WGU BS Computer Science

[dischorde]

Hi!

I've been lurking for several years working on a plan for a CS degree for my boyfriend. With Sophia being free, he was able to complete 6 classes and is now energized to keep going. I think I have a pretty solid plan in the excel sheet attached, I'd love to get some eyes on it to confirm everything is looking good. For reference, I did look at TESU before for him in 2017-2018 but it looked like more classes and less relevant. He has an Associates in Guitar Performance from Musician's Institute which is only nationally accredited so nothing is likely to be useful from that.

I also have a couple of questions. On the ACE credit registry change, has it been confirmed for WGU if they will accept the Acclaim transcript or not? I'm concerned whether I should have him apply now and try to send a transcript from ACE while they are still available, though he will not want to actually start at WGU for quite awhile. 

Also, I just saw the InstantCredit classes. It seems like American Government and Astronomy might be useful, but I'm not sure if American Government would transfer into WGU as American Politics and U.S. Constitution or not, as he already has the 'Intro to Geography' slot covered by Sophia Macroeconomics. Does anyone here know? It does look like the Straighterline American Government course works according to the WGU transfer pathways agreement, although Straighterline still only notes it for Intro to Geography.

Next up he was planning on trying out Saylor's Chemistry class. It sounds like the content is iffy there but I didn't see anything on that course specifically and the price can't be beat. Astronomy sounds like a good alternative but he's planning on doing the lab part at WGU since it's an easy class to knock out and he was thinking it might be easier to come up with an experiment if he does Chemistry instead. (I was thinking maybe something food chemistry related a la the Science of Cooking since we like to cook)

[quigongene]

Hi!
He has an Associates in Guitar Performance from Musician's Institute which is only nationally accredited so nothing is likely to be useful from that.

>> From https://partners.wgu.edu/Pages/BSCS.aspx :
>> "Courses that receive a Requirement Satisfied can be fulfilled by an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of Science from a >> Regionally or Nationally accredited institution. (Accrediting agency recognized by The U.S. Department of Education)"

I also have a couple of questions. On the ACE credit registry change, has it been confirmed for WGU if they will accept the Acclaim transcript or not? I'm concerned whether I should have him apply now and try to send a transcript from ACE while they are still available, though he will not want to actually start at WGU for quite awhile. 

>> Better to ask WGU about that. I'm pretty sure they'll have to take the Acclaim transcript if that's the only way ACE offers it.

Also, I just saw the InstantCredit classes. It seems like American Government and Astronomy might be useful, but I'm not sure if American Government would transfer into WGU as American Politics and U.S. Constitution or not, as he already has the 'Intro to Geography' slot covered by Sophia Macroeconomics. Does anyone here know? It does look like the Straighterline American Government course works according to the WGU transfer pathways agreement, although Straighterline still only notes it for Intro to Geography.

>> "One course, equivalent to 3 units, in U.S. government and the U.S. constitution." The US Government is based on the Constitution so my assumption is yes.

Next up he was planning on trying out Saylor's Chemistry class. It sounds like the content is iffy there but I didn't see anything on that course specifically and the price can't be beat. Astronomy sounds like a good alternative but he's planning on doing the lab part at WGU since it's an easy class to knock out and he was thinking it might be easier to come up with an experiment if he does Chemistry instead. (I was thinking maybe something food chemistry related a la the Science of Cooking since we like to cook)

>> I took the Astronomy DSST for the science requirement. For the lab, I did something cheesy based on paper airplanes. Really easy and took about 3 hours.

[dischorde]

Hi!
He has an Associates in Guitar Performance from Musician's Institute which is only nationally accredited so nothing is likely to be useful from that.

>>  From https://partners.wgu.edu/Pages/BSCS.aspx :
>> "Courses that receive a Requirement Satisfied can be fulfilled by an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of Science from a >> Regionally or Nationally accredited institution. (Accrediting agency recognized by The U.S. Department of Education)"

I also have a couple of questions. On the ACE credit registry change, has it been confirmed for WGU if they will accept the Acclaim transcript or not? I'm concerned whether I should have him apply now and try to send a transcript from ACE while they are still available, though he will not want to actually start at WGU for quite awhile. 

