Can you get the same degree in the same discipline later on at a different school?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Mathetes, Jan 22, 2016.

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  1. Mathetes

    Mathetes New Member

    Hello All, Thanks for all the useful threads and discussion. I tried to search for this topic but didn't find anything. I'm hoping someone knows the answer to this question: Suppose I want to switch careers but don't 1) know if I'll like the new field, 2) know if I'm smart enough for the new field, and 3) yet have the funds for a traditional brick & mortar RA school. So instead I decide to get a Masters through a DL school instead. After earning that Masters at a DL school I find out 1) I DO like the new field, 2) I AM smart enough for the new field. So after a few years I save up enough money to go the traditional brick & mortar route at a traditional RA school. My question is: Can I get the same Masters degree in the same discipline at the brick & mortar RA school? And just never mention to anybody about my previous DL Masters degree in the same discipline? So for example I get an MBA from Ashworth (so affordable), and then years later apply for admission to get an MBA from B&M University?
     
  2. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    If you never declared to them your first masters and went ahead to take that same discipline, nobody will stop you, until they find out. once that happens, alot of things might happen. Worse case is having your Masters degree taken back, or if you've not graduated, expelled for being a heretic.

    Why don't you just get a Masters from a B&M school straight away ? There's alot of cheap options around. Especially at Masters level.

    Or you could consider doing a 2nd undergraduate degree in the field you want from an RA school (online).

    Years later, if you really like your field, go find an RA Masters.
     
  3. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    It's very unlikely that anyone would find our about a degree from a nationally accredited school later on. Most schools don't seem to check for other enrollmentts (as this costs money). When they do, they go through the National Student Clearinghouse. I'm not aware of an NA school that participates in the NSC nor am I aware if an NA school is even allowed to participate in the NSC.

    If I took my UMT degree off of my resume and LinkedIn profile, no one would know I had it. And there would be no database containing proof of my graduation. So, in that sense, would I "get away with it?" Yeah, probably. But duplicating your efforts is also a bit silly.

    It was deliberate that I didn't earn an MBA from UMT. I went for the MSM because I don't want to earn multiple MBAs until I hit the name I like. When I earn an MBA, I'm doing it once at a school I respect (for once). So, if I ultimately decide to get my !BA from Syracuse University, I will then list all three degrees on my resume, rather than hiding the one from UMT.

    The question though is whether a degree from a school like Ashworth will actually give you a taste of that new industry. If you have no previous experience in an industry, an NA degree just might not be enough to help you make the move. Heck, an RA degree might not be enough.

    If you don't want to earn a similar degree, you can also consider professional certifications. If you want to work in HR, start studying for a certification that doesn't have an experience requirement (like CEBS). Get as much background knowledge as possible. The certifications may also help you actually get a job.

    I'm generally against education that you later have to hide. It's an unnecessary duplication of efforts. And, while you note that Ashworth is cheap, it loses some of the value when you spend the money and then conceal the degree that you paid for and then go on and pay for another degree of the same type. In a way, you could look at that like tacking the Ashworth tuition on top of the B&M tuition. You can do it, but there are easier, more affordable and. Ore effective ways of getting to your goal.
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I'm going to be a little bitchy about my answer. Your whole scenario is based on the idea that your DL Masters is not really a legitimate Masters degree and that you need a B&M Masters to be legitimate. I reject this view and so won't entertain the question further.
     
  5. TonyM

    TonyM Member

    Maybe you could test your skills with Coursera or some other MOOC distributor. If you do start out at Ashworth you can always take a second degree in a related field from a local school. For example, suppose you get an MBA from Ashworth, a second degree in accounting might be useful.
     
  6. Mathetes

    Mathetes New Member

    Thanks nyvrem,

    The reason is because it's too risky for me to divert a lot of time from my current job to devote to a big ticket item when I don't 1) know if I'll like the new field, 2) know if I'm smart enough for the new field, and 3) yet have the funds for a traditional brick & mortar RA school. I know you said there are a lot of cheap options out there, but even a few thousand is a lot before I know if this is where I really want to be.

    Yes, that's a good idea. It wouldn't work in all fields though, correct? For example, there's no Bachelors in Law is there? LLBs are more for the UK? If there IS an online Bachelors of Legal Studies or some such, please let me know. Thanks.
     
  7. Mathetes

    Mathetes New Member

    Thanks Neuhaus,

    I understand your point. However, I don't consider myself all that smart and I notice I have to be told the same thing in different ways with different methods before I truly own a concept. So while it's unnecessary duplication for others, for me it'd be just another 2nd chance to pound that info into me so that I truly comprehend the subject matter as opposed to just memorizing it.

    Spoken like a true MSM, yes, your cost-benefit analysis is a reasonable assessment. So what ARE those more affordable and more effective ways in your experience?
     
