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04-20-2025, 06:57 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-20-2025, 07:06 PM by foreverame.)
Hey, everyone. You can call me Ame. My situation's a little particular/peculiar as I already have a bachelor's, but it's in a subject I tend to call useless since I'm not really talented with it and most people just recognize it as "an Arts degree." That said, before I even came to this forum I was attracted by UMPI and many other schools. I've done so much research it hurts, and now I feel like a college advisor but without the pay upgrade I've been waiting to get for years.
I've been accepted into several master's programs, but I've left all of them because I get psyched out. It may sound like an entitled Gen Z thing, but the struggle is real here in trying to finish something.
I can't do in-person internships, and online proctoring is not my preference (I've had bad experiences with it). I also don't like synchronous/live lecture-based programs. I'm also not good with math, though I haven't done terribly in college courses (College Algebra was a C, for instance, but later I did better and got a B in Intro to Stats).
I've been chasing the perfect degree for years, but I don't think one exists. I really want to stop messing around and get a proper degree as opposed to following my passion, and ending up with zilch. (If you're curious, at the time I just needed a degree, but I'm nearing my 30s and it's time to get with it!)
Your Location: Colorado, USA
Your Age: Late 20s
What kind of degree do you want?: Either a speedy bachelor's or a master's
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 141 (passed)
Fort Hays Total Credits: 65
I'm not going to put all the classes here since there are way too many. If you have specific questions on any classes I've completed, please let me know.
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: N/A - but I do have AP credits for four exams
Any certifications or military experience?: No
Budget: I don't make a lot of money and have had to go on payment/installment plans in the past. Part of the reason I need a degree I can stick with and pass is so I can make more money, like I imagine many people are in this for.
Commitments: I work, but right now I don't have many commitments to worry about outside of that.
Dedicated time to study: 4+ hours a day.
Timeline: I'm a little hazy on this, but ideally it'd be quite soon as my parents are aging and I need "the dough" to care for them and myself.
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: N/A
Should you have any more questions for me, I'd be happy to answer. I may not be the quickest in responding, but I will try to monitor this thread as best I can.
- Ame
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So you are searching for a cheaper unproctored asynchronous online bachelor's/masters that wouldn't be considered "an Arts degree."
What is your estimated budget range? (<10k, 5k, 15k, 30k)
What does "an Arts degree" mean? Is that closer to the Fine arts major or BAs in general?
What were the masters programs you dropped out of? (MS of blank)
I've hired people in previous jobs and we only cared if you had a bachelor's degree of any kind for education. Would a second lower ranked bachelor's actually help? Do you have your industry's specific certs? There are a bunch of freebie/cheap certs you could pursue to supplement your resume.
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Welcome to the board, great initial post with the addendum and template, plus the extra info. My suggestion is to skip the second bachelors in favor of a Masters, something like the WGU MBA or MSML, or the HAU MBA, or UMPI MAOL, it really would be better than having a second bachelors unless that bachelors is in a different subject area, such as Computer Science where you need prerequisites...
Please answer questions that was provided in post #2 and also please review this thread, especially post #9, this is where I advised the member to get another evaluation to see if they have a Bachelors already and shoot for the Masters instead, again, I suggest doing the Masters over the second Bachelors any day of the week - https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...-go--49426
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04-25-2025, 05:05 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-25-2025, 05:05 AM by foreverame.)
Hi @Hotdogman1 and @bjcheung77:
I'll answer your questions below.
What is your estimated budget range? (<10k, 5k, 15k, 30k):
It can be basically anything, I guess, but keep in mind I pay paycheck to paycheck, so the more expensive it is, the more troublesome it might be on my limited savings.
What does "an Arts degree" mean? Is that closer to the Fine arts major or BAs in general?:
It's a BA, specifically in a foreign language.
What were the masters programs you dropped out of?:
Elementary Ed, Spanish, and Healthcare Informatics
I was speaking with my dad the other day about the UMPI MAOL, and he thought it would move too fast for me as I'm rather more a slow mover (at least in his view). I might just be dumb, but hey. Just something to consider. I'm not the brightest bulb, and I can't commit (either), which makes recommending me stuff really tough - this I know.
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foreverame Wrote:I was speaking with my dad the other day about the UMPI MAOL, and he thought it would move too fast for me as I'm rather more a slow mover (at least in his view). I might just be dumb, but hey. Just something to consider. I'm not the brightest bulb, and I can't commit (either), which makes recommending me stuff really tough - this I know.
UMPI MAOL was just one of my recommendations that is CBE, the other was WGU MBA/MSML which also happen to be CBE, there was one more that may fit you best, the HAU MBA as it's currently at $3K for the entire degree. The special scholarship pricing can go away at any time and they have a payment plan, that's the main draw with them (including the classes and professors they have are pretty good with reviews I've seen).
The HAU MBA at 3K with the payment plan is awesome, people can got at a good pace and finish within 12-15 months, I would go for this as the first choice, WGU/UMPI options are secondary choices for now as WGU can be done within 6 months, UMPI can be done in two sessions for 16 weeks (4 months)... You know your own strengths and weakness, you're also not in a rush to complete things either...
