Looking for an MA that accepts Transfer Credits

Hi
I'm new and appreciate the opportunity to post. My question...I have a BA and a JD I also have about 30 grad credits in education and 9 in business...I'm looking for a distance learning MA whre I can ultilize as many of the grad credits for transfer as possible. Any suggestions?
Thanks

 

In what field would you like the degree? Obviously your credits would transfer easier if you were to select a program in either education or business.

Wes

 

Assuming that the grad credits you want to transfer are from a regionally accredited or GAAP school...

Athabasca University in Canada will accept up to 15 credits of 33 required toward an MA in Integrated Studies with concentrations in either Educational Studies or Adult Education. My wife had 19 existing graduate credits, and they accepted 12 (two courses in Instructional Design, and two in Statistics) in transfer toward this degree, so she's starting in January. Since you have so many Education credits, I would doubt that you'd have any trouble getting the maximum 15 transfer credits applied, as long as your courses were taken within the past 10 years. That means that you'd only need 6 more courses for the MA.

Another option might be one of the Education-related master's degrees from USQ in Australia. They offer several degrees that only require 8 units (courses), and if I remember right they may also take half of those in transfer, which would mean that you could take just 4 courses and get a degree, provided that your previous coursework fit in with the requirements for one of their degrees.

Either of those should be a relatively inexpensive and quick route to another degree. I'm sure that you could apply your Business courses toward a degree as well, if that would be more desirable for you. Good luck!

 

Have your checked Excelsior's Master of Liberal Studies?

 

Australian Universities

Australian Master programs, often composed of 6 to 8 courses, will accredit advanced standing students at anywhere from 1/3 to 2/3 of previously earned credit, (provided they have not been used toward an already earned degree). The Australian universities are the most liberal in this regard, I believe. I suggest that you define a field you want to study and investigate their websites.

Given the background you claim, you should be able to get a lot of advanced standing credits.

Good luck.

 

Will Accept and Actually Acepted... Two Different things.

Lots of RA schools advertize that they will transfer up to 6 semester hours into a Masters program from another RA school. Has anyone reading this post actually had success in getting coursework transfered into a Masters level RA program???

I have met plenty of students who have tried and only two success stories in 10 years of asking this question. I have experienced schools transfering graduate credit toward a doctorate but not a Masters degree with the 10 year expiration caveat.

Regards,

Dick

 

Re: Will Accept and Actually Acepted... Two Different things.

Embry-Riddle allowed me to transfer in 9 semester units towards my Masters that were earned at CSUDH. This is discussed in the ERAU graduate catalog.

 

1.
THe University of Southern Queensland (USQ) M.E.d degree has already been mentioned. It is likely you would qualify for the 8 point program (eight courses).

Additionally, up to half the program requirements can be met by appropriate and relevant transfer credit, so, it may be you would only have to complete four courses for the degree.

The current tuition in the USQ online education programs is 850AUD per course, giving a figure of 3400AUD to complete the program if full credit for existing academic work is allowed. That translates to 1,820USD ($1,820 American) at today's exchange rate. Note that all necessary materials are online (no books to buy).

See http://www.usq.edu.au/handbook/2002/educate/programs/masters/med/index.htm


2.
Excelsior College has a 33 credit hour MA in Liberal Studies. It may be that much of your existing credit could be integrated into this flexible program.

The program allows for up to 21 of the required 33 hours to be transferred in. I think this is unprecedented in any master's program offered by a US regionally accredited institution.

It may be that the program literature does not yet carry information on the 21 hour transfer, but my understanding (from the Assistant Dean Liberal Arts, Excelsior College) is that it will be amended directly.

See http://www.excelsior.edu/mls_home.htm for the detail and/or email Dan Eisenberg at [email protected]


3.
For more low-cost master degree programs offering flexible entry and generous credit transfer see the BA in 4 Weeks Master's Degree Listing at http://www.geocities.com/ba_in_4_weeks/mastermenu.html




Lawrie Miller
BA in 4 Weeks a non commercial resource for adult learners
http://www.geocities.com/ba_in_4_weeks/

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EMK---

You did not mention the source and distribution of your credits in education. If the majority are from the same school, it may be easier just to complete your degree there. Many graduate schools of education offer (often exclusively) evening and weekend programs. In fact, 30 credits is all it takes at some schools.I'm just suggesting that you don't overlook traditional options as well.

