Job opportunity: Need a degree plan FAST! Please help

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Arttillygirl, Jun 21, 2012.

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  1. Arttillygirl

    Arttillygirl New Member

    Ok here's my situation. I got an AA degree in Visual Communicatns from a supposedly good school 29 years ago. It was obtained later by the Art Institutes so my credits are worthless towards a BA. (I've tried thomas Edison and even art university in SF as far as transcript review) I worked in advertising as an illustrator for 15 years now I've been teaching art at a private school for 12. I am a very good teacher with lots of student awards, etc. under my belt. A new private school is interested in me even without a BA and are willing to possibly hire me if I can put a degree plan together. I'm both excited and a little ill at the prospect of working full time and getting a degree at the same time. I told them 3 years was probably not possible and they seem to be ok with working with me (which I think is pretty rare especially these days in education).

    So what would be the quickest and least expensive plan for me? We have college for my daughter coming up as well so I don't want to get into major debt over this either.

    It would be nice if it was art related but I don't think it's necessary at this point. I know I'm doing this backwards BTW. I have experience but no degree.
     
  2. TEKMAN

    TEKMAN Semper Fi!

    So, have you looked at the others out of the Big Three? ((Excelsior College (formerly known as Regents College), and Charter Oak State College)). Also have you explored Western Governors University - and states (WGU-Texas, WGU-Indiana, WGU-Washington).
     
  3. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Hi Artillygirl, welcome to Degree Info! Here's some info about the timing of your posts showing up: http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/35100-new-users-ask-where-did-my-posts-go.html

    I would look into Excelsior College (maybe also Charter Oak State College). EC is one of the most liberal institutions about accepting transfer credits and there is a chance they will accept your credits. They are also fairly inexpensive and have regional accreditation, which is what you want.

    In my opinion, the cheapest and quickest way would be to get into EC and then try to bypass as many classes as possible using CLEP tests. If you are not familiar with how CLEPs work, you get the proper textbook and read it (if you don't already know the material), then take the CLEP test to test out of the class. If you pass the test, you get the college credit and avoid having to take the class. I think it's around $100 per test. Read the FAQ page under "credit work/life experience"

    Here's the liberal arts programs: Excelsior Programs
    Here's some FAQs: Liberal Arts Bachelors FAQ - excelsior.edu

    Maybe others will offer something else, but as far as I know, this is the fastest and cheapest route that has the accreditation you need. Be careful because there are less than wonderful schools out there that offer cheaper and easier paths, but may not be accepted and some may be outright fakes. Always check everything out with us. There is usually somebody out of our thousands of members who is familiar with almost everything out there, good and bad alike.

    There are also ways to get your textbooks very inexpensively. I can share that with you when the time comes.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 21, 2012
  4. Delta

    Delta Active Member

    For Hays State University

    Fort Hays State University Online
    Offers a Bachelor of general studies with various concentrations. They accept upto 64 credits in transfer! "Fall 2011 - Summer 2012
    Undergraduate: $174.00 per credit hour Tuition is $174 an semester hour."


    General Education - Fort Hays State University

    Was the Art Institutes regionally accredited?
     
  5. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    Members of the "other forum" have built a wiki that includes several degree plans for the Big 3. Degree Forum Wiki A Bachelor of Liberal Arts will be the easiest to test out of. With your background Humanities and Social Science would be sensible choices for a major IMHO.

    Was your former school accredited when you attended? If so i think you can make an argument for inclusion of those credits. It probably worth the $75 fee at Charter Oak and Excelsior to see if they will allow those credits.

    If your motivated you can use credit by exam to earn a regionally accredited degree very quickly...3 years is a leisurely pace. Many have been able to complete this sort of degree in a year or less. Total cost less than $10K if you play it smart and quick.

    Here are the degree programs at TESC...you can extrapolate what you need from these links. Thomas Edison State College: From accounting and criminal justice to nuclear engineering technology and nursing, Thomas Edison State College offers degrees and certificates in more than 100 areas of study

    Here is the TESC links to credit by exam:
    CLEP - College-Level Exam Program
    DANTES

    There are also free FEMA you can take for elective credit and all of the Big 3 accept Straighterline Courses for credit.

    Your closer to a Bachelors than you might think.

    Is the new employer going to cover any of your costs?
    Have you applied for Financial Aid at fafsa.gov ?
    What State are you in?

    Also New Mexico Junior College has the cheapest online accredited AA/AS program I know of. If you need a traditional plan it might well include someone like them. They accept a lot of CLEP also http://www.nmjc.edu/distancelearning/
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 21, 2012
  6. Arttillygirl

    Arttillygirl New Member

    thanks. Anyone know about teacher certification in texas?

    im wondering if i need to stick with art. Or can i get a liberal arts then get certified
     
  7. Arttillygirl

    Arttillygirl New Member

    From the UT systems:

    "The Art Institute wasn't accredited until 1998. The work appears to be back in the early 80's so we would not be able to transfer any of it in. I went to SACS to confirm and they say they have only been accredited since 1998. Here is the link if you want to see for yourself:
    They may put that statement on transcripts they printed out after that date but we can't enter work until after the accreditation became effective".

