University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix (UOP) is a for-profit educational institution specializing in adult education, with campuses located throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. UOP was founded in 1976 by Dr. John Sperling.

History

In the early 1970's, at San Jose State University in California, John Sperling and several associates conducted field-based research in adult education. The focus of the research was to explore teaching/learning systems for the delivery of educational programs and services to working adult students who wished to complete or further their education in ways that complemented both their experience and current professional responsibilities.

At that time colleges and universities were organized primarily around serving the needs of the 18-22 year old undergraduate student. That is not at all surprising, given that the large majority of those enrolled were residential students of traditional college age, just out of high school. According to Sperling, working adult students were often "invisible" on traditional campuses and treated as second-class citizens.

Since 1976, University of Phoenix has grown considerably, producing more than 171,000 alumni. In 1989, University of Phoenix was recognized as the first U.S. university to offer course work online. As of October 2006 University of Phoenix has an estimated 280,000 students attending via the various methods of going to school. The University of Phoenix, originally, was based out of California. Later its main campuses were moved to Phoenix, Arizona.

Accreditation

UOP is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. UOP as a school is regionally accredited. UOP does not have professional accreditation for many of its majors, in particular its very popular MBA program. In British Columbia, the University of Phoenix was accredited by the Private Post-Secondary Education Commission (PPSEC) in 2002. That agency is now called the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA).

Business Programs

UOP does not have "professional accreditation" for their business programs, however UOP is a candidate for accreditation with ACBSP. According to a UoP statement,
Employers have not expressed a preference for business school accreditation. Regional accreditation, like that of the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits the University of Phoenix, is important for students seeking employer reimbursement and federal financial aid. With respect to the academic issues, UOP students greatly benefit from being taught by practitioner faculty who are experts in their field. This allows our students to integrate and apply the content knowledge to their chosen professions. By adhering to this model of instruction, the University of Phoenix is better served by not being accredited by AACSB. In addition, compliance by UOP faculty standards requires over 50% of its educators to be of a doctorate level (terminally degreed) to teach masters level courses, while working in their field

Nursing Program

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Master of Science in Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Counseling ProgramThe Master of Counseling program in Community Counseling (in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona) and the Master of Counseling program in Mental Health Counseling (in Utah) are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)[4].