>>  Better to ask WGU about that.  I'm pretty sure they'll have to take the Acclaim transcript if that's the only way ACE offers it.

Also, I just saw the InstantCredit classes. It seems like American Government and Astronomy might be useful, but I'm not sure if American Government would transfer into WGU as American Politics and U.S. Constitution or not, as he already has the 'Intro to Geography' slot covered by Sophia Macroeconomics. Does anyone here know? It does look like the Straighterline American Government course works according to the WGU transfer pathways agreement, although Straighterline still only notes it for Intro to Geography.

>> "One course, equivalent to 3 units, in U.S. government and the U.S. constitution."  The US Government is based on the Constitution so my assumption is yes.

Next up he was planning on trying out Saylor's Chemistry class. It sounds like the content is iffy there but I didn't see anything on that course specifically and the price can't be beat. Astronomy sounds like a good alternative but he's planning on doing the lab part at WGU since it's an easy class to knock out and he was thinking it might be easier to come up with an experiment if he does Chemistry instead. (I was thinking maybe something food chemistry related a la the Science of Cooking since we like to cook)

>> I took the Astronomy DSST for the science requirement.  For the lab, I did something cheesy based on paper airplanes.  Really easy and took about 3 hours.

Update, we decided to see if the associates would cover anything and finally got the MI transcript evaluation back. It unfortunately covered absolutely nothing, so in the same boat as we thought before. All the Sophia ACE classes went through perfectly though.

[rachel83az]

Have you seen WGU Academy yet? $150/mo. for all-you-can-take classes that apply to a WGU degree.

https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/WGU_Academy

https://academy.wgu.edu/program/it?degre...er-science

[bluebooger]

you're overthinking it
most WGU general education courses can be completed in a week

look at what people have done for the Natural Science class
https://www.reddit.com/r/WGU/comments/l2...lab_ideas/

stop worrying about want to take outside and transfer in
just enroll and do the classes at wgu

[dfrecore]

Have you seen WGU Academy yet? $150/mo. for all-you-can-take classes that apply to a WGU degree.

https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/WGU_Academy

https://academy.wgu.edu/program/it?degre...er-science

There are very limited classes.  I think the most important one though, is the A+ Certification.  You take the courses, and they give you 2 vouchers to take both exams for free.  That alone is worth the price, especially if you can do it in a month.

I think this would cut down on the amount of time you need to spend on the major portion of the degree.  Once this is complete, you're off and running.

[bluebooger]

the CS degree doesn't require the A+
only the Project+
https://www.wgu.edu/online-it-degrees/it...tions.html

[dfrecore]

the CS degree doesn't require the A+                  
only the Project+                
https://www.wgu.edu/online-it-degrees/it...tions.html

Ah - sorry.  All the rest do, and I must have forgotten that that one did not.

---

you're overthinking it                    
most WGU general education courses can be completed in a week

look at what people have done for the Natural Science class                  
https://www.reddit.com/r/WGU/comments/l2...lab_ideas/

stop worrying about want to take outside and transfer in              
just enroll and do the classes at wgu

I do think that WGU-Academy would be a good test for yourself: see how many courses you can hammer through in 1 month or 2 months, for $150/mo before plunking down thousands.  Sophia would also be a good test, and for less (especially if you can get a deal like the 1 year for $149 or the 3 months free).

[rachel83az]

The great thing about completing a ton of Sophia and/or WGU Academy classes ahead of time is that if one discovers that this hectic pace just isn't for them, they're only out a few tens or a couple hundred dollars but they'll have a bunch of classes that could be transferred elsewhere. Heading straight into WGU, you can't find this sort of thing out until after you've paid out a few thousand dollars.

[ss20ts]

Have you seen WGU Academy yet? $150/mo. for all-you-can-take classes that apply to a WGU degree.

https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/WGU_Academy

https://academy.wgu.edu/program/it?degre...er-science

WGU Academy is just Straighterline.