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BA in English – Professional Communication & Journalism Concentration
#31
If I was going to get an English degree, I would much prefer that it be with a heavier emphasis on Literature, rather than what UMPI offers. It's a decent degree if you like the concentration, but it's not what most English degree seekers are looking at.
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#32
Serious question: why is it that whenever anyone asks about UMPI, the constant refrain here is 'just take the courses through UMPI'?

I definitely understand the recommendation to take a course through UMPI - especially if it's notably better than the alternatives - but it's like there's almost a refusal to consider any other options. This board is for sharing information. I see a lot of value in building up an equivalency chart between the UMPI English degree and SDC, etc.

It's a pity that what could potentially be a great source of information for UMPI courses, has started to feel instead like a marketing campaign from one or two posters here.
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#33
(03-24-2021, 02:30 PM)innen_oda Wrote: Serious question: why is it that whenever anyone asks about UMPI, the constant refrain here is 'just take the courses through UMPI'?

I definitely understand the recommendation to take a course through UMPI - especially if it's notably better than the alternatives - but it's like there's almost a refusal to consider any other options. This board is for sharing information. I see a lot of value in building up an equivalency chart between the UMPI English degree and SDC, etc.

According to ss20ts, the courses are easier at UMPI than at SDC (I don't know about that, as evidenced by ashkir's discoveries about BIO 105). But I think the biggest reason is that you MUST complete 30 credits at UMPI. Once you complete Sophia, you pretty much only need the AOS courses and are generally left with about 30 credits to complete. 

It's still cheaper than TESU and possibly cheaper than both Excelsior and COSC while also being easier to deal with as far as figuring out what goes where. But I suppose as more people go through UMPI, more course equivalencies will become known.
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#34
(03-24-2021, 02:30 PM)innen_oda Wrote: Serious question: why is it that whenever anyone asks about UMPI, the constant refrain here is 'just take the courses through UMPI'?

I definitely understand the recommendation to take a course through UMPI - especially if it's notably better than the alternatives - but it's like there's almost a refusal to consider any other options. This board is for sharing information. I see a lot of value in building up an equivalency chart between the UMPI English degree and SDC, etc.

It's a pity that what could potentially be a great source of information for UMPI courses, has started to feel instead like a marketing campaign from one or two posters here.


The courses at UMPI take a lot less work than Study's courses. Way fewer quizzes. There's only 1 paper/exam. You also need to complete most of your UL's at UMPI. This is a requirement of UMPI.


We do share what we know. We know that taking everything from Sophia except the Eng Comps and foundations courses transfers in and how the courses transfer. UMPI has an agreement with StraighterLine so we know how those courses transfer. Again those courses are far more work than an UMPI course. We know how a few InstantCert courses transfer in and we recommend those especially if someone is nervous about the foreign language requirement. Many courses are just easier to take at UMPI because we've done them and know the work involved. We can see the work required on Study and most often times, it's faster and less work at UMPI.  

(03-24-2021, 02:44 PM)rachel83az Wrote:
(03-24-2021, 02:30 PM)innen_oda Wrote: Serious question: why is it that whenever anyone asks about UMPI, the constant refrain here is 'just take the courses through UMPI'?

I definitely understand the recommendation to take a course through UMPI - especially if it's notably better than the alternatives - but it's like there's almost a refusal to consider any other options. This board is for sharing information. I see a lot of value in building up an equivalency chart between the UMPI English degree and SDC, etc.

According to ss20ts, the courses are easier at UMPI than at SDC (I don't know about that, as evidenced by ashkir's discoveries about BIO 105). But I think the biggest reason is that you MUST complete 30 credits at UMPI. Once you complete Sophia, you pretty much only need the AOS courses and are generally left with about 30 credits to complete. 

It's still cheaper than TESU and possibly cheaper than both Excelsior and COSC while also being easier to deal with as far as figuring out what goes where. But I suppose as more people go through UMPI, more course equivalencies will become known.


The BIO class is being altered for ashkir for his unique circumstances so I don't know if others will have the same work he has. He can't handle the lab kit that was to be sent to him due to his medical reasons so the professor has altered the lab for him. This is the first person taking the lab requirement. Every class I've taken was much less work at UMPI than Study. 

I did consider taking American Government and Spanish 1 from InstantCert but didn't know if they would transfer and I was already enrolled and needed permission to take them. WE have since found out from a few who took them that they do transfer so I do recommend them now. There's no speaking in the InstantCert Spanish course but there is at UMPI and this may be an issue for some folks. American Government is a very short class with a short essay as the Final Assessment. I still recommend it on InstantCert since UMPI takes it and it's one less paper to write.
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#35
UMPI's Competency based degree YourPace programs are more geared towards "job ready" professional programs, not really where you can major in a specific Arts & Science subject matter like English Lit. The exceptions are the non-competency online programs they have, those are "majors" in English, History, Psychology for now I recall...

