Graduate TAMUC>UMPI

[graduatemore]

Your Location: United States in Texas
Your Age: 33
What kind of degree do you want?: Easy MBA and 2nd master's degree
Current Regional Accredited Credits: TAMUC bachelor's degree
Any certifications or military experience? No
Budget: Degree costs don't matter to me under the range of doctorates/law school/art degrees.
Commitments/Dedicated Time To Study/Timeline: Can make my own time to do everything I need. I prefer CBE, but I don't mind taking my time slowly even if it costs more.
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: I'll probably start the degree slowly and acquire employer reimbursement if needed/possible depending on the options.

Lurker here, hi. I've completed a TAMUC degree, to share some experience. To be honest, I think it's better than UMPI overall [if you're really confident for purely convenience]. If you transfer in Texas Government, it's doable in one term too, if you blitz classes every few days. Even if not, Texas Government isn't that difficult as long as you save essay questions for post-tests. Unlike UMPI, you don't have to do an annoying Sophia lab, communication requirement, and foreign language. The tuition cost is covered regardless if you're in Texas or not, whether employer tuition reimbursement or loans. The name brand is better. UMPI seems to take more class work to do [although you get more "time" to do them]. I guess UMPI's advantages are the time to do all classes within one term "easily" [and not needing Sophia for speed if you don't like the format for some reason I guess], and that there's more degree "options" for IT. Anyhow, I'm looking to do an easy and fast master's degree [but not WGU, as I want non-proctoring]. I'm not interested in UMPI, I think it's worse than TAMUC and looking at posts here it has too much writing for the master's.

I'd like to get 2 master's degrees. The Professional Studies from Bellevue University seems easy and I don't care about prices due to how grad plus loans work. I'd like to get an easy MBA though as well and I'm not sure if they're the best option for that. SNHU also seems to be good, but I don't know how it compares. Also, I'd like to avoid math-involved MBA and excessive Excel. I'm aware that a good MBA consists of networking, the best accreditng, and it's ranking whatnot. That's not my priority, I feel like "2 master's degrees" is enough for job markets. I can always go to another college later in my life.

In summary or TLDR: Professional/Interdisciplinary Studies if possible. Easy as the priority and non-proctor, transfer of credits for a 2nd master's, CBE/competency would be good. MBA, prefer not to do a dozen essays 10+ pages, Brightspace maybe. Price and reputation doesn't matter much. Southern/mid-state universities preferred.

Preliminary Research: Bellevue University first non-CBE and/or SNHU probably. CBE University of Phoenix [easy?, don't care about bad reputation, MBA] fast option. CBE Purdue Global MBA looks difficult, but has Professional Studies non-CBE?
https://www.etsu.edu/online/graduate-degrees/interdisciplinary-studies.php
https://www.una.edu/interdisciplinary-studies/graduate/index.html
https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-List-of-Cheap-Online-MBA-Programs-That-Can-Be-Completed-in-Under-1-Year

[mohelena02]

How about the Helenic University MBA?
I did a WGU Master's after TAMUC and I liked it.

Funny you mention TAMUC vs UMPI. I did TAMUC and my brother is currently doing UMPI (he's not in TX) and for sure they seem more efficient at UMPI but I thin the TAMUC classes were easier.

[Jonathan Whatley]

Professional/Interdisciplinary Studies if possible. […] Southern/mid-state universities preferred.

Preliminary Research: Bellevue University first non-CBE and/or SNHU probably. CBE University of Phoenix [easy?, don't care about bad reputation, MBA] fast option. CBE Purdue Global MBA looks difficult, but has Professional Studies non-CBE?
https://www.etsu.edu/online/graduate-degrees/interdisciplinary-studies.php
https://www.una.edu/interdisciplinary-studies/graduate/index.html
https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-List-of-Cheap-Online-MBA-Programs-That-Can-Be-Completed-in-Under-1-Year

You might also look at
Amberton University [TX] MA in Professional Development
Dallas Baptist University Master of Liberal Arts
Jacksonville State University [AL] MA in Integrated Studies
Texas Christian University Master of Liberal Arts
Texas Tech University MA or MS in Interdisciplinary Studies
University of Memphis MA in Liberal Studies
University of Oklahoma MA in Integrated Studies

[ReyMysterioso]

Did you do the Organizational Leadership major or a different one at TAMUC?

I'm not sure I completely agree that TAMUC is the better brand than UMPI if you look up rankings and outcomes...however if you're in the Southern/mid-state region, I think locality and name recognition beats arbitrary rankings and that skews toward TAMUC.

If a potential student was in let's say upstate NY, I would lean toward UMPI for locality and name recognition of the U Maine system.

If you're in the market for a Master's, in the Southern/mid-state universities region, I have found that University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) is fantastic for networking. I run into alums literally all over the nation that will ask me "Do you know [random name]?" And if they throw out at least three names, I always know at least one of them. It's absolutely uncanny.

[bjcheung77]

Basically, I would recommend an upward mobility approach with a Masters instead of a lateral approach with a second Bachelors. WGU MSML or the MBA program, both are ACBSP accredited, you are in Texas, they're also endorsed by the state. They just added two more states last year in 2023 Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Go...University

[graduatemore]

For the TAMUC degree, I did General Studies. I think TAMUC's more convenient in avoiding annoying Sophia Touchstones [although I wouldn't mind actually trying to learn a second language someday]. I place more value on no income tax states. Maine is probably one of the least interesting states in the Northeast [overall this is just my opinion], and I prefer hot hot weather over Northeast cold cold weather. TAMUC also has more graduate programs, they're just not CBE. More funding, more sports quality, in Dallas for alumni purposes, etc on the wikis. But UMPI might also be good for getting into good Northeast graduate programs. I can't speak to the rankings of degrees and academic weights, although I do think the Northeast/Ivy League schools obviously tend to do best, as might UMPI over TAMUC. 

I've basically narrowed it down to: going to see which of these don't have too many dozen page essays and non-proctor. Ah and I meant I want 2 graduate degrees. I think WGU is the best option for speed and quality, but I'd rather not risk failing and I think it's too mainstream.

1. MPS Bellevue University, MBA SNHU. 2. [Speed] MBA University of Phoenix [fast CBE?], MPS Purdue Global [CBE? but harder]
etsu.edu/online/graduate-degrees/interdisciplinary-studies.php 
[no tech degree] una.edu/interdisciplinary-studies/graduate/index.html
Dallas Baptist University Master of Liberal Arts [looks promising, Texas, Dallas like TAMUC, religious degree I can see advantages here)

[Melhux]

Have you made your decision what school and masters program? I was looking at TAMCT for a masters . Any thoughts?

[bjcheung77]

Have you made your decision what school and masters program? I was looking at TAMCT for a masters . Any thoughts?

Someone may choose differently than you would due to cost, credits, ease, recognition, time, whatever it may be, you should actually be more decisive and also showcase your shortlist, we can advise which would be the better front runners and what to use as backup options. For example you haven't listed anything and didn't inform readers what masters you're looking for, if you're going the cheap, easy, fast or a mix/match of them, HAU MBA, WGU MSML/MBA, UMPI MAOL, PUG/TAMUC Masters in something, etc.