Is there a BGS degree out there that is very flexible in terms of the courses which can be used to fulfill the requirements? I have approximately 20 courses (60 credit hours / semester hours) in a variety of areas including mathematics, computer science, social science, English composition, microcomputer applications, criminal justice, and humanities. Some of the courses are from regionally accredited and some from nationally accredited schools (8 from NA and 12 from RA). I am interested in either the Master of Science in Information Technology Management (MSITM) at Tuoro University International (www.tourou.edu) or the Master of Business Administration (MBA) Management Information Systems specialization at Northcentral University (www.ncu.edu). Am I better off going for the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies or just accumulating the 120 credits without a specific degree required for either of the aforementioned graduate programmes? I have over 10 years professional experience in information technology as a consultant but only have a diploma in Computer Programming & Systems Analysis from a private vocational school earned in 1992. An investment which has provided an exceptional ROI.
Have you been to www.bain4weeks.com ? Lawrie Miller does an excellent job of explaining how to get a Bachelors from a RA school ASAP. The "Big 3" are usually considered the most flexible in accepting different means of credit (CLEP, DANTES, experience etc.) My .02: look at the different requirements from the big 3. See which one you're closest to. Work on fulfilling the rest of the degree requirements. Get ready for your masters. p.s. Capitol College also has some nice IT Masters. Brandon
Thanks for the reminder about TESC. I just noticed this morning that they accept transfer credit from RA candidate schools in addition full RA schools. That makes transferring those NA credits much easier. The first step is Associate in Science in Natural Sciences and Mathematics, to be followed up quickly with Bachelor of Arts. By mid to late 2006 I should be ready to apply to a masters degree. I will check out the masters at Capital College. Thanks again.
Thanks to some good advice I have only to finish the three courses in which I am currently enrolled before I apply to TESC in the Associate of Arts in Natural Sciences/Mathematics degree programme. By February I should be ready to start on the Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences/Mathematics with concentration in Computer Science for which I will require only 4 or 5 additional courses at most. I had forgotten how many credits I had accumulated back in the 1990s at a local university.
sentinel, Bellevue University will accept 82 semester hours of credits, leaving you with 45 required for the major in an accelerated program. I did 107 semester hours in 24.5 months and finished with them this week. Lot's of people here talk about Excelsior, TESC and such, but my experience is that these folks at Bellevue have this down to a science. If they have a program that works for you, and it sounds like my program would work for you, check them out. They also have a masters in the area you are looking at.
Thanks for the information, spmoran. I will to see how many of my credits TESC accepts. I only have a few grades less than 'B' so my overall GPA should be fine. Of the 7 courses left for the BA I am planning to test out of 3 via TECEP - BASIC, QBASIC, and C programming languages. As for the masters degree I am torn between computer science and mathematics. The MS (Math) degree at Texas A&M University (TAMU) requires a GRE wheras the MSCS at Capitol College does not require any GRE testing. I might complete the MSCS first then apply for a GRE exemption when applying for the MS (Math). Eventually, I would like to teach computer science or mathematics at the high school or community college level.
Sentinel, I’ve got to weigh in here with Sean. The “big three” are performing a cutting edge service to the on-line learning community, have forward thinking individuals guiding their efforts, and I applaud them. But it seems that Bellevue gets little mention in this forum, and I’ve always wondered why. As Sean stated, Bellevue has the admissions and evaluation process down to a science, are very generous on transfer credits (provided you can explain them or offer proof), 100% DL options, and are very affordable compared to other Grad/Undergrad options out there. Regardless of the decision you make, my sincere best wishes. Dave
I agree Bellevue seems to be a good school. However, the limit on transfer credits according to Sean (84 credit hours) would require me to complete about 12 additional courses rather than the 6 or 7 courses needed for a degree from TESC. I plan to take the courses, with the exception of the three programming language exams, from other schools to reduce the overall cost. I will keep Bellevue in mind for graduate study though.
