How has degree planning changed over the years?

[LevelUP]

In some ways, it’s gotten much easier.

Years ago, degree hacking mostly meant CLEP and DSST, and that required a lot more test-prep, test-anxiety, and sometimes travel to testing centers. Now with Sophia, Study.com, Coursera ACE/NCCRS options, there’s a much wider menu of self-paced, low-stress alternatives. For most students, that makes knocking out gen eds and electives significantly faster and more affordable.

But in other ways, it’s gotten a bit more complicated.

With so many alternative credit providers, the “What fits where?” question has gotten trickier. Schools change their transfer policies more frequently, and we’ve seen some formerly generous institutions tighten up on upper-level credit or residency requirements. Planning used to be fairly straightforward: pass the right exams, send the credits, done. Now it sometimes takes more research to make sure each course still transfers the way it used to.

Overall, the flexibility today is miles ahead of what it used to be.

Back then, CLEPs and DSSTs mostly funneled people into Liberal Arts or Business degrees because those were the only programs that lined up well with the available exams. Now, thanks to the huge variety of courses from providers like Sophia, Study.com, Coursera, and others, you can realistically build alternative-credit pathways into many more majors. The range of degree options has expanded just as much as the number of credit sources.