Western Governors University Bachelor Degrees
Background and History
Western Governors University was founded by 19 state governors who joined together to create a non-profit learning institution for working adults and students needing flexibility to earn their degree. Western Governors University graduated its first student in November of 2000. All of the programs offered at Western Governors University, or WGU, are competency-focused. This means that students are tested to measure competency in each subject area, and are never required to take courses on materials that student already knows. WGU is the first of any college to offer this innovative approach to learning. Western Governors University was named one of America's Best Colleges in 2007 by U.S. News & World Report Magazine. Online bachelor degrees offered through WGU are in the areas of business management, information technology management, human resource management, accounting, marketing management, information technology, health informatics, nursing, education – interdisciplinary studies (PK-8), education – mathematics (5-9 or 5-12), education – science (5-9 or 5-12), and education – social science (5-12).
Accreditation and Job Placement
Western Governors University's main accrediting commission is the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The accreditation is considered the equivalent to many public and private brick and mortar colleges. WGU is also nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM), and WGU's Nursing programs are CCNE accredited.
Featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams in their "What Works" segment, WGU is the recipient of the USDLA 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning for 2011, awarded in recognition of our success in expanding access to higher education. TIME Magazine also called WGU "the best relatively cheap university you’ve never heard of."
