Gonna throw it out there (one last time), just in case anyone knows (DL Social Work)

If I can't find this, then I will go back to plan B, (Education) but here's number # 1 thing I'm looking for: A (preferably) Regionally Accredited, Distance Learning, preferably self-paced Bachelor's program in Social Work that is also not too expensive and accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. (Am I asking a lot?)


My ideal scenario would be to definitely study at my own pace, and put in as many hours as I need in order to finish the degree as fast as I can (I'm currently unemployed and in a situation in which I can dedicate all my time to my education) And I'm a hard-working person who LOVES to read and study, so I know that even if I accelerate the process, I will actually learn.



Any help will be appreciated enormously.




If there isn't such a Social Work program, maybe a more general-leaning BA that will allow me a minor in SW?
OR a great option could be a Psychology/Social Work Double major- or a Psychology BA with a minor in SW??


I know that maybe I'm asking too much, but even if I don't find exactly what I need, I know that you guys will come up with valuable advice anyway, and options/alternatives.


Big hug and thanks!

 

Since you are interested in self-pace you could use a combination of testing out and and self paced courses from places like Penn Foster (ACE reviewed courses) and LSU. Put all the credits together and get yourself a RA degree that you are seeking from here: http://www.tesc.edu/665.php

 

http://sln.suny.edu/sln/public/original.nsf/58f6ddfae8daaa10852567b00054e290/bdfaee3e96b7b4d28525675f0057a75d?OpenDocument

http://cps.fgcu.edu/SW/BSW/index.html

http://www.socialwork.appstate.edu/distance%20education.html

http://distance.nau.edu/programs/degreedetails.aspx?degreeID=31

Hey! It was 0.24 seconds on Google!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=bsw&as_epq=distance+learning&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images

 

your welcome

 

I actually meant to say thanks, I was just taken aback by what I perceived to be snarky condescension on your part.

Yeah, I could've done it on Google, but I figured that there's always someone who has personal experiences with some places and I thought I could get their advice and feedback

Thanks anyway!

 

LOL! Nice find

 

Okay, so let me get this straight - in your original post you said that you were trying one more time to locate an online BSW program. Kizmet takes the time to put her fine search skills to use in locating such a program (or programs) for you and this is your response? Perhaps you shouldn't place all your eggs in one basket and rely one one source to locate your degree program of choice.

 

MISTER TEB, this is what I posted on your original thread on 4/7/09. (I got lazy and decided to just copy and paste it) Students are often admitted to MSW programs without BSWs. If your BSW is RA, but not accredited by the CSWE, you should have no trouble getting into an MSW program. You might have to do the full 60 semester hour program, however. Some MSW programs give a year of credit to students with BSWs accredited by the CSWE. There are several MSW programs that offer online courses and a couple that you can do entirely online:

http://pages.prodigy.net/volksware/socialworkworld/onlinesocialwork.htm

 

MSW Online:

Texas State University - http://www.socialwork.txstate.edu/On-Line-Masters-Program.html

University of North Dakota - http://www.conted.und.edu/ddp/msw/earn_msw.html

http://pages.prodigy.net/volksware/socialworkworld/onlinesocialwork.htm

Take a look at this thread

http://www.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=28933&highlight=social+work

 

No snarkiness intended. Just a reminder to everyone that google is your friend.

 

Not sure whether any of the schools listed herein meet 100% of your specifications, but here's an old thread on dl social work degrees: http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=20187 .

 

The original poster did ask for a self-paced program. So far only one option has been given for that.

Are there any other self-paced RA options available?

 

The weird thing is that I must've missed it. Going through every single link and the sites, I don't recall seeing any program that was self-paced...(Could you point it out for me, please?)

Thanks!

 

It would take some creativity, but you certainly could do it. I highly recommend the Penn Foster courses. They are great and self-paced like you are looking for. You could combine that with some LSU and BYU courses and some testing out. Transfer all of those credit to TESC and you are golden.

http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showpost.php?p=301790&postcount=2

 

I'm always confused about this: When you say "put all the credits together", what do you mean exactly?
I'm not an expert in DL, so I am still trying to figure out terminology and methods.

What is it that I'm supposed to do? How do I go about taking credits from here and there and then getting a degree from another place entirely?

 

Schools such as Thomas Edison (TESC), Charter Oak and Excelsior allow you to transfer in an unlimited number of credits from other institutions, and impose no minimum number of credits you must earn from their school. So you can do the credits at Penn Foster and BYU and wherever else, ask for a transcript to be sent to whichever one of the three you choose, and assemble all of your credits there for a BA degree.

