Apply for AA (all credits fulfilled) or wait to complete BS? Costs involved??

[MJ75]

What kind of job are you looking for?

Fastest and most cost effective would be the BSBA Gen Man: more upper level CBE options, you already have at least one UL class (project management), and you are missing Systems Analysis and design for the CIS concentration.

If you work in IT or plan to, you may consider taking a little longer and completing the CIS concentration.

The jobs I'm looking at are in the corporate office of a major retailer... there are a few different Strategic Planning/Systems Analyst-type job possibilities. I have years of comparable International Traffic and Net Landed Cost corporate experience (worked my way up), but had to move across country a few years ago to help family. I took a transfer job within my current company to a local retail facility and now I'm working as an senior level retail manager. My goal isn't to run my own store, and I don't want to go any higher where I am currently. I'm just trying to get back into a corporate environment, and despite my experience I feel like my lack of a degree is a big issue when putting submitting applications online. That said, I don't know that an AA would really do much for me right now.

I've been interviewing with one company already and have received excellent feedback. Heck, I even had one of the directors stop the interview in the middle and tell me she wants to hire me. I didn't get the job, but found out later that they'd already extended an offer to someone else prior to my interview. I think it's just a matter of finding the right position that's actually open. I'm really trying to be patient!

[ajs1976]

From what you have said, I don't think a general AA would help you much. An ASBA might. I also don't see a reason to pursue the BSBA:CIS over the BSBA: Gen Man. I think the BSBA: Gen Man is still your fastest and cheapest option. Liberal Studies or Social Sciences may be faster, but they would have the added expense of the capstone class.

In your list of courses, I don't see Macro Econ, Micro Econ, Stats, Finance, and Marketing. Others are missing, but I think that is the place to start. Look at the requirements for the ASBA too. If you work your courses in the right order, you can finish the requirements for the ASBA first, then if you need it you can pay the grad fee and have it, but if you don't need it, you can keep working on the BSBA.

[MJ75]

From what you have said, I don't think a general AA would help you much. An ASBA might. I also don't see a reason to pursue the BSBA:CIS over the BSBA: Gen Man. I think the BSBA: Gen Man is still your fastest and cheapest option. Liberal Studies or Social Sciences may be faster, but they would have the added expense of the capstone class.

In your list of courses, I don't see Macro Econ, Micro Econ, Stats, Finance, and Marketing. Others are missing, but I think that is the place to start. Look at the requirements for the ASBA too. If you work your courses in the right order, you can finish the requirements for the ASBA first, then if you need it you can pay the grad fee and have it, but if you don't need it, you can keep working on the BSBA.

Yes, I do have a few core courses to go. I think your advice makes sense... Work toward the BSBA: Gen Man, but complete those key missing courses via TECEP for the ASBA first. That way I have the option of applying for the ASBA, having met the residency requirement if I need to, but haven't spend more money that I have to along the way.

Thanks again for all of your help. I really appreciate it!!

[cookderosa]

AA probably won't help immediately because when an ad asks for a degree, they are looking for bachelor's, however, if you think you've got any reason to believe there might be a problem getting your BA in the next 6 months, then I'd pay for the AA. I'd list it on my resume and I'd also list that my BA is "in progress" with expected completion date X.

It's possible to finish your BA in six months, you just have to bust it

[MJ75]

Jennifer, I see from your signature that you got both your AA General Studies and your BA Social Science from TESC in 2008. I've always thought of the AA as something you would get on your way to getting the BA. Why bother at the same time? I'm sure there's a good reason, I just don't know what it is. I'm still figuring all of this out.

[cookderosa]

Jennifer, I see from your signature that you got both your AA General Studies and your BA Social Science from TESC in 2008. I've always thought of the AA as something you would get on your way to getting the BA. Why bother at the same time? I'm sure there's a good reason, I just don't know what it is. I'm still figuring all of this out.

In my case, my first associate's degree (AOS) was 80-something credits from a nationally accredited college, but zero credit transferred into TESC. I started from scratch, so my BA was 120 new credits; I felt like having the AA highlighted the extra work I did to get there. Though that's true, I ended up not using it on my resume. I feel like having an AA and BA issued in the same year requires an explanation, and though I'm happy to give it, it's a huge distraction. An AA/BA means little to nothing in my field- it's all about experience, so I don't want to spend a nanosecond talking about my AA, I leave it off.

EDIT: I wanted to add, that I still think you should get it if you're not going to get your BA within 6 months, because when you list it, it gives employers a picture of how close you are to your BA and it lets you put it on your resume. Though there are 2 schools of thoughts on this, you could leave off the year your AA was earned, and just go with BA expected completion. Like this:

Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, NJ
AA, General Education
BA, Underwater Basket Weaving, expected completion 12/2015

[KittenMittens]

Jennifer, I see from your signature that you got both your AA General Studies and your BA Social Science from TESC in 2008. I've always thought of the AA as something you would get on your way to getting the BA. Why bother at the same time? I'm sure there's a good reason, I just don't know what it is. I'm still figuring all of this out.

There's not much of a compelling reason imo particularly if you know you're going to get a Bachelor's degree, and you're going to get one fairly soon. It's an extra expense for a few hundred bucks, and most employers don't care too much about it. There are maybe some few situations where having an associate's is good if it will be a while before getting a Bachelor's degree, and/or an employer wants to see something indicating some higher education has been completed. Keep in mind that most students in general never get an associate's degree and end up completing the Bachelor's degree, so it's not a deal breaker.

[cookderosa]

There's not much of a compelling reason imo particularly if you know you're going to get a Bachelor's degree, and you're going to get one fairly soon. It's an extra expense for a few hundred bucks, and most employers don't care too much about it. There are maybe some few situations where having an associate's is good if it will be a while before getting a Bachelor's degree, and/or an employer wants to see something indicating some higher education has been completed. Keep in mind that most students in general never get an associate's degree and end up completing the Bachelor's degree, so it's not a deal breaker.

When the OP uses a person's name, the question is directed at that person. Just fyi.

[KittenMittens]

When the OP uses a person's name, the question is directed at that person. Just fyi.

It's an open forum, and anyone can respond. Just fyi.

[Leherself]

I'm not sure an AA is worth doing if it involves a bunch of extra time or money. I know that for myself, I wouldn't have bothered except that it was free and I was only two (free) CLEP exams away. I figured, why not? If I'd needed to take extra actual classes, or had to pay more than a couple hundred out of pocket, I would have just skipped it.