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Need Advice for Degree Type and Plan
#1
Your Location: Ohio, USA

Your Age: Almost 45
What kind of degree do you want?: IT or Business Administration
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 12

SNHU Total Credits: 12

FY 107
English Comp 1
HUM 100
IDS 100

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 21

Sophia Total Credits: 21
College Algebra
Intro to Business
Intro to Ethics
Intro to IT
Intro to Statistics
Macroeconomics
US History 1

Any certifications or military experience? I have an Ohio Registered Appraiser Assistant Certificate, no military experience.
 
No set budget. I'd definitely like to stay on the cheaper side. 

   

Commitments: Full time job. Kids are grown and need me less now. 


Dedicated time to study: 1-2 hours during the work day, 1-2 hours weekday evenings, and 6-12 hours total on weekends. Probably more when winter arrives.


Timeline: Finishing the courses required for the degree as fast as possible would be ideal.  I would like to finish within 1-1.5 years (12-18 months)


Tuition assistance/reimbursement: None

Hello,

I've been a lurker for a long time, and I think I need help in choosing the best path forward. I have a stable job as a mass appraiser in a local government office. I fell into this role 8 years ago, having no prior experience. Mass appraisal is the valuation and assessment of real property for tax purposes, which is different than fee appraisal (think mortgage appraisals). For various reasons, I have hit the ceiling in my current role. Even with a degree, it isn't possible for me to advance any further here, and if I stay, I can look forward to the standard 2% cost of living increases annually, along with every other county employee. 
I don't want that. My current salary is $50,000/yr, which is somewhat high for someone with just a high school diploma in my area. If I leave my job, there is no way I could command that salary elsewhere without a degree, and that's where I'm stuck. 

I don't LOVE what I do, and opportunities in similar roles in my geographic area are non-existent. My goal is to take my experience that I've accumulated here, pair it with a complementary degree, and land a better paying job. I'm currently using TADA to get a Google Data Analytics Cert, which I'm thoroughly enjoying, and I do use analysis skills in my current role, which is my favorite part of the job. 

Degree paths I'm considering:

WGU 

Data Analytics - I love the way this degree looks, but I'm terrified of discrete math - would pair well with my experience
Software Engineering - I'm enjoying coding enough to want to get into programming, but not a lot of demand in my area, and I'm worried about ageism.

UMPI

BABA Project Management - Worried that lack of project management experience, combined with my age,  will result in a "useless degree".
BABA Accounting - I don't love this, but it seems safe, and plenty of opportunities in my area, even without prior experience. Entry level salary similar to current salary. 

TESU

BSBA Finance - I don't love this, but it would complement my experience in my current role well, and is a "safe" degree for my age. 

Sorry for the lengthy post. I'm at a point where I really need to make a firm decision, and I need help mapping out the credits for the degree path I choose. I appreciate any and all insights that are provided in response. 

Have a great day!
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Messages In This Thread
Need Advice for Degree Type and Plan - by Spalmer - 09-15-2023, 11:58 AM

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