Purdue Global BSIT Degree or TESU BACS

[Holmes]

Hello everyone,

I really can't decide between these two. I hope that some of you can give me some insights here.

Purdue University Global The Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology:

Pros:
- ABET Accredited. (Although the ExcelTrack is NOT, if the student switch to the traditional track in the last term, I think it will be the same diploma as the ABET accredited one).
- Very generous transfer policy.
- It has the Purdue name on it.
- Less expensive. The whole thing will cost ~$6,400 USD or so.
- It has a (Programming and Software Development) concentration, so it is not a general or a broad IT degree.

Cons:
- The Kaplan stigma that might be there. (and all the stuff that follows, including the tantrums that students and faculty of other Purdue campuses throw every while and then. This can hurt the degree later, right?)
- Although unlikely, «There is a built-in opt-out clause in the deal after six years»¹. That «Termination Clause»² kinda scares me and makes me keep asking: what if?
- There is a LOT of writing papers, and I hate writing papers.

Now, on the other hand:
TESU The Bachelor of Arts degree program in Computer Science:

Pros:
- I prefer Computer Science degree over an IT degree. I think it is more respected where I live and it has more opportunities in general.
- TESU name, while not as shinny as Purdue, is established and stable. No Kaplan stigma here.

Cons:
- More expensive. It will cost at least $9,500 USD, after the new policy was introduced. (I can purchase a new car instead!)
- I have to take the TOEFL test.
- I might have to take the GED.
- Not ABET accredited, which is not a serious problem to be honest.

Now after I have expressed my thoughts in a written form, I feel that Purdue Global IT degree is better. But that freaking stigma thing! I'm afraid that I will be flipping the coin if I go with Purdue Global. If someone read that name, they could be impressed by the "Purdue" brand (so in this scenario it's better than TESU), but it also equally likely that they know the difference between "Purdue" and "Purdue Global", and again, that Kaplan thing.

A little personal background:
I'm not a US citizen. I have a non-IT job, which is my main source of income, but I also work as a freelance software developer for more than 10 years, hence my preference for CS over IT. I have some small-to-medium opensource projects out there. My main goal of the degree is immigration-related, so in theory any accredited degree will tick that checkbox. But I might need the degree in the foreseeable future (say, two to three years from now) for a new job.

Thank you all for your help.

____________________
1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton...n-marriage
2. https://philonedtech.com/purdue-global-l...full-year/

[ss20ts]

My husband enrolled at Purdue Global back in November. He was deciding between WGU and Purdue. He spoke to several managers and they all told him that he should go to Purdue. They don't care that it's the online school. It's Purdue. Period. They didn't know anything about Kaplan nor did hey care. They don't care about some whiney internet posts. Every school has whiney people post online. The diploma says Purdue University Global on it and that's what they care about. Every Purdue campus has their name on the degree. Purdue has several campuses not just the big fancy one in Indiana.

My husband has worked in IT over 25 years. He's in the Excel Track for the Analytics bachelor's degree. He completed 20 credits in 1 term which is 10 weeks. He has less than 80 credits left. He's glad he picked Purdue over WGU. He doesn't have to deal with proctors which is a HUGE bonus. 

[dfrecore]

My husband is planning on the Purdue Global Cloud degree. He does not care about the school name, it means nothing to him, nor does he see any "Kaplan stigma" attached, since nobody will know or care that Purdue bought Kaplan. Nobody outside of academia follows this.

ABET also means absolutely nothing in the IT world. Nothing. Zilch.

You are comparing apples to oranges, so you just need to decide whether you want an IT degree, or a CompSci degree.

As for costs, you're just comparing whether it's worth $3,100 to you for the CS degree. And whether you want or write papers or not. That's it. Your choice, nobody can tell you which is a better option for YOU.

[LevelUP]

TESU The Bachelor of Arts degree program in Computer Science:

Pros:
- I prefer Computer Science degree over an IT degree. I think it is more respected where I live and it has more opportunities in general.
- TESU name, while not as shinny as Purdue, is established and stable. No Kaplan stigma here.

