I have seen many rants on the internet claiming that the University of Phoenix is a scam. People are raging at the fact that the university is a for-profit school. Well, this is true. But, how many schools aren’t out to get a student’s money? The real question; is it really a SCAM? Not likely. I received my associate’s degree and 54 of my 60 credits transferred right over to the local university I transferred to. Therefore, I would say, no, this university is not a scam. A scam is a fraudulent scheme to earn money at a rapid rate. The fact is that you are earning your degree online and that the University of Phoenix is an accredited school.
Now that that is taken care of, I am going to address the wariness with UOP professors. I can say that this school is not all easy A’s by any means. Like anywhere else, the Professor’s attitudes vary and so do their expectations and grading methods. I have had professors where it is easy to do well and easy to communicate with them over academic issues. I have also been in classes where I ended up frowning every time I received my grades back. Some teachers will give you an extended deadline and are very understanding; others will refuse saying you knew about the assignment beforehand, clearly having enough time to complete it (no excuses). Consequently, I feel it is fair, though sometimes it is harder to accept that because you cannot sit down and talk face to face about academic issues with your teacher. Still, you can email and talk over the telephone to hash out any issue with assignments.
That being said, you are appointed both an academic and financial advisor. Most staff members are very friendly. Nonetheless, every representative is different. Your advisor will call and check on you and answer any academic questions you have. Financial advising, I found a little more frustrating. I had to call multiple times for help before my advisor would return my calls. And this is a problem because when your financial information is not correct, they will not let you start your new classes.
Despite this, having enrolled after in three other colleges, I can tell you that I felt the most cared for at the University of Phoenix. It is like have a counselor sometimes – and it actually helps. When you are concerned about classes, books, or anything in general, they will talk to you about it. At other schools it is much different. If you want to get in…or even after you are in…you are pretty much on your own. The support I felt from UOP definitely outweighs anything I may have felt was a drawback at the time.
I rate this university a 3.9/5. They could definitely do better (price). Still, for someone who does not like conventional college or simply has too many other responsibilities, it will certainly get the job done.