Cheap master's degree class- help

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by anngriffin777, Aug 21, 2015.

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  1. anngriffin777

    anngriffin777 New Member

    I need a cheap, accredited master's degree class. I am halfway through my master's degree at a good, regionally accredited college. I want to graduate by my birthday which is Feb 14, 2016, so I need to take an extra class and squeeze it in. I have tapped out of my job's tuition assistance and have like $440 left for 2015. Does anybody know of a school that has a master's level course that may be less than 700-800 bucks for 3 credit hours? Needs to regionally or nationally accredited by ACICS to qualify.

    How about this, what is the cheapest ACICS college out there? This is a less known national accreditation. There has to be a cheap school out there somewhere. HELP!!!
     
  2. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

    This may work Vesi courses.
    Morningside College Online Continuing Education Courses for Teachers - Distance Learning for Teachers - Professional Development for Teachers
     
  3. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Wow! Didn't know there were so many ACICS schools. 900+, but many are multi-branch and each unit counts separately. Many do not offer distance ed. as they teach subjects/skills requiring on-site presence. I checked a few of the better-known ACICS schools that do offer DL - e.g. California Miramar U. Good schools, but the costs I checked were outside your parameters. You may want to see this: List of all 900+ ACICS schools can be accessed (free) through CHEA, here: User Agreement

    Here's an RA possibility that's somewhere near the cost bracket. Same charge, in or out-of-state. About $245 per credit hour, for master's-level. SHSU Online - More Than 35 Fully Online Degree Programs

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 22, 2015
  4. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    What subjects are acceptable, and are you certain that your school will accept graduate transfer credit?
     
  5. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    As Bruce is suggesting, Masters programs are rather specific about which courses might be relevant for transfer. An Engineering program probably isn't going to count a History course toward the degree. With that said, the grad courses at Fort Hays generally cost about $750.
     
  6. anngriffin777

    anngriffin777 New Member

    Need an elective

    My school will take the credit as long as course is from school that is accredited by agency recognized by US department of education. It can be a course in grad level basket weaving. What do you have for me?
     
  7. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    During the many years that I paid close attention to these matters, I never found a school that would accept more than 25% of the credit for a Master's by transferring in credits from another school. Of course there may have been undocumented exceptions, which is why I put a "Bending the rules" section in my books.
     
  8. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    OK. Two RA schools teach a course in Underwater Basket-weaving. U.C. San Diego and also Reed College. Cost $10. Don't believe me? See here:

    Underwater basketweaving – it’s a real class » Well Heeled Blog :smile: :smile: Dunno about grad credit or DL, though...not sure.

    J.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 22, 2015
  9. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  10. DanielC

    DanielC New Member

    That is an amazing find, Ann! I'd love to keep that on my short list of masters programs to check out. What school and degree program are you currently pursuing?
     
  11. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Well I'm guessing that it's either Waldorf, Ashford or some other place.:dunno:
     
  12. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Excellent advice, one I've taken and echoed since. And used myself. Twice.

    When I was working on my MBA, I'd started at Chapman College (now University). I took 4 courses. Because of military requirements, I stopped at Chapman. When I picked up my studies again, it was at National. National required 15 courses for the MBA. (They also had an MA in Business that required 12; both programs had the same 9-course core curriculum; the only difference was the number of electives (3 vs. 6 for the MBA) required. (Also, those 6 electives for the MBA could be turned in to one of several available specialties, but it wasn't required to do that.) Well, I finished my core requirements (through those transfer credits from Chapman and 8 courses I took at National) and was on my way to finishing when I got short-notice orders to Texas. Back then, no online option was available. I simply would not be able to finish my degree at National, and I'd maxed out my transfer credits according to the catalog. I petitioned for a waiver and was denied. The committee suggested I take the M.A. instead, which I'd already earned. Well, at the time, the MBA was the hot degree and other business-related master's degrees were considered inferior. So instead I appealed, citing my military situation and the fact that I was making a career in education (and would be a good ambassador for National). The decision went up to the chancellor, who was a retired military man, and he approved it. I took my remaining electives in an MBA program Webster was offering at my new location, San Antonio. I earned my MBA from National, all because I persisted. I asked.

    The other example is one some are familiar with, so sorry if this is old news. I started my PhD at Union in the mid-1980s while still stationed in San Antonio. After subsequent assignments to teach AFROTC, South Korea, and then to Las Vegas, I had to drop the program. I had completed my first (awful, IMHO) draft of my dissertation, but I couldn't continue. After retiring from active duty and moving to DC, I was considering starting over at another school--perhaps a dissertation-only PhD overseas. This was in 2001, so the programs weren't as available as they are now. I was talking with John Bear about the situation. (I'd met John when I asked him to serve on my Union committee.) John asked if he could intervene with Union by writing to its president about waiving the time-to-completion limit and re-admitting me (and allowing me to pay my outstanding tuition while I finished the program). She not only agreed to do it, she arranged for the bursar to work with me to pay everything off before I graduated, which I did. I started the PhD at Union in 1986 and graduated in 2003. (It took a year to finish after I returned, doing a whole new dissertation on a different topic than I originally pursued.) That's 17 years, but obviously not all as an active learner. How? Because we (first John, then me) asked. You'll never know until you do.
     

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