Navigating Your Academic Journey: A Comprehensive Guide to the WGU Academic Calendar

Western Governors University (WGU) is an online university committed to making higher education accessible to as many people as possible. Everything WGU does is aimed at increasing accessibility and opportunity for each student, regardless of their background, motivations, or life situation. WGU's academic approach is competency-based and dedicated to producing highly competent graduates. The university has received the Military Friendly School designation for the 13th consecutive year, and for 2023-2024, it has been ranked as the #1 online school by Military Friendly.

Understanding WGU's Unique Academic Structure

Unlike traditional universities with fixed semesters and class schedules, WGU operates on a competency-based education (CBE) model, offering a high degree of flexibility and personalization. This means you can progress through your degree program at your own pace, demonstrating mastery of competencies through assessments rather than accumulating credit hours based on seat time.

Competency-Based Education: A Personalized Approach

WGU’s competency-based academic approach utilizes a variety of assessments to measure your skills and knowledge in your chosen field. These assessments require you to demonstrate that you understand concepts and can perform them in real-life situations. You aren't required to complete all coursework, you don't have to move through the material in a set order, and you can attempt an assessment at any point. As a WGU student, you will be required to demonstrate your mastery of competencies in a variety of ways. An assessment may be a traditional test, a project, an essay, or another practical demonstration of a required skill.

Rolling Start Dates: Begin When You're Ready

Terms are usually three or four months at other institutions, and you have to wait until a new term begins to enroll in courses and begin. But you usually have to apply for school months before that term beginning in order to be admitted in time. It’s a bit complicated and important to get the timing just right, or you may miss your chance.

WGU offers rolling start dates every single month. Once you apply and start working with an enrollment counselor you can start as soon as the 1st of the next month. WGU distinguishes itself by offering rolling start dates on the 1st of every month. This allows you to begin your studies as soon as you are admitted, without waiting for a traditional semester to begin.

Read also: Cornell University Semester Guide

Six-Month Terms: A Flexible Timeframe

WGU operates on six-month terms. Your term begins on the day you start. For example, if you started on March 1st, your term finishes on August 31st. You pay tuition for each six-month term, not per credit or per course. This means that you can start any time, and your tuition price will be the same. No matter how many courses you take in a given term, your tuition rate is exactly the same.

Tuition Structure: Pay Per Term, Not Per Course

At WGU, you pay tuition for each six-month term, regardless of the number of courses you complete. This can be highly beneficial, especially for students who can move through courses and material quickly.

Key Components of the WGU Academic Calendar

While WGU doesn't adhere to a traditional academic calendar with fixed semesters, understanding the key components of its structure is crucial for planning your academic journey.

Term Enrollment: Mapping Your Path

Term enrollment is the process of choosing courses and verifying that you are enrolled for the term of study. During term enrollment, you and your Program Mentor will map out which assessments you will complete and the time frame in which you will do so by established start and end dates. Your Program Mentor will schedule at least the minimum number of competency units required for full-time enrollment (12 units for undergraduate students, 8 units for graduate students). To help you plan your progress through the term and to set a study schedule and calendar, you and your Program Mentor will set start and end dates for each course.

Degree Plan: Your Personalized Roadmap

Your personalized Degree Plan helps you see all your course requirements and plan them out so you can stay on track to graduate. It's your map to the assessments you'll need to complete and the learning resources you can use to prepare.

Read also: GMU Calendar Explained

Program Mentor: Your Guide and Support System

Each student at WGU is assigned a Program Mentor who provides guidance, support, and encouragement throughout their academic journey. Your Program Mentor will help you develop a personalized Degree Plan, set realistic goals, and stay motivated.

Balancing Life and Studies: Flexibility and Support

WGU recognizes that many students have busy lives, juggling work, family, and other commitments. The university is designed to provide the flexibility and support needed to succeed.

