Degree Planning Help

[ff26]

Hi guys-Great forum and thanks in advance for the help.
 
Please see below:
 
Your Location: Florida
Your Age: 37
What kind of degree do you want?: I have been a technical recruiter my entire working career and now want to switch careers into IT. Degrees I am interested in are any CIS, Cyber or general IT degrees
Current Regional Accredited Credits: I went to the University at Albany  from 2003-2006, fully accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Regionally Accredited 
 
57 completed at University at Albany:
 
AMAT 101, Algebra and Calculus I, 3, C
BLAW 220 Business Law, 3, D+
UUNI 100, The Freshman Year Experience, 3, B+
AENG 122E, Reading Prose Fiction, 3, B
ALCS 201, Hispanic Cultures in US, 3, A-
AMAT 108, Elementary Statistics, 3, D+
HSPH 201, Intro to Public Health, 3, B
ASPY 101M, Intro to Psychology, 3, C
APREL 100L, Intro to Study of Religion, 3, A-
RCRJ 201, Intro to Criminal Justice Process, 3, D+
ASOC 115M, Intro to Sociology, 3, C+
ASOC 380, Sociology of Deviant Behavior, 3, C
ASOC 203, Criminology, 3, C+
ASOC 250, Sociology of Families, 3, A-
ASOC 180, Social Problems, 3, D
ATHR 107, Introduction to Dramatic Art, 3, B+
AAAS 287, Africa in the Modern World, 3, B+
 
57 credits earned, 1.99 Cum GPA
 
Budget: Would like to keep it to $5-6K and do it in 6 months or less but cheaper would be better 
Commitments: Family of 4, work for time. Can dedicate time on night and weekends. 5-10 hours a wee
Dedicated time to study: 5-10 hours a week total, nights and weekends
Timeline: Finishing the courses required for the degree as fast as possible would be ideal.  I would like to finish within 6 months
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: None

[rachel83az]

If you weren't interested in an IT degree specifically, I'd suggest UMPI. They do have a BLS Management Information Systems, but students report that the courses are more about the management of people doing the information systems work and not so much working with the information systems themselves.

For actual CIS/IT degrees, your fastest/easiest/cheapest options are going to be WGU or TESU. WGU could be a bit iffy; if you're not able to complete it within 6 months, the price could wind up being about double your budget. Some people are easily able to complete a WGU degree in 1 term of 6 months. Others need 2 or 3 terms and aren't a good fit for the WGU system.

TESU, on the other hand, would require you to budget time/energy to a final 16-credit flat-rate term in order to meet your monetary budget requirements. It's not as bad as it sounds; we know some of the "best" courses for this option. But this would bring the cost down to around your budget. If you do not do a flat-rate 16-credit term at TESU, you're looking at $7-8k for a TESU degree. TESU doesn't have cybersecurity or IT as inexpensive degree options, but they do have a BSBA CIS and a BA Computer Science to choose from.

[allvia]

TESU will also accept your Ds that fall outside the AOS - https://tesu.smartcatalogiq.com/current/...n-grading/

[ff26]

If you weren't interested in an IT degree specifically, I'd suggest UMPI. They do have a BLS Management Information Systems, but students report that the courses are more about the management of people doing the information systems work and not so much working with the information systems themselves.

For actual CIS/IT degrees, your fastest/easiest/cheapest options are going to be WGU or TESU. WGU could be a bit iffy; if you're not able to complete it within 6 months, the price could wind up being about double your budget. Some people are easily able to complete a WGU degree in 1 term of 6 months. Others need 2 or 3 terms and aren't a good fit for the WGU system.

TESU, on the other hand, would require you to budget time/energy to a final 16-credit flat-rate term in order to meet your monetary budget requirements. It's not as bad as it sounds; we know some of the "best" courses for this option. But this would bring the cost down to around your budget. If you do not do a flat-rate 16-credit term at TESU, you're looking at $7-8k for a TESU degree. TESU doesn't have cybersecurity or IT as inexpensive degree options, but they do have a BSBA CIS and a BA Computer Science to choose from.

Thanks, so do I do the study.com and sofia.com courses first and then enroll or enroll and then do the study.com and sofia.com courses? 

If i bump my time up to 12 months does that reduce the cost?

---

If you weren't interested in an IT degree specifically, I'd suggest UMPI. They do have a BLS Management Information Systems, but students report that the courses are more about the management of people doing the information systems work and not so much working with the information systems themselves.

