TESU - 4 Undergrad Degree Limit?

[Thorne]

Keeping in mind that an associate's degree represents the lowest level of learning (100/200 level credit), holding a bachelor's degree demonstrates deeper level of learning (300/400 level credit) while a masters represents the highest level learner (500/600). A Doctorate represents the transition from learner to [U]contributor [/U]in the field through a project or thesis.

I'm not trying to talk anyone out of or into a degree, but accumulating degrees under your current level of knowledge is a bit like collecting multiple high school diplomas. If you have the capability, my suggestion is to move up the ladder instead of changing ladders.

My thinking is that I'd definitely like to pursue my current track (IT) and another field for later transition (Business) when IT becomes too much of an annoyance. If I end up qualifying for two or three Associate's degrees on the way to my second Bachelor's, plus get a Pierpont BOG AAS along the way, why not pick them up?

To be honest, I had planned (a long time ago) to get two or three Masters degrees in fields which I have a deep interest in, but that would likely require (for my own sake, if not the sake of the program) some undergrad work to be done anyway.

[dfrecore]

My thinking is that I'd definitely like to pursue my current track (IT) and another field for later transition (Business) when IT becomes too much of an annoyance. If I end up qualifying for two or three Associate's degrees on the way to my second Bachelor's, plus get a Pierpont BOG AAS along the way, why not pick them up?

To be honest, I had planned (a long time ago) to get two or three Masters degrees in field which I have a deep interest in, but that would likely require (for my own sake, if not the sake of the program) some undergrad work to be done anyway.

I personally think that when HR looks at your resume and sees too many degrees, it makes you look silly. An AA/AS/AAS in something (or general), followed by a BA/BS is fine. Maybe a degree in something, and then something completely different, looks like you wanted a career change, or possibly to broaden your knowledge (like IT and business for instance). But once you start getting a bunch of random degrees, or worse, the same type of degree at the same level, just looks goofy. 3 BA degrees in business (for example marketing, finance and accounting) just looks like you're taking a few extra classes to get the degree, and none of them but the first are worth a lot. It also looks like you aren't serious about getting down to business and becoming an expert at something. A dabbler who can't make up their mind.

Not that this applies to everyone, but just as someone who worked in HR, and what we discussed when looking at people's resumes.

My best advice, besides to stop getting degrees, is to only put on your resume degrees that pertain to the job you're applying for. For example, if you want a marketing job and you have a BS/BA in Marketing, put it. Leave off the AA in General Studies or BOG AAS. If the job asks for experience in a certain software program, and you took that course on the way to your accounting degree, I would just put that you took a course or had experience in that SW program.

[cookderosa]

My thinking is that I'd definitely like to pursue my current track (IT) and another field for later transition (Business) when IT becomes too much of an annoyance. If I end up qualifying for two or three Associate's degrees on the way to my second Bachelor's, plus get a Pierpont BOG AAS along the way, [COLOR="#FF0000"]why not pick them up?
[/COLOR]
To be honest, I had planned (a long time ago) to get two or three Masters degrees in fields which I have a deep interest in, but that would likely require (for my own sake, if not the sake of the program) some undergrad work to be done anyway.

deleted - sorry

[Life Long Learning]

I see nothing wrong with you picking up a few AA degrees in route to your overall goal.:hurray: Just because you have them does NOT mean put them on a resume. In the end its a personal decision. 14-23 degrees to me means they have no job or a very easy job. That being said as my name applies I do understand life long learning! Some times that collects degrees by accident. I have without intent myself.

My thinking is that I'd definitely like to pursue my current track (IT) and another field for later transition (Business) when IT becomes too much of an annoyance. If I end up qualifying for two or three Associate's degrees on the way to my second Bachelor's, plus get a Pierpont BOG AAS along the way, why not pick them up?

To be honest, I had planned (a long time ago) to get two or three Masters degrees in fields which I have a deep interest in, but that would likely require (for my own sake, if not the sake of the program) some undergrad work to be done anyway.

[SolarKat]

I agree with dfrecore, above. If you've collected them, be sure to target your resume to the job...save space for job-related accomplishments rather than listing a bevy of associates degrees.

A professor friend of mine has quite a collection - he has been going to college nonstop for years, always taking *something*. So he has the bachelors with the follow-up masters and related masters across a number of subjects (3 bachelors and 6 or 7 masters, I believe). He just *loves* learning, and teaching what he loves. Personally, I love the life-long-learner model & aspire to multiple degrees in the time I have left on this planet.

But for the resume, I'd stick to short & sweet education credentials that are relevant to the position!

[cookderosa]

I agree with dfrecore, above. If you've collected them, be sure to target your resume to the job...save space for job-related accomplishments rather than listing a bevy of associates degrees.

A professor friend of mine has quite a collection - he has been going to college nonstop for years, always taking *something*. So he has the bachelors with the follow-up masters and related masters across a number of subjects (3 bachelors and 6 or 7 masters, I believe). He just *loves* learning, and teaching what he loves. Personally, I love the life-long-learner model & aspire to multiple degrees in the time I have left on this planet.

But for the resume, I'd stick to short & sweet education credentials that are relevant to the position!

