History and/or Overview
The University of Phoenix (UOPX) was started in 1976 in Phoenix, Arizona, where it currently has both its Central Administration and the headquarters for its Online Campus. The Online Campus has 20 years of experience in online education, which is proven to be as effective as traditional higher education instruction. UOPX was founded by Dr. John Spelling, a Cambridge educated economist, professor and entrepreneur.
Today, UOPX is the largest for-profit private university in the United States and has 200 campus locations, as well as a presence online in most countries of the world. The total student population is estimated at 500,000 students. Students are offered associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
Funding Source or Type
UOPX is a for-profit private university.
Traditional Campus Locations
The University of Phoenix has over 200 locations throughout the U.S., which include 41 U.S. states and Puerto Rico; and these are within 10 miles of 87 million Americans.
Accreditation
The University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLS) and is also a member of the North Central Association (NCA). In addition to these regional accreditations, UOPX degree programs are individually accredited and approved by a variety of counsels and agencies. These include program accreditations for business, nursing, and teacher education and counseling, in addition to state and international licensures and a variety of affiliations.
Internal Colleges and Schools
School of Business
School of Advanced Studies
College of Education
College of Nursing
College of Criminal Justice and Security
College of Humanities
College of Social Sciences
College of Natural Sciences
College of Information Systems & Technology
Online Degree Programs
Whether you take a degree program online or on a traditional campus, you will receive the same high quality education.
Arts and Sciences, and Business and Management
|
Associate’s of Arts |
Bachelor’s of Science |
Master’s |
Doctoral |
| Communications | Accounting | MBA | Business Administration |
| General Studies | Business | Management (or HR Mgt.) | Management in Organizational Leadership |
| Accounting | Management | Public Administration | |
| Foundations of Business | Management / Mfg. Sector | MS in Accountancy | |
| Comm. / Comm. & Techn. | |||
| Comm. / Culture & Comm. | |||
| Comm. / Marketing & Sales Comm. | |||
| Environmental Science | |||
| Hospitality, Travel and Tourism | Business Concentrations | MBA Concentrations | |
| Accounting | Global Mgt. | ||
| Administration | Healthcare Mgt. | ||
| Finance | Marketing | ||
| Global Business Management | Project Mgt. | ||
| Green and Sustainable Enterprise Management | Technology Mgt. | ||
| Human Resource Management | Accounting | ||
| Integrated Supply Chain and Operations Management | Energy Mgt. | ||
| Management | Human Resource Mgt. | ||
| Marketing | |||
| Project Management | |||
| Public Sector | |||
| Service Sector | |||
| Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship | |||
|
Bachelor’s of Arts |
|||
| English |
BA is Bachelor of Arts
MBA is Master’s of Business Administration
Criminal Justice and Security
|
Associate’s of Arts |
Bachelor’s of Science |
Master’s of Science |
| Criminal Justice | Criminal Justice Administration – Institutional Healthcare | Administration of Justice and Security |
| Criminal Justice Administration / Human Services | ||
| Criminal Justice Administration / Mgt. | ||
| Organizational Security and Mgt. |
Education
|
Associate’s of Arts |
Bachelor’s of Science |
Master’s of Arts |
Doctoral |
| Elementary Education | Education/Elementary Teacher Education | Education/Administration And Supervision | Education in Educational Leadership |
| Liberal Studies | Education/Adult Education And Training | Education in Educational Leadership with a Specialization in Curriculum and Instruction | |
| Education/Curriculum And Instruction – Reading | Education in Educational Leadership with a Specialization in Educational Technology | ||
| Education/Elementary Teacher Education | Philosophy in Higher Education Adm. | ||
| Education/Secondary Teacher Education | Educational Specialist | ||
| Education/Special Education | |||
| Education/Teacher Leadership | |||
| Education/Early Childhood Education |
BA is Bachelor of Arts.
MBA is Master’s of Business Administration.
Human Services
|
Associate’s of Arts |
Bachelor’s of Science |
| Human Services Mgt. | Human Services / Mgt. |
Nursing and Health Care
|
Associate’s of Arts |
Bachelor’s of Science |
Master’s |
Doctoral |
| Health Care Administration | Health Administration / Health Information Systems | Health Administration | Health Adm. |
| Health Care Administration / Medical Records | Health Administration | Health Administration/Education | Philosophy in Nursing |
| Health Administration / Emergency Management | Health Adm./Gerontology | ||
| Health Administration / in Health Management | Health Adm./Informatics | ||
| Health Administration / Long-Term Care |
Master’s of Science |
||
| Nursing | Nursing | ||
| Nursing / Master of Business Adm. / Health Care Management | |||
| Nursing / Master of Health Adm. | |||
| Nursing / Nursing / Health Care Education | |||
| Nursing / Specialization in Informatics |
Technology
|
Associate’s of Arts |
Bachelor’s of Science |
Master’s |
Doctoral |
| Information Technology / Information Technology Support | Information Technology – Concentration In Multimedia And Visual Communication | Information Systems | Mgt. in Organizational Leadership / Information Systems and Technology |
| Information Technology / Networking | Information Technology / Networking And Telecommunications | ||
| Information Technology | Information Technology / Advanced Networking | ||
| Information Technology / Database Development | Information Technology / In Business Systems Analysis | ||
| Information Technology / Programming | Information Technology / Database Administration | ||
| Information Technology / Web Design | Information Technology / Information Systems Security | ||
| Information Technology / Software Engineering | |||
| Information Technology / Web Development | |||
| Information Technology / Information Management |
Military Students and Veterans
The University of Phoenix has a Military Division, which understands the needs of military students. They provide experienced individual support to complete or begin work toward a traditional or online college degree, even while serving overseas. Additionally, special financial options are available for military students and veterans. These include discounts on tuition for active duty, reservists or National Guard students and their spouses. All eligibility documents must be received prior to the start of any course. Separate tuition rate discounts are available for online students and traditional campus students.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
The University of Phoenix offers a tuition deferral plan, helps students obtain private student loans and federal financial aid, and provides financial resources for students who are non-US citizens. Special assistance is also given to veterans, military students and their spouses.
Scholarships are not available to all students; but a limited number of scholarships are available and the process is very competitive. Institutional scholarships are posted as they become available. These are developed by reaching out to target communities and determining the needs of those communities. UOP partners with non-profit and other organizations to help students alleviate financial obstacles. UOP also evaluates external scholarship opportunities and matches them with student eligibility, which may be need-based, merit-based or credit-based. External scholarships are available to UOP students and the public.
Awards Given and Received
- UOPX received the “Good Practices in Distance Education” by Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education.
- UOPX was selected for excellence in undergraduate education and participated in the “Project Good Work” study, conducted by researchers from Harvard, Stanford, and Claremont Graduate University.
- Computerworld’s “100 Premier IT Leaders for 2009″ was awarded to Joe Mildenhall, the University of Phoenix CIO.
- Council on Higher Education Accreditation recognized University of Phoenix as an exemplary institution for “Ensuring Quality in Distance Education.”
- The 2008 Apex Award for Publication Excellence in the category of New Magazines and Journals was given to the Journal of Leadership Studies, a publication of the School of Advanced Studies at University of Phoenix.
Enroll Now!
If the University of Phoenix Online sounds good to you, consider signing up for a few online courses! With little interference with your present routine at home or at work, you can make progress toward your own associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degree, or obtain a professional certificate. And you will be the one determining your study schedule and earning a degree at your own pace.
All comments about this University of Phoenix Online article are most welcome. This is a continuing series of articles on reviewing and selecting the best online colleges. Do come back soon!