For actual CIS/IT degrees, your fastest/easiest/cheapest options are going to be WGU or TESU. WGU could be a bit iffy; if you're not able to complete it within 6 months, the price could wind up being about double your budget. Some people are easily able to complete a WGU degree in 1 term of 6 months. Others need 2 or 3 terms and aren't a good fit for the WGU system.

TESU, on the other hand, would require you to budget time/energy to a final 16-credit flat-rate term in order to meet your monetary budget requirements. It's not as bad as it sounds; we know some of the "best" courses for this option. But this would bring the cost down to around your budget. If you do not do a flat-rate 16-credit term at TESU, you're looking at $7-8k for a TESU degree. TESU doesn't have cybersecurity or IT as inexpensive degree options, but they do have a BSBA CIS and a BA Computer Science to choose from.

Also what are some of the "best" for that option?

[dfrecore]

Thanks, so do I do the study.com and sofia.com courses first and then enroll or enroll and then do the study.com and sofia.com courses? 

If i bump my time up to 12 months does that reduce the cost?

---

The price at TESU has nothing to do with the timeframe - it's for the tuition & fees for either 6cr there (including a residency waiver which makes it more expensive) or a single 16cr term, plus all of the remaining credits.

If you want an IT degree, the only option based on your budget is WGU if you can do it in 1 term ($4,140 for 6 months).  Everything else will cost more, or not be the degree you want.

[ss20ts]

If you weren't interested in an IT degree specifically, I'd suggest UMPI. They do have a BLS Management Information Systems, but students report that the courses are more about the management of people doing the information systems work and not so much working with the information systems themselves.

UMPI does not accept grades below a C- so the D's will not transfer to UMPI. MIS at UMPI is definitely focused on the management and not the IS side. I completed this minor and it does not prepare one for a job in IT unless you already have experience.

[allvia]

Do you have any first-hand IT experience or knowledge now, or is this a whole new field you're looking to get into? WGU tends to be best (quickest/cheapest) if you already have some existing skills/knowledge.  If you go the WGU route make sure you earn all you can to transfer in before enrolling (you cannot transfer into WGU once you're an enrolled/active student).  If you can stretch you budget BA-CS or BABS-CIS may be a better long term investment. As a recruiter you probably have a good idea which would hold more value in your area.

You may want to look into getting the Google IT Support certificate; free through TADA - https://theamericandreamacademy.org) and then use Sophia to get the missing Gen eds you'd need for the Pierpont AAS - https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Pierpont_C%26TC  That could get you a foot in the door. And then decide which path to take for the (TESU) bachelor.  With so many existing credits this should take you very little time to complete.  Just plan your Sophia credits to best align with either bachelor you decide on (many here will try to talk you into both, that is also an option - a more costly one).

[dfrecore]

Do you have any first-hand IT experience or knowledge now, or is this a whole new field you're looking to get into? WGU tends to be best (quickest/cheapest) if you already have some existing skills/knowledge.  If you go the WGU route make sure you earn all you can to transfer in before enrolling (you cannot transfer into WGU once you're an enrolled/active student).  If you can stretch you budget BA-CS or BABS-CIS may be a better long term investment. As a recruiter you probably have a good idea which would hold more value in your area.

You may want to look into getting the Google IT Support certificate; free through TADA - https://theamericandreamacademy.org) and then use Sophia to get the missing Gen eds you'd need for the Pierpont AAS - https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Pierpont_C%26TC  That could get you a foot in the door. And then decide which path to take for the (TESU) bachelor.  With so many existing credits this should take you very little time to complete.  Just plan your Sophia credits to best align with either bachelor you decide on (many here will try to talk you into both, that is also an option - a more costly one).

I agree with needing experience to be able to complete the IT degree in a single term.  That's why the BSBA/ITM degree might be a good compromise.  Business with a little IT thrown in.

If you opt for a straight IT degree, you would be better off getting your A+ Certification through WGU-Academy, since that is one of the harder/longer courses to complete if you have no experience - and it's required for all of the IT degrees except BSBA/ITM IIRC.

[bjcheung77]

@ff26, you've completed the template and last post addendum, a very good first post and follow up questions... You're going to be in a bind, as you have conflicting information - finishing in 6 months and only having 5 hours a week doesn't compute properly. You're going to have to further find a way to get things done within budget and on time, going up to 12 months would be better and more realistic. My suggestion so far is to create a spreadsheet of Excelsior, TESU, UMPI and any other provider you would like to complete the degree from and compare...