Lots of credits, not sure where to enroll

[Fibrazer]

I have 112 credits, mostly in psychology from a decade ago and a variety of science/math/English/humanities classes. I've since changed career paths and have thought that instead of trying to earn bachelors credits all over again, perhaps I should get a BS/BA in liberal arts, psychology or anything my credits fit into and then get a masters in my field.

I'm trying to figure out which university will accept most of my credits and which degree program I should enroll in. Is it possible for me to apply to all of the Big 3 and have my transcripts evaluated, then decide from there? I'm interested in taking ACE classes (Straighterline, Study.com, Saylor, etc) and DSST (CLEP doesn't have online proctoring) to fill in any requirements necessary.

I don't have plans of trying to gain admission to a competitive masters program. WGU is the front runner for my masters since I don't have any graduate credits and they seem to be cheap and fast for a masters with no prior credits.

I'm sorry for being so discombobulated. I'm not sure where to start and would appreciate any advice.

Thank you!

[natshar]

I have 112 credits, mostly in psychology from a decade ago and a variety of science/math/English/humanities classes. I've since changed career paths and have thought that instead of trying to earn bachelors credits all over again, perhaps I should get a BS/BA in liberal arts, psychology or anything my credits fit into and then get a masters in my field.

I'm trying to figure out which university will accept most of my credits and which degree program I should enroll in. Is it possible for me to apply to all of the Big 3 and have my transcripts evaluated, then decide from there? I'm interested in taking ACE classes (Straighterline, Study.com, Saylor, etc) and DSST (CLEP doesn't have online proctoring) to fill in any requirements necessary.

I don't have plans of trying to gain admission to a competitive masters program. WGU is the front runner for my masters since I don't have any graduate credits and they seem to be cheap and fast for a masters with no prior credits.

I'm sorry for being so discombobulated. I'm not sure where to start and would appreciate any advice.

Thank you!

The best thing to do is list all the prior credits you have here. Then someone can help you figure out which degree/school is best based on what you have.


Name of school, Name of class with course number, grade received

[rachel83az]

As natshar already stated, it would help the most if you listed what you have and where the credits came from.

I'm trying to figure out which university will accept most of my credits and which degree program I should enroll in. Is it possible for me to apply to all of the Big 3 and have my transcripts evaluated, then decide from there? I'm interested in taking ACE classes (Straighterline, Study.com, Saylor, etc) and DSST (CLEP doesn't have online proctoring) to fill in any requirements necessary.

Yes, you can apply to everyone to see who gives you the best results. TESU is $50. bjcheung77 has a code that makes COSC applications free. Excelsior is free until April 30th. Another possible choice is UMPI. They are free to apply to as well. They may not take as many credits as the others but they could well wind up being both the fastest and cheapest way to get your degree.

I don't have plans of trying to gain admission to a competitive masters program. WGU is the front runner for my masters since I don't have any graduate credits and they seem to be cheap and fast for a masters with no prior credits.

I'm sorry for being so discombobulated. I'm not sure where to start and would appreciate any advice.

Thank you!

Which Master's degree are you wanting to get? MBA? I know Walden is also mentioned for non-competitive and inexpensive graduate degrees. The Master's degree dictates the Bachelor's, to some extent. For example, if you want an MBA then a Psych undergrad degree may not be the best choice. The reverse is certainly true.

[dfrecore]

When you list your courses, also include number of credits.

School
Course #, full course name, # of credits, grade

Repeat if there's more than 1 school. All of the Big 3 will take older credits, I had 30-yo credits that TESU took with no problems.

[Fibrazer]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll get my transcripts together and list all of my credits here. I'm looking for something in computer science for my masters. I've talked with WGU and they said an unrelated bachelors isn't issue, especially since I've been working as a software engineer for 6 years. I'll take a look at UMPI, too. I haven't heard of them before.

Thanks again, everyone!

[rachel83az]

In that case, do you have any CS certificates in addition to your college credits? Purdue University Global has a competency-based degree in IT. They accept a lot of certificates for credit. https://www.purdueglobal.edu/degree-prog...echnology/

[bjcheung77]

WGU hasn't come out with an MS in Computer Science yet, they do have a Bachelors in Computer Science and another in Software Development though. I usually recommend a Big 3 Bachelors and then a competency based Masters degree. It's all personal preference really, it depends on what the person needs/wants, if they have tuition assistance/reimbursement, educational and personal goals, etc... Most of the competency based masters degree providers are roughly the same price, unless you opt for the "for profit" ones, they'll be slightly more expensive. WGU is a good recommendation and depending on the degree, there are other options as well...

[Fibrazer]

In that case, do you have any CS certificates in addition to your college credits? Purdue University Global has a competency-based degree in IT. They accept a lot of certificates for credit. https://www.purdueglobal.edu/degree-prog...echnology/

No, I'm self taught and have never needed certificates. There are a handful I could probably test for with limited study time, so I'll take a look at Purdue. Thanks for the suggestion.

---

WGU hasn't come out with an MS in Computer Science yet, they do have a Bachelors in Computer Science and another in Software Development though.  I usually recommend a Big 3 Bachelors and then a competency based Masters degree.  It's all personal preference really, it depends on what the person needs/wants, if they have tuition assistance/reimbursement, educational and personal goals, etc...  Most of the competency based masters degree providers are roughly the same price, unless you opt for the "for profit" ones, they'll be slightly more expensive.  WGU is a good recommendation and depending on the degree, there are other options as well...

