Greetings from yet another newbie, and of course I have questions.

[Aesop]

Hello everyone. Let me first thank each and every one of you for your most exemplary contributions, knowledge and insights to this wonderful forum.

I, like most new members of this site, am filled to the brim with questions and uncertainty. I've been lurking here and at degreeinfo.com for about a month now, just trying to get a handle on certain degree paths and how to fully implement the varied credit evaluation testing of CLEP, ECE, Dantes etcetera.

Prior to stating my goals of academic intent, I feel a brief background of yours truly will prove to be imperative in obtaining the best advice possible. I'm probably younger than most, at the ripe old age of 23. hilarious I have a whopping eleven credits(mat105, mat120 and eng101), and have completed seven of the FEMA courses(those needed for the PDS certificate) without much effort. I'm a craftsman of sorts, and can generally grasp onto anything I find even remotely interesting. Like many other people I imagine, I stopped going to college due to not knowing what area I wished to call home, and to most importantly make money. I'm a self-taught composites fabricator, dealing mostly with carbon fiber and carbon kevlar infusions in the automotive arena. Other key automotive elements I dabble in, is lighting(HID headlights, LED turn signals, and LED taillight retrofitting, including the forming of optically clear lenses) and aerodynamics related to heat extraction(hood vents) and the overall lowering of a vehicles coeffecient of drag(Cd) by way of chin spoilers/splitters, canards, rear diffusers which include underbody ductwork, and overall suspension setup.

Now, being an employee to no one(I work out of my garage) is great, but now i'd like to venture into a stable career and leave the hobbies as just that. My intention is to get a degree(associates or bachelors) in CAD/drafting/design with an architectural flavor to it. From my research, I have a couple options. They are as follows.

1. Penn Foster CAD diploma/certificate + Anthem Online College Associates completion(assuming they accept the Penn Foster cert.)...

2. IvyTech AAS in CAD/architecture... LINK

3. Thomas Edison State College ASAST or BSAST in Architectural design...


I'm pretty much stuck at this point in regards to actually choosing a route, due to not knowing what classes are needed to complete each option. I have no doubts in my ability to "CLEP" the general course requirements, or even FEMA them if it's also an option. However, i'm not sure how to go about it exactly. Like, is the Penn Foster cert suitable for the major credits? If so, would I be able to CLEP test the rest of the needed credits and go through TESC?

Any insights would be most appreciated.

[pugman]

Welcome to the forum.

Have you considered just jamming throught the bachelors degree as fast as possible and getting a masters in architecture?

e.g.

http://www.onlinedegreereviews.org/colle...sign-1304/

As you know, TESC will award 40 credits for the fema courses which you could likely complete in 30 days. You could then finish the balance via instantcert with a fast BA in liberal arts or emergency management (e.g. less than 1 year). Then, enroll in a Masters in Architecture program.

I consider this the preferred option due to the salary differential. That is, a masters degree on average adds $500k to your lifetime earnings. Ergo, it's a pragmatic (timewise/moneywise) option worth considering (as opposed to getting an AS/BS in architecture).

Hope this helps!

Greg