Degree Planning - Choice Selection Help

[Kjnova]

I am not sure where to ask this question. This thread seems like it might fit, but apologies if not.

I completed ~120 credit hours at NCSU from 1989 to 1993 without graduating. I switched majors, and had a few missing requirements at the time. I got a job that led to me moving out of state. In 2010/2011, I was readmitted with a plan to finish my degree online, but had a major work event (ie my division was eliminated so I lost my job) that caused me to lose focus on the online classes and flunk out.

Recently, I reapplied and was admitted for a third time. I need five academic classes (most of which are very specific) and a one-credit physical fitness type class to graduate. If I meet these requirements, I will have BA in English Literature from NCSU.

I can take up to 15 credits elsewhere and transfer them in. I do need to take one NCSU class in my final semester for a residency requirement. Specifically, I need to complete 45 of my final 30 credits at NCSU, and currently, all of my credits are from NCSU.

However, I have had a lot of trouble finding self-paced courses that would transfer in, so for my ~16 credit hours I need, I am looking at two problems. One is that I have to wait for specific upper level classes to be offered. They are generally not offered every semester. (Think: 16th Century British Literature Other Than Novel, stuff like that.)

Even when I have found classes that look to me like they should transfer in - for example, Jazz History at UW-Flex transferring in as NCSU Jazz History - NCSU has said they would not accept it as transfer credit, for whatever reason. I speculate that they refuse to accept self-paced credit even from regionally accredited universities.

The second problem is that NCSU does have online classes, but every class is not online, and the online classes are sometimes synchronous, sometimes asynchronous, but never self-paced. So realistically, I am looking at being tied up at dinnertime every night until May, when I could probably graduate.

I might do that ... ultimately, it may be a small price to pay.

However, it leads to me wondering, would I be better off getting a bachelor's degree in business from a school with less brand awareness? For example, UMPI.

This would require more credit hours (30+ instead of ~16), but it might be faster anyway, because of the self-paced nature of the classes.

My career is in business - specifically, IT product management/program management. So, a business administration degree makes more sense from that standpoint. English Literature isn't what I would choose today. It is what I chose way back when.

NCSU isn't Harvard, but it is tied for #60 right now on the USN&WR list of top national schools, for what it is worth. It is a major research university, and the largest university in North Carolina.

I guess my question amounts to, all else being equal, should I choose the higher profile school, or the degree that seems like a better fit for my established career path? This might be one of those questions that it's impossible to truly answer, but I'm interested in other opinions. I don't have anybody with an informed perspective of this stuff who I can discuss this with in person.

Thanks!