University of Phoenix
The University of Phoenix began in 1976 and has grown to over 200 physical campus locations as well as one of the largest online Universities in the world. John Sperling, a Cambridge educated economist saw the need for educational opportunities targeting working adults. The University of Phoenix was born of this vision and at the time, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, and home computing was still in its infancy. Sperling began with the idea of physical campuses offering flexible class scheduling at nights and on weekends.
University Of Phoenix Online
In 1989 the Phoenix established the "Online Campus" and they have continued to grow their online presence worldwide ever since. The University of Phoenix has in many ways pioneered the concept of Online College Degrees. They have established a massive online library of textbooks and references available to students. They have also pioneered what they term as "Virtual Organizations" that simulate real-life situations with businesses including financial records and employees. The University also has instituted a concerted plan to help students with writing skills with its WritePoint system, plagiarism checker and Center for Writing Excellence that provides resources to enhance written communication skills.
The University of Phoenix offers Associates, Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral Degrees in a wide range of subject fields and has been awarded the highest accreditation from the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. They also have an interesting philosophy regarding their degree programs whether online or on-campus.
University Of Phoenix Philosophy
Accessibility is a key component to Phoenix educational philosophy. The belief that admission testing and written essays are needed for college entrance is nowhere to be found at Phoenix. There are admission requirements of course but a key component is current employment or access to an employment environment in order to apply what has been learned in class to a real situation.
Flexibility is another key component of the University of Phoenix philosophy. This goes beyond just night time and weekend classes and incorporates the actual class start date and length. Phoenix does not operate on a semester or quarter time-frame which means that classes are almost always available and starting soon after enrollment no matter when that happens.
University of Phoenix faculty are another key component of the overall philosophy. The faculty at Phoenix is largely comprised of working professionals who bring a wealth of real world experience to the classroom. This bridges the gap between theory and practice that is often lacking in traditional institutionalized learning.
I've mentioned on the front page of this site that my wife is an online instructor for University of Phoenix and how I see Phoenix in the new education paradigm. I have to admit that I was skeptical that online learning could ever replace traditional in-class learning but I have done an "about face" on that thinking. University of Phoenix (and other programs offering online college degrees) are indeed accredited, have competent and knowledgeable faculty, and provide a much more usable education (in my opinion). Even the process of becoming a faculty member is daunting to say the least. Months of work prior to being hired and without any compensation ensures that only those who are serious about becoming part of the faculty make it through the process.
I heartily recommend University of Phoenix since I have seen many aspects of their program but that is certainly not a slap to other schools and their programs. I believe that any accredited program will most likely have much to offer its students. Be sure to check them all out.
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