The shortest amount of time get a Degree?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by AppleCruncher, Jul 3, 2011.

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  1. AppleCruncher

    AppleCruncher New Member

    Hello, here's my story: I'm from Canada, chose to not go the degree way as I have always seen it as a waste of time and money so I went the private college 1 year diploma route, fast forward today and I dislike my office job, I want to travel the world, but it's practically impossible to get a a work visa in another 1st world country without a Degree, I still have my values that a Degree = waste of time an money, Please help me out, I don't care what the degree is about, I would not mind a Degree in Cleaning toilets.
     
  2. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Is your one year diploma an AA degree?

    The old axiom comes into play here, it goes like this: "Fast, Cheap, Good...pick two" You can find fast and good, but it won't be cheap. You can have fast and cheap, but the quality might be in question.

    If you need an AA, I would recommend that you attend your local city college, many of which offer a number of online classes. That is the cheapest and highest quality avenue to AA degree, but then again, it is not all that fast. Alternately, you could attend National University, which is 100% online, fast and very good, but it's expensive.

    If your one year diploma ended with an AA degree, I would suggest Excelsior College or Charter Oak State College for the quickest way to a BA. Both are regionally accredited. National U again might be the fastest, high-quality, least economical road.

    Also, maybe a degree will not be such a waste of time and money for you if it gets you into a job that makes you happier. I hope that's the case for you.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 3, 2011
  3. AppleCruncher

    AppleCruncher New Member

    I'm not sure if it's AA but it's def not a degree, it's a simple "diploma" I'm looking for the fast and cheap, Job outlook is not so important to me.
     
  4. Brez

    Brez Member

    What is your definition of short? I did my BS from start to finish in 3.5 years while working 50-60 hours a week (which included two AA along the way). Its really simple math, find out how many classes you need, understand how the semesters work, you then know how many classes you need to take per semester to finish in "x" year(s).
     
  5. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    An AA, Associate's of Art, is definitely a degree, so it sounds like your diploma is not an AA. Would you tell us which school this is from so we can give you some more info. If it's from a regionally accredited school, many of your classes may transfer into an AA program, which will make it really quick. If it's not, you may still have some options. Give us some more info.
     
  6. emmzee

    emmzee New Member

    The OP is from Canada, so they probably received the diploma in either Ontario or British Columbia. (Or another province, but I know both of those commonly offer diplomas like they are describing.) In Ontario we have universities and also provincial colleges, which I guess are similar to community colleges in the USA? Except the provincial colleges (ex, Seneca, Centennial, George Brown, Sheridan, etc) usually offer 1-3 year diplomas rather than degrees. (Ontario Colleges) Some also offer 3 or 4 year bachelor's degrees but generally schools don't offer associate degrees in Canada. (At least not here in Ontario.)

    A year or so ago, I tried to find info for a friend who earned a 3 year diploma here and wanted to upgrade to a bachelor's online via TESC or somewhere, but it was very difficult to get any info re how many credits might be transferred to US schools.
     
  7. AppleCruncher

    AppleCruncher New Member

    Not sure if Canadian credits are worth any value to the U.S. system.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 4, 2011
  8. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    All I can find on their website is this: "University Accreditation We are the first private (non IT) college in the Maritime Provinces to obtain university accreditation for its courses"

    I'm not familiar with Canadian accreditation practices so I'm not sure what this means. It does claim "university accreditation" I wonder if this is the same as regional accreditation in the US.

    You might check with Excelsior College to see if they will accept those credits into a program. They are quite liberal in accepting transfer credits. If you can transfer credits in, you will be done much more rapidly.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 4, 2011
  9. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Found this about Canadian accreditation:

    "UNIVERSITY ACCREDITATION IN CANADA
    Accreditation is a form of independent, professional certification that assures you and your parents that a school or program adheres to particular standards. University accreditation therefore ensures the quality of your education.

    Since Canadian education is regulated provincially (not by the federal government), there is no national university accreditation system. Public institutions are given authority to grant degrees, diplomas and certificates through specific provincial regulations, and these institutions are therefore "recognized." Government recognition is a form of quality assurance, but is not official accreditation.

    Another form of quality assurance is membership in national associations like the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). The AUCC establishes standards of quality, and a school's membership means it has been evaluated as meeting those standards."



    Sounds like if it's recognized by your provence, it may have transferrable credits. Check with Excelsior College to see if they will take your credits. If they do, that will probably be the quickest way through. Here's a link: Contact Us - excelsior.edu
     
  10. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    In the US, the schools that are most commonly associated with online degree completion programs are the "Big Three" of Excelsior College (in New York), Charter Oak State College (in Connecticut), and Thomas Edison State College (in New Jersey).

    But if the OP is from Canada, then maybe the first place to look should be Athabasca University (in Alberta). AU is often regarded as the Canadian equivalent of Excelsior/COSC/TESC, and it seems likely that they would be more familiar with a New Brunswick diploma than the US schools. Furthermore, AU may be less expensive than a US school for Canadian residents.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 4, 2011
  11. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Very good. I agree.
     

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