Advice for 35 year old

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by cesmith78, Jun 4, 2013.

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  1. cesmith78

    cesmith78 Member

    Hi, I've been a viewer on this forum for a couple of years but have rarely posted. Here is my situation, I am 35 and about to finish up an Associates degree from Andersonville Theological Seminary. I knew it was unaccredited going in, but a relative offered to pay the full cost of the degree, so I figured why not. I've gotten mostly good grades there and have enjoyed it, but I know the limited utility of an UA degree. I am trying to figure out what my next move should be. Here are some of the options I'm looking at.

    1 I contacted a nationally accredited religious school, and they said they do accept ATS credits. Depending on the number they'd be willing to accept, I think this would be better then starting from scratch at a RA school like Liberty.

    2 After completion of my Associate's, go for a Bachelor's. Based upon the research I've done Liberty and Luther Rice do accept Bachelor's degree's from ATS. My problem there is, assuming I got a Master's from one of those schools, what my prospects for a job in ministry would be. I am divorced and in Baptist circles it's better to be a murderer looking for a church job then to have been divorced. I know it would be the same even with option 1, but then at least I'd have an accredited bachelors. Secular employers might think with a Master's, that I am overqualified for a Bachelor's level job.

    3 Start (almost) from scratch at a college such as TESC. I passed a US History II CLEP and I have some FEMA credits, and plan on maxing out on that. I also plan on taking more CLEP tests but $100 a pop is kind of expensive. The area I live in also doesn't have a community college (Which there has been alot of debate about.) so any credits I'd take would have to be online.

    Thanks in advance for your advice.
     
  2. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    I would suggest that you finish the AA, especially since it is free. You should talk to the admissions counselors at Liberty, you never know, you might be able to transfer some credit from your AA to Liberty. Your idea of stairstepping from unaccredited to NA to RA might work also. I would be interested to know. But you may as well try to skip the NA, if it is possible. Skipping it might be just as cheap and take no longer.

    Having grown up in the Baptist church myself, I know how stodgy and legalistic they can be. There are plenty of other great denominations out there that would be more open to past mistakes. We all have failures and make mistakes, and I have never agreed with disqualifying someone because of tragedies that can often not be avoided.


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    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 4, 2013
  3. lawrenceq

    lawrenceq Member

    I'd just apply to Liberty and see what happen. All then can say is no.
     
  4. cesmith78

    cesmith78 Member

    Thanks for the kind words Surfdoctor. From what I've read online, Liberty would let me take ICE tests and if I passed them, I'd get credit in subjects such as Old Testament Survey etc, though it can't hurt to ask them if they'd accept them directly. I know this isn't a theological forum, but what denomination did you end up in SD?
     
  5. Psydoc

    Psydoc New Member

    What is your eventual objective? If you are interested in the Ministry I would encourage you to pick a denomination before you invest money in a degree; some denominations have particular schools of which they approve. The Cumberland Presbyterian Denomination (of which I am a member and Minister) does ordain divorced men and women but they are somewhat particular about the education process. Message me or email me at [email protected] if you have questions with which I may assist you. Good luck.
     
  6. cesmith78

    cesmith78 Member

    OK, I contacted Liberty and they basically said, if it's unaccredited they probably wouldn't be able to accept the credits.
     
  7. TeacherJ

    TeacherJ New Member

    Honestly, I would recommend that you complete a BA at Luther Rice University. They will probably have the most generous credit transfer for your situation. Also I would not finish the Associates at Andersonville. Having a degree from an unaccredited school could be drag in the future, especially since there are so many other accredited options available in the realm of theological and religious studies degree programs. Just take what you've got and try to transfer into LRU if possible.
     
  8. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    Sorry to hear that.
     
  9. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    I think I would just start fresh at an accredited school and by CLEPing out of most of your courses. You can CLEP 60 credits in about 3 months if you are dedicated to it and already know some of the material.
     
  10. cesmith78

    cesmith78 Member

    I'd love to CLEP out except I have a rather limited income, don't have any wheels, and the nearest place that offers CLEPS is 30 miles away. I might do a couple but don't think I can financially swing 60 credits.
     
  11. Maniac Craniac

    Maniac Craniac Moderator Staff Member

    As for the timing, you could take multiple CLEPs on a single day. If you could ever find a way out there (bus, train, rental car, etc), you might be able to knock off 3 or 4 of them, if you have the stamina.

