Can ACE credits be reused towards different degrees?

[rbat2021]

As the thread title states, I'm wondering if one can apply ACE credits towards multiple degrees?

On the other hand, are they applicable solely to the first degree one graduated with?

[rachel83az]

Absolutely, they can be reused! The same with any other credits you obtain. For more than one degree, there is usually a requirement of a certain number of NEW credits. This depends on the school and is usually around 30 credits beyond the last degree. For instance, let's say that you graduated last month with a business degree but you had decided that your electives should all be UL Psych courses for some reason. Even though you might meet the requirements for a Psych degree, you cannot simply reenroll and automatically claim the Psych degree. You would still need to get new Psych credits before you could get a Psych degree. Your original Psych credits wouldn't be "used up" and they would still count towards your second degree but you would still be required to get new credits.

[rbat2021]

Absolutely, they can be reused! The same with any other credits you obtain. For more than one degree, there is usually a requirement of a certain number of NEW credits. This depends on the school and is usually around 30 credits beyond the last degree. For instance, let's say that you graduated last month with a business degree but you had decided that your electives should all be UL Psych courses for some reason. Even though you might meet the requirements for a Psych degree, you cannot simply reenroll and automatically claim the Psych degree. You would still need to get new Psych credits before you could get a Psych degree. Your original Psych credits wouldn't be "used up" and they would still count towards your second degree but you would still be required to get new credits.

Thanks for the great explanation. I'm glad this is the way it works.

[bjcheung77]

Yes, you can re-use the credits for a second degree. There are a few things you want to know and some recommendations for a second and/or subsequent degrees.

Depending on the degree requirements, it may be easier to finish a Masters degree instead of a second Bachelors degree - I'll use this example, if you have a BSBA and want to get BA Psych or a BA Organizational Leadership, it may be easier to get a Masters in Psychology or MAOL instead.

The reason to this is, for the BA, you may need to hit all the requirements of the second degree and it may exceed the number of credits for a Masters. Further to that, some Masters from WGU/Walden/UMPI, etc, do not have "extra" requirements to get into a Masters except for having a Bachelors and a good GPA.

Each institution would have their own requirements for residency and also for completing a secondary degree, a majority will require 30 credits or more to complete the degree and sometimes a "Major" would be 39-45 credits, you must make up the prerequisites and the requisites to complete that secondary major.

My suggestion is to see what secondary degree or major you're looking for and see if there are some schools that don't really require much to get into a Masters degree option for that specific degree/major, and do a Masters instead of Bachelors, as a Masters trumps a Bachelors any day of the week.

[Courcelles]

Yes, you can re-use the credits for a second degree.  There are a few things you want to know and some recommendations for a second and/or subsequent degrees.

Depending on the degree requirements, it may be easier to finish a Masters degree instead of a second Bachelors degree - I'll use this example, if you have a BSBA and want to get BA Psych or a BA Organizational Leadership, it may be easier to get a Masters in Psychology or MAOL instead.  

The reason to this is, for the BA, you may need to hit all the requirements of the second degree and it may exceed the number of credits for a Masters.  Further to that, some Masters from WGU/Walden/UMPI, etc, do not have "extra" requirements to get into a Masters except for having a Bachelors and a good GPA.

Each institution would have their own requirements for residency and also for completing a secondary degree, a majority will require 30 credits or more to complete the degree and sometimes a "Major" would be 39-45 credits, you must make up the prerequisites and the requisites to complete that secondary major.

My suggestion is to see what secondary degree or major you're looking for and see if there are some schools that don't really require much to get into a Masters degree option for that specific degree/major, and do a Masters instead of Bachelors, as a Masters trumps a Bachelors any day of the week.

Just remember it is field specific.  Some courses are a lot easier to get in with an unrelated bachelors, whereas some you're going to have no luck without the proper undergraduate preparation.  MS in math without a degree in math, but a good number of upper level courses?  Maybe.  MS in math without having taken anything past Calc II?  Not likely, and I wouldn't think much of such a program, either.  

If you can do the masters without a lot of undergraduate prep work, go for it.  If you need the prereqs to get in, you might find a way to get handed a second bachelors without much extra hassle/expense (such as earning them through a CBE program, which is what I'm doing.  I signed up at WGU for a second BS in accounting because the price for all the credits was great, and the difference in work to line-up to get that extra sheepskin was only a couple weeks and no money.)

[bjcheung77]

Hey Courcelles, I see you made the jump from the sister board - DegreeInfo to this Board. I made the jump a few years ago, I'm pretty inactive on that board but for the usual post here and there... Anyways, yes! I totally agree, it all depends on the persons area of study and the requirements for that particular Masters degree. I am working on a second degree at TESU for similar reasons as you, it would be so much cheaper for me than completing a BA Computer Science elsewhere.

[ss20ts]

Just remember it is field specific.  Some courses are a lot easier to get in with an unrelated bachelors, whereas some you're going to have no luck without the proper undergraduate preparation.  MS in math without a degree in math, but a good number of upper level courses?  Maybe.  MS in math without having taken anything past Calc II?  Not likely, and I wouldn't think much of such a program, either.  

If you can do the masters without a lot of undergraduate prep work, go for it.  If you need the prereqs to get in, you might find a way to get handed a second bachelors without much extra hassle/expense (such as earning them through a CBE program, which is what I'm doing.  I signed up at WGU for a second BS in accounting because the price for all the credits was great, and the difference in work to line-up to get that extra sheepskin was only a couple weeks and no money.)

The master's I'm going for is very field specific. I don't have the prereqs from my bachelor's degree. So I had the choice of completing a second bachelor's degree which meant taking about 60 credits including a great deal of math and physics or move directly into a post baccalaureate certificate program which is what I opted to do since it's only 18 credits. I still may have take 2 more undergrad courses to get into the grad program I want to get into. This is for construction management with project management. It's sooooo specific. I never imagined it would be this way. With my BLS I can get into an MBA program no problem. Ms in project management? No problem. I did minor in project management and management. MS in construction management? HUGE problem getting in. If I had known a year ago this is what would have happened, I don't know that I would have changed anything though. I'm a proud alumni of UMPI and was just soooooo happy to have FINALLY completed my bachelor's degree after 20+ years. In a few months, I'll be an alumni of LSU which is pretty cool. Then hopefully I'm off to grad school!

[Student87]

Absolutely, they can be reused! The same with any other credits you obtain. For more than one degree, there is usually a requirement of a certain number of NEW credits. This depends on the school and is usually around 30 credits beyond the last degree. For instance, let's say that you graduated last month with a business degree but you had decided that your electives should all be UL Psych courses for some reason. Even though you might meet the requirements for a Psych degree, you cannot simply reenroll and automatically claim the Psych degree. You would still need to get new Psych credits before you could get a Psych degree. Your original Psych credits wouldn't be "used up" and they would still count towards your second degree but you would still be required to get new credits.

Is this for degree seekers with the same college or even if you apply to a different one?

Thanks

[rachel83az]

Is this for degree seekers with the same college or even if you apply to a different one?

Thanks

Either. If you take English 101 once, for instance, you don't have to keep taking it to get additional degrees.

[Student87]

Is this for degree seekers with the same college or even if you apply to a different one?

Thanks

Either. If you take English 101 once, for instance, you don't have to keep taking it to get additional degrees.

That makes sense but then what additional courses may be required, let's say I have all psych courses completed, do I still have to get new ones?