Need some advice on online degrees

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by snkrumble, Apr 29, 2011.

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  1. snkrumble

    snkrumble New Member

    Well I'll start by saying I've been out of school for almost 10 years. I did one semester at baker college of port huron after I got my GED. I have two kids and a wife, full time job like a lot of people lol.

    Looking for maybe some advice on what school to attend online. I want something that will be worth something. I thought about sticking with IT stuff going into networking (I have a computer repair cert and run my own gameserver/webserver out of my house, also have experience working on small networks at the factory i work at), or possibly logistics because I've been shipping and receiving for the last 8 years manager of the small area I work in, so I do have a little bit of knowledge of some of the stuff.

    Anyway, I was looking at mainly western governors university. A person on my tech forum went on and on about them.

    WGU Online University | Degree Programs, Accredited Bachelor's and Master's

    I'm just not sure tho, I kind of want to work towards a associates first. So I can get out of my dead end job at the local factory and then keep working towards a bach. degree if I can.

    So I'm looking for some suggestions, for some schools online to take a look at. It's very confusing searching around because some of the sites almost feel like they are just being paid to throw a review in your face. So I want to hear from some real people with real experience.

    Bottom line I think I'm looking to go into networking/secruity. But I'd like to start with a associates and just keeping moving along to at least a bach. maybe more if by then I feel the desire to keep going.

    Any recommendations?

    Thanks!
     
  2. iamthere

    iamthere New Member

    Either start with Clovis Community College or take college level exam placement tests and transfer to Excelsior college.
     
  3. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Yes Excelsior is one of your best bets. Relatively low price, open about transfer credits and the ability to take CLEP tests to skip a few of your classes.
     
  4. BrandeX

    BrandeX New Member

    Hehe, it didn't happen to be techexams.net? They go on and on about WGU there like it's the be all-end all stop to get your IT degree. Half of their stickies are about WGU. If I do end up with an IT-type degree myself, it will most likely be from Excelsior, maybe COSC.
     
  5. snkrumble

    snkrumble New Member

    lol Yes it was from techexams, my buddy from a overclocking forum told me about it and said all these guys go to WGU. I mean I'm not looking for anything perfect here. Nothing really is, I just want something that is respectable and I can get a job or get my foot in the door into a field and get out of working in factories lol. I just want to start with associates so maybe (because online seems to go faster for some people hopefully it does for me also because i'll dedicated probably 25 hours a week to it) I can get the hell out of that small town factor in a year or two.

    Thanks all I'll take a look at Excelsior and the others and see. I just felt on techexams with all the super WGU threads it almost felt little to good to be true, almost like someone was being paid to throw that at you. I could be wrong tho, lol don't want any wgu's people getting the lynch mob out.
     
  6. snkrumble

    snkrumble New Member

    Excelsior looks good but I'm not good with accreditations. I always hear about national and regional this does not look to have either of those?
     
  7. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    You don't have to worry about accreditation with Excelsior. It is regionally accredited, which is the highest level; on par with any state or private university. Here's all their accreditation info: Excelsior College is fully accredited - excelsior.edu
     
  8. snkrumble

    snkrumble New Member

    So I have to transfer into this school? I'm sorry just pretty much a rookie all over again with college. I think I'll go with Excelsior sounds good, good reviews.
     
  9. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    If you are going to look at Excelsior, you should also look at the other two "Big 3" DL schools, Thomas Edison State College and Charter Oak State College. In addition, look at the community and 4-year schools in Michigan. They may have online options available to you that are inexpensive due to in-state tuition.

    Good luck!

    Shawn
     
  10. BrandeX

    BrandeX New Member

  11. dcan

    dcan New Member

    The Number One Rule In Accreditation: Regional > National

    Of course it all depends on your goals in life. But when 99% of people think "college" they are thinking of a regionally accredited state school.

    National accreditation from what I've seen tends to be more for-profit vocational schools. Regional accreditation is more academic.
     
  12. Petedude

    Petedude New Member

    IMO, Excelsior and TESC are good routes if you're good at math, and don't mind having to sit through a lot of theory en route to whatever CIS degree you get. A year or so ago, I would have said the fastest route for many IT degree pursuers just starting out would be to grab whatever Associates at Excelsior/TESC/COSC, then transfer to WGU. At that point, such a route would have cut out a year of general ed requirements (as an aside, there are also a handful of other RA schools with similar generous Associates transfers). In the last year WGU has tightened their general ed requirements such that I hear of more AS/AAS transferees getting saddled with various bits of general ed, so I'm not sure it's as quick a route for new enrollees as it used to be.

    COSC is not necessarily the best route for IT as you receive a general studies diploma that doesn't mention IT. That's not to knock COSC or what they do for folks, but their degrees have slightly different utility for some.

    As far as the WGU cheerleading crowd, it is what it is. I don't think you're seeing paid trolls on TechExams-- just very happy, err, "geek fanboys" if you will. From their perspective, what's not to like about WGU? A degree program that includes certs, exam vouchers, materials, a little bit of a support system and is self-paced? From their side, what's not to like? It's a win-win deal for them.
     
  13. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I couldn't disagree more. A COSC transcript refers solely to the concentration, in my case Information Systems Studies. In the six years I've had it, no employer or graduate school has ever treated it differently than a major of the same name, and rightly so.

    -=Steve=-
     
  14. Petedude

    Petedude New Member

    Steve, I thought of you when I wrote the annotation regarding COSC. Again, I'm not knocking the program, but the diploma itself does not read "Bachelor of Science in IT". Yes, the transcript lists the concentration. Yes, you can list the concentration on your resume. But IT being the unique animal that it is, I would be surprised if "Bachelor in General Studies, IT Concentration" wouldn't raise a few eyebrows. Outside IT, most jobs/employers/career fields/graduate schools won't give a heck.

    As far as listing it. . . One could list it as "Bachelors, XX concentration" till the world ends, but if someone finds out and cares that it's actually a degree in General Studies it might ding one's credibility a tad.

    When I was looking at the Big 3, COSC had the best bang for the buck for price and the best customer service. But in the end, the degree title and some other factors shifted me toward Excelsior.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 4, 2011
  15. BrandeX

    BrandeX New Member

    Well the top sticky in the forum there is something for a referral program. ;)
     
  16. mursus

    mursus New Member

    Smart decision; an associate degree will get your foot in the door and prepare you to be a technician, hardware/software trainer, network administrator etc. Once you get a job, you can pursue an online bachelor’s degree while you are working. You can consider Stevens-Henager College. It is accredited by the ACCSC (Accrediting Commission of Career Schools), and offers an associate degree in computer technology & networking, as well as a bachelor’s degree that can be pursued online.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 21, 2011
  17. japhy4529

    japhy4529 House Bassist

    It's very common for a diploma to only list the degree and not the major. For example, I have a BS in Behavioral Science from Bellevue University. While my transcript lists my major as Behavioral Science, my diploma (e.g. what is hanging on my wall) only lists Bachelor of Science. That said, I believe that some employers would prefer an applicant with an actual major vs. a concentration (especially in technical areas). However, as Steve noted above, it has not had a negative impact on his career.

    Also, COSC offers a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science. They do not (to my knowledge) offer a Bachelor of General Studies.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 21, 2011
  18. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    That is correct - it is a Bachelor of Science. It is not a BGS or Liberal Arts or anything else people try to twist it into. The transcript states - Bachelor of Science in Individualized Studies. As far as tech job, in my experience (hiring and being hired) it is more about the experience people have. One of the best programmers we had earn a BS in Economics!
     

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