WGU has a multi-step admissions process. Admissions requirements differ depending on which academic program the student chooses to attend. Many programs require either an associate’s degree from an accredited college or a specific amount of related, verifiable work experience in the field in which a student wishes to study. The school does not require SAT or ACT scores for admission. Undergraduate programs require the student to possess a high school diploma or GED and pass the school’s Collegiate Readiness Assessment, and admission into all programs requires an interview with a WGU Enrollment Counselor to determine if the competency-based approach is the best fit for the individual student.
Western Governors University Admission Information in USA
As a private, nonprofit university, WGU is governed by a board of trustees that consists of state governors, educators, and business and industry leaders. In addition, the university’s National Advisory Board consists of leaders from private corporations and foundations which support the university. Current members include Google, Microsoft, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and AT&T among many others. Each of the five state established schools also have a local Chancellor and Advisory board from within the state.[20] Course competencies are defined with input from third-party councils made up of business, academic, and industry leaders, who guide the university in determining what a successful graduate in any given degree program must know to be a valuable employee.
WGU’s disaggregated faculty consists of student mentors (faculty members who advise and guide a student throughout his or her entire degree program), course mentors (subject-matter experts who advise, tutor, and guide students through specific courses), program faculty (who oversee course content), and evaluation faculty (who evaluate/grade assignments). The university has 1,100 full-time faculty members and 200 part-timers.
In addition to being founded by governors, several states have created state-established and affiliated schools. Though state funding in some instances was used for the creation, each school is self-supporting through tuition and donations and overseen by the WGU board along with a local state chancellor and advisory board. The state-affiliated WGU offshoots offer the same programs and curricula as the national WGU student body receives, and accreditation is through WGU. The state affiliates simply allow the states to give WGU an added level of endorsement, increasing the university’s name-recognition in the state and enabling those states to leverage WGU’s ability to increase higher-education capacity to a greater degree. Despite the existence of state affiliates, WGU enrolls students living in all U.S. states and on U.S. military bases worldwide.
WGU Indiana was the first state established school created June 11, 2010, by Executive Order 10-04, signed by then governor of Indiana Mitch Daniels. At its founding Daniels stated “Today we mark the beginning of, in a real sense, Indiana’s eighth state university“.[22] As a state-affiliated school, WGU Indiana is an approved for Indiana state grants and scholarships offered through the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana and students graduating from the states community college system can take advantage of the articulation agreement which allows them to transfer all credits, waive the application fee, and receive a 5% discount on tuition. The school is based in Indianapolis and the school’s chancellor is Allison Barber.
WGU Washington was created February 26, 2011 with the passing of House Bill 1822.[24] It was signed into law by Governor Chris Gregorian. Washington State’s previous governor Mike Lowry was one of the founding governors of the university. A bill passed in April 2013 will make students eligible for state grants like in-state schools.[25] A transfer agreement allows students who graduate from state community colleges to receive a 5% discount. The Washington Chancellor is former Bellevue College President Jean Flatten.
Governor Rick Perry of Texas founded WGU Texas in August 2011 with Executive Order RP 75.[27] Perry’s predecessor George W. Bush was one of the founding governors of the university. The creation was supported by Rep. Dan Branch, Republican leader of the House Education Committee and Sen. Judith Zaffirini, Democratic Chair of the Senate Education Committee. It called for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas Education Agency and Texas Workforce Commission to help with its founding.[28] The state school will have an Advisory Board appointed by the governor and be based in Austin. Ray Martinez is the Texas Chancellor.
Governor Jay Nixon first announced the creation of WGU Missouri in his annual State of the State address in January 2013.[30] He signed Executive Order 13-04 officially starting the new school.[31] He stated “(Missouri) has great opportunities for higher education, and I’m proud to say we’ve just added one more. WGU Missouri.”[32] It was created using funds from Federal Community Development Block Grants and a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.[33] The school has an advisory board and its own local chancellor, Dr. Angela (Angie) Besendorfer. Students are eligible for state grants. It is based in Jefferson City.
Governor Bill Hassam announced the creation of WGU Tennessee in January 2013. It was part of his “Drive for 55” plan to bring the college graduation rate of the state up to 55%. The school was started with a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and $5 million in onetime state funds. Students are eligible for state financial aid. The school, based in Franklin, has a local chancellor, Dr. Kimberly K. Estep, and advisory board.[35][36]
Governor Brian Sandoval created WGU Nevada by proclamation and a memorandum of understanding with WGU, launching the sixth state-based WGU University on June 16, 2015. It was created with a $2 million grant from United Student Aid Funds and required no startup funding from the state. At the time of the launch, WGU had more than 900 students and more than 850 alumni in Nevada.
WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.[38] Regional accreditation is by the NWCCU, the regional accreditor of other schools such as the University of Washington, the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Gonzaga University, and the University of Oregon, among others. Because of its unique founding by 19 governors whose states encompass several regions, WGU was the first and only university to date to be reviewed and awarded accreditation by four differing regional accreditors.
In 2006, the WGU Teachers College became the first exclusively online school to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
In May 2009, WGU’s nursing education programs were accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The initial accreditation, which had a five-year term, was awarded following a process that included a site visit as well as a review of WGU’s nursing curriculum.[41] In May 2014, CCNE extended WGU’s accreditation through June 2024. “Western Governors University Earns CCNE Accreditation for Another 10 Years”.
In 2011, WGU’s B.S. in Health Informatics degree received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). The accreditation is granted after extensive reviews based on industry-developed standards.
In 2015, tuition for WGU is $2,890 per six-month term for most undergraduate programs and has not increased since the fall of 2008.[43] Tuition is charged at a flat rate per six-month term, regardless of the number of courses taken or credits completed.
Western Governors University
Western Governors University Admission Information in USA WGU has a multi-step admissions process. Admissions requirements differ depending on which academic program the student chooses to attend.
