At an advanced age I still desire to get that piece of paper and now with DL classes I believe that it might be possible. However, I have certain requisites. In all likelihood I will never use the degree, so I am seeking a school that... 1. Is low cost 2. Will allow me take only one class SOME semesters 3. Is accredited 4. As EASY as possible 5. Is flexible about logging in 6. Will accept credits already earned from an accredtied community college 7. The least amount of Math required I have approximately 50 credits under my belt, mostly in Eng., Lit, Humanities, Criminology, Management and Economics. This is what interests me. Am I asking the impossible? Thank you.
I am using a combination of community college credits (online and challenge exams), standardized examinations and upper division credits from Troy State University. I am using the credits at Excelsior College. I estimate my cost for a B.S. in Criminal Justice will be about $10,000. Should I have chosen a program that was not regionally accredited, I could have paid less. But regional accreditation is important, since I want to go to grad school. Sean
I am studying to be a Chemical Dependency Professional (drug and alcohol counselor) in the State of Washington. This will require 45 quarter credits of specific lower level coursework from my local community college to meet the state licensing guidelines. I already have 90 lower level credits in a myriad of subjects (mostly general education and computer science), and when I finish the D&A studies, I will have 135 LL credits. If I completed the B.S. at Troy or most anywhere else, I would be leaving 45 lower level credits on the table (as most schools require 90 upper level credits). I am unwilling to leave a year of studies on the table just because "I have to". "Their way" would take me 2 more years after the drug and alcohol studies to complete the B.S. This way, I can take the courses I need, and then finish up at Excelsior with 30 upper level credits, earned in one year or so, in the major I am seeking. So, given that I will study for 2 years after my D&A studies anyway, doing it this way will allow me to earn a Masters in Criminal Justice from Troy in one year after completing my Bachelors in Criminal Justice in one year from Excelsior. For the two years I need to invest, I can get my M.S. instead of just my B.S. If I didn't need the D&A credits for licensure, this would not be nearly as clever a proposal, I grant you. But, for what I want, this is the most cost- and time-effective approach. When I complete the M.S. I will have spent ~$20,000 for my entire education, and have exactly the credentials I need to be a Chemical Dependency Professional inside the criminal justice system in my, or any other, state. I want to work in drug courts and other areas where I can affect change in a horrible system, so this is how I have decided to go about it. I thank you for asking Sean