    I've contacted the Southern Assoc of Colleges and Schools because I was assured at the time it was accredited but I was very young and didn't question much back then.
     
  8. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    There are different kinds of accreditation: "regional" and "national". Regional is generally better. SACS is the regional accreditor for the southeastern states.

    It's possible that your old school did in fact have accreditation, but maybe it had "national" accreditation rather than regional accreditation. Art schools sometimes have national accreditation from agencies like ACICS or ACCSC.

    If your old school was nationally accredited, then you may have trouble transferring your credits to a regionally accredited school. I think all of the schools that have been mentioned in this thread so far are regionally accredited.

    If your old school was nationally accredited, then there is a good chance that you could transfer credits to another nationally accredited school (ACICS, ACCSC, DETC). But before you try this, you would have to make sure that your prospective employer, state teacher certification agency, etc. would accept a nationally accredited bachelor's degree, rather than a regionally accredited degree. National accreditation, while legitimate, is not as widely accepted as regional accreditation.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 21, 2012
  9. Arttillygirl

    Arttillygirl New Member

    Why would it say Accredited by Southern Association of Schools and Colleges if it was nationally accredited?

    I feel like I was totally duped
     
  10. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    I don't know. What is "it" ?
     
  11. Arttillygirl

    Arttillygirl New Member

    My transcript
     
  12. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    OK, let's see if I have this straight.

    You went to School A 29 years ago.
    You aren't sure what kind of accreditation School A had.

    At some later date, School A was bought by School B.
    School B currently has regional accreditation from SACS, and says so on their transcripts.
    But School B has only had that regional accreditation since 1998.
    So unfortunately, the statement about regional accreditation does not apply to your coursework at School A, which was pre-1998.

    Is that more or less correct ?

    ****

    Realistically, I would not expect School B to list their complete accreditation history, going back 29+ years, on their transcripts.
    They put the SACS statement on their transcripts because that is their current status.

    I would suggest that you contact School B and see if they can tell you what accreditation, if any, School A had when you attended.
    You could also try contacting national agencies like ACCSC or ACICS, to see if they happened to accredit School A in the past.

    It's pretty much impossible to know about the potential use of your old credits from School A, unless you can determine exactly what kind of accreditation they had at that time.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 21, 2012
  13. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    I would take the $200 (or so) plunge and send the transcripts to Charter Oak State College for an official eval then you will know where you stand.
     
  14. Delta

    Delta Active Member

    Hey folks, not everyone is wired to get a degree from the "Big 3". Although great ideas, challenging coursework through CLEP, DANTES and so forth simply doesn't work for everyone!

    Crazy thought: Taft University has "regular applicant" admission standards that requires a bachelors degree but they also have conditional and special admissions for those with at least a nationally accredited associates degree. I would inquire if they accept an AA to JD executive track under "special admissions"... that is of course if law interests you? I know it is a big change from Art but it potentially gets you a terminal graduate degree.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 22, 2012
  15. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    The last time I checked, Bellevue University accepted any nationally accredited AA/AS degree to satisfy the general ed requirements. That would leave you with only two more years of coursework to do.

    Peru State College also accepts NA degrees for entrance to their BA/BS programs and to satisfy gen ed requirements.
     
  16. BobbyJim

    BobbyJim New Member

    Just a thought!

    Many public and private brick & mortar universities will allow up to 75% of degree through transfer, course challenge (clep, dsst, internal challenge exams), portfolio, etc. methods. That only leaves the equivalent of a year of full time work. Many times that remaining year can even be done online.

    Don't dive into anything too quick. Check out your local public and private universities first - then the Big 3, and then out of state publics next. :saroll:

    Bob
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 22, 2012
  17. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    True, not the best choice for everyone. There seemed to be a sense of urgency, quick and cheap are two options the big 3 deal in. I often figure that people who find their way here are looking for the "inside scoop" so I try to offer it up. There are many great options out there though. The OP might start with an accredited CC in their home state and work from there....thats a tried and true method to be sure!

    Your suggestion of a JD from an NA school to teach art is definantly interesting.

    I think AMU/APU still accepts an NA Associates, but the OP seems convinced that the old AA is of no use.
     
  18. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Bellevue and Peru State are both regionally accredited schools in Nebraska with distance-learning programs. IF it is true that they accept nationally accredited degrees, and IF your old school was nationally accredited, then they might be great options, even if your old school was not regionally accredited.
     
  19. Delta

    Delta Active Member

    The OP already teaches Art but the school would like her to get a "bachelors degree plan." The OP never said it had to be in Art! I know it sounds crazy but if you are going to go back to school for 2 to 4 years why not get an executive Juris Doctor degree in "3 years" instead of a bachelors degree in liberal arts or general studies?

    Taft Law School - Online Executive Juris Doctor Program, JD Distance Learning
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 22, 2012
  20. Arttillygirl

    Arttillygirl New Member

    I see you went to smu. That is where my daughter hopes to go, so you can see why I need to save money! Lol.
    Were you able to reduce your tuition there
    ? I'd love to know how
     

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