Am I on the right path for any BLS degree

[rme1987]

Hello, I have been on the forum for a while as a guest and have read through the posts and have taken credits with the intention of getting a UMPI degree. I would just like to hear what the degree hacking experts think. 

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Age: 37

What kind of degree do you want? I was looking at accounting, finance, business administration, technology but it seems as if I have most credits for a BLS degree. I currently work in building security for my county. I could possibly look for other opportunities where I currently work with any degree. I have been interested in finance and technology. I want to finish any degree quickly before something may change and my credits become useless. After I get my undergraduate I may try to attend PSU world campus or another school for a more specific graduate degree. I have also looked into other schools such as SNHU, it would cost more. I prefer writing papers and doing projects to exams. I looked into WGU also, but have read about the proctors on the WGU reddit forums so I'd rather not deal with that.

RA Credits: 3
Olivet Nazarene University
American Government, 3 Credits. 97%

Current Ace, CLEP or NCCRS Credits.

Sophia learning: 72 credits.

English Composition l: 3 credits, 82%, my grader was very difficult so I just wanted to finish the course.
Workplace Communication: 3 credits, 91%
Intro to Ethics: 3 credits, 76%, very difficult course
Visual Communications: 3 credits, 85%
Art History I: 3 credits, 79%
Intro to Statistics: 3 credits, 75%, this was very difficult, I took every practice milestone multiple times and took a lots of notes.
Human Biology: 3 credits, 90%
Introduction to Sociology: 3 credits, 93%
U.S History l: 3 credits, 89%

The above credits look as they will fill the 1A,1C,2A,2D,2E,3A,3C,5A,5B, sections of UMPI GEC requirements for the BLS degrees.

Other Sophia credits:

Approaches to studying Religions: 3 credits, 92%
Art History ll: 3 credits, 82%
Business Law: 3 credits, 87%
College Algebra: 3 credits, 79%
Environmental Science: 3 credits, 90%
Financial Accounting: 3 credits, 93%
Introduction to Business: 3 credits, 93%
Introduction to information technology: 3 credits, 92%
Introduction to Psychology: 3 credits, 93%
Introduction to Web development: 3 credits, 87%
Macroeconomics: 3 credits, 90%
Microeconomics: 3 credits, 86%
Principles of Finance: 3 credits, 87%
U.S History ll: 3 credits, 88%
Project Management: 3 credits, 89%

These Sophia credits above were all earned in 2020,2021, and 2022 so some are no longer offered I know.

Sophia credits currently working on:
Spanish l, 67% completed.

Sophia credits still needed:
English Composition ll to fill 1B 
Science requirement for 3D
Lab requirement for 3E 

with everything completed that would be 85 credits.

Any certifications or Military experience? No.

Budget: I'd like to utilize as much as I already have that's possible, but I would say 7k-12K.

Commitments: I work fulltime in Security, but have a lot of downtime while working. 

Dedicated study time: I have at least 5 hours while at work and at least 5 hours after I go home, currently.

Timeline: I'd like to finish by the end of the year or before something changes where Sophia may not be accepted anymore or less credits can be transferred. 

Tuition Assistance/Reimbursement: My employer offers 5% to 20% reductions on tuition with select local colleges. None of them except alternative credits.
There are many public colleges near Pittsburgh, where I live, but they don't accept alternative credits. 

Thanks, for all that you do here.

[bjcheung77]

@rme1987, You're a decade younger than me! Welcome to the board, that's a great intro post with the addendum and template. With that budget, timeline, you can decide to do the following, a balanced mix/match trifecta of certs, degree, experience and get the BAS instead of the BLS with 3-4 classes that can go towards the MAOL. It really depends on how you want to do things...

For now, complete the Sophia.org classes while you have a subscription, follow the WIKI for the Pierpont BOG AAS and the UMPI BAS. You can apply to the Pierpont BOG AAS with an emphasis of your choice, get 40+ technical credits using Coursera/TEEX/Sophia.org, apply to UMPI BAS with a minor or two of your choice in addition to doing the 3-4 classes towards the MAOL. Good luck...

