Hi everyone, Can someone recommend a cheap, regionally-accredited online VB or Java class (that can be taken standalone) that would "teach" skills in a high level programming language? # of credit hours is not relevant. Thanks!
Community Colleges I would recommend hitting the community colleges as your main target. Depending on where you live, the cost is sometimes very cheap. I live in the Dallas, Texas area and our local community college is $41 a credit hour if you live in Dallas County. http://www.dcccd.edu/ They are regionally accredited (I would recommend that you verify any community college is regionally accredited as some are not).
Sauk Valley Community College offers CIS122 - Beginning Java Programming via the Illinois Virtual Campus for USD85.00 (3 semester hours).
If You don't need credit hours at all - just the knowledge, do a google for Bruce Eckel Thinking in Java
If you do not need college credit you can take the Ed2Go classes that are offered at many community colleges across the country. At this particular one, where I also attended, they offer the Ed2Go courses for 65 dollars a course: http://www.ed2go.com/waynecc/
Thanks - ideally I want something that will go on a transcript so I can use it to meet the pre-req requirements for a graduate degree program. I also want it to be done totally online with no proctoring required.
I think there is a certificate for successful completion of these courses. However, no academic credit is awarded.
Often it does NOT have to be on a transcript to meet the requirements for a graduate degree program. I know many software engineers who have never taken a computer programming class in their life, but have gone on to do graduate degrees in software engineering. They just had to show or demonstrate they had "equivalent knowledge" as if they had taken a class in that area.
Thanks - this is what I ended up doing. While I have substantial programming experience, much of it is in esoteric languages and over 10 years old. It's easier to spend the $85 + any text fee and learn some Java than to document my "equivalent knowledge" as UIS would need someone to certify it was my own work, or I'd have to prove it out. As a heads up to anyone also looking into this it's a pretty painless procedure. I e-mailed the dean, Alan Pfeifer, asking for admission to this single course (I took the CLEP and DSST computing exams so I would meet the pre-reqs). Because I got his permission I didn't need to submit any transcripts, and just needed to register as a student. He mentioned that other prospective UIS students have done this exact same thing.
Wanted to follow up on this - first, it was $85 per credit hour (not total), so around $250. However, it was still inexpensive for a 3 credit hour course. From January through early May there were 20 assignments + a final exam. All were considered to be "open book" in that you could use your course materials (or even search the web) for relevant content that could help you construct your program. As someone with extensive, albeit dated, object-oriented programming experience, it wasn't too hard, but this was definitely not a trivial course. All in all, a good experience and I'd recommend it for someone looking for an inexpensive intro to Java course. At the very least I can add Java programming to my list of skills now.
