What is with all of these "for profit" universities?

[PM Martin]

Such as Devry and Phoenix? I am getting spam in my mailbox from both of them. I do not know why.
But what good are these places really? Do employers actually take them seriously?:shrug:

Are you better off going to a state school for credibility reasons?

[ingac70]

1. Employers take them seriously....

instead of Phys Ed and bullshit they get straight to real world things you need for work.

[PM Martin]

2. Are you serious?

[ingac70]

3. Yep...

When I worked for Ford, the University of Phoenix was set up in our cafeteria at least once a month looking for students.

[YOY]

5. I went to a State school and never took "Phys Ed." Nobody did.

Cutting straight through the BS is what Graduate and Doctorate degrees are all about.

[ingac70]

8. I had to.

what a load of crap.

[YOY]

10. In College?

I had to take Physics and a few science electives. Had nothing to do with my Undergrad degree...but I have used them in the real world (physics moreso).

I also had to have a level of mathematical aptitude to graduate. After Calc III I think they got the idea I was good but really not in engineering.

Not bad for an International Relations major...had nothing to do with my degree.

It had a lot to do with my MBA and the statistics I learned will bolster my Doctorate one day.

I'm not spitting on anyone's education by the way.

[ingac70]

11. Yes...

REQUIRED UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
General education/core curriculum is required: yes
Minor requirements: not required for graduation
Physical education is required: yes
There are religious requirements for graduation: no
Minimum GPA required to graduate: 2.00



http://www.collegefortn.org/campustour/undergraduate/4977/Tennessee_State_University/Tennessee_State_University3.html

All TN State universities (and most private universities in TN) require physical education.

[Dorian Gray]

13. That's the first I ever heard of that....

but I went to school in the Northeast, so it wasn't an issue for us up there.

[yellowdogintexas]

15. do they still require you to pass one swimming class?

They did at Austin Peay at least through 1984 when my sister was a student there.

It was a non negotiable required item unless you tested out of it, then you could take a more different PE class. I knew several people who put it off until the very end and took it as a summer course.

[ingac70]

21. I'm not sure what you have to take...

at Austin Peay now. I just know that in TN you have to take at least one PE class.... Two of my cousins went to Austin Peay. I never heard them mention it.

Weird that swimming was required. Most schools let you pick an activity (Karate, running, bowling).

[yellowdogintexas]

23. the deal was 3 quarter hours of PE (old quarter system then) one of which had

to be swimming, then you could do other things, like bowling, tennis, volleyball, etc.

[gkhouston]

16. I went to a private school and a year of phys ed was required, but you got 0 credit hours.

:eyes:

[yellowdogintexas]

17. we got credit, and it was 2 semesters. (private liberal arts college) nt

[Lance_Boyle]

4. don't be fooled into thinking your local state U campus isn't profit-driven, too

Profits from athletics, profits from university-supported spinoffs when a researcher commercializes a discovery, etc. Hell, all the parking lots on my University campus wee sold to a profit-driven commercial venture years ago. Probably bought the Chancellor a new jacuzzi for his lavish office.

[CPschem]

6. some employers take them seriously

and others do not. At my old job in DC they'd shred resumes from online-only and for-profit universities.

[anarch]

7. I thought this was going to be about the nationalization of higher education

along with health care, perhaps, as an idea for something to do in the future as part of a new, sustainable societal infrastructure.

[demmiblue]

9. Help me out here!

I have seen adverts for them for years... do they consist mostly of online degrees?

[ingac70]

12. No. n/t

[Greyhound]

14. I'm sure some do, but in my experience a degree from one of these

places is more of a detriment than benefit. The problem is there is no consistency, these "universities" are basically student loan processing centers, not institutes of higher learning, and therefore they graduate anybody that will take out enough loans and stay long enough.

The employers never know for sure what they're getting, the next major asset to the organization, or the barely functional idiot that was graduated after they couldn't qualify for any more loans. I've worked 3 places that automatically file resumes with these schools listed in the "don't call us file".

They are terribly expensive and the education is very hit & miss.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

19. Very true. Proprietary schools are a total rip off.

The Art Institutes are particularly bad about implying you will get a job after you graduate.

Over 200 students and graduates filed a lawsuit for deceptive trade practices in Houston against the branch in Houston. The settlements were pitiful -- the lawyers got most of it and it certainly wasn't enough to pay off a student loan.


A friend of mine went back to school at The Art Institute after a layoff from an engineering job. He had a BS and MS in physics/math and got a degree in video production.

He could not find a job although he knew more than the teachers did about electronics, shooting video and all that. It was a waste of time and money.

He called it "The High School for Junkies".

No discipline, no admission requirements. It's just a way for proprietary schools to make tons of money on student loans and tuition after the unqualified students pay tuition and then drop out.

In the fine print in the TV ads, they say that "credits may not transfer". That's because they are not accredited.

If someone wants to learn a skill, a junior college would be much cheaper and better.

Thirty years ago, there was a court reporting school in Houston called McMahon College where the owner took off to South America with half a million dollars in student loan money. The local community college was forced to start a court reporting school to accommodate the students who were close to graduation. And the former students filed a class action suit against the Federal government.

[entanglement]

18. IMHO state school is much better. There are accreditation issues with these 'online colleges'.

For one thing, employers tend to be suspicious of them. Credit transfer to bigger schools is virtually impossible. On the other hand, state schools give you a reasonably good education with in-state (reduced) tuition, even assuming you don't get a scholarship of any kind and that makes them a better bargain.

[old mark]

20. They are businesses - they are in it for your money,

unlike regular colleges who are in it for your money.

Devry credits DO NOT TRANSFER to real schools. If you get a degree from them, some employers will accept it, others will not, or will not give it as much validity as a degree from a real school.
Pheonix is pretty similar - when it first started, most "real" academics derided it as a diploma mill, but there are so many with online dergees now that it becams sort of legitimate over time.

My mother-in-law, the Widner U. Professor/PHD did not care for any online schools for years, but gradually came to accept some as marginally OK.

mark

[kiva]

22. It depends on why you're getting a degree.

If you just need the piece of paper (diploma), some of these schools like University of Phoenix are a choice. This would, though, be mostly people who are already employed and have proven their ability to do a job, but are lacking the degree that is required for a promotion. Most of these degrees, however, don't open the employment door for new applicants--many employers distrust them for some of the reasons people have identified above in this thread. These "for profit" universities are also more expensive than most state universities.

If you want an education, go for the traditional college. Even if you take a fair amount of online classes, most employers regard a degree from a brick and mortar school as superior to a diploma from U. of Phoenix and the other for profits. Not to mention that your education will be much broader in scope, and generally better, than you'll find at for profit schools.

[JVS]

24. What's with all these "for profit" universities like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc.?

[KharmaTrain]

25. Modern Trade Schools

DeVry evolved out of Bell & Howell...training techs and early computer geeks...focusing strictly on trades as opposed to a college or even JC that is more career oriented. I had several friends go through DeVry in the 70's and 80's and landed some nice engineering gigs...they really did get a lot of good training. I'm not sure how the school is these days. Around Chicago, we joke about the school as Riverview U...since its main campus is built on the site of a famous old amusement park.

Phoenix came about in the 90's as part of the IT boom...cranking out HTML designers, website managers and programmers that also was more focused than one could get at a 4-year school. In essence its no different than a bar-tending school or beauty college.

Yes, employers will take someone from these schools seriously if that person fills the specific need...and in many operations, these are people who will work cheaper and take on more responsibilities.