How can I get my Master's degree after 20 years of inactivity?

[FourOaks]

I am hoping someone here can help steer me in the right direction. I'll try to make this as succinct as possible, but some background is necessary in order to get a knowledgeable response.

I hold a BS in Education. Between the approximate years of 1993-1995 I was getting my Master's in Human Development Counseling. I had completed ALL coursework, completed my practicum, completed my internship, and had my Master's Thesis Project proposal accepted. I was working on my thesis when my husband got transferred and we moved out of state.

I know this sounds insane, but I decided NOT to finish my thesis. I didn't really care about the degree at the time, had really been working on it because 85-90% was being paid for by my employer and I loved school, and I was fairly certain that I would NEVER use the degree anyway.

I was basically correct, and for the last 18 years I've not really thought about it, nor have I needed it at all. I have been homeschooling my own kids for almost 10 years now and I've been able to do work in the capacities that I've wanted (mostly voluntarily) all of these years. It's just never been an issue that I never actually finished that degree. That is until this past year. Twice within the last year something has been presented that I could be doing if I held a Master's degree. I would have jumped at these opportunities and for the first time I have regretted the decision I made back then.

I just figured that it's been too long, those courses and all that work, including the practicum and internship, are meaningless, and I'd have to start all over in order to get my Master's. Someone this weekend said differently and encouraged me to at least look into possibilities. I am going to at least contact the university to see if there is anything I can do through them, but I think it's fairly safe to say they'll just laugh at me.

I have looked on the Big 3 websites and there are very few Master's programs offered. Does anyone here know of any way for me to quickly and VERY inexpensively finish my Master's or get some type of Master's using my past coursework?

Thanks for ANY help or direction you can provide!!!

[rebel100]

I wouldn't take the first "no" at your old school as a final answer....I'd make them tell me a couple of times....seriously, it's been a long time, but I would want the anger from an authority other than a guidance councillor or the Secretary who answers the phone.


There are a couple recent master's degree threads I've posted in in the last week or so on similar. Subjects. You should look then up.

I believe Amberton out of Texas may take 12 hours of old work, American Military University might also allow about 12 hours......at least this would be a decent start.

I'm loving the self paced MBA at Western Govorners.....they have a few other programs.....all self paced and potentially very cheap.

[FourOaks]

Thanks for this reply.

It just so happens that my old academic advisor and professor is now the head of the entire department at the university I went to. I plan to take my question straight to him. Again, I really think I'll just be met with a "that's too bad, would you like to come back and start over?".

I'll look into WGU, but the option needs to be incredibly inexpensive or I can't do it.

[rebel100]

Find the thread I started "a little wgu review" and read through a bit....wgu is a different animal....it might be just the ticket if your old school shoots you down.

[FourOaks]

Thanks, I'll go look for that thread.

I just spent some time on WGU's site and I am interested in the MED in Learning and Technology. Do you know if they ever accept any old coursework, or allow for independent portfolios of experience to count for credit?

[rebel100]

Thanks, I'll go look for that thread.

I just spent some time on WGU's site and I am interested in the MED in Learning and Technology. Do you know if they ever accept any old coursework, or allow for independent portfolios of experience to count for credit?

it doesn't work like that....exactly.

They are competency based....so if you select that degree, and know a lot about the subject matter....you just write your paper and collect your credits....it can attack up really fast. You can finish as many courses as you like in a semester....and the semester s are a full 6 months long.....for only $3200 or so......a few have completed master's in 6 months.....1 year is more the norm......so it's possible to take a subject you know and earn your master's quickly and cheaply......they won't count the old work.....but this doesn't matter a whole lot due to the structure of the school.

[FourOaks]

Just read the other thread. It's such a bummer that none of my past work will count. I need to go look up what types of courses are involved in that MED and see how much I might already be familiar with.

[sanantone]

The M.Ed. in Learning and Technology is only for licensed teachers. Excelsior accepts up to 15 transfer credits and they offer an MA in Liberal Studies, which could potentially work quite well with the graduate credits you already have.

[FourOaks]

Well this just gets more depressing by the minute!! I WAS a licensed teacher back in the day -- again, not for 22 years now.

Is one able to work through courses as quickly at Excelsior as WGU?

[sanantone]

No, Excelsior is not self-paced. Self-paced graduate programs that are regionally-accredited are hard to find. However, Excelsior's program only requires 33 credits. If you transferred 15 credits and only had 18 left, you would be able to finish fast if it weren't for the required thesis. The thesis is supposed to take 26 weeks, but the other graduate courses are 8 weeks. I didn't attend Excelsior and every college is different, but I managed 6 credits per 8-week term in my graduate program.