Flexible Scheduling: Fit School into Your Life

We know you have a busy life, and we don't think school should interrupt it. Every student comes to WGU with a unique situation-working full-time, working part-time, managing family, supporting a spouse, and more. We believe you should be able to fit schooling into your life, not the other way around. That's why we don't have set class times, deadlines, or due dates. You get to work on your courses any time, any place.

Maintaining Employment: Earn While You Learn

A flexible schedule means you can keep your current job while going to school. You can continue to earn money while you are learning, enhancing your résumé, and preparing for your future.

Taking Time Off: Flexible Time Off (FTO)

Taking time off is important for your overall wellbeing and productivity in both your professional and personal life. You may also find the need to take extended time away from work for health, family, or other reasons.

WGU's Flexible Time Off (FTO) benefit, is an approach to time off in which employees are encouraged to take time away from work for rest and relaxation in balance with their work obligations. payroll who are in positions classified to work 30+ hours per week. For employees whose positions are classified as part-time, intermittent, temporary, or intern are not eligible for FTO. Regular FTO is exclusively reserved for anything that does not qualify for Sick FTO or a LOA or is not a separately designated form of time off such as jury duty or bereavement. Example uses of Regular FTO include time off for rest, relaxation, leisure pursuits, volunteer service, special holiday observance, and personal or family matters not otherwise covered by Sick FTO or other policies.

Sick Time

For regular full-time employees, Sick FTO is available and applies only to an employee's acute health condition or to care for a family member's acute health condition, not to exceed five (5) consecutive scheduled workdays in either case, or as otherwise required by applicable law. If your position is classified as part-time, you may accrue up to 24 hours of sick time per year, up to a balance maximum of 72 hours. You will accrue one hour of sick time for every 30 regular hours worked (excluding any overtime hours or paid time off paid). A year, for the purpose of earning sick time, is based on your Western Governors University anniversary date.

Bereavement Time

Bereavement time of up to five days per incident is provided in cases of death in the employee's immediate family. For certain extenuating circumstances, additional paid bereavement time may be permitted with approval from your leader and People & Talent. Time away exceeding a total of 10 days due to bereavement may require a leave of absence.

Leaves of Absence (LOA)

Life happens. And WGU is here to support you when you need a leave of absence (LOA) that goes beyond occasional use of regular or sick time off. If you need time off for more than five (5) consecutive days to care for yourself or your qualified family member due to a serious health condition, you require time to bond with a new child, or you need time for military service, you may be eligible for a leave of absence. Becoming a parent is an exciting step for families, and Western Governors University recognizes the importance of parent-child bonding.

Paid Medical Leave (PML)

Eligible employees may request Paid Medical Leave (PML) when needing to take a leave of absence due to their own serious health condition. Positions classified as intermittent, temporary, or intern are not eligible for Paid Medical Leave.

Paid Family Leave (PFL)

Paid Family Leave (PFL) provides paid time off to care for a qualifying family member who has a medically certified serious health condition. Positions classified as part-time, intermittent, temporary, or intern are not eligible for PFL.

Military Leave

To support your service to our country, you may be eligible for LOA consistent with the requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). With proper documentation, you may be eligible for military differential pay when you return WGU from your deployment or service for certain qualifying military leaves.

Holiday Observance

Martin Luther King, Jr. Employees in a position classified as full-time will receive 8 hours for each observed holiday. Part-time employees will receive holiday pay at a pro-rated amount according to your scheduled weekly hours in Workday.

Getting Started: A Seamless Enrollment Process

When can I start college? You’re probably eager to get started once you’ve decided that higher education is the right path for you. When you choose online universities like WGU, you’re likely to have a start date much sooner than a traditional school.

While WGU does have start dates on the 1st of every month, you’ll need to be admitted before you can begin. Submit an official transcript verifying receipt of your bachelor’s degree from a recognized, accredited institution. It’s important to apply and talk to an enrollment counselor so you can figure out when your actual start date will be. Many students can apply and begin at the beginning of the following month, but sometimes transfer information or other delays can push you back one month.

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