New to distance learning and trying to find out all my options, etc... What schools would you guys recommend possibly looking into? Also, (as I said, I'm a bit of a dummy onthis topic) The DETC--- as for colleges such as Ashworth who are only accredited by the DETC....are they worth a flip? One last question, do you have to get an assoc. degree before a bachelor? Are there Bachelor programs that incorporate an associates degree along the way?? Thanks so much for any info Jen
Howdy! Answers to follow: 1. Which school I would recommend depends on your major, interests, previously earned credit, and preferred learning style, but I feel confident recommending Charter Oak State College, Excelsior College, and Thomas Edison State College to anyone seeking a bachelor's degree by distance learning. The three programs are among the cheapest and most flexible available, allow unlimited transfer credit, and are regionally accredited. Your best option at this point is to get your hands on a copy of Bears' Guide (15th edition), either purchased or via interlibrary loan. (Disclaimer: I did the subject indexing for the previous two editions of Bears' Guide.) 2. DETC accreditation carries some weight, but not as much as regional accreditation. I would recommend DETC schools to folks looking for a certificate, second bachelor's or second associate's, master's, or professional doctorate under some circumstances; I would never recommend them to anyone seeking a first associate's or bachelor's degree because DETC schools do not necessarily meet the entry requirements of regionally accredited graduate and professional licensure programs, nor are their credits usually transferrable into regionally accredited undergraduate programs. 3. The associate's degree is entirely optional; it's useful primarily for folks who are attending community colleges (which don't offer offer full bachelor's programs) or who aren't sure they want to do an entire bachelor's degree. It represents about half of a four-year bachelor's program, and can usually be transferred into one later on. Good luck! Cheers,
I'm in a similar situation as ExTex......I'm also fairly new to DL and trying to weigh all my options. I currently have about 60 credit hours earned at a "traditional school" and now I'm trying to find a DL school that will let me transfer a good bit of those credits over towards either a Bachelor's in Psychology or Social Work. Another option I was lookin into was trying to obtain an Associates in Psychology. The only school I could come up with that gave that option, was Ashworth.....but I haven't heard a whole lot of good/bad about their degree programs, and what options I might have if I went that route. As you can see, I'm a little lost here and not sure where to even begin! Any help would really be appreciated.
Daizy, If you're looking for an associate's in psychology, my recomendation would be Excelsior College. EC has regional accreditation which is the gold standard of accreditation. EC has a very liberal acceptance of transfer credit (as long as it comes from a regionally accredited school). The cost is very reasonable and EC staff are very helpful and quick to respond to any inquiries. www.excelsior.edu Cy
I guess that the place to start would be with the three schools that seem to be most accomodating in regards to transfer credit: Charter Oak State College Thomas Edison State College Excelsior College You might also want to look at Lawrie Miller's site "BA in 4 Weeks" (sorry, I don't have the url handy - you can find it easily enough with this sites search function). Beyond that there are a number of other BA Psychology DL programs including: Capital University Columbia Union College Judson College Liberty University U of Houston U of Maryland U of Southern Colorado Good luck, Jack
Ok....I was looking thru the schools that were listed above (thank you! )....and figured EC was prolly my best choice - but I'm trying to figure out the roundabout figure on what an Assoc. Degree would cost. From what I can tell, I would pay an Enrollment Fee of $825, Annual Fee of $410, and a Graduation Fee of $450. Would this be the total cost, or am I missing something somewhere? lol
