Robert J.
01-28-2005, 12:52 AM
Degreeboard.com Asks:
7. It has been said often that when a student enrolls at Kennedy Western,
they are always required to complete 6 to 7 courses at Kennedy Western.
Whether they've completed 100 units at other accredited schools or they come
in with zero credits but the theme is the same, they all complete 6 to 7
courses. Is this true or false? And why.
Mr. David Gering Responds:
This question vastly over-simplifies the issue. At any university, the number of
courses required to complete a major or degree program varies depending on the major
and the school's individual requirements. Each KWU student is assessed individually
for his/her respective academic credits and work experience. As such, some students
must take more than 7 courses as a result.
In fact, our Master's and Doctorate degree programs are virtually identical in
length to traditional university programs. For the Bachelor's degree programs, they
are typically shorter than traditional degree programs because those students are
coming in with a required 60 units of college work. Our students come to
Kennedy-Western specifically because their programs are focused on their particular
area of emphasis. Thus, KWU students must earn their degrees in an amount of time
comparable to most online universities' programs. Regardless, this has nothing to do
with academic integrity or our challenging curricula, which are comparable to those
of traditional universities.
The business world is only concerned with results and performance. This should be
included in any discussion about the relative merits of any school, and is forefront
in the minds of our faculty and Student Services Advisors. Further, our Admissions
Counselors are responsible for helping prospective students to decide whether they
have the skills, discipline and knowledge to successfully complete their degree
programs according to KWU's high academic standards. As an institution, we are
focused on maximizing student performance to high standards -- academic outcomes.
Academic outcomes translate into career outcomes as well. An independent phone
survey of 150 KWU graduates last fall confirms that KWU alumni enjoy significant
career outcomes from earning their degrees. More than 27% of those not
self-employed, retired or already at the highest level in their jobs earned
promotions. Another 25% expect that they will soon be promoted. Most KWU graduates
earned promotions and/or pay raises in the first 6-12 months after graduating.
Nearly 34% of the total who weren't self-employed, etc., changed jobs and upgraded
their job status.
Degreeboard.com Asks:
8. Please explain in precise terms how "work experience" is converted into
Kennedy Western college credits.
Mr. David Gering Responds:
The University determines the percentage of credit award a student receives based on
the years of work experience related to their major as well as the number of prior
college credits earned and related training programs the student has attended.
Students must have a minimum of 5 years of work experience directly related to the
degree they seek to pursue. Awarding credit for prior learning on-the-job is
credible given the unique mission of Kennedy-Western University, and the practice is
far from unique to KWU. Credit decisions are also affected by the respective
required outcomes for each degree program. Regardless of whether someone has been
given credit for past work experience, that student must still meet the academic
standards set forth for the program.
7. It has been said often that when a student enrolls at Kennedy Western,
they are always required to complete 6 to 7 courses at Kennedy Western.
Whether they've completed 100 units at other accredited schools or they come
in with zero credits but the theme is the same, they all complete 6 to 7
courses. Is this true or false? And why.
Mr. David Gering Responds:
This question vastly over-simplifies the issue. At any university, the number of
courses required to complete a major or degree program varies depending on the major
and the school's individual requirements. Each KWU student is assessed individually
for his/her respective academic credits and work experience. As such, some students
must take more than 7 courses as a result.
In fact, our Master's and Doctorate degree programs are virtually identical in
length to traditional university programs. For the Bachelor's degree programs, they
are typically shorter than traditional degree programs because those students are
coming in with a required 60 units of college work. Our students come to
Kennedy-Western specifically because their programs are focused on their particular
area of emphasis. Thus, KWU students must earn their degrees in an amount of time
comparable to most online universities' programs. Regardless, this has nothing to do
with academic integrity or our challenging curricula, which are comparable to those
of traditional universities.
The business world is only concerned with results and performance. This should be
included in any discussion about the relative merits of any school, and is forefront
in the minds of our faculty and Student Services Advisors. Further, our Admissions
Counselors are responsible for helping prospective students to decide whether they
have the skills, discipline and knowledge to successfully complete their degree
programs according to KWU's high academic standards. As an institution, we are
focused on maximizing student performance to high standards -- academic outcomes.
Academic outcomes translate into career outcomes as well. An independent phone
survey of 150 KWU graduates last fall confirms that KWU alumni enjoy significant
career outcomes from earning their degrees. More than 27% of those not
self-employed, retired or already at the highest level in their jobs earned
promotions. Another 25% expect that they will soon be promoted. Most KWU graduates
earned promotions and/or pay raises in the first 6-12 months after graduating.
Nearly 34% of the total who weren't self-employed, etc., changed jobs and upgraded
their job status.
Degreeboard.com Asks:
8. Please explain in precise terms how "work experience" is converted into
Kennedy Western college credits.
Mr. David Gering Responds:
The University determines the percentage of credit award a student receives based on
the years of work experience related to their major as well as the number of prior
college credits earned and related training programs the student has attended.
Students must have a minimum of 5 years of work experience directly related to the
degree they seek to pursue. Awarding credit for prior learning on-the-job is
credible given the unique mission of Kennedy-Western University, and the practice is
far from unique to KWU. Credit decisions are also affected by the respective
required outcomes for each degree program. Regardless of whether someone has been
given credit for past work experience, that student must still meet the academic
standards set forth for the program.