Springfield Resident Earns Bachelor’s Degree from WGU Missouri

Dustin Beasley, a resident of Springfield and customer service manager at T-Mobile, recently graduated from WGU Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He was one of 704 students who graduated from the online, nonprofit university this year – the largest graduating class to date.

Beasley, 33, enrolled in WGU Missouri just two and a half years ago. After graduating from Republic High School in 2003, he completed some college courses but decided to take a break. He began working full-time and gained over a decade of experience in management with the intention of going back to earn his bachelor’s degree. WGU Missouri’s competency-based curriculum and tuition assistance offered by his employer gave him the motivation he needed to return.

“I learned about WGU through a career fair at work, and the affordability and flexibility instantly motivated me to enroll and make my dream of completing my degree a reality,” he said. “WGU’s education model allowed me to apply my many years of knowledge in the business world and move faster through my courses, which along with my company’s amazing tuition assistance program, provided me with the opportunity to graduate sooner.”

While attending WGU Missouri, Beasley continued to work full-time with T-Mobile. Now that he has earned his degree, he says, the possibilities are wide open for his future.

“It’s such an amazing feeling to fulfill a promise to yourself that, at times, seemed impossible,” he said. “I have had a lot of great opportunities in my current job while working toward my degree, and now that I’ve earned it, the possibilities are wide open on my next career move. My degree has given me a chance to secure my future and take my career dreams even further than I ever thought possible.”

As the only online, nonprofit university endorsed by the state of Missouri, WGU Missouri provides an affordable and accessible path to college completion for working adults throughout the state. The university’s competency-based model allows students to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. As a result, many students can accelerate their studies, finishing faster and saving money. Tuition is charged at a flat rate of $3,500 per six-month term for most programs, regardless of the number of courses completed. On average, students can complete a bachelor’s degree in less than three years, many while holding a full-time job and raising a family. The online model also enables students to enroll and study from anywhere across the state, and complete coursework at a schedule that works best for them. The university, created in 2013 by former Governor Jay Nixon in partnership with Western Governors University, now has more than 1,500 alumni and 2,841 students currently enrolled.

This year’s graduating class was made up of a diverse student body. Specific stats are as follows:

WGU Missouri Commencement by the Numbers

• WGU Missouri graduates represent 160 cities across the state and more than 80 counties.
• 383 undergraduate and 321 graduate degrees were conferred.
• The average age of the graduates is 41; the youngest grad is 19; the oldest is 73.
• 97 percent of the graduates are over the age of 25.
• 42 percent of the graduates represent the first generation in their family to complete college.
• 30 graduate degree programs and 31 undergraduate degree programs are being represented.
• Degree distribution by college:
  • College of Business – 219
  • College of Health Professions and Nursing – 238
  • College of Information Technology – 65
  • Teachers College – 182

• The time to graduation is 28 months for undergraduates and 20 months for graduates.
• 71% of graduates are female; 29% are male.
• Nearly one-fourth of graduates live in rural parts of the state.
• 68% of graduates are underserved (low-income students, minorities and first-generation college students)

For more information, visit missouri.wgu.edu.

About WGU Missouri

WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members provide one-on-one guidance, support, and instruction.

Established through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,000 per year for most programs.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*).