Hello everyone. I am hoping there is someone here who can point me in the right direction for what I am trying to accomplish. First of all, thanks in advance for any help and insight you can offer. I will be happy to learn from the experienced distance-learners here. What I want to accomplish: Second Bachelors Degree in Accounting. As cheap as possible Want to transfer in more than 90 credits My situation: Will start senior year of finance degree in Fall 2011 at a traditional brick/mortar school Plus other credits from various sources including accounting courses My Dilemma: I haven't finished my first degree yet, and I want to use the classes I will take in my senior year towards my accounting degree if they are applicable. For example, some for the senior year finance classes could be electives for an accounting degree. In short, I don't want to take electives at the college where I will get my accounting degree if by next year I could have just transferred in the ones I am already taking anyway for my finance degree and used those. That is wasting money. Something I don't have a lot of. Ideal scenario: Transfer in all the credits I already have, take the last 4 accounting classes I would need for the degree (since I've already taken 5 upper level ones elsewhere) then in May 2012 transfer in all the rest of the credits I earned in my senior year of the finance degree, and be awarded an accounting degree. This would translate to transferring in around 100-110 credits I think. The only catch is I would transfer them in twice. Most of them now, and the remaining ones once I finish them in a year. To give you a better idea here are all the college classes I have taken already. All of them are being used towards my finance degree except the journalism and communications studies classes. Also, I am only using accounting principles 1 and 2 towards my finance degree. So the rest could technically be considered "new learning" towards an accounting degree. Accounting: 24cr Accounting Principles 1 (4cr) Accounting Principles 2 (4cr) Intermediate Accounting 1 (4cr) Intermediate Accounting 2 (4cr) Cost Accounting (4cr) Accounting for Government and Not for Profit (4cr) Finance: 18cr Statistics (3cr) College Algebra (3cr) Intro to Finance (3cr) Financial Management (3cr) Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management (3cr) Financial Derivatives (3cr) Business: 36cr Intro to Business (3cr) Business Communications (3cr) Marketing 101 (3cr) Management Theory and Practice (3cr) Management Communications (3cr) Business Law 1 (3cr) Business Law 2 (3cr) Microeconomics (3cr) Macroeconomics (3cr) International Economics (3cr) Principles of Banking (3cr) Human Resource Management (3cr) General: 36cr English 101 (3cr) English Literature (3cr) Psychology 101 (3cr) Journalism 1 (3cr) Communications Studies 1 (3cr) Communications Studies 2 (3cr) Human Anatomy and Physiology (3cr) Health (2cr) History of the U.S. to 1865 (3cr) Computer Information Systems (4cr) Nutrition (3cr) Art and Society (3cr) I still have to take another 36 credits to graduate with a degree in Finance, which I will do in Fall 2011 and Spring 2012. I would like to graduate at the same time or shortly thereafter with a degree in accounting as well, for as cheap as possible. Thanks everyone!
Hi skittles50! Welcome to Degree Info. Here's why your posts don't show up right away: http://www.degreeinfo.com/distance-learning-discussions/35100-new-users-ask-where-did-my-posts-go.html It sounds like one of the "Big 3" in online schools would offer what you are looking for. Here's one: Excelsior College | Program Details One concern; I have never heard of a program that will allow you to use upper-level credits that were already applied to another degree for a second degree. I'm no expert on the subject of transfer credits, but you might should call Excelsior to find out.
Instead of a second degree, transfer the cost accounting class or the government accounting one towards this : LSU Independent and Distance Learning Then you would only need to take 12 credits. LSU is only around $92 a credit hour. I think that would be the cheapest and quickest option.
This is considered "double dipping" in most universities and I'd be surprised if you find a place that will allow it. Have you considered a double major at your current university or the option of starting a master's degree early at your current school? Sometimes schools will allow you to "double dip" by counting graduate classes toward your undergrad. One example of the accelerated program: Kennesaw State University - Accelerated Bachelor's Master's Degree
You'll have to ask them to be sure, but I believe all of the Big Three require thirty credits to be unused for any other degree to be applicable toward a second Bachelor's from them. -=Steve=-
the talk of double dipping and 30 new credits is an important technicality. You can go around this rule if you enroll before your first bachelor's degree is issued. You'd be enrolled at 2 colleges simultaneously. What you CAN'T avoid, is lying on your graduation form. At TESC, they required that I signed a statement saying I didn't already have a similar degree (my degree is Social Science, so I was prohibited from having ANY degree in ANY social science) and if I lied, they'd yank my degree. I can't say if finance and accounting would be considered too similar, that's a question for an advisor at the school you talk to. If they are fine with it, I think your plan for double-dipping the last 4 classes is a good one. I plan on doing the same thing. I'll be using 4 grad classes to back fill a second bachelor's degree, and then later pursue the grad degree. The way I've been able to accomplish this, is by applying to the grad program using my first bachelor's degree. No conflict, everyone is happy, and I'll pull out a second degree.
If I understand your existing credits correctly you have 114 units. For around another 6 units or so you could earn a degree from one of the big three schools in business, then go on to earn a masters in accounting or whatever area suits your career goals. Especially since you say you don't have much money Other than that just complete your finance degree (which includes 24 units of accounting) then go for a masters degree in accounting. For a second degree most schools only require 30 additional units (often with the proviso that you meet all other degree requirements). Also most schools require that the additional 30 units have not been applied to another degree.
My advice: Do a masters in accounting (MSA). You appear to only be missing two of the standard courses for an undergraduate accounting major: individual or corporate taxation, and auditing. Some schools might require a third course - advanced accounting. I assume that the fourth course your school requires is accounting systems or an elective. If your goal is the CPA exam, I don't know of any jurisdiction that requires an accounting degree - they typically specify the amount of credit and type of courses that are required. You'll need either 150 hours or a Masters degree in most jurisdictions. You might be able to take some or all of the courses you're missing as part of your Masters. Alternatively - just take the courses you're missing for an accounting major and indicate on your resume that you've taken all of the courses required for a major in accounting. In any event, you can qualify for many accounting jobs with a finance OR accounting degree.
