+- Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb)
+-- Forum: Main Category (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-Main-Category)
+--- Forum: General Education-Related Discussion (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Forum-General-Education-Related-Discussion)
+--- Thread: NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance (/Thread-NA-to-RA-Degree-Plan-Assistance)
NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance - McManus - 11-26-2019
I am a long time lurker here and have read more threads here than I care to admit. I find myself in a bit of a unique situation and would love some input from those who have way more experience than I do. I am in my 30s and have tried school a couple of different times. I have a trail of B&M dropouts to prove that I am not a traditional learner. I have a solid, well-paying career, however, I want to finish a degree, and along the way I have a few checkboxes that I would like to hit.
I would like to earn an associate degree of SOME kind (even general studies). This is an important step for me personally, regardless of its logic.
I would then like to continue on to a BA or BS and eventually a masters degree. I find that this plan is enabled by the various new learning methods that are out there as I seem to thrive in online learning whereas sitting in a class was not for me.
I have 65 various credits completed, 12 in-progress, and another 9-21 planned (maybe). The issue is that 36 of those credits are NA (UoPeople) credits. I am currently enrolled there and am getting very frustrated at how slow their program is. Two years ago when I started this journey, I did not really understand the difference between NA and RA and how important RA is.
My question is: Given the attached excel sheet, does anyone know of any RA schools that I could transfer in and complete my associates AS-IS (or as close to as-is as possible)? Cost is a factor, but not THE factor, and I would consider paying extra for the NA->RA washing, chalking it up to my lack of understanding at the time.
Waiting another 3 semesters to graduate from UoPeople with an NA degree just is not palatable at this time. After my associates, my plan is to hit up SL, Sophia, Study.com etc, and max out the 90cr transfer option for WGU's Business Administration or IT degree (I have not decided yet). Again, I know it may sound silly, but I would really like to check the box and have an associates degree under my belt while I continue to move forward on my long term goal of a masters degree.
My apologies if this is posted in the wrong section as it was not 100% clear where I should post degree plan assistance requests and thank you in advance for any advice or time spent reviewing my progress so far! I know WGU will accept my UoPeople credits as I have already talked to an admission counselor, so the answer may simply be just smile and keep on keepin' on with UoPeople given my choice to go NA, however, I am hoping there is an RA solution to this that will reduce my time to an associates degree so I can focus on building up the rest of the 90 credits for transfer into WGU.
RE: NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance - jsd - 11-26-2019
As you said, WGU accepts NA for transfer. You could skip the associates idea and go straight to a BS. American Public University/American Military University accept NA.
I believe Walden does as well.
Excelsior/COSC will accept on a case to case basis, I believe.
RE: NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance - allvia - 11-26-2019
I agree with jsd. In the time you'd need to earn the credits for an RA associate degree you could be done with a WGU bachelor. I see you have a few plans for WGU - if you haven't already applied to them I would suggest you do and be sure you know where you stand. You can keep transferring into WGU right up until you enroll (not after enrollment)
RE: NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance - PrettyFlyforaChiGuy - 11-27-2019
Wherever you choose to enroll, I'd also third the idea of skipping an AA/AS and moving to the BA/BS degree, since you would already have nearly 80 credits anyway. I see no compelling reason to deal with a stopgap when you're nearly at a Bachelor's as it is.
RE: NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance - eriehiker - 11-27-2019
If you have attended community college in the past, many have programs set up for reverse transfer. So maybe work towards the bachelors and then transfer back as soon as you get the credits necessary for the associates.
This is the page for my community college.
https://www.monroeccc.edu/transfer/reverse-transfer
You would need to find an alternative-friendly cc.
RE: NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance - cookderosa - 11-27-2019
(11-26-2019, 10:03 AM)McManus Wrote: I would like to earn an associate degree of SOME kind (even general studies). This is an important step for me personally, regardless of its logic.
The obvious short answer for this is to use your earned People credits toward their own associate's degree in business. I did a very quick look at your credits, and instead of taking more People credits, plug your existing People credits plus your RA and ACE credits into the People associate's spreadsheet. Any open slots should be filled with ACE or CLEP (not People) and you can graduate at that point leaving with a credential (which is your goal) and an exit strategy that you can accomplish before moving on to your next goal.
For your bachelor's degree, there is a lot of good advice already posted, so if you can create a plan that works- all the better! Either way, your NA degree is not worthless. As to what kind of degree you want for your next degree, that's a new question.
(spoken as someone who has a NA associates, whose husband has a NA associates, and whose son who has a NA associates - we've all went on to earn RA degrees after)
RE: NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance - dfrecore - 11-27-2019
I'm with Jennifer, get the ASBA at U of People done as quickly as possible.
1) Finish the In-progress courses (Ancient Greek Philosophers & E-Commerce)
2) Take the following courses/exams via alternative methods
- English Comp 2 (CLEP, SL, Study.com, Sophia)
- a Humanities course (CLEP, Saylor, Shmoop, SL, Study.com, Sophia)
- a Marketing course (CLEP, Shmoop, Study.com, Sophia)
- an Int'l Business course (Study.com)
3) transfer in (assuming they will take them at this point)
If I were you, I would do Study.com as they have everything. But, if you prefer Sophia, then you should take Int'l Business and 1 other course through Study.com (you're paying for 2 courses anyway), and then the rest through Sophia.
RE: NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance - McManus - 01-29-2024
Hey all! I wanted to circle back and give an update on my path to date so far, in large part, thanks to you all on this forum for giving me the strength to take the
plunge. I am currently ABD in South College's Ed.D program, and I'm just starting my third of five chapters in my dissertation process. My personal goal is to graduate by June 2024.
My key takeaway from my journey is that anything is possible with the right support system. I quit B&M programs twice in my academic journey, and I couldn't/didn't learn well with a traditional higher education model. CBE has changed my life academically and unlocked things I never dreamed I could do. Don't be afraid to take the leap, if I can do it, so can you!
Sept 2019 - Completed TEEX Cyber Security Courses
Sept 2019 - May 2021 - Completed 28 Sophia Learning Courses
Jan 2020 - Completed CSM Certificate
June 2020 - Completed AS in Business Administration from UoPeople <---------------------------------------------- Associate Degree
May 2021 - Completed IBM Enterprise Design Thinking Course
Dec 2021 - Completed Google Project Manager Professional Certificate (xfered into UMPI for PM)
Jan 2022 - Completed Straighterline Biology Lab
March 2022 - Completed Google UX Design Certificate
March 2022 - Completed the UMPI BA of Business Administration with a Minor in Project Management <------ Bachelors Degree
Sept 2022 - Completed the WGU MS of Management and Leadership <---------------------------------------------- Master's Degree
Jan 2023 - Enrolled in the South College Doctor of Education in Adult Learning and Development <------------ Doctoral Degree
FUTURE - Want to enroll in the Walden University MS in Psychology program
RE: NA to RA Degree Plan Assistance - bjcheung77 - 01-29-2024
@McManus, Congrats on getting that far! Wow, great work! Strange, I am still/was previously looking at the Walden MS Psych as well, may want to get that under my belt before the Doctoral/PhD studies I am thinking of... I just skimmed your other thread too just to see what was there: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Degree-from-Sophia-Courses-Alone