Many competency based degree providers don't have specific Subject Matter majors either, basically as they're starting to create more of these, they may consider having popular subject majors sooner or later. I've compared several of the competency based degree providers, it's similar in this regard - majority of their programs are geared toward adults with exp or job ready professions.
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#36
(03-24-2021, 02:44 PM)rachel83az Wrote: According to ss20ts, the courses are easier at UMPI than at SDC (I don't know about that, as evidenced by ashkir's discoveries about BIO 105). But I think the biggest reason is that you MUST complete 30 credits at UMPI. Once you complete Sophia, you pretty much only need the AOS courses and are generally left with about 30 credits to complete. 

It's still cheaper than TESU and possibly cheaper than both Excelsior and COSC while also being easier to deal with as far as figuring out what goes where. But I suppose as more people go through UMPI, more course equivalencies will become known.

I'm not against UMPI at all - ignoring the pseudo-marketing campaign on the board here, I feel quite positive towards the possibilities with UMPI.
But I'm getting increasingly wary of some of the comments here single-mindedly in favour of one sole approach at UMPI, and how often these comments seem to put an end to getting a better understanding of how alternatives to taking UMPI courses.

There are many possibilities when someone is interested in alternative credit pathways. Perhaps some might want to take a Business Communications course through another provider, and instead take a Gen Ed course through UMPI. Maybe they don't like Sophia, but absolutely love SDC.

People have a variety of histories and leanings and interests, and we're doing this board a disservice by not exploring alternative pathways and possiblities with UMPI. (And for the one or two posters who are seriously gung-ho about UMPI - you're also doing UMPI a disservice, because it's turning people off UMPI.). I'm here because I want information so I can make my own decisions about the educational pathway I take, and I doubt I'm alone in that.

Just my two cents.
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#37
(03-24-2021, 03:03 PM)innen_oda Wrote: I'm not against UMPI at all - ignoring the pseudo-marketing campaign on the board here, I feel quite positive towards the possibilities with UMPI.
But I'm getting increasingly wary of some of the comments here single-mindedly in favour of one sole approach at UMPI, and how often these comments seem to put an end to getting a better understanding of how alternatives to taking UMPI courses.

There are many possibilities when someone is interested in alternative credit pathways. Perhaps some might want to take a Business Communications course through another provider, and instead take a Gen Ed course through UMPI. Maybe they don't like Sophia, but absolutely love SDC.

People have a variety of histories and leanings and interests, and we're doing this board a disservice by not exploring alternative pathways and possiblities with UMPI. (And for the one or two posters who are seriously gung-ho about UMPI - you're also doing UMPI a disservice, because it's turning people off UMPI.). I'm here because I want information so I can make my own decisions about the educational pathway I take, and I doubt I'm alone in that.

Just my two cents.


The problem is that the course descriptions really have to match up or I'm not going to recommend a Study course. I did recommend the Business Communications course from Study to someone interested in a degree from UMPI where Business Communications is a required course. You won't see that conversation because it was in my pm's. I have hundreds of pm's about specific courses. I tell everyone I can only share what I have experienced and I share ashkir's experience. We talk a lot with each other. There's a few other students I talk with as well. Sophia has been the easiest thing to bring in along with InstantCert. If you hate the Sophia format, you may not enjoy UMPI because their formats are very similar. It's not like Study's format at all. I'm happy to hear other's experiences with UMPI. As far as I know, I'm the first on this forum to complete a degree from UMPI. There was nothing to go by when I applied last summer. I was all there was. If anyone else was attending, they weren't sharing anything. I am the one who opened the dialogue. 


One thing to consider and it's huge is how many UL courses you must complete at UMPI. Every degree has a different number of UL requirements and how many must be completed at UMPI. I don't have access to the degree eval forms for every degree - just mine. So anything that's UL I recommend you take at UMPI because of this requirement. Sophia fills most of the GEC and some general electives. Some courses there just isn't a class on an alternative site available. 

If one wants to complete the Project Management concentration or minor, I HIGHLY recommend taking UMPI's project management course. There's a reason. It's not to just take another UMPI course. It's because this course is the foundation for 2 UL courses which cannot be transferred in. Your entire project for those 2 courses is based on your project you complete in the LL project management course. These are BIG projects and you need to understand the formatting and the process the professor wants. She actually goes over your LL project with you in a meeting for those 2 courses. Again, this is often a conversation I have in a pm not on the forum because this question hasn't come up on the forum. 


Additionally, you're paying the same tuition if you take 2 classes a term or if you complete 8 classes in a term. It's the same amount out of your pocket at UMPI. You're also earning RA credits which if you want to transfer to COSC or TESU helps you out with their RA credit requirement.
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#38
(03-24-2021, 03:19 PM)ss20ts Wrote: The problem is that the course descriptions really have to match up or I'm not going to recommend a Study course. I did recommend the Business Communications course from Study to someone interested in a degree from UMPI where Business Communications is a required course. You won't see that conversation because it was in my pm's. I have hundreds of pm's about specific courses. I tell everyone I can only share what I have experienced and I share ashkir's experience. We talk a lot with each other. There's a few other students I talk with as well. Sophia has been the easiest thing to bring in along with InstantCert. If you hate the Sophia format, you may not enjoy UMPI because their formats are very similar. It's not like Study's format at all. I'm happy to hear other's experiences with UMPI. As far as I know, I'm the first on this forum to complete a degree from UMPI. There was nothing to go by when I applied last summer. I was all there was. If anyone else was attending, they weren't sharing anything. I am the one who opened the dialogue.