Cons:
- More expensive. It will cost at least $9,500 USD, after the new policy was introduced. (I can purchase a new car instead!)
- I have to take the TOEFL test.
- I might have to take the GED.
- Not ABET accredited, which is not a serious problem to be honest.

TESU is cheaper with the flat rate option.
$4,639 Flat rate 16 credits
$1,000 TEL learning or TECEP 15 credits (5 courses)
$1,000 Study.com/Sophia fees, etc
$6,639 TOTAL

One thing you haven't factored in is your time. I have to assume it's worth something so the question is which path would you finish quicker?

[Holmes]

My husband enrolled at Purdue Global back in November. He was deciding between WGU and Purdue. He spoke to several managers and they all told him that he should go to Purdue. They don't care that it's the online school. It's Purdue. Period. They didn't know anything about Kaplan nor did hey care. They don't care about some whiney internet posts. Every school has whiney people post online. The diploma says Purdue University Global on it and that's what they care about. Every Purdue campus has their name on the degree. Purdue has several campuses not just the big fancy one in Indiana.

My husband has worked in IT over 25 years. He's in the Excel Track for the Analytics bachelor's degree. He completed 20 credits in 1 term which is 10 weeks. He has less than 80 credits left. He's glad he picked Purdue over WGU. He doesn't have to deal with proctors which is a HUGE bonus. 

I have to say that I was about to mention you in my topic, because I kept asking you many questions about Purdue and your husband experience with them, which you were very helpful in answering them. Thank you. =)

Every Purdue campus has their name on the degree

Maybe the transcript has the campus name on it, but not the diploma itself. I think the diploma is the same in all campuses except Purdue Global. But it does not matter at all for me. What was a concern for is their relation with Kaplan as I said in the first post.

---

My husband is planning on the Purdue Global Cloud degree.  He does not care about the school name, it means nothing to him, nor does he see any "Kaplan stigma" attached, since nobody will know or care that Purdue bought Kaplan.  Nobody outside of academia follows this.

ABET also means absolutely nothing in the IT world.  Nothing.  Zilch.

Yes, I know that ABET means almost nothing in the IT world, but given that we deal here with an online degree, and that some may look down on it: I felt that being ABET accredited is something.

You are comparing apples to oranges, so you just need to decide whether you want an IT degree, or a CompSci degree.

As for costs, you're just comparing whether it's worth $3,100 to you for the CS degree.  And whether you want or write papers or not.  That's it.  Your choice, nobody can tell you which is a better option for YOU.

While I'm not convinced 100% that IT and CS are like oranges and apples, because of the huge overlap between them, I totally get your point. It really shows me that I want the computer science degree.

---

TESU is cheaper with the flat rate option.
$4,639 Flat rate 16 credits
$1,000 TEL learning or TECEP 15 credits (5 courses)
$1,000 Study.com/Sophia fees, etc
$6,639 TOTAL

One thing you haven't factored in is your time. I have to assume it's worth something so the question is which path would you finish quicker?

The time is not the big factor here, whether it takes months or one year, or slightly more that a year. But according to my plan[s], I was supposed to finish Purdue's degree by September this year, and TESU's by August or so.

That Flat fee is a game changer! Thank you for bringing that up. I was not considering that option at all because I thought it is hard to do 16 credits in one term. After your comment and a new round of search, I think it's totally doable and reasonable. It will still be more expensive, according to my calculations and the set of courses and exams that I am/will be taking, but it will cost around $6,900 to $7,000 USD, which is great.

[rachel83az]

It can be difficult to do 16 credits in one term. However, most students report the cornerstone as the easiest class (once they've taken everything else). Then there is the 1-credit Jane Austin course that is also supposedly very easy: https://www2.tesu.edu/course.php?CourseCode=ENG-298 The capstone is not super easy, of course. But now you're up to 7 credits. 3 more 100-level courses and you're good.

There are also the e-Pack courses that are like TECEPs but with extra costs and steps: https://www2.tesu.edu/listallc.php?type=EP 1.) e-Packs do count for residency. 2.) There are no assignments, only the final exam. 3.) You can take the final exam immediately, if desired, leaving you with more free time for the other courses that you're taking.

