Western Governors University's Online Master's in Information Technology Degree Earns Top 10 Ranking

Consumer group recognizes WGU's Master's Degree in Information Security & Assurance for its accreditation and affordability

SALT LAKE CITY, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- GetEducated.com, www.geteducated.com, a consumer guide to online colleges, has included Western Governors University's M.S. in Information Security & Assurance in its list of top ten accredited and most affordable online computer science master's degree programs.  The program has been certified by the National Security Agency's Information Assurance Courseware Evaluation Program, verifying that it meets the requirements established by the Committee on National Security Systems National Training Standards No. 4011 and 4012. In addition, tuition for the program is less than $11,750 for two years.

"Western Governors University, a private, nonprofit institution, offers online master's degrees in the high-demand field of computer science that cost about one-half the national average. WGU is a pioneer in making high-quality education more accessible through the innovative use of distance learning technologies," said Vicky Phillips, founder of GetEducated.com. "WGU is a national leader in the movement to harness online learning technology for greater public good."

Get Educated, founded by distance learning experts, brings transparency to the process of selecting the best online degree programs by publishing unbiased data for consumers on online college affordability as well as reviews from real online students. Western Governors University has earned several Get Educated best online college rankings for affordability and credibility, including rankings for Best Online Masters in Nursing, Education, and Business Administration.

Designed to meet the needs of working adults, WGU's College of Information Technology offers competency-based degree programs, including eight bachelor's and two master's degree programs. WGU allows students to earn a degree by demonstrating their competency and skills through a series of assessments, rather than attending traditional classes and earning credit hours. WGU's Information Security & Assurance program is certified by the National Security Agency's Information Assurance Courseware Evaluation (IACE) Program, which verifies that WGU's courseware meets the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) National Training Standards. Tuition is affordable at $2,890 per six-month term, with programs starting the first of every month. For more information, go to www.wgu.edu/IT  or call 1.866.225.5948.

About Western Governors University

"[WGU is] the best relatively cheap university you've never heard of."– TIME magazine

Featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, WGU is the only university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs and the only nonprofit, fully online university with students in all 50 states. WGU offers 50 degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology, and Health Professions, including Nursing. Since its inception in 1997, WGU has grown into a national institution, serving more than 25,000 students. WGU is self-sustaining on tuition, and does not rely on state or national support to fund its operations.  

On June 11, 2010, WGU Indiana, referred to by Governor Mitch Daniels as Indiana's eighth state university, was formed through a partnership with the state. WGU Washington was established by the Washington State Legislature on April 22, 2011.  Subsidiaries of Western Governors University, WGU Indiana and WGU Washington are state-endorsed and offer degree programs that are accredited through Western Governors University.

WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU nursing programs have been accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and its B.S. in Health Informatics is accredited by CAHIIM (Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education). WGU's Teachers College is the first and only exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation for its degree programs that lead to teacher licensure from NCATE, the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dell, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu or by calling 866.225.5948.

Follow WGU:
https://www.facebook.com/wgu.edu
http://www.linkedin.com/company/western-governors-university
http://www.youtube.com/WesternGovernorsUniv
http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/rss_feed

Contact for media inquiries
Joan Mitchell – Director of PR
801-428-5463
[email protected]

Contact for enrollment information:
866-225-5948
www.wgu.edu

SOURCE Western Governors University