I think this comment reaches the heart of what I was getting at. There's a certain degree of ownership present that I don't think is doing UMPI any favours. The insight you have is 100% valuable. But there are many alternative pathways to completing a degree, and if UMPI is to be considered an option for those on this board, it really should have more than one path.

For what it's worth, the wording from UMPI's website is a lot more positive and open-minded than what's on this board. There's reference to if an applicant has alternate qualifications, to talk with them.

(03-24-2021, 03:19 PM)ss20ts Wrote: One thing to consider and it's huge is how many UL courses you must complete at UMPI. Every degree has a different number of UL requirements and how many must be completed at UMPI. I don't have access to the degree eval forms for every degree - just mine. So anything that's UL I recommend you take at UMPI because of this requirement. Sophia fills most of the GEC and some general electives. Some courses there just isn't a class on an alternative site available. 

If one wants to complete the Project Management concentration or minor, I HIGHLY recommend taking UMPI's project management course. There's a reason. It's not to just take another UMPI course. It's because this course is the foundation for 2 UL courses which cannot be transferred in. Your entire project for those 2 courses is based on your project you complete in the LL project management course. These are BIG projects and you need to understand the formatting and the process the professor wants. She actually goes over your LL project with you in a meeting for those 2 courses. Again, this is often a conversation I have in a pm not on the forum because this question hasn't come up on the forum.

Additionally, you're paying the same tuition if you take 2 classes a term or if you complete 8 classes in a term. It's the same amount out of your pocket at UMPI. You're also earning RA credits which if you want to transfer to COSC or TESU helps you out with their RA credit requirement.

Recommendations are great, and I'm glad you're here to raise UMPI as an option. I just wish the commentary wasn't so absolutist, and was more information sharing and less 'just do this because I know best'. What worked for you won't work for everyone. Your posts come across as though you work with for them/they're paying you to state certain wording, they come with such certainty and assurance.


It's just interesting to see how on one hand, Ashkir's experience has reflected a university quite willing to work with alternate circumstances. And yet your posts seem so certain that 'no, that won't work, don't even bother, just take the course through UMPI'.
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#39
(03-24-2021, 03:39 PM)innen_oda Wrote: I think this comment reaches the heart of what I was getting at. There's a certain degree of ownership present that I don't think is doing UMPI any favours. The insight you have is 100% valuable. But there are many alternative pathways to completing a degree, and if UMPI is to be considered an option for those on this board, it really should have more than one path.

For what it's worth, the wording from UMPI's website is a lot more positive and open-minded than what's on this board. There's reference to if an applicant has alternate qualifications, to talk with them.


Recommendations are great, and I'm glad you're here to raise UMPI as an option. I just wish the commentary wasn't so absolutist, and was more information sharing and less 'just do this because I know best'. What worked for you won't work for everyone. Your posts come across as though you work with for them/they're paying you to state certain wording, they come with such certainty and assurance.


It's just interesting to see how on one hand, Ashkir's experience has reflected a university quite willing to work with alternate circumstances. And yet your posts seem so certain that 'no, that won't work, don't even bother, just take the course through UMPI'.

Ashkir is receiving accommodations for a disability. Everyone else is not going to receive those changes to their courses and degree program. 


Everyone is FREE to contact UMPI. I say this all the time! You're going to get limited info back because you're not a student. This is what happens at most schools. They won't give you the info until you pay. Same with the Big 3. 


If you read the YourPace website it does not encourage you to take classes elsewhere. I encourage everyone to take classes elsewhere when it makes sense. The GEC and general electives absolutely make sense to take them through Sophia, InstantCert, and StraighterLine. I looked at the transfer equivalency page which I have access to as a student and there's a handful of business courses from Study which have transferred in at some point. That's it. I also know that the list for Sophia has changed because they are not issuing credit for certain classes that they have in the past. I ran into this myself as a student. Human Biology is not accepted into the GEC and only comes in as a general elective if you have room. 

I have NEVER said 'no, that won't work, don't even bother, just take the course through UMPI'. I know certain classes do not fill certain requirements. I do know what I'm talking about. I was going to follow up my initial post about UMPI with a new one since I'm now a graduate, but now I won't. Good luck to anyone else who needs help. I'm done. Hope you're happy. Good luck finding your degree path wherever that is if you even have one. 
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#40
(03-24-2021, 03:56 PM)ss20ts Wrote: I was going to follow up my initial post about UMPI with a new one since I'm now a graduate, but now I won't. Good luck to anyone else who needs help. I'm done. Hope you're happy. Good luck finding your degree path wherever that is if you even have one.

If my measured comments and request for less absolutism, sandwiched with reminders that your input was indeed valued and appreciated, was all it took for your to take your marbles and leave, then I'm not sure I can take any responsibility.

Regardless, the end goal is to have more open and richer conversations about the possibilities for alternative pathways towards a UMPI degree, so if that happens, then yes, I am happy. Thanks for checking in!
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