    Obviously cost is going to be one of those inescapable barriers. One great thing about CLEP is that there is minimal commitment and no expiration date. As soon as you scrape together the funds, you can take a CLEP and then take time off from study until you can scrape some more together. It may not be a quick process, depending on your circumstances, but it will at least give you some satisfaction that you are moving in the right direction.

    As always, we're here to help in any way that we can. Keep us posted!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 29, 2014
  12. NMTTD

    NMTTD Active Member

    Some schools will look at credits earned from a UA school as PLA. See if there's a school out there that has a generous PLA acceptance rate. Schools like SNHU and Ashford (they don't have the right degrees for you, but they are the only examples off the top of my head) will accept 20 or more credits in PLA. If you can find a school that will accept PLA, non traditional credits (like CLEP or StraighterLine) you might be able to swing an accredited degree for minimal cost. You'll have to do some digging, though. A lot of schools have a cap on non-traditional credits. Some say 20 credits total, some say 10 PLA, 20 testing or StraighterLine, etc... So see what you can find. Maybe you can get just a regualr AA in Liberal Studies or General Studies that will be able to accept the widest variety of credits and then move on to an accredited degree. I wish you luck!!
     
  13. Warpnow

    Warpnow Member

    I'd stop wasting time and money on anything unaccredited. Just because its someone else's money doesn't mean its not a waste.

    Last CLEP test I took cost $80. Some tests are worth more than 3 credits. The biology clep is usually worth 8 credits. Foreign Language clep can be worth 12.

    At most though you're talking about 20 classes, $80/each, $1600 for the first two years of school? Not going to find a cheaper option than that.
     
  14. NMTTD

    NMTTD Active Member

    Why not ask whoever is paying for your UA degree to instead pay for your CLEP tests? Cheaper for them and you will have test scores that pretty much everyone will take. Win, win. And you can still try to use some of your UA degree to get PLA credits. Between that and CLEP you should be ok to go on.
     
  15. IrishJohn

    IrishJohn New Member

    If you decide on a school like TESC, there are some options to save money on classes. You'll have to come up with the 3 grand or so for the annual fee, but you can be more thrifty on courses requirements.

    For example, TESC accepts almost all NCCRS and ACE-approved courses. Try Saylor.org to save a bunch of money since those courses of their's which have such approval will only cost you a $25 proctor fee.

    National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) « Saylor Academy

    American Council on Education (ACE) « Saylor Academy

    TEEX, which is free like FEMA, can also be used to satisfy the computer course requirement.

    Straighterline is a good source to cheaply finish required courses, if you do them quickly.

    ALEKS.com costs only $20/mth and can be used to satisfy math requirements as well as some electives. That's a very cheap price all from the comfort of your own home.

    Some other ideas can be found here: Sources of Credit - Degree Forum Wiki
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 30, 2014
  16. cesmith78

    cesmith78 Member

    What I ended up doing was going to Andersonville for a ThB. Was going to transfer to Luther Rice but they didn't offer any remedial math which I would of needed to pass College Algebra (my Achilles heel!) I'm about half way through it and have enjoyed it but wish that ATS offered at least an English Composition course. I did contact a number of schools to see which ones would accept a ATS Bachelor's. Off the top of my head Southeastern and Liberty said no. Southwestern said yes and since Luther Rice would accept credits from ATS, I believe they would accept a degree into one of their Master's programs. Golden Gate would let me in after taking a number of courses in their Diploma program and Moody and Grace said they'd have to look at a transcript.
     
  17. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    When I was in school I took a course called "Math for Liberal Arts Majors" and it was a waste of my time and theirs. Math has always been my achilles heel as well. I recommend jumping on Khan Academy and overcoming your fear. You won't get credit, but you can tinker around on there until you feel more comfortable before (or during!) you take an actual course.

    If you need to bulk up your studies with some GenEd courses I would recommend PennFoster. They have a General Studies undergrad certificate. They are NA (DEAC) but most of those courses are also ACE recommended. So, fairly cheap but with greater potential utility.

    I really can't believe I'm going to suggest this but here we go...

    Have you considered NationsUniversity?