WGU has a masters in information technology management, which my work says is sufficient. I'm open to others, of course, since I don't plan to be working here forever.

My work offers an education benefit of $2000 a year. I've been saving for my education so while tuition is a consideration, it's unlikely to hold me back.

Given I have so many credits, I was hoping I could get most of them transferred somewhere and only have to take a small number of classes for my bachelors. I have considered WGU's computer science degree but only a few classes will transfer there and at this point I'm looking for the fastest route to a masters program, since that's where the big pay bump is for me.

Thanks for all of the information and advice. I really appreciate it.

[dfrecore]

In that case, do you have any CS certificates in addition to your college credits? Purdue University Global has a competency-based degree in IT. They accept a lot of certificates for credit. https://www.purdueglobal.edu/degree-prog...echnology/

No, I'm self taught and have never needed certificates. There are a handful I could probably test for with limited study time, so I'll take a look at Purdue. Thanks for the suggestion.

---

WGU hasn't come out with an MS in Computer Science yet, they do have a Bachelors in Computer Science and another in Software Development though.  I usually recommend a Big 3 Bachelors and then a competency based Masters degree.  It's all personal preference really, it depends on what the person needs/wants, if they have tuition assistance/reimbursement, educational and personal goals, etc...  Most of the competency based masters degree providers are roughly the same price, unless you opt for the "for profit" ones, they'll be slightly more expensive.  WGU is a good recommendation and depending on the degree, there are other options as well...

WGU has a masters in information technology management, which my work says is sufficient. I'm open to others, of course, since I don't plan to be working here forever.

My work offers an education benefit of $2000 a year. I've been saving for my education so while tuition is a consideration, it's unlikely to hold me back.

Given I have so many credits, I was hoping I could get most of them transferred somewhere and only have to take a small number of classes for my bachelors. I have considered WGU's computer science degree but only a few classes will transfer there and at this point I'm looking for the fastest route to a masters program, since that's where the big pay bump is for me.

Thanks for all of the information and advice. I really appreciate it.

I agree that for your needs, a FAST (and relatively inexpensive) bachelor's in anything, and then a Master's in something IT-related is a good plan.  So a school that utilizes a majority of the credits you already have, combined with requiring few courses, will be the best bet.  All of the Big 3 and UMPI are all good bets.

[Fibrazer]

I finally most of my credits available. Here they are:

University of Phoenix
MTH208 College Mathematics I 3 credits A-
PSY250 Psychology of Personality 3 credits C
NSCI280 Anatomy and Physiology I 4 credits B
NSCI281 Anatomy and Physiology II 4 credits B+
GEN300 Skills for Professional Development 3 credits A
PSY300 General Psychology 3 credits A-
PSY390 Learning and Cognition 3 credits A
PSY375 Life Span Human Devlpmnt 3 credits A-
PSY310 History and Systems in Psych 3 credits A-
PSY400 Social Psychology 3 credits B-
PSY405 Theories of Personality 3 credits C+
PSY355 Motiv Proc in Humn Psych 3 credits B-
PSY340 Biological Fndtns in Psycholog 3 credits A-
PSY315 Statisical Reasoning in Psycho 3 credits A
MTH209 College Mathematics II 3 credits A-

Mary Baldwin University
ENG102 Intermediate Composition 3 credits B+
POLS100 American Government & Politics 3credits C+
PSYC101 Psych As a Natural Science 4 credits C+
NS101 Introduction to Naval Science 1 credit A
INT177 Introduction to College 0.5 credit A
NS102 Seapower and Maritime Affairs 1 credit B
PHED101 Advanced Fitness 1 credit B-
PHE167 Vwil Wilderness 1 credit Pass
PHE137 Vwil Leadership Challenge Prog 0.5 credit Pass
PHED152 Outdoor Rec Lead Challence Pro 0.5 credit Pass
INT177 (Sem 2) Orientation to College 0.5 credit B-

Carroll Community College
PHIL105 Ethics 3 credits B
CRIM105 Criminology 3 credits A
PSYC201 Abnormal Psychology 3 credits C
CRIM110 Crim Law 3 credits B

Gateway Community College
LPN certificate, clock hours
ENG 102 First Year Composition 3 credits A
HCR240 Human Pathophysiology 4 credits A

Mesa Community College
ENG 101 Fist-Year Composition 3 credits A
PHI 213 Medical & BIo-Ethics 3 credits A
HES 100 Healthful Living 3 credits A
MGT 253 Owning & Operating Small Business 3 credits B

South Mountain Community College
BIO 205 Microbiology 4 credits A
CHM 130 Fundamental Chemistry 3 credits B
CHM 130LL Fundamental Chemistry Lab 1 credit A

Adding Pueblo Community College credits:

NUR 189 Transition from LPN to ADN 4 credits A
HIS 202 US History since Civil War 3 credits A
NUR 211 Psychiatric-Mental Health NSG 4 credits A
NUR 212 Pharmacology II 2 credits B

So far it looks good for TESU but I'm open to anywhere that's fast.