Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
The Big 3 VS WGU VS Anywhere - Help Please
#1
Question 
Good Morning Guys!

I stumbled across this website last night when I found a person selling degree help for the BIG 3. Just a measly 500 bucks  Sad . The equivalent of saying Voldemort in Harry Potter apparently here. Don't worry, only joke I probably have for this post. However, I need help with obtaining a degree. I have VERY VERY little college experience, I passed 1-2 classes and dropped the rest of the classes right after high school. 

I am sure you hear this everyday but, I want a bachelors degree as soon as feasibly possible. Ideally under 2 years. I do not have an associates. I probably have 3-9 credits from my local community college. I am interested in pretty much any IT degree or even a hard science. I currently work for a government contractor and would like to look into going government in the future. I would ideally like to focus on Cyber Security and stray away from networking and programming.

My biggest gripe with college isn't the cost but the time and general education. I dont want to dedicate 4 solid years to a degree. If there's a "hack"to skip gen ed's, I'm all about it. However, I'm ALL for learning things that will be used directly in my line of work.

I really like how WGU gives you certs along the way. But, I really like the idea of finishing "The Big 3" faster. Which school's are more reputable? Is there anything I need to know before pursuing any of these schools? Am I going to run into issue's not being "accepted" into these schools due to my last go-round? Am I missing any other options? I know I have alot of questions but, I hope you guys can give me a hand.. 

I currently hold a High School Diploma, Security + Certifcation and some experience.

I will take any and all advice guys!!!
Reply
#2
For IT, it's really hard to beat WGU. Nor is it particularly slower or more expensive than the Big3. Several people here have done everything as alternative credit except one WGU term.
NanoDegree: Intro to Self-Driving Cars (2019)
Coursera: Stanford Machine Learning (2019)
TESU: BA in Comp Sci (2016)
TECEP:Env Ethics (2015); TESU PLA:Software Eng, Computer Arch, C++, Advanced C++, Data Struct (2015); TESU Courses:Capstone, Database Mngmnt Sys, Op Sys, Artificial Intel, Discrete Math, Intro to Portfolio Dev, Intro PLA (2014-16); DSST:Anthro, Pers Fin, Astronomy (2014); CLEP:Intro to Soc (2014); Saylor.org:Intro to Computers (2014); CC: 69 units (1980-88)

PLA Tips Thread - TESU: What is in a Portfolio?
Reply
#3
Study.com has recently added some IT classes, you might check them out to get started but its not enough for a whole degree
Study.com - 177 CR. TESU - 39 CR. Middle Georgia State University - 15 CR. Sonoran Desert Institute - 42 CR. COSC - 6 CR. Excelsior - 6 CR. CLEP - 6 CR. Sophia - 14 CR. TEEX - 2 CR. Shmoop - 18 CR. NFA - 4 CR. The Institutes - 2 CR. FEMA - 20ish


BA in History/English from TESU. 
BA in Communications from TESU. AS in Firearms Technology from SDI.




[-] The following 1 user Likes jsh1138's post:
  • bmcurrie
Reply
#4
(02-07-2018, 11:35 AM)davewill Wrote: For IT, it's really hard to beat WGU. Nor is it particularly slower or more expensive than the Big3. Several people here have done everything as alternative credit except one WGU term.

How do you know which courses will transfer in and where to find them? Especially gen ed? Is it quicker to take the courses elsewhere?

(02-07-2018, 11:50 AM)jsh1138 Wrote: Study.com has recently added some IT classes, you might check them out to get started but its not enough for a whole degree

Do all of their IT courses transfer in? How do you know what will and wont?
Reply
#5
Instead of paying $500 bucks, if you're willing to spend a couple weeks here pouring over posts and archives, you'll save THOUSANDS. The help here is free, but this is a community of resource people who help each other- so you'll have to do your own leg work, but asking questions and getting support are what this place is all about. I earned an AA (my gen eds) in 6 months using CLEP (and the other similar brand DSST) and then finished my BA in 12 months for a total of 18 months. The main point here is that they are ALL fast because they are self-paced. Note the term "self" in the pace. So, if you're reasonably motivated and average intelligence, you can start from scratch and for sure earn a 4 year degree in 2 years. If you're super motivated and have enough time on your hands, you can do it in half that. Welcome to the forum!
Reply
#6
I'm going to agree with both davewill and cookderosa - you need to look at WGU for a Cybersecurity degree, and you need to spend time on this forum doing some research before you start.  You will gain back any time missed by not taking courses you don't need, and save SO much money by going through WGU.

Here is my spreadsheet for the BS in Cybersecurity at WGU.  It does not have any course listing of what you can take elsewhere, because that's the part that's going to require research on your end.  It's just a starting point.