Good luck.

Jeffrey Levine, Ed.D.

 

Update on Questions on MA Transfer

Hi
First......thanks to all of you who responded to my original question concerning a masters program that would allow a transfer of substantial credits.

Second...some answers to questions some have raised.

The masters I want could be whatever program can be obtained the fastest....i.e liberal studies,,,,,,education,,,,,,,, etc

I have about 33 grad credits in educ from a number of different colleges... many through the Canter Courses.........plus some traditonal credits...plus 9 MBA credits from Liberty University.

I'm interested in a USA reg accredt ma.
Any suggestions appreciated.


Thanks alot

 

Check out the various concentrations available in the MLS program from FHSU. The school is RA and is amazingly inexpensive. I bet you can find something that would work for you, and they only require that you take 15 credits from them. The catch is that you can't apply any courses that will be more than 5 years old on the date of your graduation. It's an MLS rather than an MA, but it's hard to complain given the cost and liberal (hah hah!) transfer policy.

More information about the sources and corresponding dates of your existing credit would be helpful.

 

Excelsior College M.A. transfer credit policy

I'd like to add a few words about our transfer policy. It is true that we have a very liberal transfer credit policy at the graduate level. This is in keeping with Excelsior's philosophy and mission.

I'm a little unhappy with the statement posted here that we permit up to 21 credits in transfer. Literally this is true, but there are so many restrictions that very few qualify for it.

The normal limit is 15, which must a) include two different liberal studies disciplines, and b) not include more than 6 credits of non-liberal studies courses. For transfer credit purposes we divide all courses into these two groups, "liberal studies" and "non-liberal studies." The difference between them is explained at http://www.excelsior.edu/tier2.htm.

Here are the two exceptions that permit more than 15 transfer credits:

1. If the student has taken a _recent_ course in research methods at the graduate level, it can be accepted for 3 credits and also replaces our required course, MLS 500, Graduate Research and Writing. "Recent" means "since 1995," i.e. since the Internet.

2. If the student has been enrolled in _another graduate liberal studies program_, and has taken interdisciplinary core courses in that program, up to 6 such credits may be transferred toward our core course requirement. Note that this is not in addition to #1, if you use option #1 then the limit is 3 credits. In any event, the maximum transferable is 21 credits.

If you have questions that are not answered in the document mentioned above, feel free to write me at [email protected]. I do informal, non-binding evaluation of possible transfer credits all the time, no charge. For a formal and binding evaluation, you need to apply to the program, submit official transcripts, and pay the application fee ($50).

Daniel Eisenberg
Associate Dean, Liberal Arts
MLS Program Director
Excelsior College

 

Webster University will accept 12 graduate semester hours from another RA school in any discipine as transfer electives in its online MA in Business and Organizational Security Management and 9 hours in a business/management related discipline in its online MBA. (However, the original poster stated he already had a JD, so he would be eligible for Webster's sequential degree program where no electives are required.)

Steve Houldsworth
Academic Advisor
Online Security Management Program
Webster University

 

Re: Excelsior College M.A. transfer credit policy

And I am a little concerned by the implication that readers were being misled. The statement made was that:-

"The program allows for up to 21 of the required 33 hours to be transferred in."

That is not misleading and the statement is based on the sketch you submitted to my site (a sketch noticeably absent the caveats you inject here). Did you think at that time that 21 hour transfer credit in a 33 hour program would not be an issue? Would not be quoted?

I note that it was at your request that the details of this program were added to the BA in 4 Weeks Master's List back in April 2002. You were invited to inspect the listing and comment further at that time. You could have voiced objections, added caveats, and have provided clarification then. You chose not to do so. The program has been listed since that date with the very generous 21 hours credit transfer limit prominently highlighted, based on the information you provided.

I am unhappy you are unhappy with that.


Lawrie Miller
BA in 4 Weeks
http://www.geocities.com/ba_in_4_weeks

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