I had set out on a doctorate at Tennessee Temple but I think I have decided on another course of action. I received my Masters in Public Health at APUS and found something that others may consider. I asked about a second masters at APUS and received 18 hours of institutional credit toward a Masters in Political Science with a concentration in public policy. I have tuition reimbursement that basically covers two classes a year. I took the first class so I could have a second masters in 2.5 years with no cost in a degree I am interested in taking. I was surprised and pleased how much APUS would allow toward a second degree if the first was from there. I have one class down and have five to go. BTW nothing against Tennessee Temple, a fine school with solid professors and a great Christian feel. I may reconsider down the road. I just felt with a second masters so close, it just makes sense to go get this one right now.
That's funny. I am also looking at the PhD at Tennessee Temple (also looking at the PhD from Johnson University and the DBA from Wilimington). Anyway, Bellevue University offers a MS in Management and will allow me to transfer in 18 hours from my Organizational Performance degree. This would leave only 6 courses needed for the MS in Management. I think the value of this depends entirely on your goals and intended utility of the degree. For me, a second masters degree seemed like a good option in that it would allow me to teach a wider array of courses as an adjunct. I have spoken to 3 different college professors about this and all three have suggested that I go directly to the PhD or DBA. That's not to say there isn't value in the second masters, it just means that early opinion from people "in the know" seem to think it makes little sense in my situation. For the sake of clarity, the PhD from TT would likely not help in the world of teaching in that it is NA. I still may elect to complete the second masters, but I doubt it. I look at it like this: If my ultimate goal is either the PhD or DBA, let's chase the big goal first. If it turns out that the doctorate isn't my cup of tea, the second masters degree is still there as an option. If I complete the doctorate and still want the second masters, it will still be there for the taking. In my case, even though the second masters is a great value in terms of dollars relative to the degree, it is not a good investment relative to time spent relative to my goal.