I'm also including a link to WGU's transfer guidelines for the BS in IT degrees (although they don't have one of these for the Cybersecurity degree), so that you need to see what they will consider equivalent.  Read through several of the degrees there to see which courses will be covered by different courses/certs, to get an idea.

Then after you've looked at everything (WGU's website about competency-based degrees, my spreadsheet, the transfer guidelines, and this forum for a couple of weeks), come on back with your questions and we can get you started.

https://partners.wgu.edu/transferguidelines


Attached Files
.xlsx   WGU-Cybersecurity & Info Assurance.xlsx (Size: 12.51 KB / Downloads: 16)
TESU BSBA/HR 2018 - WVNCC BOG AAS 2017 - GGU Cert in Mgmt 2000
EXAMS: TECEP Tech Wrtg, Comp II, LA Math, PR, Computers  DSST Computers, Pers Fin  CLEP Mgmt, Mktg
COURSES: TESU Capstone  Study.com Pers Fin, Microecon, Stats  Ed4Credit Acct 2  PF Fin Mgmt  ALEKS Int & Coll Alg  Sophia Proj Mgmt The Institutes - Ins Ethics  Kaplan PLA
Reply
#7
Excelsior has an ABET accredited BSIT Cybersecurity program which is the best of the Big 3.  

Not sure about WGU
Non-Traditional Undergraduate College Credits (634 SH): *FTCC Noncourse Credits (156 SH) *DSST (78 SH) *CPL (64 SH) *JST Military/ACE (48 SH) *CBA (44 SH) *CLEP (42 SH) *FEMA IS (40 SH) *FEMA EM (38 SH) *ECE/UExcel (30 SH) *PLA Portfolio (28 SH) *EMI/ACE (19 SH) *TEEX/ACE (16 SH) *CWE (11 SH) *NFA/ACE (10 SH) *Kaplan/ACE (3 SH) *CPC (2 SH) *AICP/ACE (2 SH) *Sophia/ACE (2 SH) and *FRTI-UM/ACE (1 SH).
Non-Traditional Graduate College Credits (14 SH): AMU (6 SH); NFHS (5 SH); and JSU (3 SH).
 





Reply
#8
(02-07-2018, 07:41 PM)Life Long Learning Wrote: Excelsior has an ABET accredited BSIT Cybersecurity program which is the best of the Big 3.  

Not sure about WGU

While I appreciate ABET accreditation if it's necessary, that's a mighty expensive degree through EC (relatively speaking).  52cr in the AOS, and most of those can't be found inexpensively ($410/cr with either the Study.com or SL partnership tuition discount = $21k).  I wouldn't spend that kind of money unless it was absolutely necessary for the job market.

You could look at getting all of the courses needed for the EC and WGU gen ed portion inexpensively (you'd have to spend the time making these two programs work together), take the remaining credits for the EC gen eds (they require more Gen Ed's than WGU), and then enroll in WGU and take the courses that you would need in the EC program, including any certs that you wanted to get.  Then when you'd gotten what you wanted out of WGU, quit, and transfer 117 credits into EC, and take your capstone at EC, getting the accreditation.  WGU would have to be flexible in letting you take exactly the courses you wanted to in order to make it work.  Not sure if anyone is smart enough to figure that one out, but it might be able to be done.

Someone smarter than me who knows WGU and EC might be able to figure this one out.
TESU BSBA/HR 2018 - WVNCC BOG AAS 2017 - GGU Cert in Mgmt 2000
EXAMS: TECEP Tech Wrtg, Comp II, LA Math, PR, Computers  DSST Computers, Pers Fin  CLEP Mgmt, Mktg
COURSES: TESU Capstone  Study.com Pers Fin, Microecon, Stats  Ed4Credit Acct 2  PF Fin Mgmt  ALEKS Int & Coll Alg  Sophia Proj Mgmt The Institutes - Ins Ethics  Kaplan PLA
Reply
#9
(02-07-2018, 09:38 PM)dfrecore Wrote: While I appreciate ABET accreditation if it's necessary
In IT/CyberSecurity I'm not sure when this would be necessary. Certainly for an engineering degree it'd be essentially. But I'm with you, ABET isn't something I'd throw money at in this field.
Northwestern California University School of Law
JD Law, 2027 (in progress, currently 2L)

Georgia Tech
MS Cybersecurity (Policy), 2021

Thomas Edison State University
BA Computer Science, 2023
BA Psychology, 2016
AS Business Administration, 2023
Certificate in Operations Management, 2023
Certificate in Computer Information Systems, 2023

Western Governors University
BS IT Security, 2018

Chaffey College
AA Sociology, 2015

Accumulated Credit: Undergrad: 258.50 | Graduate: 32

View all of my credit on my Omni Transcript!
Visit the DegreeForum Community Wiki!
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)