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UW Flexible Option Team

Competency-Based Degrees a Smart, Affordable Option for Busy Professionals Like Craig Kilgo

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Two words to describe Craig Kilgo: hard working and committed. These qualities have served the aspiring college graduate well as he completes his bachelor’s degree through the online, self-paced University of Wisconsin Flexible Option Information Science and Technology program.

“Flex is about work ethic,” says Kilgo. “This was exactly the program I needed. I decided to take advantage of this opportunity as soon as possible.” [Read more…] about Competency-Based Degrees a Smart, Affordable Option for Busy Professionals Like Craig Kilgo

Why One Busy Nurse Chose the UW Flexible Option RN to BSN Program

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Self-motivation, organization, and a little flexibility can go a long way when it comes to earning your degree. Carla Lundeen knows this firsthand. Thanks to the self-paced, online University of Wisconsin Flexible Option’s RN to BSN program, Lundeen was able to return to school and is now well on her way to completing her bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN).

[Read more…] about Why One Busy Nurse Chose the UW Flexible Option RN to BSN Program

Looking for a “Life-Experience Degree”? Try Competency-Based Education Instead

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More and more working adults who started college but never finished are seeking different ways to earn their bachelor’s degrees. For good reason—study after study shows that a college degree offers the promise of a higher-paying job, upward mobility, and significantly higher lifetime earnings.

Not surprisingly, many people are interested in discovering degree paths that accelerate completion and reduce costs. Analysis of Google search engine queries reveals that a sizable number of people are researching “life-experience degrees.” Programs that offer these degrees promise to translate a person’s life or work experience into credit without the workload of a typical college program. But as you will soon see, this option should be regarded with caution.

The good news is that another option—competency-based education—allows returning adult learners to legitimately leverage life and work experience to accelerate time to graduation and save money at the same time.

Let’s take a look at both options in detail. [Read more…] about Looking for a “Life-Experience Degree”? Try Competency-Based Education Instead

Texas Student Finds the Flexible Information Science and Technology Degree a Good Fit for Working Adults

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Boban’s educational and professional journey spans nearly half the world. As a database administrator, Boban received several years of schooling in his native India. But his desire for greater career opportunities brought him to the United States. Now living in Texas, Boban is looking to advance his education and professional potential. After researching countless degree programs, it was a National Public Radio story that brought Boban to the University of Wisconsin Flexible Option, a competency-based education option for working adults.

fast pace
“Online learning can be difficult. You have to be disciplined. It helps that Flex allows me to use knowledge I already have. It allows me to progress at a faster pace.” — Boban, UW Flexible Option Student

“I looked at nearly every online program imaginable and chose the flexible, online Information Science and Technology degree program because it is very affordable and appropriate to the lifestyle of a working individual,” says Boban. “I like the schedule of subscription periods, the concept of mastering a competency, and the fact that most of the materials you need are online.” [Read more…] about Texas Student Finds the Flexible Information Science and Technology Degree a Good Fit for Working Adults

“Fleet and Flexible”: UW’s Competency-based Degrees Help Working Adults Get Ahead

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UW Flexible Option degree programs, the University of Wisconsin’s acclaimed entry into competency-based education, are back in the news—this time in a feature article at IBMadison.com, the online news site of In Business magazine, south-central Wisconsin’s leading business publication.

The article points out the well-documented lifetime financial advantage of a bachelor’s degree and the challenge of earning one later in life as a working adult. The author sums up how this innovative, online, competency-based degree program helps adult learners overcome this challenge and meet their goals.