  8. Mathetes

    Mathetes New Member

    Thanks TonyM, tell me more about Coursera. Do you have any personal experience with them? I did a search on this forum for Coursera and didn't see much info. I went on their website and notice they offer Certificates from some big names. If I were to do it, I would get one of their "Specialized Certificates", but my only concern is their "Capstone Project" requirement. For example, to earn a Specialized Certificate in their Entrepreneurship courses, you have to end the course with the capstone project of actually launching a new business. I wouldn't want to actually launch a new venture just to get a certificate.
     
  9. edowave

    edowave Active Member

    I think Webster, SNHU, Nova , UMUC, AMU, as well as some other California DEAC accredited law schools.
     
  10. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

  11. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    um.. do you want to take up a law degree ?

    or what is it you want to do ?

    perhaps sharing your intended field that you wish to enter would be more helpful.
     
  12. Mathetes

    Mathetes New Member

    Thanks for the list edowave, I'll look them up.
     
  13. Mathetes

    Mathetes New Member

    nyvrem, great questions. I ask myself the same things. That's my problem: I'm not quite sure yet what I really want to do, hence my original question that leaves my options open should I want to re-maneuver later on. However, if I have to answer for right now, I'd say MBA and JD are neck-and-neck and a distant third place would be the arts (I know I'm all over the place here). The slight advantage is law. I was thinking of getting my feet wet with a BS Paralegalism or BS in Legal Studies now that edowave was so kind to point out some schools with that program. And if I like it enough, and find myself smart enough to understand the material, then maybe later try for a JD.
     
  14. nyvrem

    nyvrem Active Member

    let's say you wish to be a lawyer, but you're not ready, or you just want a taste of how law modules work and how well you can score. You could take LLB (UK) law modules and test yourself. just pay for each module. University of London is a cheap and good option to test yourself out. if you complete 4 law modules, you get a Higher Ed Cert in Common Law.

    LLB and Diploma in Law | University of London International Programmes

    You won't be able to become a lawyer via this route. It's just to give you a taste of what it's like studying law. when you're ready, go take the LSAT and apply to a law school in the US.
     
  15. Mathetes

    Mathetes New Member

    Exactly.

    It's British law though right? I'd probably have to unlearn some of it when I apply in the US. It's just for the taste of law right?
     
  16. Mathetes

    Mathetes New Member

    Kizmet, thanks for the answer. I didn't mean any offense by it and I asked the question before learning the lay of the land regarding Online, DL, RA and all the other acronyms. But here's another scenario that I'm encountering that closely relates to my former question: I found a non-accredited masters program that is affordable for me. The masters is in a field totally unrelated to my career and is for personal enrichment. And when I say non-accredited, I don't mean non RA accredited, I mean not accredited AT ALL, and they have no plans to seek accreditation. I've sampled their "Open" classes and found the quality to be quite good and I really like it. Now, suppose years after I complete that masters program, I decide to switch careers into that field but now realize my non-accredited masters degree will find me no employment. Suppose I have the funds to go back for another masters that IS accredited at a different accredited university, BUT since I'd need the same masters in the same field, this graduate program would deny me admission because of my previous masters in the same field, is that correct? That's why, now, I'm asking whether it's possible to get the same masters degree later?
     
  17. Paidagogos

    Paidagogos Member

    I could be wrong here, but don't you see this as setting yourself up for extra work later on down the road? Are you really going to want to do the work of two masters back to back? You may think that now, but how will you feel after grinding through your first one. I mean, why not try to get a RA master's that will be legit for any job that may open up. Find the program you like now, whether it be online school or online B&M. If you see an online B&M as having more clout, to you or others, then go that route. The shortest point between A and B is a straight line.
     
  18. Graves

    Graves Member

    What about related fields, and certificates? If you finished a general MBA program that is accredited, it opens doors for related fields like human resource management, organizational behavior, and management information systems. There are MBAs with specializations like HRM, and you can always tack on a certificate if you earn an accredited general MBA.
     
  19. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member


    Do you know if DEAC limits the number of Bachelor's degrees one can earn?

    I suspect that many people have augmented their RA accomplishments with NA diplomas or degrees. If you have RA credentials in, say, business and need some knowledge of, say, IS/IT then why not go the cheap and easy route? As with you, such people would likely reveal the NA stuff selectively.
     
  20. Mathetes

    Mathetes New Member

    Hi Paidagogos, yes you are correct that it is extra work. The thing is, this first masters would be completely unrelated to my work and is just because I'm interested in the subject matter (person enrichment type stuff). If this masters was for my current work, then yes, A->B straight line, but if it's for mere interest, then taking scenic route A~>B might be ok? And you're right that grinding through it might turn me off to the subject and "cure" me of any further attraction to it. But what I'm talking about is if, instead of decreasing my interest in the subject, it increases my interest or even just merely holds my interest steady. Then years after that, finding myself still interested in that subject matter, I decide to switch out of my current job and into the new vocation. Now, I need that masters to actually be accredited (to be maximally employable). I probably wouldn't mind doing the same masters again since I'd already know a lot about the field now (classes might even be easier). But would an RA graduate program admit me if they knew I already had the same (unaccredited) masters?
     

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