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11th Hour Degree Change and Questions - mrs.b - 05-19-2012

I am almost done with my BSBA, but at this 11[SUP]th[/SUP] hour, I’m considering a degree program change. It is minimal, but I’m looking for feedback on sellability in the job market, a neighborhood I usually have a degree of confidence, but I tend to second-guess myself when it comes to applying it in my own case.

The degree I am currently seeking is a BSBA-Human Resources/Organizational Mgmt, and while I enjoy some aspects of the field, I really only selected it because it is one of many job responsibilities I have in my present job and the one I am least familiar with and could use the most training…but I do not know that it is what I would want to do for a living by itself if something were to happen to my present job. I am only missing the following courses to complete the BSBA-HROM:
  • Human Resources Mgmt (currently enrolled, took midterm today)
  • HROM elective – Sociology of Work (currently enrolled, halfway done)
  • HROM elective – Small Business Mgmt (currently enrolled, took midterm today)
  • Bus. Letter & Report Writing (currently enrolled Penn Foster)
  • Business in Society (plan to take DSST)
  • Free elective (yet to be determined, but looking for an easy CLEP or DSST)
I am considering a last-minute change from the BSBA-HROM to a BSBA-General Management. I’m nervous that the HROM specialization will limit my resume sellability if something ever does happen, and I would like to keep options open. If I do that, I would drop Small Business Mgmt (lightening my current course load so I can finish the Penn Foster course faster, and start studying for the DSST exam). Using TESC’s evaluation tool, that change would leave the following courses:
  • Human Resources Mgmt (currently enrolled, took midterm today)
  • GM elective – Sociology of Work (currently enrolled, halfway done)
  • Bus. Letter & Report Writing (currently enrolled Penn Foster)
  • Business in Society (plan to take DSST)
  • Free elective (yet to be determined, but looking for an easy CLEP or DSST)
  • Free elective (yet to be determined, but looking for an easy CLEP or DSST)
I have more than enough UL credits already that the loss of MAN432 would not disrupt graduation requirements, and one of my current free electives would move up to fill the Business ele where Small Bus Mgmt currently sits. I’m not worried about the lack of a refund – I’m on comprehensive tuition and have already received my money’s worth (I will still have earned 33 credits on the tuition plan, in addition to testing and Penn Foster credits this year), particularly if I can get a lighter course load the next six weeks and replace it with a test that I can finish in an afternoon. With the course there, I do not have enough free time to start studying yet, which means I will need to pay an enrollment extension to get enough time to finish those last tests. If I can lighten my load, I think I can squeeze in study time to knock it all out as I finish the other two courses. Either way, I'm between 6-12 weeks from being done, and it feels goooood, but I think I can shorten it to 6 and save a bit more sanity. Not that I have much left after this year. I'll have finished 60 credits in 12 months, 33-36 of which will be through TESC courses, with the rest a mix of testing and Penn Foster sprinkled on top. It's not as fantastic as many here have accomplished, but with the family, work, and health issues that have come up along with it, I earned all As except one B, and am pretty darn proud. If I could just borrow your brains for this last sounding board question, I think I'll be all set!


Questions
  1. Would the BSBA-General Mgmt be more useful in the pursuit of another Office Manager-type position, versus a BSBA-HROM?
  2. I’m looking for two DSST or CLEP exams to fill free elective slots that would require minimal or no studying, that I could possibly take the same day that I go for Business in Society. Suggestions?


11th Hour Degree Change and Questions - marianne202 - 05-19-2012

I have a cousin who has a bachelor's degree in HR and she has been limited in her career choices. While HR management does include some management skills, most will view it as an HR degree only. If you love HR and want to stay in HR I would stick with the HR focus. If you want to get into departmental management or think you might want your MBA down the road you might be better served by going the general management focus. I think it boils down to the type of work you like and the field you are in. What about the business law DSST? If you have taken HR classes you might know a lot of the business law material. Management information systems was pretty doable with the flash cards and specific exam feedback, especially if you know some basic computer knowledge. The other option is the A&I literature or technical writing exams, as they are fairly easy, but I'm not sure where TESC assigns them as far as credits, so they might not be considered electives under your program of study. Good luck! BTW, I'm one to always come up with ways to make myself crazy by changing my mind at the end too! Sometimes as we get closer to our goal, we realize our goalpost wasn't placed correctly, so we have to move it!!!

11th Hour Degree Change and Questions - mrs.b - 05-19-2012

marianne202 Wrote:I have a cousin who has a bachelor's degree in HR and she has been limited in her career choices. While HR management does include some management skills, most will view it as an HR degree only. If you love HR and want to stay in HR I would stick with the HR focus. If you want to get into departmental management or think you might want your MBA down the road you might be better served by going the general management focus. I think it boils down to the type of work you like and the field you are in.

This is exactly what I worried about and started thinking through more thoroughly as I near the end. While I do many HR tasks in my present job, my duties are more of an Office Manager and also include production scheduling for a mfg facility, purchasing, inventory tracking, shipping, customer service, and AR. It is just one piece of what I do every day, but just happened to be the piece I'm the least cozy with and wanted additional training. That helped ease my mind that the change is probably best.

marianne202 Wrote:What about the business law DSST? If you have taken HR classes you might know a lot of the business law material. Management information systems was pretty doable with the flash cards and specific exam feedback, especially if you know some basic computer knowledge. The other option is the A&I literature or technical writing exams, as they are fairly easy, but I'm not sure where TESC assigns them as far as credits, so they might not be considered electives under your program of study. Good luck! BTW, I'm one to always come up with ways to make myself crazy by changing my mind at the end too! Sometimes as we get closer to our goal, we realize our goalpost wasn't placed correctly, so we have to move it!!!

Once upon a time, I took Business Law as a course. A&I Lit and Technical Writing are possible. I looked at Technical Writing a while back in the hopes it would fill Managerial Communications, but TESC would not assign it that way so I tossed it aside. I do remember looking it over and thinking I could pass it without much work, though. I'll check these out to see if they'll fill Free Electives without duplicating other courses on my eval.

Thanks Marianne!

11th Hour Degree Change and Questions - sanantone - 05-20-2012

Business and human resources aren't my areas of expertise, but you're getting a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources, not a BA or BS in Human Resources. The main part of your degree is business administration, so I don't see how a human resource concentration could be that limiting.

11th Hour Degree Change and Questions - cookderosa - 05-20-2012

Don't change.

Having a degree + experience combo in the same field is the winning combination. No, you do not have to do this for the rest of your life, but you're doing it TODAY. It's not enough of a deviation to do anything OTHER than dilute your impact.

Don't change.

11th Hour Degree Change and Questions - ShotoJuku - 05-20-2012

Stay The Course!