I Need A Masters Degree FAST

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Qwerty56, Apr 1, 2018.

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  1. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

    If you have a professional designation, then you may qualify for a top-up Master degree within that discipline in the uk. These degrees are fairly fast and cheap.
     
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  2. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    The request for a cheap, fast masters degree with no concern for the subject put me off too. It looked like somebody having a bit of fun playing the board, trying to troll it into recommending degree mills. (The cheapest, fastest, easiest "degrees" are sold online by things like Axact.)

    Master's degrees are usually structured as more advanced follow-on degrees to bachelor's degrees in the same or a closely related subject. It's true that MBAs have moved away from that model and turned into first degrees in business. So maybe Qwerty should be looking at MBA programs.

    Assuming that his/her request is sincere, my suggestion is that Qwerty look at Western Governors University. Regionally (NW Association) accredited, (relatively) cheap (depends on how long you take) and it's possible to complete their classes as quickly as a student can complete the assessments.

    Students still have to pass exams and produce work product, which will take quite a bit of reading, work and time in most cases. It's all competency-based, so how fast a student proceeds depends on how much time they devote to it, how quickly they can study and on what their previous experience is.

    https://www.wgu.edu/online-degree-programs.html
     
    Qwerty56 likes this.
  3. Qwerty56

    Qwerty56 New Member

    Yes, I joined a year ago. I joined this forum after purchasing CLEP and DSST study guides. A year ago, I volunteered my free time at my local Education Center. Some of the Soldiers were discouraged about promotion points, so I aimed to show them that they could put the same effort into completing courses worth college credit (1 promotion point per semester hour) instead of correspondence and continuous learning modules not worth college credit (4 points per 40 hours). In the end, the benefit of the former outweighed the cost.

    I had a specific goal in mind, and that was to show that quickly earning college credit is realistic. Between CLEP, DSSTs, StraighterLine, FEMA, and Davar (TOR ), I completed 32 hours in two months. Once I realized I was a few upper-level credits away, I ended up with a second Bachelors. So, in that full year, I had other priorities.


    If you want to know what I consider quick, I consider 8-week courses as opposed to 16-week courses fast. I consider rolling enrollment fast. I consider 18-month completion versus 36-month completion fast. I said FAST not EASY.

    I work in Defense Acquisitions, specifically Contracting. No, it does not matter your degree. No matter your field of study or your specific acquisition career field, you are required to go through the Defense Acquisition University for education and training to become certified to hold your position. It's the law (Defense Acquisition Improvement Act). I find it dumb to pay for college courses for my career field because they will not substitute for DAU requirements that I take for free. If you'd like more information on the certifications in Contracting, here is the site: http://icatalog.dau.mil/onlinecatalog/CareerLvl.aspx



    I'm quickly approaching my military retirement. I can stay a couple of years or get out to get a job doing the same thing, working with the same people except with a lot less stress and a lot more pay. The catch is that a masters degree is required to get a position primed for advancement. I'm sleazy enough to consider working and support people I care about in a different capacity instead of getting a Winnebago and parking on the beach for the next 5-10 years.
     
  4. Qwerty56

    Qwerty56 New Member


    These were definitely my go-to when I first started looking. I'm definitely leaning toward Charter Oak because they have one of the least expensive programs I found and all of their classes are 8 weeks long.
     
  5. Qwerty56

    Qwerty56 New Member

    The OP has an Associates and two Bachelors. Just sayin'...
     
  6. me again

    me again Well-Known Member

    If being overpriced and incredibly expensive is no impediment or obstacle, then keep reading. Otherwise, please stop reading here and skip to the next post. You have been warned.

    This writer graduated from Northcentral University (NCU) many years ago, so it is unknown how much it has changed since then. In those days, it was inexpensive because they had just achieved RA status. Once a school achieves RA status, then prices tend to jump upwards -- significantly. This writer also had a free financial scholarship, bringing the cost down to $850 per course, in conjunction with employer tuition-reimbursement on that remaining amount. This writer ultimately paid about $250 out-of-pocket for each 3 credit course. Full price today is about $2700 (?) per 3 credit course, which this writer can no longer afford. Anyway...

    At that time, NCU had a rolling enrollment, which meant that a student could complete a course as quickly as they could complete the work -- and could then immediately sign-up for another course. This writer was able to complete full-courses in 30 days e.g. this writer took one course every 30 days. It involved starting curriculum-work on Saturday morning and working non-stop until Sunday night, in addition to studying weekday evenings (this writer had no life at that time LOL - and maybe still has no life today LOL). Based on what you've written - and if you can afford it - the accelerated NCU MBA in "management" is recommended for you. Management courses tend to be softer than other courses. Here is a link:

    https://www.ncu.edu/programs-degrees/masters/master-business-administration

    (scroll down to see the "specializations," to include the MBA in "management")

    It's probably the fastest 30 credit RA graduate program out there. If your employer will pay for any of the tuition, then it may be a viable and speedy option for you.

    This writer has one doctorate and two masters degrees -- and is working on a third masters degree. :)
     
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  7. Qwerty56

    Qwerty56 New Member


    THIS POST is what I was looking for exactly !!! Yes, it's pricey, but finishing in less than a year is definitely worth it. (I probably won't pull off every 30 days, but I'll be close.) The ACSB Accreditation make the program eligible for additional tuition assistance beyond the $250/ credit hour I was already getting.

    THANKS A MILLION!!!!!!
     