[Hotdogman1]

Environmental Science takes care of 3D (second science requirement)
You should take English II at UMPI as it’s a lot faster than Sophia.
Macroeconomics and microeconomics combine into one 3 credit hour course in UMPI.
You should do the Human Biology Lab on Sophia.
In total, you will be transferring 76 credits after completing Spanish and the 1 credit lab.
You should bring in at least 14 more credit, whether by additional Sophia courses, Coursera, or other credit sources.

[rachel83az]

I agree with not taking English II at Sophia. The grading problems you ran into for English I are even worse in English II.

Unless they've changed policies recently, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics combine to cover one requirement and one generic elective for a total of 6 credits. It's a bit strange how they do it, but WGU apparently does something similar.

[Hotdogman1]

I agree with not taking English II at Sophia. The grading problems you ran into for English I are even worse in English II.

Unless they've changed policies recently, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics combine to cover one requirement and one generic elective for a total of 6 credits. It's a bit strange how they do it, but WGU apparently does something similar.

I just looked it up on the UMPI course database and rachel83az is correct. If you take Macroeconomics and Microeconomics, It will transfer in as ECO 207 Macro & Micro Economics and 3 credits of ECO 2XX. Rather than needing to do 14 more credit hours, you will have to do at least 11 credits.

[LevelUP]

I want to finish any degree quickly before something may change and my credits become useless. 

It's not likely there will be any major changes coming in the near future. 

I was looking at accounting, finance, business administration, technology but it seems as if I have most credits for a BLS degree.  After I get my undergraduate I may try to attend PSU world campus or another school for a more specific graduate degree.

If you are planning on going to grad school, you should consider getting a business admin degree instead of a BLS.

I looked into WGU also, but have read about the proctors on the WGU reddit forums so I'd rather not deal with that.

[rachel83az]

I don't mind proctoring. It's how certain proctors have implemented things that bothers me.

[jg_nuy]

I want to finish any degree quickly before something may change and my credits become useless. 

It's not likely there will be any major changes coming in the near future. 

I was looking at accounting, finance, business administration, technology but it seems as if I have most credits for a BLS degree.  After I get my undergraduate I may try to attend PSU world campus or another school for a more specific graduate degree.

If you are planning on going to grad school, you should consider getting a business admin degree instead of a BLS.

I looked into WGU also, but have read about the proctors on the WGU reddit forums so I'd rather not deal with that.

Lore accurate proctor

[rme1987]

@rme1987, You're a decade younger than me! Welcome to the board, that's a great intro post with the addendum and template.  With that budget, timeline, you can decide to do the following, a balanced mix/match trifecta of certs, degree, experience and get the BAS instead of the BLS with 3-4 classes that can go towards the MAOL.  It really depends on how you want to do things...

For now, complete the Sophia.org classes while you have a subscription, follow the WIKI for the Pierpont BOG AAS and the UMPI BAS. You can apply to the Pierpont BOG AAS with an emphasis of your choice, get 40+ technical credits using Coursera/TEEX/Sophia.org, apply to UMPI BAS with a minor or two of your choice in addition to doing the 3-4 classes towards the MAOL.  Good luck...

Thanks BJ, I did look at the BAS plan, BAS does sound better than a BLS degree.

---

Environmental Science takes care of 3D (second science requirement)
You should take English II at UMPI as it’s a lot faster than Sophia.
Macroeconomics and microeconomics combine into one 3 credit hour course in UMPI.
You should do the Human Biology Lab on Sophia.
In total, you will be transferring 76 credits after completing Spanish and the 1 credit lab.
You should bring in at least 14 more credit, whether by additional Sophia courses, Coursera, or other credit sources.

I can take the lab separately? The wiki says the lab and science have to be taken together for it to count. If the lab can be taken and count that would be good. But you would know more about it than I would.

Thanks to everyone else who posted.

[bjcheung77]

You've taken Human Biology at Sophia.org, you need to take the corresponding Lab at Sophia.org to get the lab credit, that's what they're referring to, thus you'll bring your credits down to 14...