My journey this far AND Criminal Justice at Excelsior or...?

Hi, All. I've enjoyed lurking around here for a bit, and now I need your advise. I read Dr. Bear's book literally ~15 years ago, and learned of The University Of The State Of New York (where I hailed from at the time). I've always thought that unconventional education was very cool, as long as it wasn't a scam.

Fast forward to age 40. I started on my AA degree in September 2003 (in computer programming), and since I then I've taken a few classes (I actually do enjoy school), but more importantly, challenged a bunch of courses at my local community colleges. I earned a Certificate In Computer Programming without taking any programming classes at all, and will have an AST degree in about one week (as soon as I finish a DANTES Criminal Justice Exam). Whew, lot's of effort, but lots of fun too.

I actually met my wife during this time (she's an instructor at the college), and that was the best part of the whole thing. I couldn't have met her if I was sitting at home in front of my computer screen doing distance learning.

Around that time, I decided I don't want to be a programmer anymore (I've been one for 15 years, after all!). I started volunteering at my local youth detention facility sometime ago in an inpatient drug treatment program, and I really enjoy this work a lot, so I decided that I want to be a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. The same school I've been working with has the required courses to get my state certification (Washington State). This is not something I can do online (really, it isn't here in Washington, since the credits are required for certification, and they need to be from a list of approved schools). So I am going to take 9 months of credits to earn the one year certificate.

It occurs to me to look up that old school from the Bear's Guide, and, lo and behold, when I get done with the nine months, I am only about 30 upper division arts and sciences credits (and a DANTES exam in MIS or Drug and Alcohol, either one) away from a BS in Criminal Justice (a topic I have always been fascinated by, even in past lives). It appears that every single credit I have earned will fit into the 90 lower division credits required by Excelsior. Nothing at all wasted, even the programming challenges. Sweet.

I have found the UL credits I need cheap (thanks to a post I found here) at Troy State. I can do them DL and transfer them to Excelsior. So I can finish my BS in about 2 years, 9 months start to finish (plus the 22 years I #$%^& off before I started this process).

Since I'll be working in detention facilities and jails a lot anyhow, and I am really digging this work, this seems like it's almost too good to be true.

So, finally, to my questions:

I see a lot of Criminal Justice degrees out there, and there are some locally to me too, that require 60 upper division credits. Makes sense, since they sell UL credits, and would want to maximize their revenues.

But Excelsior only requires 30 UL credits. Why?

Is this degree really as recognized as they say.

Has anyone out there earned a BS in Criminal Justice from Excelsior (stupid name), and then been accepted to grad school for Criminal Justice?

Does anyone have any better ideas than Excelsior, keeping in mind that I don't want to waste credits just because someone behind a desk tells me I need to, because they just "don't fit"?

If you read this far, I thank you. If you can answer any of these questions, I thank you even more

Thanks for all the posts and info. As a Meyers-Briggs ENTP, I am naturally drawn to independence and doing things differently than the way in which I am told to do things. You folks have made that a great deal easier over the past few months.

Sean

 

I earned a BS in Liberal Studies from Excelsior and attended two graduate criminal justice programs, Tiffin University and Columbus State University, with no trouble.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm curious, were the programs you attended brick and mortar or some other non-traditional variation?

 

Most colleges and universities that I've examined require a minimum of 36 upper division credits for graduation with a bachelor's degree. However, my region falls under SACS (the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools). Maybe it is different in the other regions, which is where Excelsior College falls?

 

Per the new and improved (not) Excelsior website at https://www.excelsior.edu/portal/page?_pageid=57,42368&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

Accreditation

Excelsior College is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

 

Drug and Alcohol Counselor certification/degree

I also have been a lurker. I haven't posted in quite a while. Since you are interested in Criminal Justice as well as, Drug and Alcohol counseling, have you considered applying for a job with the DOC at a prison in Washington State? I worked there in 2003 and DOC sends all employees and contract employees to CORE a specialized Correctional training for 6-7 weeks. This comes with 16 credits towards a Criminal Justice degree from Peninsula College. You also might check into Civigenics the contract company who does the alcohol/drug counseling in the prison systems for Washinton State. They take trainees at some sites. The provide quite a bit of training and continuing ed free for employees.
By the way this week I just completed my coursework at Prescott College for my BA in Counseling/Psychology.

 

Congrats on your BA! It appears that Civigenics is making big inroads here in Washington, and I am in contact with them.

I will do some research into the rest of what you propose. Thanks!

Sean