |
| Social Life | 2 | I was able to contact other students through email. When I finished my program I tried to locate one of the graduation ceremonies that were supposed to be happening in my state, but there weren't any. The people I contacted told me to keep checking indefinitely for the next date. |
| Placement Services | 5 | There is a career counselor available for a few hours. I think there are some job listings on the website, but nothing very user friendly. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | What network? There is information online, but no real connections. I am not in touch with anyone from my program mainly because there were different people in every class. |
University Of Phoenix • Phoenix, AZ
Studying MBA (completion in 2006)
• 2/14/2012
"I am on my third stint with the school. My first degree was an MBA followed by a Masters in Psychology and now I'm pursing a PhD in Psychology for Business."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Most of the people I know are working adults who wish they could expand their education. This is a method for dedicated individuals who have the time to advance. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | University of Phoenix has and continues to be a popular choice for working adults. I would not have been able to advance my educational career without this type of system. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My schooling was based on an online program. The ability to work my own schedule and complete this degree was very gratifying. |
| Instruction | 5 | Instruction in the traditional sense was limited, as an online school method of instruction it was the responsibility of the student to learn with the material. The learning environment was a perfect fit for me. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Not unexpectedly, I found that this level of education would be difficult and time consuming. The online approach took dedication and a grasp of time management. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The online method is basically all hands on. The school does have e-books and books for purchase, however learning is mostly done by the student with basic direction as a part of the methodology. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | As stated before, flexibility is the best facet of an online learning environment. Deadlines and requirements existed, however there was never a set time for school, and at times this meant school at 3am and at times at 10pm. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The school has a tremendous amount of library resources for use, however the use of these is eliminated upon graduation. The data within these resources are peer reviewed and current. |
| Social Life | This was an online program. In fact, the school does not have athletics, parties, or a mascot. | |
| Placement Services | 1 | A drawback from the university is a lack of support after graduation. Although it is my responsibility and cannot expect the school to offer this, it would be nice of the university to have an after graduation support department. |
| Alumni Network | Although I am an alum, I have not participated in alumni activities. The main reason is that I have continued my education now to the doctorate level. |
Arizona State University • Tempe, AZ
Studying Construction Management (completion in 2011)
• 3/29/2012
"I enjoyed my program a lot and my teachers really prepared me for the real world. I only wish they helped me get a job."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | This school has many ups and downs. A lot of the decisions to attend should be based on the major you want to pursue. Certain programs are better then others. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | ASU is known as a party school. Any school that has an "undie run" can't be taken seriously. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The construction program was one the best in the country, we won many yearly competitions. We had many professors who had a lot of experience in the construction industry. |
| Instruction | 9 | All of the instructors had more then enough experience to teach the classes. Many are active in the industry which was nice. |
| How Difficult | 2 | The tests were far to easy. The classes that were hard were always pushed until the end of the program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The construction program was almost exclusively taught through books. For an industry that takes places almost exclusively outside, it would have been better taught though a hands-on basis. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Many classes were only offered once. If you didn't have time to take that class you were out of luck. The flexibility was non-existent. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | ASU is currently undergoing a large remodel. My specific building was not remodeled so it was in poor condition. The buildings that were remodeled were extremely nice. |
| Social Life | 10 | The social experience was great. There were kids everywhere. I came from a out of state school and had no problem making friends. There are school-lead activities offered on a daily basis. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I didn't get any help looking for a job. I had to look very hard to find my job. Due to the economy, I had to go on over 50 job interviews in 1.5 years. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I joined the alumni program after I graduated and have yet to see a benefit. I don't understand why I would want to pay $100 a year for the membership. |
Arizona State University • Tempe, AZ
Studying (completion in 1994)
• 4/7/2012
"I feel it was just a degree. It did not benefit me for real life situations, but it was close to home and very inexpensive. In state tuition at the time was around $600.00 per semester and I did get the degree I needed."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If the person needed to live inexpensively, as I did, I would recommend just getting the degree but if their financial circumstances allowed for a better school then I would definitely recommend it. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I do not hear anything positive about this major at ASU. Nor do I hear anything negative. |
| Program Quality | 5 | There are too many students. I did not take any courses, even at a 400 level, where I could speak with professors personally. Often my courses had more than 300 students at one time and it was difficult when I had specific questions. |
| Instruction | 4 | Instruction was very basic and not personal. Relating what we were learning to real life just did not happen. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I found it difficult to keep up with projects at times. Since there was little reason for energy in projects. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The majority of my education was book learning, notes, lectures and tests. There were a few classes that made projects more interesting, but they were not readily available. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Many classes were available since there were so many students. There was no option for online courses in early 90's, but I did have summer courses available to me. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | If appointments were made w/ advisors or professors they would definitely accommodate the students. But, often the times they could meet were not convenient. We did not have email at the time. |
| Social Life | 2 | There were just too many people of all ages. I could go through 5 classes without speaking to anyone. This is not representative of real life situations. Now as an adult I have to speak to people consistently. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There was no placement. They offered internship opportunities but that was something that I did not have the luxury to afford. |
| Alumni Network | I do not engage in alumni networking. It was a very large and impersonal school, which does not leave me wanting to be part of the alumni. |
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