For CS, one easy ePack course should be CIS-107. Sophia's Intro to IT comes in as CIS-107 so you ought to be able to use the Sophia course to help you to study for the e-Pack.

[ss20ts]

My husband enrolled at Purdue Global back in November. He was deciding between WGU and Purdue. He spoke to several managers and they all told him that he should go to Purdue. They don't care that it's the online school. It's Purdue. Period. They didn't know anything about Kaplan nor did hey care. They don't care about some whiney internet posts. Every school has whiney people post online. The diploma says Purdue University Global on it and that's what they care about. Every Purdue campus has their name on the degree. Purdue has several campuses not just the big fancy one in Indiana.

My husband has worked in IT over 25 years. He's in the Excel Track for the Analytics bachelor's degree. He completed 20 credits in 1 term which is 10 weeks. He has less than 80 credits left. He's glad he picked Purdue over WGU. He doesn't have to deal with proctors which is a HUGE bonus. 

I have to say that I was about to mention you in my topic, because I kept asking you many questions about Purdue and your husband experience with them, which you were very helpful in answering them. Thank you. =)

Every Purdue campus has their name on the degree

Maybe the transcript has the campus name on it, but not the diploma itself. I think the diploma is the same in all campuses except Purdue Global. But it does not matter at all for me. What was a concern for is their relation with Kaplan as I said in the first post.

---

They have changed their degrees. The changed took place last year. They now say which campus on the diploma. There was some chatter about it online.

[LevelUP]

Regardless of if you choose Purdue or TESU, I assume you will start at Sophia first and get some courses done?

Sophia is where most of us recommend people start which will help to determine how fast you can learn courses online and how much time you can commit to education per week. The first lesson in Sophia is free, then you pay a monthly fee for unlimited courses.

https://purdueglobal.sophia.org/#courses

[Holmes]

It can be difficult to do 16 credits in one term. However, most students report the cornerstone as the easiest class (once they've taken everything else). Then there is the 1-credit Jane Austin course that is also supposedly very easy: https://www2.tesu.edu/course.php?CourseCode=ENG-298 The capstone is not super easy, of course. But now you're up to 7 credits. 3 more 100-level courses and you're good.

There are also the e-Pack courses that are like TECEPs but with extra costs and steps: https://www2.tesu.edu/listallc.php?type=EP 1.) e-Packs do count for residency. 2.) There are no assignments, only the final exam. 3.) You can take the final exam immediately, if desired, leaving you with more free time for the other courses that you're taking.

For CS, one easy ePack course should be CIS-107. Sophia's Intro to IT comes in as CIS-107 so you ought to be able to use the Sophia course to help you to study for the e-Pack.

I saw your other comments already and thought that I will take these courses:
[TESU] Applied Liberal Arts Math (MAT-105-TE)
[TESU] Computer Concepts and Applications (CIS-107-TE)
[TESU] Introduction to Islam
[TESU] Jane Austen Course
in addition to the cornerstone and the capstone. The math and Islam introduction should be easy for me. I don't like Jane Austen that much but it should be easy too.

I have already taken the Sophia's Intro to IT course and put it as a CS elective. So I guess will choose another TESU course here, instead of leaving Sophia's course behind and finding another CS elective.

With regards to the ePacks, I have asked TESU if they are available for me. They said: «E-packs course option is only available for incarcerated students», which I did not fully understand to be honest. I believe that their representative confused e-packs with Self-Directed courses.

---

Regardless of if you choose Purdue or TESU, I assume you will start at Sophia first and get some courses done?

Sophia is where most of us recommend people start which will help to determine how fast you can learn courses online and how much time you can commit to education per week.  The first lesson in Sophia is free, then you pay a monthly fee for unlimited courses.

https://purdueglobal.sophia.org/#courses

Yeah I've read your recommendations many times. I have finished many of Sophia's courses. Now I'm stuck with the English composition I and II as I don't have time for the touchstones! Hopefully I will submit them soon and continue.

[natshar]

You might want to switch out one of the TESU courses for an UL comp sci course. Either that or take the Network TECEP for the remaining Upper Lever credit in the comp sci degree.