You can read a little more about distance learning in general, and how you can earn credit from exams, portfolio (proving what you already know) and so forth by checking out some of the articles at http://articles.degreeinfo.com

 

I see.
The whole "assemble all of your credits there for a BA degree. " means that once I gather all the previous credit I already have, then I proceed to go to either Charter Oak or Excelsior and take whatever the rest of the credits it is I need in order to achieve the BA or whatnot?


Will Thomas Edison let me take as many classes as I want , or do they put a limit on how many credits you can get each year? Are their programs designed for self-pacing? I honestly can't tell by reading the site's info, they are kinda vague about it...

 

You can enroll in whichever of the three is the best fit for your circumstances at any time, and the advantage of doing so before taking all your classes is that your advisor can help you plan out exactly what you need and how to get it.

This is discussed in some detail in the two "portfolio" articles in the link I gave you in the previous post.

As for limitations... there are none, though TESC has done away with the "all you can eat" option they used to have where you could transfer or portfolio in an unlimited number of credits without additional charges. So you can transfer in as many credits as you want, take as many exams and portfolio challenges as you want, but they will charge you extra for portfolio credits over and above the 30 credit maximum per year.

I believe Charter Oak's policy is a little bit different and in many circumstances less expensive, so that might be worth checking out as well.

As far as self-pacing, since you're choosing the coursework, portfolio, exams, etc, it's entirely self-paced, though depending on the program, there are incentives for getting as much work as possible done within a given calendar year if you opt for the flat-rate pricing.

For earning credits, you may also want to look at Ohio University - Athens, which has an enormous selection of distance learning classes which are self-paced. Many of them also allow you to study for and take the final exam in lieu of taking the class, and if you pass, you get credit for the class.

 

Policies change, so I think it is important to check with Excelsior, Tesc, and Charter Oak to see if they require you to complete a course or two from them. For example, I am enrolled at excelsior college. I am required to complete a one credit information literacy course. My first excelsior college degree did not require an information literacy course. So excelsior does have an "academic residency requirement" of sorts.

Tesc:

"How many of my credits will you accept from other colleges or universities? We accept up to 80 credits earned from regionally accredited community colleges, and up to 120 credits from regionally accredited four-year institutions. More about transferring credits."

http://www.tesc.edu/839.php#Can_I_transfer_my_credits_to_Thomas_Edison_State_College

Charter Oak:

13. How many Charter Oak credits do I need to earn?
Charter Oak does not have an “academic residency requirement”, so you do not need to take any courses with us. However, we offer a variety of online courses that provide a flexible way to meet degree requirements within our programs.

14. Can I earn all of my credits at Charter Oak?
It depends upon your choice of concentration. Charter Oak offers many online courses, but it may not be possible to earn all the credits you need for your degree through our courses. You can take courses at colleges and universities close to your home; take tests to earn credits; and/or prepare a portfolio for assessment. You can also utilize Charter Oak’s contract learning option. For more information about earning credits, visit Acquiring Credit.

15. Can I get credit for life/work experience?
Yes! Most people use the testing option to demonstrate what they have learned through their life/work experience. However, if there is no standardized exam available in your area of expertise, and if this expertise is equivalent to college-level work, you may want to investigate completing a portfolio assessment of your prior learning. In our portfolio format you will be required to find college courses equivalent to the knowledge you have acquired. You then provide relevant evidence and comprehensive narratives which are used to validate your college-level expertise. A portfolio handbook is available for a nominal fee. Please visit Portfolio Overview for more information.

http://www.charteroak.edu/Prospective/New/faq.cfm#13

Excelsior College:

https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/School_of_Business_and_Technology/Business_Programs/Business_Degree_Programs_FAQ

The College of Business does require that you complete a course on business strategy through Excelsior College. This includes the information literacy course. If you enroll in a liberal arts degree program, only the information literacy course will be required. Please take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQ ) for more information.

https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/School_of_Liberal_Arts/Liberal_Arts_Degree_Programs_FAQ

https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/About/EXCELSIOR_COLLEGE_PROGRAMS/UNDERGRADUATE_PROGRAMS

A disadvantage of enrolling in these programs are the upfront enrollment costs and annual fees that you have to pay. An advantage is that they are flexible in accepting a wide variety of credits from different sources. So if you plan properly, you can cut your costs and accelerate degree completion. For example, taking single exams for credit and enrolling in independent study courses that are inexpensive.

CLEP - http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html

DSST - http://www.getcollegecredit.com/

Louisiana State University: http://www.is.lsu.edu/courselist.asp?level=CO&online=0&nid=102

Adams State College: http://www.adams.edu/extended_studies/

Peru State College: www.peru.edu

Chadron State College: www.csc.edu

UCLA Extension: https://www.uclaextension.edu