Hi all, I wonder if one can get a "quick" degree, which is legit nonetheless. That is to say, I've been, for 6 years now, 2 courses short of a degree from -- hehehe -- MIT, which I plan to get, but it'll take some more money and probably another year. So I have almost 7 years of prof.experience, a lot of good-level coursework in CS, and am ready to take any exam or do a project if I can get a legit diploma in a short time (reason: satisfaction of some bureaucracy). Any ideas for this weird situation?
Far from weird, the situation you describe is rather common. Oh, perhaps not being that short of a degree, but we see people closer than 1 year away all the time. You should go back to MIT and make an arrangement. You could do some independent study for credit. Or you could arrange to take the remaining courses at another school (with their approval). Absent those options (and, sorry, but those are the best--if what you describe is accurate), you should consider a school that would allow you to complete your degree without requiring excessive credit earned at their school. The big three are, as always: Excelsior College Thomas Edison State College Charter Oak State College
complete your degree at one of the big three and then go back to MIT and finish your degree making that MIT degree your second degree, which should have been the FIRST degree in the FIRST place. Will that work? Yes, I have two friends who did it at another school.
Maybe, maybe not. If he's honest about it then either that wouldn't work, or else it would require significantly more effort. According to MIT's admissions page, "The MIT Admissions Office will not consider applications for a second bachelor's degree." Even if they were to make an exception (since it would be readmission), most schools will require an additional 1/4 of the credits needed (MIT says '90 units', however that translates), in order to earn a 2nd degree. If he didn't inform MIT that he'd earned/accepted a bachelor's degree from another school (especially if the credits from MIT were applied toward it) then that might have consequences later if they somehow found out (though that may not be likely to occur), and at the very least it would be dishonest. I agree with Rich that the best thing to do to, if at all possible, would be to try to work something out with MIT in order to finish a degree there. If it's really just a deficiency of 2 courses then it seems pretty likely that something could be arranged. Otherwise, Rich listed the three schools that would most likely to offer the fastest path to completion.
That's not good I didn't at all think it would be dishonest; I haven't made any effort to complete it up to now. I am in a quandary then: I'd need a degree soon for some bureacratic crap, but I really want to go back and get the real one from MIT. But that, after talking to various administrators, would take much more time and effort (which I am willing to invest, of course) than possible for this little concrete situation I'm in right now... For example, at this point I would need to take one of the missing courses in the fall semester (and another one is an independent study, so let's say it'll fit in the timeframe too), which would make me at best a February degree candidate (not to mention all the money, it's an expensive school). But it gets worse - from what I understand I cannot graduate with an incomplete - which is one of those 2 courses. So if they don't let me substitute another one from the fall semester, I would have to finish the incomplete - and that course is only offered in the Spring. So that makes it over a year. See the problem? Hmmm...
Lawrie Millers plan Good Morning, You must have a great intellect to have been a student at MIT. Why not use Lawrie Millers plan and test through a BA? I wouldn't give up a degree from MIT. Hille
Would it be possible to take one or both of those courses during one of their summer sessions? Have you found an equivalent course at another university that you could take and then transfer to MIT to fulfill the requirement?