    Now that they are DEAC accredited, their Master of Theological Studies might be a nice stop for you after you graduate if they accept your ATS ThB.

    If you jump from ATS to NationsU you can probably then leap to a dual-affiliated school like Global.

    I realize that the theologies at all of these schools are not naturally fluid and may not be a good fit for you but I'm just trying to piece together the accreditation side of things. An MTS from Nations and an MDiv from Global would potentially position you for a launch for either a second RA Masters or a Doctorate from a school like Liberty or something like that.
     
  18. chasisaac

    chasisaac Member

    It really depends on what you want to do and what you are willing to do. I was in a similar situation, however, most of my credits were RA. I went to Johnson University (then Bible College) and finished 2.5 years. Let me say that for the most part I knew much more than all the other students. I was a serious theology stuidier since 16yo so I finished quick and at the top of my class.

    Luther Rice also looks good. If you want to get through a degree quickly look at WGU.edu, your results vary. Depending on your skills for studying for a test and test taking I would look at the TESC route. And $100 for a three credit class that you test out of is . . . cheap.

    The real question is goals. What do you want to do? The baptist thing and more conservative thing you are right about being a murderer. One place to go to is chaplaincy. It takes a different type of nut than a pastor to be a chaplain. However, I love it. I like being a chaplain more than I ever did as a pastor. Depending on location you can start PRN with a BA in religion. That will mean you will work nights and weekends being on-call and coming in only if needed. It is the place to start.

    Let me give you my quick story, perhaps as an encouragement.
    I am currently PRN chaplain (and teaching Jr high school FT). I have one CPE down, which was paid for by my hospital and I was paid by the hospital to take the class. I am doing my M.Div at nationsu.com. I am going for an interview for fulltime position next week as a corporate chaplain.

    At 35 I finished my BA, pastored a church for three years, did some graduate work here and there. Have taught middle and high school in varying fields for the last 12(?) years. I will be 51 this year. I am right now trying to quickly finish an M.Div since I have 45 grad theology credits it is a little quicker for me. I choose nationsuniversity for two reasons: 1. cost, flat out nothing cheaper. 2. it is DEAC which means CHEA accredted. The third is move at your pace. I know i have received some judgements for this: I need the M.Div to check the box. It is all about the box for me. 51 yo it is the box. The CPE is a differing story. That I am taking and putting all my effort into learning as much as I can.

    If I was in same place today: I think I would TESC get the BA. I love testing our of classes and I am really good at it. The other option would be WGU.edu and get the teaching degree there or something else. I want a move at your pace school Then I would look at Luther Rice University or Grace School of Theology, both online.

    Good luck and much success.
     
  19. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Just a quick note about "over qualification."

    Generally speaking an employer isn't going to regard you overqualified on the basis of having a masters for a job where a bachelors is required. The bachelors is sort of the job market's new high school diploma. Many jobs, even menial ones, now require a bachelors degree to even be considered. It's silly but that's the trend. If you have a masters degree for a position where the required education is a high school diploma? Now HR people and hiring managers are going to second guess hiring you but not because you are overqualified. It's a union prevention strategy. You don't want people with masters degrees sweeping your floors if you want to keep unions from forming.

    Whenever I see a hospital chaplaincy job pop up they all seem to require an MDiv or equivalent. That said, I live in New York State. We don't have a "bible college culture" like many southern states. So, where you live a bachelors might be just fine but a masters is not going to impede your employability in chaplaincy circles in the broader sense.

    If you aren't sold on an MDiv then consider a graduate degree with fewer credits (MA, MTS etc).

    As to whether one should finish an unaccredited program it really does depend. If you can use it to get into an accredited grad program, yeah sure, why not? But there are plenty of accredited options out there that will afford you much more mobility (and some of them are pretty affordable).
     
  20. chasisaac

    chasisaac Member

    This is true about the M.Div and larger population areas. However, I will point out that many PRN jobs will gladly take a BA in religion/theology/bible. I am looking at jobs here in the Midwest. Major areas include: MN, SD, WI, IA, and a little beyond. I have seen jobs in Southern CA that will take a BA. Again, this is mostly for PRN that you cannot make a living doing. It gets a foot in the door and provides experience and in my case someone paying for CPE classes. Most FT jobs all require MDiv and at least 2 CPE with most wanting 4 CPE
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 9, 2015

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