Fastest way to a BA if you have AA and MCSE

Hi there,

I have found lots of great info here--thanks!
I am very new to distance learning and here's my situation. I have an AA in Telecommunications and I just got MCSE certified. What is the fastest way for me to get a BA in IT?
Thanks!

 

Excelsior College was the fastest for me in a similar situation. They do have a BS IT, but if any BS will do you may find the BSL with a CIS concentration to be a faster option.

 

Thanks, siersema.
How much time did it take you? How many courses/credits?

Any BA will do, so I will look into your suggestion.

Again, thanks for the quick reply.

 

How fast you can get done is going to be highly dependent on how many credit's they are able to bring over from your existing studies and then how many additional credits you can test out of vs. course work. I took a bit over a year but I wasn't going for speed and I opted to take a few courses that I could have done as exams. If you're comfortable taking exams you may find that you can finish many of the credits in a short amount of time.

I would suggest you go to the publications section of the Excelsior website. Download the School of Liberal Arts Catalog (or the technology catalog for the IT degree) as well as the student guide to credit by exam. Compare the general requirements for the degree to both catalogs and your existing credits. This should help give you an idea of which credits may transfer and which additional exams you could take so that you can finish the degree quickly. Excelsior will do a formal review for you as well I believe the fee is $75 to apply.

 

I had my AA and MCSE and was able to complete a BS in Individualized Studies (Technology and Business) in 4 months from Charter Oak State College. Does the degree "have" to be in IT?

Review this - http://bain4weeks.com/randell.html (scroll down to see the information).

 

Hi tramposa - Lawrie Millers site has LOTS of information about testing for degrees. You should look through this information carefully. Good luck.

http://bain4weeks.com/

 

Thanks, Randell.
I was hoping you would check in as well I have seen the info on this website and that's how I ended up in this forum.
Actually the info I am trying to compile is for my husband--since I have a PhD in the family, I am the designated expert on education and have to find a way for him to get a BA very soon, as his boss is leaving next year and my husband would replace him only if he has finished his BA by then.
Anyway, I will talk to both the COSC and Excelsior people. Is one "better" than the other, in terms of cost, ease, etc?
Thank you so much!
Kizmet, what a great nick--thank you too!

 

The use the same number of credits for the certs. COSC told me they use the Excelisor recommendations. I like COSC much better but that is just my opinion. They were a lot easier to work with and answered all my questions before laying out a single cent.

 

You could print the degree plan from Charter Oak State College and Thomas Edison State College to compare which courses can transfer into the BA or BS degree. The advantage of Thomas Edison State College is there is no upper-level (300 or 400) credit hour requirement unlike Charter Oak State College. I agree with Randell on his assessment of Charter Oak State College being a good school in terms of helpfulness BEFORE enrolling. Best of luck to your husband on his educational pursuits.

 

Sentinel--thanks. I am trying to order all his trasnscripts, as he went to these schools 10 years ago, and then I will talk to the schools you recommended.
Your help is highly appreciated, thanks!

 

COSC was better about accepting technical credits that were greater then 10 years old.

 

Since your Husband is looking to obtain his BA as fast as possible, I would recommend that he begin taking FEMA courses via the Internet. FEMA ISP (independent study program) courses are free and may be taken online using the provided course materials. Here is the URL for the FEMA courses: http://training.fema.gov/IS/

TESC will accept 25 FEMA credits (used as free electives) towards a BA/BS degree program. With the AA and MCSE (which TESC will award 10 credits for!), your Husband would be well on the way to completing his degree!

Excelsior will accept FEMA courses for credit, provided that said courses are transcripted by Frederick Community College, at $65/credit.

TESC and Excelsior award 1 credit for each FEMA ISP course. Keep in mind that both of these schools do not award credit for all of the FEMA courses. I would contact the school(s) to determine what courses they will accept. If you search this forum, you should be able to locate an updated list.

Good luck!

Tom

 

Tom, Randell, sentinel,

Thank you guys. Again lots of good information. I am still waiting for these transcipts and then we'll compare which option works well for him.

Most likely I will bother you with more questions as you guys have exceeded my expectations

Best of luck to all of you!