Question about Second Bachelor's Degree & ACE Credits

[Silly_Me]

Let's say (for fun) that I wanted to pursue a second bachelor's degree after I finish up my BALS at TESU.  However, instead of going with the "Big Three," I decided to pursue my second bachelor's degree on-campus at a traditional university.  

I know that ACE credits shouldn't be an issue if I was going after a graduate degree, but what about a second bachelor's degree?  Could a university look at my BALS and say, "Nope. We don't recognize all these ACE credits.  You'll have to do the whole thing over again."?

Thanks for clearing up the confusion!

[dfrecore]

There MAY be some schools that do that, but most recognize the degree, not the individual courses that you've taken to get that degree - since all schools have different requirements.

I suggest that you only go to a school that recognizes your degree, and bypass this issue entirely.

[Life Long Learning]

Let's say (for fun) that I wanted to pursue a second bachelor's degree after I finish up my BALS at TESU.  However, instead of going with the "Big Three," I decided to pursue my second bachelor's degree on-campus at a traditional university.  

I know that ACE credits shouldn't be an issue if I was going after a graduate degree, but what about a second bachelor's degree?  Could a university look at my BALS and say, "Nope. We don't recognize all these ACE credits.  You'll have to do the whole thing over again."?

Thanks for clearing up the confusion!

They 100% can and many will.  That's why the Big 3 were founded.

[cookderosa]

Let's say (for fun) that I wanted to pursue a second bachelor's degree after I finish up my BALS at TESU.  However, instead of going with the "Big Three," I decided to pursue my second bachelor's degree on-campus at a traditional university.  

I know that ACE credits shouldn't be an issue if I was going after a graduate degree, but what about a second bachelor's degree?  Could a university look at my BALS and say, "Nope. We don't recognize all these ACE credits.  You'll have to do the whole thing over again."?

Thanks for clearing up the confusion!

I agree with Dfrecore. When I applied to undergrad programs after I already had my bachelor's degree, it was a different ballgame. While it's possible that some schools will do course by course evaluation, if that happens, keep looking. The only scrutiny I received were regarding specific prereqs (I applied to nursing programs that had a lot of specific tick boxes to meet) but overall- smooth as butter. Second degree holders are treated entirely differently than first degree seekers.

[clep3705]

For anybody considering a second degree, sometimes a master's degree is more expedient than a second bachelor's degree. For example, an MBA is likely quicker to obtain than a BBA.

[cannoda]

One of the things that might not have occurred to you is that you still need a total of 120 credits that are acceptable to the new institution. ACE credits may not fully count toward this requirement.

I had a related issue for a second bachelor's degree. The new institution had a limit of 31 semester hours from credit-by-exam.  With this limitation, I did not have sufficient acceptable (RA) classroom/correspondence/online courses to meet the 120 minimum credits for the second degree even including a new 30 credits for the new major and residency requirement.

[dfrecore]

One of the things that might not have occurred to you is that you still need a total of 120 credits that are acceptable to the new institution. ACE credits may not fully count toward this requirement.

I had a related issue for a second bachelor's degree. The new institution had a limit of 31 semester hours from credit-by-exam.  With this limitation, I did not have sufficient acceptable (RA) classroom/correspondence/online courses to meet the 120 minimum credits for the second degree even including a new 30 credits for the new major and residency requirement.

If that's the case, then the OP should be looking at schools that will accept his/her first DEGREE rather than looking at the different types of credit that make up the degree.  To spend the time/money to get a degree, and then have to do it over again because a school won't accept it in order to get a 2nd degree is just silly.

[sanantone]

The school might clear all gen ed requirements with the first bachelor's, but that still leaves 60-80 credits to be filled if they don't accept ACE.

[cookderosa]

One of the things that might not have occurred to you is that you still need a total of 120 credits that are acceptable to the new institution. ACE credits may not fully count toward this requirement.

I had a related issue for a second bachelor's degree. The new institution had a limit of 31 semester hours from credit-by-exam.  With this limitation, I did not have sufficient acceptable (RA) classroom/correspondence/online courses to meet the 120 minimum credits for the second degree even including a new 30 credits for the new major and residency requirement.

If that's the case, then the OP should be looking at schools that will accept his/her first DEGREE rather than looking at the different types of credit that make up the degree.  To spend the time/money to get a degree, and then have to do it over again because a school won't accept it in order to get a 2nd degree is just silly.

I agree- I had no trouble with any of the second degree programs when I looked. In fact, in some fields, second degrees (career changers/retraining) are so common that you'll find info easily - and targeted toward efficiency and adult learners. If you hit a sticking point, you're likely looking at a traditional residential school that doesn't know what to do with non-traditional adult applicants. I wouldn't waste 5 minutes at a school like that unless I was 18 years old.

Some schools have colleges within the school that are for second-degree candidates/adults. They may also specialize in distance learning or prior learning assessments. In these specific programs, the entire cohort ALREADY HOLDS A BACHELOR's degree- to be admitted you had to have one. Programs like this are usually accelerated and can be expensive- but they exist.

As a general rule of thumb, public schools in the majority of our 50 states tend to function similarly while private schools tend to function autonomously. While this isn't always the case, it might a way to max your efficiency while searching. As an example, I could contact all the UNC colleges in North Carolina with the same question, and I'd get the same answers. That would be a waste of time because they function similarly- but in South Carolina, each does their own thing, so contacting each would not be a waste of time because I can probe for the most user-friendly school.

One last comment, as you search, EVEN WHEN a school accepts most of your credit toward the second degree, check the math for the remaining credit to earn. Sometimes the cost (in dollars) to make that happen isn't worth it. If a college wants to give you 75% of a degree but charges you $35k for the last 25%, you can get a master's for that.

Hope that helps.

[RANSOMSOUL]

One last comment, as you search, EVEN WHEN a school accepts most of your credit toward the second degree, check the math for the remaining credit to earn.  Sometimes the cost (in dollars) to make that happen isn't worth it.  If a college wants to give you 75% of a degree but charges you $35k for the last 25%, you can get a master's for that.  
Hope that helps.

This was a huge factor in not pursuing a second bachelor at TESU. Even with a good portion of the courses with outside testing options, the math just didn't add up. I also felt the same energy to knock out the 24 credits on a second bachelor could be spent to complete a master and in the end, that's how it all played out.

Patten, if completed in 1 term ($1,300) is an excellent option for a second bachelor.