  8. heirophant

    heirophant Well-Known Member

    WGU offers attractive features.

    For masters degree programs, it costs a flat $3,750 (or so, it varies slightly by program) per six month term. So about $7,500/year. (It might total about $8,000 with various fees.) Books (they are e-books) and instructional materials are included in the price.

    https://www.wgu.edu/financial-aid-tuition/tuition-business-degrees.html

    They don't have conventional classes. What they have instead are competencies that students have to demonstrate knowledge of and abilities in, and a whole variety of assessments that they use to measure those competencies. The nature of the assessments vary by subject. There are computerized online tests (used more in subjects like math and IT, I'd guess), there are written exams taken at proctoring sites, written research essays, projects and whatever. Professors are available for discussions and consultation. Students have various means to contact other students. You can enroll and begin anytime, you don't have to wait for the beginning of a fixed semester, the clock starts ticking on your term the month after you are accepted.

    https://www.wgu.edu/admissions/academic_experience_assessment

    It's up to you how many of the competency assessments you knock off each term, so how long the degree takes to complete is a function of how quickly students complete the assessments. Since students are paying for flat six-month time blocks, the total program cost will also be a function of how quickly students complete the assessments. (I get the impression that it takes the average masters degree student two years, which would seem to translate to a $15,000-$16,000 program cost.)

    It's like reducing more conventional university classes to the set of graded assignments the classes assign, then letting students complete those at their own speed.

    There are a number of scholarships available, some for members of particular professional organizations, others for groups like active military and veterans. It's eligible for federal student loans.
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2018
  9. davidfaulkner

    davidfaulkner New Member

    Here you will get detailed information about the degrees which could fit to your budget as well as time.
    https://courses.lsib.co.uk/AllDegreeCourses.aspx?Award=Degree
    Further, you can get help from their live chat support team if you find any problem or any query.
     
  10. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I sprinted through this, perhaps not taking the time it deserves but . . .LSIB is not listed as a "recognized" institution of higher learning. Their website says the are "accredited" but they do not give the name of the accreditor.

    https://www.gov.uk/check-a-university-is-officially-recognised/recognised-bodies
     
    Johann likes this.
  11. fourdegrees11

    fourdegrees11 New Member

    I'm looking into National University's graduate programs because from what I can gather they offer $250 per credit hour rate to active duty military. From what I can also tell, OP is military? If anyone has more input on NU that would be appreciated by me.
     
  12. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    Wow this is one hell of a thread. Qwerty, you've taken a few to the gut, but if everyone has calmed down, there ARE programs that are FASTer than others.
    Already mentioned but worth mentioning again is WGU. That program is self-paced, so the faster you go, the faster you're finished.
    The second you can look at is Amberton's MA in Professional Development. That program has a ton of flexibility and you can transfer in 12 prior credits (grad level). http://www.amberton.edu/programs-and-courses/masters-degree-programs/professional-development/degree-plan-details.html#degreePlanDetails
    Finally, my favorite NA college of the moment is Columbia Southern University. If you can pay cash (meaning no federal financial aid) you can do it self-paced (full speed) through their lifelong learning program instead of their semester based option. Grad credit is only $270/credit when you identify a learning partner (verification not required). Lots of master options. https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/online-degree
     
  13. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Amberton is a school that I consistently forget exists and then when someone mentions it I say "Oh yeah, I like that liberal arts masters they have with the stupid name!"

    Plus side, an MA in Professional Development sounds like it could be an HR degree. So for the lazy HR professional, they can get a credential that offers a slight career boost without taking a single HR course.
     
  14. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    I hadn't thought of it that way. So there are degrees that teach you how to develop other professionals as opposed to developing yourself as a professional? Got it!:)
     
  15. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    I don't have any experience with competency-based degrees, but there's an MBA from Patten University, and also Capella FlexPath, Walden "Tempo Learning", and Kaplan... sorry, "Purdue University Global"'s ExcelTrack(TM). These are for profit (except Purdue Global which is newly non-profit and ostensibly public), but RA.

    Also, on NA side, there's Ashworth College and it's self-paced degrees. If they are anything like their AS degrees, you can accelerate quite a bit if comfortable with material. Their graduate tuition is almost triple their undergrad fees, though - given NA limitation, the deal is much less attractive.
     
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  16. Afterhours

    Afterhours Member

  17. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Not recognized? Right. That's surely why they don't award their own degrees - or tutor, British-style, for degrees of schools that can award UK degrees. They're not allowed to. The web page says simply this:

    Q: Who awards the degrees?
    A: Degrees are awarded by a university. LSIB does not award/ confers degrees.

    Degrees are awarded by a university. That's illuminating! The most telling part is - that they don't name the school(s) awarding degrees. This is an old-school ploy in UK (since the Higher Education Act of 1988). I've seen this from other UK schools that weren't qualified to award degrees of their own (or of any other valid UK school). The degrees were invariably awarded by offshore schools (they have to be) and of dubious or nonexistent standing. I remember one outfit that actually bought its own captive unaccredited "school," in Arkansas. Others had deals with US unaccredited or foreign non-mainstream low-confidence degree providers.

    In fact, I saw a UK school yesterday offering degrees in Islamic Finance (a favourite subject of mine). The school had no UK degree-granting recognition and the degrees were awarded by a school in the US with no USDoE- or CHEA-recognized accreditation. I won't be going there ...
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2018
  18. japhy4529

    japhy4529 House Bassist

  19. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    I am curious what Qwerty picked.
     

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