Guidance and Help Needed :)

[jjnelle]

Hello everyone

Not to be a creeper but I've been lurking around this site for almost 4 years now and this will be my very first post since then. :hurray:
Reason being, I was planning to go to one of the Big Three schools but decided to leave home (NYC) altogether and move to another city and state to focus better.

So far so good, however as you know with education comes debt usually and the total I have so far scares me lol! I don't want to see it raise to much higher and if I continue at the college I attend that will happen.

So I am back and looking to finish out my undergrad at one of these 3 colleges. I do have a few questions though.....

A little bit about my background...

I have 120 credits from my Liberal Arts (AA) Associates degree (finished) and then my Bachelors (BA) degree
which I have not finished as of yet. The BA was going to be in Art and Design. I started out pursuing Graphics Design and Psychology so I have many Art courses and Psych courses on my transcript.

I currently work in IT and love it! I intend to continue down this path and would like to get my Masters in User Experience/ Human Computer Interaction Design major.

So I was considering getting my Bachelors in Computer Science or any IT Bachelors however I'm not sure if that would be wise because I figure I will end up taking a bunch more classes to make up the change in major. Is that right or wrong though?

Also what would be my fastest route when it comes to getting a Bachelors as soon as possible. Would I need to go into a major that is similar to what I was pursuing before so that all my courses would be put towards the Bachelors degree?

And I know the required amount of credits to obtain a Bachelors is 120 so would I be able to transfer in my credits and finish that way with out testing or taking many more courses. Meaning no residency necessary?

Thanks so much in advance and hope to hear from someone soon.

[NAP]

Since you already have 120 credits, what would it take for you to finish your current degree?

All of the Big 3 require a capstone course now. The cost for that plus enrollment and graduation fees is about $2500-3000. Look carefully at any other specific degree requirements before deciding to transfer.

[cooperalex2004]

No residence is necessary but you'll have to see how your credits transfer over. If you are loaded up on Art and Psychology credits then you'll probably have to take quite a few credits if you want something like the Computer Science BA (Thomas Edison State College: Computer Science). With all of your Art credits you should consider:

BA in Art: Thomas Edison State College: Art
BA in Humanities: Thomas Edison State College: Humanities
BA in Liberal Studies: BA in Liberal Studies Degree at Thomas Edison State College

Depending on your specific credits you may just need the capstone course and one or two other things to finish some kind of BA. It will depend highly on which school you choose and which degree, but it might be worth it. If you already have 120 credits you might be better off staying at current school though.

[marianne202]

I did a BS in Liberal Studies at EC with a focus in psychology. I was able to test out of almost all of my BSLS degree, this was before EC required a capstone for all degrees. This might be a good fit for a quick degree incorporating your existing credits. Then you could focus on a master's in your IT area, however, my understanding is that for the IT field, experience and certifications are almost more imporant than an IT specific degree. My son is pursuing an IT degree and this is what I have gathered from a lot of the IT pros on here. I'm sure they will chime in with better suggestions. Welcome as a first time poster and good luck!

[bluebooger]

if you're in a hurry and cost is a consideration then you don't want to do an IT degree

here is the plan for COSC
Charter Oak State College - Computer Science Studies

its pretty much what to expect at any school

I'm going to bet you don't have 1/2 of those courses

you say you currently work in IT
what do you do ?
networking ? web pages and HTML ? PHP ? computer setup and support ? MS Excel ? Databases ?

since you recently moved from NY state you should check out some of these while you still qualify for in state resident tuition (and it may already be too late)
Online Certificate Programs available through SUNY Campuses
those are college credit certificates in Information Technology, Computer Programming, and Individual Studies

if I were you, I think I'd concentrate on getting a degree first and worry about getting the entry requirements to the MS program later

so I'd concentrate on getting a Psych degree from either COSC or Excelsior (you probably have most of the credits already, so it should be fast and relatively cheap to do so)

here's what's needed at COSC (page 84 http://cosc.edu/PDF/Official%20Catalog.pdf )

Concentration Requirements:
Research methods or experimental design* ....................... 3 cr

Any of the following areas of psychology:........................... 6 cr
Cognition, Perception, Psychobiology, Learning and Memory, Experimental, Developmental, Systems Theory/History.

Any of the following: ........................................................... 3 cr
Psychology of Counseling, Social Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Personality, Psychopathology/Abnormal, Community/Mental Health.

Remaining credits.............................................................. 21 cr
These credits should constitute a cohesive program in Psychology and meet the distribution requirements (a minimum of 15 credits at the upper level is required).

Capstone.............................................................................. 3 cr

Then, after getting a BS with a concentration in Psychology, you should start acquiring the credits necessary for entrance into your MS program (of course you'll have to find an MS program and see what the requirements are first)

if you have an MS program in mind I'm sure we'd all like to know what it is, maybe people could provide more help if they knew

[jjnelle]

Since you already have 120 credits, what would it take for you to finish your current degree?

All of the Big 3 require a capstone course now. The cost for that plus enrollment and graduation fees is about $2500-3000. Look carefully at any other specific degree requirements before deciding to transfer.

Hi Nap! Thanks for the reply.

I have 120 credits from finishing my Associates in Liberal Arts and pursing my Bachelors in Graphic Design then switching to Art & Design at CCC.

However due to the fact that the college (CCC) I was attending didn't transfer all my credits over, I need 15 more credits to graduate.
So $2,500 - $3000 sounds much better in comparison to having to shell out an additional $10,000 to $15,000 (according to the financial aid office) at Columbia College of Chicago for 1 full-time semester.