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I recommend you sign up for the Arizona State Universities 100 million learners program. It is a graduate certificate that is free to enroll in. The content is also free and then you have the option to pay $3000 to grade and transcribe it into 15 graduate credits. I do not recommend you pay the $3,000 but it should give you an idea of whether you would be interested in going the business route. https://thunderbird.asu.edu/lifelong-lea...n-learners
- Like bjcheung77 mentioned, HAU MBA program is $3,000. It is regionally accredited, 36 credit hours with 7 week asynchronous classes. https://mba.hauniv.edu/academics/mba-program/
- UoPeople MBA program is $4,800. It is regionally accredited, 36 credit hours with 9 week classes. https://www.uopeople.edu/programs/online...istration/
- If you're still uncertain, you can consider Elmwood Institute's Master of Leadership & Management. It is not regionally accredited but is nationally accredited. Regional accreditation (RA) is the gold standard and could easily transfer to most institutions. National accreditation (NA) is far more limited. The program total cost is $900 at $25 per credit hour. Avoid this program if you are in academia or in an industry that cares about accreditation. However, it might be worth considering since you already have an RA bachelor's degree. The program looks to be available in Colorado as well. https://www.elmwoodinstitute.org/molm
How many graduate level RA credits do you have? What is your passion/interests?
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@bjcheung77:
Thank you for the suggestions. I'm considering them. In addition, I *am* under a bit of a time crunch; but my own abilities (or lack thereof) are preventing me from attaining completion.
@Hotdogman1:
Just as with Cheung's suggestions, these are well-considered. I'm not very strong in business acumen, and there are many things I like to read about, but then the pressure of an "academic" environment kills the joy in it, especially with the pressure of completion. I don't have any graduate-level RA credits because I've dropped out of every program I've begun. I get that I'm privileged in this way - but I want to make sure I get good grades and not ruin the experience for myself.
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04-25-2025, 08:33 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-25-2025, 08:41 PM by Hotdogman1.
Edit Reason: added links
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If the “pressure of an "academic" environment kills the joy in it” then don’t do it. Is more education really the solution here? It seems like a master's isn't necessary for your career since you were looking at bachelors as well. All a masters would guarantee is more tuition you would have to pay off. Additionally, I don't see how a low ranked online business degree or any masters is going to be such a game changer for you.
I also don't see why being a Spanish major is such a detriment; isn't it basically an exotic Communication bachelor’s degree? If they ask about it, you could emphasize the skills you are gaining and market your degree. Some bs like "My Spanish degree builds on the core communication skills of traditional degrees but adds a deeper layer. It’s not about language fluency; it’s about understanding cultural nuances and adapting communication to diverse audiences…” Then maybe complete some technical sounding Coursera certs like the Google Data analytics or Google Project Management so you could segway into your current skills rather than the name of your major. At the very least, you could change the order of your resume and have education below work experience.
There are cheap/free certs from Universities you can consider. You would have to sort through them: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-F...Good-Deals.
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@Hotdogman1:
The reason I wanted another degree is mainly relational; I have parents who want to see me *complete* something, and get to a higher echelon of education and get paid more. I've tried explaining that these days you don't always have to break the bank or pursue traditional routes to get a good job and make a good life for yourself, but that doesn't seem to persuade them. I also (not to put the onus wholly on them) want to see myself earn higher-ranking titles and see what the academic rigor would be like in advanced degrees. But I remind myself, too, that I can't be hypocritical.
I get ashamed of the Spanish degree because I'm a perfectionist most of the time, and while I can use the skills I learned there, I often compare them to those of a native speaker or better (if there were such a thing...), and my speech in Spanish can be slow and stilted since I try to make it comprehensible as opposed to mistake-filled. I can read, listen, and write just fine most of the time, though. Don't get me wrong - I love the subject and the culture, or else I wouldn't have studied it at the collegiate level.
Thank you for the advice on the resume and the certs. I'm checking out the links right now.
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Look, I get it. We are about the same age and my parents does the same thing. The difference is I've been a disappointment compared to my brothers most of my life so I get by with technicalities where the results make them equally proud, confused, and disappointed. If you really want to go down the academic path, why not something in Spanish?
What about going for a Titulo Propio? The most popular and well documented one on this forum is ENEB. ENEB is a business school in Spain and costs <~$200 when it goes on sale. The utility of the ENEB is limited in the US but you could get it evaluated as a Graduate cert from some NACES members or a RA Masters from Validential (non NACES). Even without getting it evaluated, I think it would actually make sense for you to put it on your resume since it both complements your Spanish degree while also pivoting towards a international Business angle: RA Bachelor's for the Job education requirement and the Titulo Propio as the feather on top. There's a huge thread if you want to read more about it. I'd recommend you skip the ENEB MBA if you go this route and get another major. There's a bunch of other institutions that aren't often mentioned here but they might be an option.
https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...ter-Thread
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/ENEB
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