First of all, students learn at their own pace, and they aren’t limited in the number of credits they can earn during a given subscription period. For a flat tuition fee of $2,250, students sign up for a three-month subscription, and during that time they can advance through the program as quickly (or slowly) as they like—and they can do their coursework whenever they want to. That creates not only a high degree of flexibility for students who need to create a work-life balance, but also a greater degree of efficiency for students who are prepared to “show what they know.” [Read more…] about “Fleet and Flexible”: UW’s Competency-based Degrees Help Working Adults Get Ahead

What’s the Key to Success in Competency-based Education? Ask a UW Flex Academic Success Coach

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Mentor, coach, key navigator, academic adviser, all-around “go-to” person — in the new University of Wisconsin Flexible Option competency-based degree programs, this person is known as the Academic Success Coach (ASC). ASCs are assigned to every student admitted to the UW Flexible Option. They’re at the center of a support system designed to help students earn the degree they need to move ahead in their careers.

So, just what are ASCs, what is their role in UW Flex, and most importantly, how do they help students? Our staff sat down with UW Flex ASCs Nadia Kaminski, Kristin Hoffmann and Mike Exum to find out. [Read more…] about What’s the Key to Success in Competency-based Education? Ask a UW Flex Academic Success Coach

Five Strategies for Finding Time to Go Back to School with Kids

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Racing to get the kids to school before work, running errands after work, rushing to help get the kids’ homework done—all before you can even consider starting your homework. For many adults, balancing family and work is a challenge. Add the stress of returning to school, and many adult students find the experience overwhelming. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone! With a growing number of adults, many of them parents, seeking their degree, universities across the country are working to accommodate the needs of nontraditional students. Now, competency-based degree programs are rising to the top of the heap as an ideal way to earn a degree for parents on an already hectic schedule. [Read more…] about Five Strategies for Finding Time to Go Back to School with Kids

Off to a Great Start! UW Flexible Option Admission Launch Brings Positive Response

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This past week, earning a University of Wisconsin degree got a lot more flexible for working adults.

The UW Flexible Option celebrated the successful open of its admission process on November 18 with a press event that included the first official application submission by a student.

As a high profile and eagerly anticipated program, the UW Flexible Option’s admission launch received lots of attention from media who reported on the event and the finer details of this new, flexible format.

Check out some of the highlights from media and government responses from around the state:

[Read more…] about Off to a Great Start! UW Flexible Option Admission Launch Brings Positive Response

Wall Street Journal Article Features UW Flexible Option

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The Wall Street Journal featured the UW Flexible Option in an article first published on January 24, 2013.  The article, by Journal reporter Caroline Porter, highlights the University of Wisconsin’s innovative new way to earn a college degree.Wall-Street-Journal-logo

College Degree, No Class Time Required: University of Wisconsin to Offer a Bachelor’s to Students Who Take Online Competency Tests About What They Know

David Lando plans to start working toward a diploma from the University of Wisconsin this fall, but he doesn’t intend to set foot on campus or even take a single online course offered by the school’s well-regarded faculty.

Instead, he will sit through hours of testing at his home computer in Milwaukee under a new program that promises to award a bachelor’s degree based on knowledge—not just class time or credits.

Read full article here.

Flexible Option Student Hits His Stride as His Journey to a Degree Continues

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UW Flexible Option student Aaron Apel with UW System President Ray Cross at the UW Flexible Option application launch celebration in November 2013.

Aaron Apel set out to “flex his potential” in January, when he became the first official applicant to the University of Wisconsin Flexible Option program. Just three short months later, Apel says his Flex experience is picking up steam.

“I wanted to start out slow, to see how things would work, especially since this is a new experience for everyone,” Apel says. “It’s going really well. I’m happy with the process and am looking forward to starting my second subscription period in April.”

Apel has worked for UW-Madison for nearly a decade and currently is an employee in the Office of the Registrar. But while he’s no stranger to the higher education scene, Apel himself never completed his bachelor’s degree. His desire to grow his career is why he jumped at the chance to try out the new Flex program and earn his degree. He is a working, married father of three, and flexibility is critical to his schedule. So far, he says, the Flex program has lived up to its name, allowing him to work toward his bachelor’s degree in Information Science and Technology on his own terms. [Read more…] about Flexible Option Student Hits His Stride as His Journey to a Degree Continues