Advice Needed Please!

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by japhy4529, Jul 11, 2005.

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  1. japhy4529

    japhy4529 House Bassist

    Hello,

    For several months now, I have been attempting to come up with a solid degree plan. I believe I have it nailed down now, and I would greatly appreciate any feedback to see if I’m on the right track.

    I currently have 18 lower division credits from various RA schools (not much, I realize). As some may remember from my previous posts, I am interested in the field of Public Health. I would like to obtain my MPH (Masters in Public Health) and eventually work as an Epidemiologist. I realize that this is to be a long road for me, however I’m in it for the long haul. The first step of course, is to obtain my Bachelor’s degree. This is where my degree plan begins to come into focus (I hope).

    I recently applied at APUS as a Public Health (undergraduate) major. However, at this time I cannot afford to pay $750/course. Therefore, I have decided to look elsewhere to obtain my BS and then pursue the MPH through APUS. I am seriously considering pursuing a BS in Psychology through CCU (California Coast University). After graduation from CCU, I would then attend APUS to obtain my MPH. Hopefully, by this point APUS will have obtained RA status. I spoke with an adviser at APUS and asked them if a BS in Psychology from CCU would be enough to enter their MPH program. They assured me that it would meet their entry requirements.

    Okay, so my questions are (in a nutshell):

    1. Does this sound like a good plan? I understand that only I can decide what to study, however I would like to make the best choice possible (for the least amount of money) regarding my choice of schools. I’m not so worried about where I go for my BS, I just want to make sure I can then enter an MPH program.

    2. How will an MPH from a DETC accredited school will be viewed upon by potential employers? I don’t want to waste time and money on a useless degree. The APUS MPH syllabus does seem to match other (RA) MPH programs in course content.

    3. Is there anyone out there who is currently in (or completed) the MPH program from APUS? If so, I would love to hear from you.

    Many thank!

    - Tom
     
  2. Deb

    Deb New Member

    Deb
     
  3. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    Hi Tom - Good post. Good questions. I think that these questions are too important for you to just guess at the answers. I have an idea that might help. What are some of the more popular employment destinations for people with MPH degrees? Hospitals. Research centers. State Public Health departments. All these organizations will have professional Human Resource departments. I'll bet that with a simple telephone call you could determine if your plan will allow you to be employed in such an organization. Oh, and just in case, the University of London has a nice looking Public Health/Epidemiology program. Also, UMass has a relatively inexpensive MPH program. Good luck.
    Jack
     
  4. B.N.

    B.N. Member

    You could also get a BS from one of the big three (I believe COSC and Excelsior offer Pysch possibilities). Then you would have a RA BS and you would be able to test out of some of the general ed stuff (quicker & cheaper).

    That would be a start. In a year or two or three :) when you're finished with your BS, APUS may be RA. If not, you'll have a RA BS and you may have a better understanding whether a DETC MPH will give you what you need.

    Brandon
     
  5. japhy4529

    japhy4529 House Bassist

    Hey, thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions. I think that I'm going to pass on Cal Coast. Maybe I've been hanging around this forum for too long, but I'm leary of going to a DETC school.

    I am looking at a BS in Library Information Services at the University of Maine - Augusta. It's completely online and RA, plus the tuition is only $132/cr. hour.

    I've been working in a corporate library setting for 4 and 1/2 years now, and the course descriptions match much of my present job description, so it should be fairly easy for me to complete. Plus, there are 5 courses in the major that I may be able to portfolio my way out of. :)

    This is just a stepping stone for me though. I still plan on getting an MPH and working in the Public Health field. I just think my chances will be much greater with a Bachelor's from an RA school.

    BTW, has anyone had experience with the DL BS in Library Sciences from Univ. of Maine - Augusta?

    Thanks,
    Tom
     
  6. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Bears' Guide 15th edition doesn't list psych degrees from Excelsior (www.excelsiorcollege.edu). TESC (www.tesc.edu), by the way, does offer psych degrees. And, yes, so does COSC (www.cosc.edu).
     
  7. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    On the other hand, the Excelsior website does list psych degrees under "Choose Your Major."
     

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