Mountain State University vs. George Washington University

Hey guys I'm second guessing myself now on GWU only because I want to get my degree done as quickly as possible so I can move on to Law School. My plan is to get my bachelors degree via online/distance education from a RA University then go to law school here locally via B&M. I looked at the law schools web site and this is what is says for requirements as far as a degree goes. "A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university is required for admission." Now obviously there are several other requirements such as GPA and LSAT scores but as far as the degree this is what it said.

I have been in law enforcement for 13 years now and have several hundred hours of specialized training not including my basic police academy (280 hours). I looked at Mountain State University and it appears that they offer credit for academy training, specialized training, etc. MSU says on their website that you can finish a bachelors degree in 18 months under certain conditions.

I have several questions for anyone who knows the answers or even and educated guess. Does anyone here have any detailed experience with MSU? I have read several places on the web that they have some issues but it wasn't made out to be all that bad. Do you think LSU Law School would accept a degree from MSU (educated guesses welcomed)?

Here are the options I'm currently considering:

1. Seeing how many hours MSU is willing to credit me for all my training and attempting to finish their program in 18 months.

2. Finishing my general education requirements through LSU online and applying with GWU and completing my degree in approximately 2.5 years. This time frame is based on being in the GWU program and finishing elective hours through some other source.

3. Seeing how many hours MSU is willing to credit me for my training, taking a course or two through MSU then transferring their credits to GWU. I'm not sure how this option would work or even if it would at all. What do you think?

I'm open to all suggestions. I thought about Excelsior but I don't think my basic academy is on their list so I wouldn't get any credit for it. Thanks for your help...

 

Also I wanted to add that option number 3 basically would give me a degree from GWU which is ranked 52nd according to US World and News and I know the University has a great reputation. It is the only reason I posted number 3 as an option.

 

If you're looking to convert your law enforcement training to college credit, your best bet would probably be Thomas Edison State College. They are the most flexible with portfolio credit and will grant credit if you can demonstrate knowledge that matches ANY course from an RA school.

Unless you plan on applying to one of the upper-tier law schools, I think your LSAT scores and references are going to mean more than where your undergrad degree came from. And once you have a law or other graduate degree, your undergrad becomes almost irrelevant.

 

I don't know if price is a factor for you but GWU is the most expensive university in the US and most likely the world.
http://finance.yahoo.com/loans/article/104277/The-Worlds-Most-Expensive-Universities
If you are paying out of pocket I would take a look around at other schools maybe for something a little cheaper, especially if you are just using this degree as a stepping stone.

 

Sounds great Bruce. I will look into it. I have a general question about credits granted for training, basic academies, etc. How do they show up on a transcript? Is it a pass/fail? Also my wife and I both said the same thing you did about once I have my law degree the bachelors degree plays second chair for sure.

 

Supposedly they have an endowment that makes it affordable for police officers. I'm not sure how much it actually lowers the tuition but I heard it was expensive as well. Good point...

This is from their site....how does this compare to other online universities? "Both of these are considerable, even though the university has set up scholarships in honor of Walter E. Washington, the city's first mayor, to cut in half the normal undergraduate tuition rate for enrollees. (The total figure for tuition and fees for the bachelor's degree normally is $33,315.)"


Found even more on their site:

Tuition is made up of many variables, so all calculations below are estimates based on current tuition rates and fee structures. Credit-hour costs may change each year (usually summer semester) and fees adjust depending on the courses taken and the rate at which you complete your coursework. Please use the following information as an approximate tuition amount based on current information and not your final investment which will appreciate over time.

Curriculum:
15 courses, at 4 credit hours each 60 credits

Tuition:
60 credits @ $550/credit hour $33,000

Registration fees:
$35 per semester
(most students finish after 9 semesters) $315

TOTAL:
Tuition + fees (for the Bachelor's Degree): $33,315


Please note: Students are also required to complete 30 general education credits and 30 elective credits. These courses can be taken at another institution approved by your advisor and transferred toward your degree requirement

 

At Edison, the transcript would show the title of the course you challenged by portfolio. In other words, if you found a course titled "Patrol Procedures" at Cowabunga University (assuming it's RA) and challenged that based on your academy training, field training, in-service training & experience and were granted credit, the Edison transcript would be noted "Patrol Procedures - 3 credits". In place of a grade would be an indication it was experiental credit. Check the latest edition of Bears' Guide, specifically the portfolio credit section by Steve Levicoff.

Let me add that $33K for an undergrad degree is crazy when you could earn one at Edison for probably less than 10K.

 

soupbone, apart from Bruce's wise recommendation about TESC, have you looked into an online BA in Criminal Justice through Northwestern State University in Louisiana? 60 hours through NSU would cost you less than $11,000 using present tuition rates, and represents one of the least expensive options in the country. Plus, it's a semi-local school for you.

 

I actually looked at this program but I'm trying to expedite all of this and that program is based on a full four years including summer school. Northwestern is a good school and I would consider it if the coursework wouldn't run like a B&M University.

 

Bruce, I had another quck question. Since entrance to Law schools are based on GPA and LSAT score I wonder how receiving "credits" versus actual grades would affect getting in.I think when it's all said and done I will have around 50 "credits". I guess it just means I need to make sure I do really good and make sure the GPA is high.

 

Your GPA can only be calculated using whatever grades you receive, so yes I suppose you better make sure you do well.

If you go to the websites of law schools, they'll often have a list of what undergrad colleges are represented by the incoming class, and it's pretty rare to not see Edison, Regents, or Charter Oak represented.

 

I have another twist or question. This might actually take MSU and GWU out the picture altogether. Do any of you know if there are any RA online degrees that let you pay through monthly payment options versus student loans, etc.? I would much rather have the degree paid off when I am done versus incurring a mass amount of debt. I also think I may have too much credit which would prevent me from getting a loan anyway even though I am easily able to handle paying a monthly note. Thanks...

I actually think MSU has a payment plan option so considering I'm looking for the most academy, training credits to finish as soon as possible I guess this might be the best option. That is unless there is another one that fits all of these criteria.