Should I go online for my bachelors degree?

Hello and I am glad I found this forum.

I'm 36 and I'm looking for a career and I want to enhance my education in order to make that a possibility. Currently, I work in construction and on the side I do some work as a carpenter, however, I am looking for something more of a white collar affair and I want a position within Corporate America.

I have an Associates of Science from Keiser College that I received in 2003. I graduated in the field of Computer Network Administration, I worked a couple months in tech support and realized that this wasn't for me and since I've haven't worked a Technical position since.

Since then, I'm more in the mode for a change in careers, I'd no longer desire to work in Information Technology and I've become more interested in Healthcare, preferably Health Information Management.

I'd like to find a school to go to for my Bachelors in Science and I'd like to graduate in less than 3 years. Most local schools in my area won't accept more than 10 credits from my previous school Keiser College and I don't want to be in school for 5 or 6 more years so I am looking for something a bit quicker with good accreditation.

I'd like to find a school that offers financial aid, real financial aid, unlike the couple thousand off they gave me at Keiser College and many other online colleges. Public schools offer more aid but at a much slower pace than private schools so I'd like some good recommendations about college (online).

I've heard of excelsior, as well as charter oak and a couple more. I was interested in Dervy but they're pretty expensive and I am kind off shaky on the accreditation that they offer as well as job opportunities that may come from attending that school since I've heard from others that many companies think their graduates are a joke as well as AIU, UOP and so forth.

Forgive the spelling, I've been doing manual labor jobs for a while and haven't really used the computer often since I don't have one at home.

Thanks for your time.

 

First of all, you have been in IT before. How do you live without a computer? Just kidding .

I think you should continue to get your degree; it is better to use traditional college. Unless, traditional college is not an option for you.

That's what my opinion.

 

Your success doing a degree online depends a lot on being comfortable using the computer and being self-disciplined.

I did an MBA 100% online and am almost through with a PhD 100% online.

I will say that I lurked on degreeinfo for several years before finally taking the plunge. Do a lot of looking and thinking before you decide.

The best to you whatever you decide.

 

Re: Re: Should I go online for my bachelors degree?

I know nothing much about them besides the name, I'm trying to learn more about online schools simply because I would like to get a good job again.

 

I'm currently living with a friend right now and I don't really make enough to provide for myself and pay for all of my bills at the moment. I would prefer to go online since it's a bit quicker in my opinion. I live in South Florida and the schools in my area are basically.

Devry (very close to my place of stay)
Nova Southeastern University (close)
Broward Community College (close)
Florida International University (about 30 miles away)
Florida Alantic University (50 miles away)
Lynn Univeristy (50 miles away)

I currently owe Keiser College about 25,000 for the Computer Network Administration degree and that didn't really pan out as expected so I prefer something cheaper and most likely faster than tradional colleges.

This last year I attended BCC again, for what reason I don't know, I took my prep classes than anything else so I dropped out and I am currently trying to go somewhere else.

As far as the Bachelors goes, I'll consider another Associates if it can get my foot in the door for the field I am considering which is Health Information Management.

I'm looking at a program costing no more than probably $7500 total.

 

I have been "tinkering" on my BA for about seven years now, and am finishing online this year. I have used military credits, clep testing, paper and pencil correspondence courses, traditional classroom instruction and online learning in my seemingly never ending diploma quest. I have found that FOR ME distance learning is significantly more difficult than the classroom. I would avoid it if I could, but the option is not open to me right now.
Attending college in person may also create more opportunities for networking, recruiting, and internships as you transition careers.

 

DeVry BSEET Very Good

A comment on DeVry: I used to do a lot of recruiting up and down the West Coast- specifically for BSEET/BSIT grads in the Electronics Industry. DeVry grads were consistently tops among all the accredited BSET and BSIT schools I visited. (Oregon Institute of Technology was second - for some reason). DeVry's institutional and BSEET accreditation is solid.

I think DeVry BSEET grads are best on average because the students are "self-selected" and serious. DeVry is expensive, and the BSEET program is a hard three-year grind. (Get out faster and earn money faster). It takes committment and discipline to finish. Other "public" Technology schools have a lot of slackers drifting throught their programs. A lot of the criticism DeVry gets is for its 18 month AA/AS Technician programs. You could do worse than take DeVry's BSTM in Health Information Technology.

 

Of course OIT comes it second.. actually it should come in first. They blow most other programs out of the water. The best of the best software developers come from OIT.

 

Yes, OIT has impressive programs in several Engineering Technologies. Not as well known as it should be.

 

Re: DeVry BSEET Very Good

Do you mean the Technical Management degree that devry offers for students with a Associates already? I've heard of that 18 month program that gives you a bachelors that focuses on either Accounting, I.T or another subject of your choice but I stayed away from it due to reputation.

I'd rather take the real 3 year course if I know that doors will open up in the end, I'm weary on these faster courses since they seem to skip alot of needed info that the student needs.

 

Re: Re: DeVry BSEET Very Good

While DeVry's BSTM is not TAC/ABET-accredited, and not as rigorous as DeVry's BSEET, I think the BSTM it is a good choice for people who have an AA/AS and want to work it into a useful and respectable bachelor's degree without starting over. For many jobs I would consider both the BSET and BSTM adeqaute preparation if the BSTM holder had an appropriate AA/AS.

 

According to Keiser College's web site they are regionally accredted by SACS. Their AS degree includes 24 hours of general education which should transfer. Unfortunately for you, the AS degree in Computer Network Admin took 88! hours to complete but most of that (64 hours) were technical courses which are hard to transfer in unless you can use them for electives. Given your situation your best alternative is probably to choose one of the big 3. I think that's your best bet to have your technical courses treated as electives.

One thing to think about is that you are looking to change professions. Given that you should probably choose the program that has a major closest to your desired field.

 

I work in healthcare administration for a large ambulatory care practice. If you want to work in healthcare information technology (medical records), then you are well advised to go to a school approved/accredited by AHIMA: the American Health Information Management Association.

On their website at www.ahima.org, you will find a link to accredited HIM programs: http://cahiim.org/directory/
You can search for bachelor's programs, both at bricks and mortar and distance learning. Going through an AHIMA approved program will dramatically increase your chances of finding a job in the field.

If you have any further questions, please post and I will try to help you.

 

I work in medical practice management (a cardiology group) and you could not have gotten better advice than Mr. Lloyd just posted. If you want to work in healthcare information management, then an AHIMA program is your pathway to get there.

Good luck.

 

Re: Re: Re: DeVry BSEET Very Good

Trust me, I've had a appointment with a conselour already about Devry and I like the approach that they take to sucess. In the 30 minutes I've been there I seen some nice looking labs as well as some more matured minded individuals who are more serious about sucess. I would feel better around people my age than 20 years olds with ipods but.....

I hear some many negatives about Devry and after going to Keiser College, I'm really weary on those type of colleges. Any form of mass advertising that colleges do to recruit students are a turn off to me.

Keiser = 25k
+
Devry = 30k

= 55k!!!

 

Re: Re: Should I go online for my bachelors degree?

Broward Community College accepted only 7 credits...when I questioned the decision they stated that they have a different way of teaching students and that the classes at Keiser weren’t up to par with their standards of teaching.

F.I.U accepted a bit more but fewer than 50% of what I had attained at Keiser....

I'm not worried about it at all... I need the education; I'll be willing to retrain myself for possible advancement.