Advice towards my Bachelors, lots of details

[FinallyDoingIt24]

Hello! I've been reading here for quite awhile, and now it's time for me to ask for advice...

Your Location: New Jersey, United States
Your Age: 44
What kind of degree do you want?: Bachelors – Info Tech or Bus Admin

Current Regional Accredited Credits:  1
December 3rd Graduation Approved: Pierpont BOG Associates - Information Systems

ASU (1 credit)
Business Tech Fundamentals   

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:
 
Sophia Learning (91 Credits):
College Algebra / Calculus I     
US History I                                               
Introduction to Information Technology         
Introduction to Networking                          
Art History I / Art History II                                             
Macroeconomics / Microeconomics                                         
The Essentials of Managing Conflict             
Introduction to Business                             
Developing Effective Teams                        
Financial Accounting                                
Introduction to Nutrition          
Project Management                 
Environmental Science                        
Introduction to Statistics           
Principles of Finance                      
Introduction to Relational Databases     
Principles of Management                     
Introduction to Sociology                         
Business Law                                           
Critical Thinking                                                            
Introduction to Web Development                           
Visual Communications                                               
Workplace Communication                                         
Spanish I                                                                          
Human Biology / Biology Lab                                                                                                   
Introduction to Chemistry                                          
Introduction to Ethics                                                  
Conflict Resolution                                                       
 
Straighterline (6 Credits)
Business Statistics  
Organizational Behavior                                             
 
Any certifications or military experience?
Coursera/TADA
Google IT Support Certificate
IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate
Google Data Analytics
Google Project Management (in progress)
 
Budget:
I’d like to do whatever gets me a Bachelor’s the fastest.  Willing to spend up to $10k if need be.
 
Commitments:
Full Time job that can be demanding, but gets very slow in Dec/Jan (which is when I’d like to try to do as much as possible)
 
Dedicated time to study:  
Outside of work, I am dedicating my free time to finishing this degree – I can study 3-4 hours a day if needed
 
Timeline:
I would like to finish in 2024 if possible.
 
Notes:
I have time, and was planning to, pick up some more credits towards degree via Study.com before starting a bachelors as well.  Would love to hear thoughts on what I should take.
 
I test very very well and have a lot of business and IT experience. I can generally pass tests on the first try with minimal studying. I much prefer a test based curriculum, but am also fine with presentations, projects, essays etc. I got very frustrated taking English Comp 1 and 2 and Sophia and dropped them.  I’d do 1-2 touchstones with great grades and feedback, get a different grader, and suddenly everything would be kicked back for “plagiarism”, when I wrote the essays myself. Very demotivating and I will likely try retaking both at Study.com.
 
I was originally going for the Information Technology Management degree at WGU, but am wondering if there are better options available for me (TESU perhaps, since I am a NJ resident?)
 
Open to all suggestions – I am wanting to get a Bachelors finally as I have 20 years of experience and have hit a wall where I can’t advance my career without that piece of paper.  Looking for a more general degree relating to IT/Operations/Business Management – I was an Executive Assistant for many years and now work in Operations Management specializing in Tech (researching and procuring hardware/software, planning for needs etc).
 
Thank you in advance for any suggestions on my next steps!

[rachel83az]

I'm definitely going to suggest a TESU BACS + BS CIS for you. If you've already got Calculus I completed, that's a large portion of the difficult math over and done with. You've done multiple statistics classes, so Study.com's Discrete Math should be pretty easy (a large portion of it is simply statistics).

The BS CIS degree is a business degree, but TESU has decided to rebrand it as just a BS degree... for no good reason. Whatever. You should be able to spin the BS CIS degree as either business or tech, depending on what your resume needs. You're probably looking at another $7k (give or take) for both degrees, give or take.

Faster and cheaper would be a BABA PM/IS from UMPI. It's about the same amount of writing as a TESU degree, but it'd be split up into multiple papers/projects instead of in just a couple of capstone/cornerstone courses as in TESU. It's a business degree, but not really a tech degree.

