Accelerated online degrees

Hi All,

My friend wishes to complete a Bachelors and masters through online and can only afford 2 years combined for the same. He can take multiple courses at one go and work towards completion however wishes to know if it is possible. I know it is gonna be tough for him but he wishes to dedicate the entire two years for the courses taken. Are there accelerated courses that leads to a realistic possibility of securing a Bachelors + Masters degree (any discipline) within 2 years.

 

Does he have any credits now?

 

Vinodgopal,

It depends what degree your friend is looking for. It indicates that you are from India; and I assume your friend is also from India. In this case, I think it is impossible. If he lives in the United States; maybe it is possible. He can complete his Bachelor from 4 weeks by Lawrence Miller to 6 months by CLEP, DANTES, Certifications, GRE, and etc. If he wants to get Master of Science in Information Technology; he can test out MCSE exam to receive 9 credits toward the degree through Aspen University. (This is what I am doing)

 

I heard there are 4 week classes that we could choose

To accelerate courses online. Also Malaysia has a CLEP testing center. My friend has expressed the interest of taking up those tests in Malaysia if it expedites the process.

 

What is your friend's major field of studies?

 

Assuming a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (Bachelor of Liberal Studies) is suitable it is possible to test out (CLEP) of a significant number of credit hours. There are many postings on these forums as well as Lawrie Miller's BAin4Weeks web site which explains much of the process.

In such a situation enrolling in one of the Big 4 (Athabasca University 3-year 90-credit hour Bachelor of General Studies, Charter Oak State College, Excelsior College, or Thomas Edison State College would be a very flexible means of earning an undergraduate degree. None of the aforementioned schools have a residency requirement; all credits can be earned external to the school and transferred into the degree.

 

Assuming that a masters degree can be completed in 1 year (which I think some on this forum would agree to) - it leaves you with 1 year remaining towards a BS degree (which may very well be the bottleneck here).

That said, I would seriously consider the following:

1. 40 credits of Free FEMA courses (ETA : 1-2 months)
2. Athabasca University's 90 credit Undergrad
3. Testing out of the residual 50-odd credits (bain4weeks.com, instantcertonline.com)

No clue if anyone has actually done this - but it's worth looking into.

Greg

 

FEMA courses for international students?

Staying in India, is it possible?

Also considering he takes 40 FEMA credits what bachelor's main will it progress to? For my friend Shashank, any major will do.

Also can you give a link to FEMA website please.

Regards,
Vinod Gopal

 

FEMA credit won't help him unless he is a US Citizen.

 

Does Athabasca University actually accept 40 FEMA credits towards their Bachelor of General Studies degree?

Thanks,
Tom

 

I would assume that Athabasca would accept the FEMA credits via Frederick Community College...but unsure if they would accept them via TESC's credit bank (like Excelsior does).

Point being, if time is the constraint - FEMA seems an appropriate shortcut to c consider (even if paying $60/credit via FCC).

Greg

 

Athabasca university

Is it not in Canada? Also where is Fredrick's community college? If my friend is admitted in Fredricks community college and completes his 40 credits over there and take a few tests like CLEP, will Athabasca acknowledge the CLEP's he takes. Also since he would be in student visa, will he be allowed to take the FEMA credits which is meant for American Citizens. Thanks in advance.

 

By the way

He is okay to campus programs too

 

I think your friend would have to talk to Athabasca for specifics...but the more I look at Athabasca, the 40 FEMA credits may fall short due to their lower level requirement (21 credit max for 100-200 level courses...of which FEMA is mostly lower level).

If you friend is serious, I would start talking to the folks at Athabasca, TESC, and Excelsior to try to chart your best option. A couple of phone calls may go a long way...

Greg

 

Athabasca University, located in Alberta, Canada, is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

As to whether Athabasca University accepts credits earned via CLEP you will have to ask the folks at Athabasca University.

 

In that case, Athabasca University, Bachelor of General Studies (3-year, 90-credit hour) degree, can be added to the Big 3 (Charter Oak State College, Excelsior College, and Thomas Edison State College). Henceforth, we have the Big 4 (Athabasca University, Charter Oak State College, Excelsior College, and Thomas Edison State College).

The BGS degree requires 45 credit hours at the senior (300 and 400) level for anyone who might be wondering.

 

Do you know what CLEP's Athabasca will accept (e.g. general, subject) and if they treat these exams as 100 or 200 level?

Also, I cannot find anything on their site that lists what it would cost for the BGS degree (assuming that one transferred in all of the 90 credits). Does anyone have that information?

Thanks,
Tom

 

I think I will. I'm enjoying my experience so far at Drexel U., but since they run on the Quarter credit system, it will be over three years before I graduate. I'm looking to possibly reduce that time a bit.

I'm wondering how a three year, 90 credit BGS from a Canadian school will be viewed by my current (and any) future employers in the US. I understand that Athabasca is RA.

I have future plans to attend a graduate program in Psychology or Public Health. I understand that most schools (at least in the US) will not accept a 90 credit Bachelor's as sufficient credentials to enter their programs. I'm willing to obtain a 2nd Bachelor's degree in the interim. I'm just looking to obtain a first Bachelor's ASAP (primarily for job promotion purposes).

Has anyone on this forum obtained the 3-year BGS from Athabasca U? If so, what has your experience been with the school? How long did it take you to complete the program? How were they in regarding acceptance of transfer credits? How much did it cost?

I'm going to take Steve's advice and contact the school. If anyone has feedback regarding the school, please let me know.

Thanks,
Tom