Does anyone know of anyone that has been able to use FAFSA (Financial Aid), scholarships, and grants to pay off all or any expenses at Excelsior, TESC, or COSC. (I'll probably make another thread with this same question)

[jjnelle]

No residence is necessary but you'll have to see how your credits transfer over. If you are loaded up on Art and Psychology credits then you'll probably have to take quite a few credits if you want something like the Computer Science BA (Thomas Edison State College: Computer Science). With all of your Art credits you should consider:

BA in Art: Thomas Edison State College: Art
BA in Humanities: Thomas Edison State College: Humanities
BA in Liberal Studies: BA in Liberal Studies Degree at Thomas Edison State College

Depending on your specific credits you may just need the capstone course and one or two other things to finish some kind of BA. It will depend highly on which school you choose and which degree, but it might be worth it. If you already have 120 credits you might be better off staying at current school though.

Thanks so much for the info!

Ya my current college didn't accept all credits so I still have 15 more credits to go.
Looking over what you posted it seems an Art or Psych degree might be the best fit. It seems I've taken most of those classes. It would of been great if one of these schools had some sort of Graphic Design or Web Design degree though. Perfect fit!

Ya the only issue is picking the right college of the three. Do people usually apply to all 3 and see which ones transfers over your credits the best. Or should I post my past courses here for you guys? I think I saw others post their past transcripts of courses so the forum can give them a general idea of what the best route should be.

So happy I decided to post you guys are putting a lot into perspective.

[jjnelle]

I did a BS in Liberal Studies at EC with a focus in psychology. I was able to test out of almost all of my BSLS degree, this was before EC required a capstone for all degrees. This might be a good fit for a quick degree incorporating your existing credits. Then you could focus on a master's in your IT area, however, my understanding is that for the IT field, experience and certifications are almost more imporant than an IT specific degree. My son is pursuing an IT degree and this is what I have gathered from a lot of the IT pros on here. I'm sure they will chime in with better suggestions. Welcome as a first time poster and good luck!

Thanks for the response!
You are correct! You don't really need a degree in the IT field. Which is one of many reasons why I love working in IT. Its more so about what you can bring to the table and how well you can get the job done. Google is basically all the courses you need.
I'm working in User Experience and would like a Masters in that field because I really do enjoy and love it.

I do hope some IT professionals do chime in. I would like to hear their take on my educational path so far.

[jjnelle]

if you're in a hurry and cost is a consideration then you don't want to do an IT degree

here is the plan for COSC
Charter Oak State College - Computer Science Studies

its pretty much what to expect at any school

I'm going to bet you don't have 1/2 of those courses

you say you currently work in IT
what do you do ?
networking ? web pages and HTML ? PHP ? computer setup and support ? MS Excel ? Databases ?

since you recently moved from NY state you should check out some of these while you still qualify for in state resident tuition (and it may already be too late)
Online Certificate Programs available through SUNY Campuses
those are college credit certificates in Information Technology, Computer Programming, and Individual Studies

if I were you, I think I'd concentrate on getting a degree first and worry about getting the entry requirements to the MS program later

so I'd concentrate on getting a Psych degree from either COSC or Excelsior (you probably have most of the credits already, so it should be fast and relatively cheap to do so)

here's what's needed at COSC (page 84 http://cosc.edu/PDF/Official%20Catalog.pdf )

Concentration Requirements:
Research methods or experimental design* ....................... 3 cr

Any of the following areas of psychology:........................... 6 cr
Cognition, Perception, Psychobiology, Learning and Memory, Experimental, Developmental, Systems Theory/History.

Any of the following: ........................................................... 3 cr
Psychology of Counseling, Social Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Personality, Psychopathology/Abnormal, Community/Mental Health.

Remaining credits.............................................................. 21 cr
These credits should constitute a cohesive program in Psychology and meet the distribution requirements (a minimum of 15 credits at the upper level is required).

Capstone.............................................................................. 3 cr

Then, after getting a BS with a concentration in Psychology, you should start acquiring the credits necessary for entrance into your MS program (of course you'll have to find an MS program and see what the requirements are first)

if you have an MS program in mind I'm sure we'd all like to know what it is, maybe people could provide more help if they knew

Thanks so much for taking the time out reply with so much info. Appreciate it!

"you say you currently work in IT
what do you do ?
networking ? web pages and HTML ? PHP ? computer setup and support ? MS Excel ? Databases ?"

I am a User Experience Researcher, and I'm starting to get more familiar with Databases, Web Development and Design. I also do User Experience Design and Project Management.

I've been in Chicago for 3 years now. So I'm guessing I'm more so a resident of Illinois so I will look into certification courses out here. Thanks for that suggestion great idea!

Your right my focus is finishing out my Bachelors. Hopefully by the end of this year or early next year preferably

The masters programs I have in mind is Human Interaction Design User Experience. The one that most interest me is given at Depaul University in Chicago.
MS in Human-Computer Interaction

however I do intend to apply to a majority of colleges that have the same major. I am highly interested in moving to the West Coast (California) next.

Here is a list of Masters programs I'm looking into. Most have distance learning so location isn't a huge factor
Academic Programs - Topics in Usability

Would it help a bit more if I post my transcript of courses from previous colleges so you all can take a look and tell me what you think would be my fastest route to my Bachelors.

[IrishJohn]

If you're just looking to finish a degree as fast as possible, I'd recommend one of the following:

Thomas Edison State College: Computer Information Systems

Thomas Edison State College: General Management

Neither of these require a capstone like what you need for the BA degrees now. Well, there is the Business Policy course which you can take through TESC, do the TECEP exam for that course or transfer in Strategic Business Managment from Penn Foster or other school. All in all one of these degrees I think would be the most useful for what you want and can be finished the fastest. Even if you need 15 or so credits to finish, you can take CLEP/DSST or maybe even FEMAs to accomplish that. You can specialize in a particular field in your master's at a different school, but I'd recommend a business or computer degree at the bachelor level.