UMPI also has the BABA Supply Chain Management that might leverage your current knowledge. It's definitely not a tech degree at all, though.

You need to decide whether you'd rather write one big paper (TESU) or a bunch of smaller papers (UMPI).

[davewill]

I'm definitely going to suggest a TESU BACS + BS CIS for you. If you've already got Calculus I completed, that's a large portion of the difficult math over and done with. You've done multiple statistics classes, so Study.com's Discrete Math should be pretty easy (a large portion of it is simply statistics).

The BS CIS degree is a business degree, but TESU has decided to rebrand it as just a BS degree... for no good reason. Whatever. You should be able to spin the BS CIS degree as either business or tech, depending on what your resume needs. You're probably looking at another $7k (give or take) for both degrees, give or take.

Faster and cheaper would be a BABA PM/IS from UMPI. It's about the same amount of writing as a TESU degree, but it'd be split up into multiple papers/projects instead of in just a couple of capstone/cornerstone courses as in TESU. It's a business degree, but not really a tech degree.

UMPI also has the BABA Supply Chain Management that might leverage your current knowledge. It's definitely not a tech degree at all, though.

You need to decide whether you'd rather write one big paper (TESU) or a bunch of smaller papers (UMPI).

With only 1 RA credit, he'd have to find and take another 23 RA credits for TESU. Those are likely to have a significant amount of writing. I think that makes UMPI the much easier choice.

[rachel83az]

Not if he does credits at Metropolia and/or XAMK. A lot of those have very little, if any, writing.

[karehiro]

If you test very well with minimal studying and have extensive IT and business experience, once you receive your Associate's from Pierpont, in addition to the options already mentioned I would recommend you also check out the CBE options in the University of Wisconsin Flex programs which are UW-Parkside's BS in Business Administration and UW-Milwaukee's BS in Information Science and Technology (IST), as well as Central Washington University FlexIT program, BS in Information Technology and Administrative Management (ITAM). Wisconsin's programs have a flat tuition rate of $2,250/term for as many courses as you can go through, with each term being 12 weeks. Central Washington University's program is $3,000/term for a full-time load (12 credits+) with as many courses as you can go through, each term also being 12 weeks.

UW-Parkside BS in Business Administration: https://flex.wisconsin.edu/degrees-progr...istration/
UW-Milwaukee BS in Information Science and Technology (IST): https://flex.wisconsin.edu/degrees-progr...echnology/
Central Washington University BS in Information Technology and Administrative Management (ITAM): https://www.cwu.edu/academics/it-managem...flexit.php

May be worth it to have your transcripts sent in and evaluated to see your options with the above schools even if you may need to retake some courses you've already done via alternate sources. With your strength in test taking and extensive experience, you may be able to get through the competencies quickly and therefore be cost-effective.

[bjcheung77]

@OP, For now... I would wait for an evaluation and see what credits you have remaining for your TESU degree, you can decide to stay with TESU at $3319 the flat rate, or try to save the few hundred by doing a couple sessions at UMPI for $3K, you still need to make sure to max the transfer credits at either institution with the ACE recommendations we have.

It really depends on how you do things, if you go the TESU route, it'll be cheaper if you decide to go for a second degree as you just pay for a capstone/grad fee and any newer transfer credits (ACE credits). I would do a search for $3319 and review posts that I've mentioned for individuals looking at UMPI vs TESU and particular reasons to go with either...

TESU would be cheaper, easier, faster for you as you're in NJ, don't even bother looking at Excelsior as they need 7 credits, TESU requires 6. But you can do so cheaper because you might be qualified for the Garden State option, meaning a free Bachelors for in-state students. Even if you take 15 credit flat term, it's just $3319 vs the $4K Excelsior will cost you for those 7 credits alone...

Here are three threads you might be interested in reading, then decide for yourself which way to go (degree/institution):
https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid405722
https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid405133
https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid404447