I want a degree to be a software engineer. There aren't a lot of good curricula in the world for that. I am considering biting the accreditation bullet on Grantham. I realize this is a risk, but this school is worth the risk in my opinion. First of all they have been in operation since 1951. That's 50 years they have been doing business. Second their degree program in computer science is second to none that I have seen distance wise. Not only do they offer all the math a computer sci grad needs, but they havein-depth programs in all the major languages of today. Finally their reputation is amongst the best. After 50 years you'll find only a few complaints and a close to spotless record of operation if not spotless. How many regionally accredited schools can even claim that? I realize that RA is always better, but I am almost willing to jump the boat on this one and go with a school that has such a solid rep. Opinions?
Grantham is a good school. If you want to go with them, I won't argue with you. That said, there are regionally accredited programs in similar fields that run to the same price range (or less) and can be completed just as quickly (or more so), and would open more doors for you. With the M.Sw.E. starting to become the standard credential in the field, it may very well come about that you'll need to do graduate work down the road--and if you're dealing with schools that require a regionally accredited bachelor's, you'll be up a creek. How much credit have you already accumulated? Maybe we can make some good, specific suggestions. Good luck. Peace, ------------------ Tom Head www.tomhead.net
I have an associates of applied science from a local community college in the field of water quality technology. On the side I have taken 3 classes in c/C++ programming several in windows administration and a couple in visual basic. What I dont want is a school that you just test out of everything. I want a solid education from a reputable school. I looked at tesc and it didnt appeal at all. I took a look at some others but their prices were really high. The only school that came close was umass but it is a BS in information technology. not in computer science. The problem there is how employeers view it.
Florida State University offers a BS in CIS with a major in Software Engineering: http://connected2.fsu.edu/2+2/student/cs/cs_2.htm . This is their 2+2 program in which you take the first two years at a community college or another university, either residentially or via DL. (There is a prescription for the content of the AA program.)
That florida program is a decent program it only has a few negatives. One is that my degree is an AAS not an AA which means I would have to spend time at a community college to pick up the additional credits that they wouldnt transfer. Another is that they don't offer all the courses via distance learning so physics and a few others would have to be gotten locally. Thats a tough one for me. Next is the cost is a little high, not terribly high, but if you start factoring in books and fees then you will find that is not a cheap program. Not that a program needs to be cheap, but affordable would be good. Lastly, though this isn't a major negative is the fact that it's fairly new. That means they don't have a lot of exp doing distance ed. Thanks for the suggestion though.
What didn't you like about TESC? My plan is to grab a BA in CS from TESC and then go on to get a MS in SE from another school. Quality, affordable distance undergrad programs in CS seem hard to come by, but there are quite a few distance grad programs available in SE. I should only need 4-5 courses and a CLEP exam to fulfill the TESC requirements for a BA in CS, so it fits my situation well. My only real complaints are that they don't offer a BS, just a BA, and that they'll only accept 9 credits in programming languages toward the CS requirements. However, in completing the BA I plan to take the prereq/background courses that I'll need for grad school, so it doesn't really bother me.
oh man I didnt even notice they had a ba in computer science I just thought they had no bs in computer science Ill have to look deeper into that
I don't know if it would fit your situation as well as mine, but you ought to look into it. Since you have an AAS you'll probably need to pick up more of the general requirements (humanities, social sciences, etc.), but those are easy to pick up through CLEP, DANTES, or TECEP exams. Here are the links for the requirements: General BA Requirements Computer Science Major Requirements (PDF format)
Zar, I'm quite happy with the UMass Lowell BSIS program but I can appreciate your concern if you require the BSCS. You might want to take a look at Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. Franklin seems to be courting relationships with community colleges; at least it has here in Illinois. Let us know what you think.
The BSIS at umass is a very nice degree because you can pretty much cater it to you needs. For instance if I want to be a programmer then I can take all my computer courses in that direction. The only concern of course is the title of the program. I am looking into the franklin degree now. It looks very promising. I have contacted them and hope for more info.
