As a prelude, I'd like to say that I finished my associates degree through Westwood College in December of 2003. I was taken in by the orientation BS about how jobs would be a plenty by the time we graduated. I did not get my first graphic design job until 2006. Between those three years, Westwood helped me one time directly to find something in my area of expertise. Obviously, Westwood cannot control the ebb and flow of the economy, but they can be more practical and stop trying to sell their courses to naive students with a helping of bullshit. As of now, I am enrolled in a bachelor's degree for web design and multimedia. The online sessions are convenient, but because financial aid charges you more to participate in part time classes, I chose to go full time foolishly believing the curriculum would be formulated for people with full time jobs and families. This was not the case and is my first gripe with this program: 1. Online Degree: If you're going to market the convenience of an online degree, at least respect your clients to the point of making it so the classes can be completed during a 40 hour work week. Some of us do not have time to read through 300+ pages spread between three classes with homework and discussion posts, and still get a decent grade. These were also not for core classes, which are more important than general education, which brings me to my next point... 2. Lack of Choice: I could not choose which general education classes to take. This akin to buying an album off of Itunes and then Itunes telling you which songs they're deciding to give you with the album. Westwood gets plenty of money to be able to offer students more of a choice in which classes they want to take. 3. General Education: The Gen Ed classes available from this program are horrendous. If I'm taking a bachelor's degree program, I know what I want to focus on, but classes like "science fiction", "statistics" and "public speaking" do not help me in my development of my graphic and web design skill sets, and the fact that these classes include workloads that match or outdo the core classes lead sme to believe Westwood is stuffing their programs with unnecessary classes in order to charge students more money. 4. Curriculum: The curriculum recently changed, however, I have no idea if they've updated their outdated methods of teaching. For example, CMS platforms like drupal, wordpress and joomla are quickly becoming key elements for a lot of businesses, yet none of my core classes taught any aspect of these besides a discussion of what is the best CMS to use for a client. Even considering the fact that these are built upon languages such as PHP, these classes do not teach students how to use these languages. In conclusion, I went into the program thinking I would learn something. I learned most from my Digital Photography class and maybe a few others, yet everything else felt like a waste of time and money. So for the TL;DR version: Don't do the Web Design and Multimedia program, find a community college and take classes that don't waste your time and money like Westwood does. read more

This place is a joke. Having to take "basic" courses that have no association with what you are going to school for. A con game. The courses I did need to take were taught by "professionals" who were very low in what they were teaching. From the "teacher" who wore the same clothes on Friday night and Saturday classes, to the "teacher" who left the blackboard full of correct answers during tests. Run, do not walk, RUN!!! My husband went there and graduated. He was laid off almost 2 years ago. Westwood says they will help you find jobs. He asked for their help and no help was offered. read more

First westwood is accredited by both North Central Association of Colleges and Schools The Higher Learning Commission and the Accrediting Commission of Career School & colleges of Technology. Which are recognized by the US dept of Eduation and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.(CHEA) Now one important issue I've come across over and over is the TRANSFER OF CREDITSto another institution. It has very little to do with accreditation with why you're credits won't tranfer. First it's up to the other school whether they want t take your credits. your Credits have to match the other schools criteria in some way. Also most universities won't accept transfers unless you've completed at least 25% of your general studies towards your undergraduate degree.And that's at a minimum, some may require more especially towards a graduate degree. Also you can not have poor grades.D's and F's DON"T TRANSFER!!! The better your grades and performance the easier to transer your credits. The next step is notjust a matter of calling and asking "Hey do you take these?" WRONG!!! Most of you probably just let someone tell you no and you walked away. Why would you do that??? If someone said "Here eat this,it's good for." Would you without research? So why woul you accept it when it comes to your education? Each university an college has an application to fill out. You should fill it out as accurately and neatly as possible. Turn it in on time and then ask for a persnal interview.If youget rejected you can appeal. (Which you should!!) research different accrediation assoiations they have tips on hlping you transfer credits Credits work the same way as getting a job you wouldn't just apply and never follow up would you? And if you didn't get th position would you just quit?? Most people don't get what the wnt on the first try you have to keep trying until yu receive the results you want. This seperates the WINNERS from the COMPLAINING LOSERS.No one wass ever jut handed a job because of a degree. You have to prove you can do the job. If someone laughs in your face because of where you went to school you laugh back when you show them your portfolio and prove you have what it takes. They won't be laughing for long. No college is 100% perfect. NYU alone spent $36,000 dollars of college money on a yacht instead of helping to fund students.As far as the school "sucking" tha' just a matter of opinion. The addmissions team isn't suppose to bethe best. They are there to get people enrolled. The same gos for every college in the world. They all try to say why their school is better than the others. Every college isgoing to run you in the thousands find me one right now that's completely free or super cheap and I'll eat my drawers.plus I wouldn't want to go because it means thy can't afford the technology I need to learn. Everyone that leaves college is in debt.Unless yu're rich as heck you're still paying for loans after graduation. NO MATTER WHERE YOU ATTEND. Think going to universities will be better? DOUBLE the cost at westwood or any other tehnical college. Poor learningand not finding a job is also a matter of opinion and of effort.As an ex friend of mine Graduted from Ohio State with a BS in Criminal Sociology and has not fund a job in her field for 4 years. Not only that but she's bankrupt from student loans, and works as a waitress at restaurant. She went to a well known university and came out with nothing. So it's a matter of what you do with what you have. Not once have I heard any person saying a terrible thing about Westwood college that they graduated. NOT ONE. They findit easier to complain seeing as maybe one choice in going to westwood is that you'd never be accepted at another University or that you didn't want to be bothered with heavy work.Thought you might take the easy way and found out it wasn't so easy and instead of making something of it, you dropped out and whined like a baby.If you think Westwood is hard try attending a university where you're a number instead of a person. You sit in a class of hundreds, listens to a professor drone and then you're sent on yor way to make somethng of whatwas taught. You pay 120,000 dollars to be virtually on your own If it works for them then let them go.If you hve and opinion that' fine maybe you're not college material, it's not for every. but you're scaring the knickers of of people this might actually work for and you're not giving valid reason other than you hate the recruiter(Techncally you're not suppose to like them) or most of you want the quick route.Some of your complaints are the same as any university. If you can't find a way to pay you don't get to go to school.That's why thy have grants and scholarships, but I'm sure most of you didn't even attempt to try for them. And quite frankly I believe some of these people would "...complain about the noise if gold fell from the sky."(Sharon Green) read more