The disadvantage, as I see it, is this makes you a mile wide and an inch deep. That might be ok when you're young, but when you're older, I think you need to have *something* you've demonstrated expertise/specialization in if you want to climb over those beside you. That said, not everyone is climbing in their career - my culinary teaching career is on hold while my younguns finish homeschooling, but I've added to my credentials during my "down time" to make up for some of my lack of work experience during this time. I have a lot of undergrad credit, not all of it is used. Something like 250 credits - and I'm about 3 courses shy of a bachelor's in biology, and I have part of another masters, but there is no point - they certainly don't contribute to my marketability in my field (though the classes are fun) so even if I earned them, I'd 100% for sure leave them off my resume. (I also leave my AA off my resume - no one cares if I earned 60 gen eds)
P.S. in my field, it's all about where you got your associate's degree (mine is an AOS) and so *that* is the one that gets me in the door- not the others. The master's just expands where I can teach. When I do chef work (rarely, but not never) I only list my AOS.

[SolarKat]

The disadvantage, as I see it, is this makes you a mile wide and an inch deep. That might be ok when you're young, but when you're older, I think you need to have *something* you've demonstrated expertise/specialization in if you want to climb over those beside you. That said, not everyone is climbing in their career - my culinary teaching career is on hold while my younguns finish homeschooling, but I've added to my credentials during my "down time" to make up for some of my lack of work experience during this time. I have a lot of undergrad credit, not all of it is used. Something like 250 credits - and I'm about 3 courses shy of a bachelor's in biology, and I have part of another masters, but there is no point - they certainly don't contribute to my marketability in my field (though the classes are fun) so even if I earned them, I'd 100% for sure leave them off my resume. (I also leave my AA off my resume - no one cares if I earned 60 gen eds)
P.S. in my field, it's all about where you got your associate's degree (mine is an AOS) and so *that* is the one that gets me in the door- not the others. The master's just expands where I can teach. When I do chef work (rarely, but not never) I only list my AOS.

That may be overgeneralizing a bit. For example, in Vince's case, his bachelors are math, physics, and chemistry. And the masters are math, chemistry, materials science, and aerospace engineering (with a concentration in missile systems engineering). So I'm going to disagree - that's *far* from an inch deep.

Now if he'd done Art History, and Accounting, and Biology, and other random, unrelated stuff, yes I agree with what you say (even if he'd gone to masters level with each of these) - there's no connection, no logic between them, and no apparent depth/skill demonstrated beyond the pretty papers on the wall. However, it's quite common in the math/sci/tech world for folks to continue with education along related tangents & accumulate all sorts of degrees. Off the top of my head, another prof friend went all the way to doctorate linearly in physics, and has branched out for masters & postdocs in lasers and engineering and optics, demonstrating significant depth.

So I *sort of* see the OPs point, in terms of demonstrating expanded areas of expertise within IT. However, I don't think a bunch more AA/AS/AAS degrees are going to be so useful...I'd rather see the time/effort/$ spent on advancing knowledge or branching out at a higher level. Or somehow connecting the dots in a way that's obvious to naive folks like me.

[bjcheung77]

I think it all boils down to the individual and what they want to do education wise...as a goal...
For myself, I am doing 2 associates and 2 bachelors, then if ever I wanted, i'll do 2 masters.

My associates that I have completed are the ASBA and ASNSM Biology (probably) at TESU
(two associates is fine, i was going to go for a third BOG AAS, but there's no specialization in that)

The bachelors are the BSBA GM at TESU and BSIT-Security OR BSCIA at WGU (haven't decided)
Lastly, the masters I am thinking of is the MBA at Patten and MSCIA at WGU or MIS at Hodges

[cookderosa]

That may be overgeneralizing a bit. For example, in Vince's case, his bachelors are math, physics, and chemistry. And the masters are math, chemistry, materials science, and aerospace engineering (with a concentration in missile systems engineering). So I'm going to disagree - that's *far* from an inch deep.

I'd be so far over my head it wouldn't even be funny, but I bet that in his field, his colleagues don't consider those master's degrees to make him an expert, especially if he's a professor. The expectation of a professor is that they hold a PhD and are publishing research. I know we are getting off topic, but initially my comments were really related to multiple associate (100/200) level learning, once we get into graduate level it's obviously more muddy - but either which way, I think it's all good. A person should pursue what makes him happy and fulfilled if their goal is to be happy and fulfilled.

[Life Long Learning]

I've never heard of a universal limitation; it's up to the school. TESU has a limit of two bachelors degrees and two associates degrees. Excelsior allows three bachelors degrees. There's a guy with 14 associates degrees from various CCs in Texas. There is also the guy with 23 masters degrees.

What I read is TESU will not award a 3rd degree directly by TESU.  If you show up to TESU with 14 AA degrees, 3 BS degrees, and 23 master degrees you can still earn 3 new AA or BS TESU degrees?  Not sure this is correct, but that's the way it reads to me?

The University will not award a third "Thomas Edison State University" associate or baccalaureate degree.
http://www.tesu.edu/academics/catalog/Award-of-Degrees.cfm