Hi, Folks, I've been on this forum for days reading the posts trying to understand everything, but unfortunately, I keep getting more and more confused and overwhelmed because there is so much information. Wow is there ever! I'm interested in completeing my bachelors degree in Business Administration. Twenty years ago at Penn State I was a psychology major so I'm not sure how many credits towards a Business degree I have (or if they'd even transfer). At one point, I dropped out so I guess I have some Fs as well as some As, Bs, and Cs. The terms I've run across that got me to the point of feeling overwhelmed is CLEP, DSST, COSC, TESC, Straightline, Instantcert, ACE, FEMA ALEKS, bookrags, Excelsior. I know the basic meaning of some of these, but where does one start when trying to find the most efficient way to get her degree? I humbly ask for any suggestions or recommendations.
Hi, and welcome to DegreeInfo! It is an awfully confusing thing reading about all of these options. We have some articles from the old version of our site which will soon be back on the main site, but in the meantime, here are some links that will get you started An Introduction to Distance Learning Prove What You Know: Credit By Examination The BS in Levitation: Earning a Degree with Exams and Portfolio
Here is what I suggest you do: Download the business degree and liberal studies catalogs from the Excelsior College website https://www.excelsior.edu/ The catalogs are under "publications" so you will have to sign up for a user name and password. Excelsior is a legitimate college located in the state of New York. Read through the catalogs - they are well written and include charts showing the path to a degree (you might even have all the courses you need for an associates degree ). Look at the BSLS as well as the BS in Business - the BSLS is probably the most flexible degree to earn since it allows 60 units in any academic field. Contact Penn State (and any other colleges you might have attended) and request transcripts. Compare your Penn State units to those in the Excelsior catalog and see what courses you need to finish a BS degree. There other colleges around that may suit your needs better than Excelsior but for now what I outlined should give you an idea of where you stand. From your post I deduct that you have substantial academic, work, and life experience so a way to obtain additional academic units fairly rapidly and at reasonable cost is by taking challenge exams which we can discuss later. If you can list your Penn State credits on line here we can then suggest a path forward for you (start a new thread under "Distant Learning Discussions"). Ignore the other acronyms you listed at this point - we can clarify those later. The only accronym you need to know is RA - that is Regionally Accredited and is the gold standard for colleges and universities. Ignore any college that is not RA. And welcome to DegreeInfo.
Thanks so much! Ian, you are dead-on. I was in outside sales for 2 years, where I was trained extensively to build a small business. More recently, I was the Visitor Services Manager of a large museum for 7 years where, again, I oversaw staff in the day to day operations; writing procedures, Admin for reservation software, events coordinator, accounts receivable, museum liaison for several committees, etc. I'll read the information provided me and be back, probably with more questions. Thanks again!
>> Welcome! It's a lot to take in, and unless you are in a big hurry, I'd spend a while soaking up what you can. Just reading and hanging out will take you far. It's my opinion that 1 month here may save you 2 years on your undergrad degree. You asked about the most efficient way to get your degree...well, you'll find that the group here can help you strip away the fluff and zero in on the meat in under 60 seconds lol. However, you are still exploring, and I'd suggest spending more time reading the archives. I don't think that you should make any degree decisions until you have more information and can assess your situation better. (*you need to know what credits you have earned, that's a minimum starting point- per prior suggestion: get your transcript today!) "Efficient" is a funny word, and it'll be defined differently. Perhaps you mean efficiency of time, or of money, or of content. Whatever it ends up being, there will be various paths to get you there. Lastly, are you considering Penn State again? You know they have an online option now right?
I will just add something else to think about - do you want the degree fast or is that not a concern. You can shave some time off (as cookderosa said) by taking CLEP and DSST exams. They are the equal to saying, "I know all the material presented in a humanities class [or others] and would like to challange the class by taking a single test to demonstate my knowledge" You can rack up 3 credits in about 60 minutes. Most schools will accept a certain number of these credits and some schools will accept many of these credits (enough to earn your degree). Personally, I took quite a few of these tests and they really saved time. Just looking at Penn State, you can look here for CLEPs and here for DSST. If you want to look someplace other then Penn State, there is a whole new world open to you.
Absolutely! I have spent more time doing research into degree programs than I have actually studying for my up and coming exams. Of all the places I have ever looked (probably every place that even exists) THIS site has given me the most info. and possibly, the school that I will transfer to after I am done with my AA. Stick around for a bit, and you will find in a short amount of time that you will actually be helping other people answer THEIR questions. Also, when you have an idea of what you want to do, and even when you think you are 100% sure, check back here and see what some of the people here think. I just did that this past week and am almost sold on changing schools entirely because I learned about a program that not even my exhaustive research led me to previously.
I just noticed you live in PA. As mentioned bt Randell, Penn State has a DL business degree Penn State | Online Bachelor of Science in Business | Curriculum However, Penn state charges close to $500 per unit for tuition (perhaps there is a reduction for PA residents). For reference, you need the following courses and credits for the following degrees: Penn State BS Business Business – 60 plus units General education - 45 units Electives - 8 to 16 units Excelsior BS Business Business – 45 units General Ed (Arts & Sciences) – 60 units Electives – 15 units Excelsior BS LS Arts & Sciences – 60 units Electives – 60 units With Excelsior (and two other similar colleges) you can earn your credits at any college or university in the US, by passing challenge exams, or by obtaining credit for lifelong learning (or Portfolio learning). These options can significantly reduce the cost of obtaining a degree.
Some suggestions I have: Online Bachelors Degree Programs with the SUNY Learning Network Online B.S. in Business Columbia College Online Campus - Business Administration Probably your least expensive online options (other than Excelsior, which could be done on the cheap if you use the right options): Online Programs :: College of Business :: University of Wyoming Online Programs - Peru State College
I second this. When I first found this forum, I was so desperate to find a new career I didn't know what to do. Just hanging out on here for a while led me to the right programs, and now it looks like the right career field. Read a lot, and ask a lot of questions. Good luck!!
Hi! My goal is to have my degree by January. I was laidoff from the museum in November. I am now working on a governor's campaign which will be very promising for me if I can get my undergraduate. I'm working on getting my transcripts from PAY and I also have some from a community college I attended. Not such an easy task since signature required. Money is not an issue.
A few online degree completion programs in business: Southern Oregon Univ. Bachelor of Applied Science in Management California State Univ. – East Bay Bachelor of Science in Business Administration: Program Overview: California State University, East Bay Continuing Education Univ. of Illinois-Chicago Online Business Degree | Bachelor of Business Administration Degree Completion Program | University of Illinois Chicago Online Programs Park Univ. Business Management Degree Online at Park University Upper Iowa Univ. Online Program - Academic Extension - Upper Iowa University Univ. of Massachusetts – Amherst Isenberg School of Management: Undergraduate Programs Online Degree Program Arcadia Univ. Arcadia University - Business Administration Accelerated Degree Saint Joseph’s College Online Business Administration Degree - BSBA Courses - Business Administration College UNC Online University of North Carolina Online: Business & Management Programs California State Univ. – Chico University Center - Redding - Prospective Students - 530-898-6105 Howard Payne Univ. Howard Payne - Degree Completion Mount Ida College (not directly business administration, but interesting (?)). “The Distance Education Degree Completion Program in Funeral Home Management.” Mount Ida College: Online Degree Completion Program
I don't recall what I have completed. It was so long ago. A bunch of general course work, some psychology courses, a few physical educations, some art courses. I'm working on getting my transcripts (It's a p.i.t.a!) to post on here. Oh! One thing - I'm absolutely horrible at foreign languages. I've taken Spanish I 3 times in my lifetime!
