Question Concerning a Second Bachelor's

Hello, all you helpful folks!

I have a question that I am sure has a very simple, logical explanation...and that's why I've come here to find it, to the answer people.

Back when I received my BA degree some 25 years ago, I took 24 hours in political science, but did not finish the major. Instead, I majored in English and just counted political science as my minor. At most colleges and universities, a major takes 30 to 36 hours to complete.

Now to the real crux of my post: I have a master's degree and an Ed.S. and am working on a Ph.D. Basically, I have no reason to finish up the requirements for a bachelor's major in political science other than I want to...it's just too close to pass up, and I really don't know why I haven't done it sooner. The issue, though, is how do I go about finishing up the political science major? Can I get the degree from any school? And if so, must I complete all basic requirements or just political science courses necessary?

basrsu

 

Check with the big 3. They should accept the credits and with just a few more classes you would hit the 30-36 credits.

 

Actually, Thomas Edison State College, one of the Big Three, requires 30 credit hours beyond the original degree. If your first bachelor degree contains more than the minimum credit hours to graduate, you might be able to have those unused credit hours transferred as part of the 30 credit hour requirement for a second bachelor degree. Charter Oak State College and Excelsior College likely have similar requirements towards earning a second undergraduate degree. That said, you could still earn a BA in Political Science.

 

TESC told me that to be awarded a second bachelors degree it is significantly different from the first degree and at least 30 semester units are required that have not previously been applied to a degree.

 

2nd BA

Hi, Both my husband and daughter received a second BA through TESC. FEMA EMI credits were very helpful in filling up the free elective area. Hille

 

Excelsior will require 30 new hours that weren't used in the other bachelor's. There should be enough difference between English and Poli Sci for them to allow it.

If your first bachelor's was well over 120 hours, you may convince them that those old Poli Sci hours were "in addition to" your degree and not a part of it.

 

Thanks for the responses, degreeinfo posters.

I have contacted the Big Three; I am going to wait to see what they tell me. I also checked out the websites for TESC, COSC, and Excelsior. When it comes to the subject of a second bachelor's, all three are a bit vague in "catalog" language...I am guessing that it all depends on my persuasiveness and the actual evaluations. They all have the same 30-hours above the bachelor's requirement, but just what does that mean? Can graduate hours be counted if they were never a part of another degree? Does the 30 hours mean above the 120 required at TESC, Excelsior, or COSC?

See what I mean...I'll write an update as I get all the responses.

basrsu

 

Another idea- what if you went into where you earned your first bachelor degree and asked about their policy for a second bachelor. If I were going back in, I would know all the possible options.

 

Unless I am way out of the ballpark, COSC is cheaper if a student can transfer or test out of all requirements for the second bachelor's. I have spoken with reps from COSC, Excelsior, and TESC (COSC's was by far the most helpful and friendliest, as an aside), and that's the conclusion I've made.

Still keeping options open, though.

basrsu

 

Hilllie,

Can you explain this a little further?

Thanks,

Abner

 

So, what does a COSC diploma look like, anyway? I've seen Thomas Edison's (rather traditional), Excelsior's (rather modest), but I've never run across an image of COSC's. Anybody care to share?

basrsu

 

I would describe COSC's diplomas as "modest traditional".

 

My A.S. still says Board for State Academic Awards (COSC's first name), and I think the BA says COC before the 'State' got into the name. I know I have a a T-Shirt with the COC name. Now I need to get a new windows sticker since switching cars.

 

I could not upload it due to file size limits so here is a link-
http://www.geocities.com/randell_orner/COSC_2

 

Thanks, Randell1234, for the link. The diploma looks good to me!

basrsu