A friend of mine is a university-age girl in Dominica in the Caribbean. She's interested in getting started academically. Ultimately she'd like a Bachelor's in psychology, but realizes that she'll have to start with whatever program she can afford. Dominica has a community college, but it's so far from where she lives that going there isn't really an option. So here's the question: What is the least expensive regionally accredited Associate degree program available through distance? She has Internet, that's not a problem, just not much money. -=Steve=-
If money is a problem, why does she want a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, which is the least lucrative major in this list? http://money.cnn.com/2003/05/07/pf/saving/q_jobless_grads/index.htm She can take the Psychology GRE in Dominica: http://ftp.ets.org/pub/gre/01736_pbtclist.pdf
Ashworth If she doesn't mind a DETC school, she can earn an associates in psychology for less than $40 per month from Ashworth College. The enrollment fee is reasonable too. For a while I think it was only something like $5. Ashworth offers a master's in criminal justice but has no bachelor's programs yet. They are in development.
She should consider taking as many tests as possible (that she feels she can pass in English). For courses, she could go to Chemeketa Community College in Oregon. From there, it should be a hop, skip, and a jump to an associate's degree from Thomas Edison State College (albeit not necessarily in psychology). An associate's in anything will get her so much closer to that BA in psychology. Tom Nixon
Check out the New Jersey Virtual Community College Consortium (www.njvccc.cc.nj.us). At least one college (Atlantic Cape Community College) has an online Associate in Arts in Psychology. Currently, tuition is $87.00 per credit ($261USD) per course. My son took a Psych 101 course there a couple years ago and was happy with it. Since ACCC is regionally accredited the course transferred to two 4 year schools to which he applied.
Even with the current state fiasco, all California Community Colleges are $18/unit for residents, including illegal aliens.
Just out of curiosity, how does a "unit" relate to a credit hour? For example, here in Washington, Community colleges run around $66 per credit hour, most courses are 3 credits, and they transfer to four year schools at a 2/3 rate (you get 2 credits for each 3 hour class) There is much talk about raising the rates because the school costs are so much higher than the tuition charge.
A semester unit is about a credit hour A three unit course, lets say History, runs about 16 weeks, meeting 3 hours weekly. For California residents, that's $54 per course. This rate is only for lower division classes; upper division and graduate courses are much higher. Right now, I am enrolled in a 3 unit History class and a 3 unit Psychology class through Coastline College distance learning. I watch scheduled television programs, read the text, take online quizzes. I have to show up for a midterm and final, but the college allows students who live too far away to take proctored exams. I'm taking the course strictly for salary points and have signed a CR/NC waiver.
Re: Ashworth She considered Ashworth, actually, and there's a company in Dominica that trains students to pass Ashworth examinations (or however Ashworth works). However, she'd like to keep her options open for finishing a Bachelor's and continuing to grad school. DETC accreditation isn't going to help her there. -=Steve=-
A unit and credit hour are the same thing. A three credit hour class means that it meets three hours weekly over the perio of a semester. A three unit class does the same. The 2/3 rate of transfer does not have anything to do with the course being from a community college. It has to do with whether the college or university is on the quarter (usually 11 week) or semester (usually 16 week) system. I teach for two universities, both of which are on the quarter system. The 3 quarter units from the Washington Community Colleges would transfer as 3 quarter units to these universities. Tony Piña Faculty, California State U. San Bernardino
Re: Re: Ashworth That depends. As long as a course or curriculum has been approved by ACE as a legitimate college level course, TESC will accept it. Check it out with ACE, or perhaps Ashworth can tell you. I looked into Ashworth and liked their curriculum for business. If I knew there was a possibility of moving my credits to an RA school like TESC at the time, I would have gone there for my AA.
Good idea, thanks! I'm waiting for Ashworth's response on which four year psychology programs have accepted the Ashworth AA in transfer in the past. Maybe there's something to work with there. Thanks! -=Steve=-