Colorado State University - Global Campus?

[drewthedude]

Greetings Folks!
So, thanks to this forum, I just found out about CSU-Global. My question is, is the institution actually a part of CSU? Can graduates list CSU on their resumes, or must you write "CSU-Global"? I know I shouldn't really care, but I'm just curious, because if I switch over to them, I'll be adding a good six months to my graduation time. Thanks!

[dcan]

... e-mail them?

[drewthedude]

Oh I definitely emailed them before posting here... but this is the response I received:

"You degree will be awarded from the Colorado State University System; the same as CSU-Pueblo and CSU-Fort Collins, but it will have our seal on it."

That was somewhat ambiguous, so I thought someone here might have better clarification. I just don't want to earn a degree that forever takes twenty minutes to explain "well, I went to CSU, but it's CSUS Global, which I mean, is the same as CSU, kind of, but well, it's actually their global campus. Ok, I did it online, sue me. By the way, it's technically from CSU, etc..,"

I'm actually not too worried about it either way - it's a state school (same as TESC), with good name recognition, and low residency requirement - I think I'm going to go for it. I'll keep the forum updated if it's worth the time, effort, money, etc..,


:-)

[burbuja0512]

If you're anywhere near Colorado, I would recommend CSU if you have the extra time to spend on an undergrad. At my last job (Colorado), everyone there seemed to be part of the "CU vs. CSU" club. A degree from either one of these schools would have been beneficial just to be part of the office school chat.

Of course, you could always get a quicker degree through TESC or COSC and then do a graduate degree at CSU online. That would probably be the option that would give you the best return on your college dollars. Why spend more for a CSU undergrad than COSC when you can use that money to get your graduate degree?

If you're not near Colorado and don't plan to be, I don't see that CSU would give you a huge advantage over TESC or COSC, which are both state colleges, but I could be missing something. In Colorado, your main advantage would be that a CSU alum is likely to be a decision-maker in hiring you, which could be a benefit.

[drewthedude]

That's pretty solid advice - I'm nowhere near CO. I guess my main hope is to get the biggest bang for my buck, both in education, and in name recognition. I'm in the military so I have tuition assistance and the GI bill. I'll be in four more years, and have until then to finish my masters. I want to prepare for public service as best as possible in that time. Therefore, I thought if I spend eight months or so to finish a BS from CSU, then use the rest of the GI bill to obtain an MBA from Webster University (they have a campus here for night courses), that would be a good course of action. However, I go back and forth between TESC/COSC/etc.., I just figured most of us on this forum use CLEPS/Big 3 options due to limited time and finances, whereas I have both taken care of.

In light of all that, what would you recommend?

[burbuja0512]

That's pretty solid advice - I'm nowhere near CO. I guess my main hope is to get the biggest bang for my buck, both in education, and in name recognition. I'm in the military so I have tuition assistance and the GI bill. I'll be in four more years, and have until then to finish my masters. I want to prepare for public service as best as possible in that time. Therefore, I thought if I spend eight months or so to finish a BS from CSU, then use the rest of the GI bill to obtain an MBA from Webster University (they have a campus here for night courses), that would be a good course of action. However, I go back and forth between TESC/COSC/etc.., I just figured most of us on this forum use CLEPS/Big 3 options due to limited time and finances, whereas I have both taken care of.

In light of all that, what would you recommend?

Good question and I hope someone can chime in that knows more about the GI bill than I do. Surely, their advice would be better than mine, but here's what I think based on my limited knowledge:

Once you have a master's degree, no one will care all that much about the undergrad. Well.. of course that depends on the field you're in, but in my world it's better to have a good masters with an unknown undergrad than the other way around. Of course well-known degrees for both the bachelors AND the masters would be even better I'm not sure if CSU really qualifies as "well known" outside of Colorado (and their top-ranking veterinary program) other than it does have the state U appeal.

Even if you have totally unlimited time and money to spend on your education, how will you feel after two years? Will you still be going strong and hitting the books every night? If you know for a fact that you won't get sick of school or burned out on homework and deadlines, then do what appeals to you the most. I personally am a little sick of studying and I know I can make it through my MBA program because it's only 2 years. If I had four years or more ahead of me, I don't know if I would feel the same way. If you hurry to complete the bachelors through a testing-based program, you can get to your masters a lot quicker. Then, if you have time and desire to study more after that, you could get another masters, work on a doctorate, or get graduate certificates that would enhance your resume.

Overall, it's all about getting hired and having a good job. Would CSU on an undergrad make a difference over COSC/TESC? Unless you're in Colorado, my guess would be that it wouldn't matter. However, CSU does sound a little better than a Big 3 option, so it's really a personal choice. Just don't forget about all of the extra time you'll take getting the CSU undergrad when you're making that decision. If it's worth it, then go for it! If you're not sure, then you may want to really weigh out all of your options and think about how many more years you really want to be a student.

I'll be curious to hear what you end up doing!

[dcan]

I'm Active Duty and have absolutely no concerns regarding cost since TA pays the bill. I chose TESC because it gives me the flexibility to learn what I want to focus on and to test out of a majority of my degree and finish in 18 months vs. the 4-5 years I was quoted by the education office for "normal" progress at one class per semester.

If at all possible I would hold on to the GI Bill as much as you can and use TA dollars to fund your undergrad AND your grad degree. THEN use the GI Bill to fund any other degree(s) or training you want, or transfer it to your family. With that kind of funding you could have multiple grad degrees when all is said and done. Plus due to the private school loophole you can finagle the GI Bill into paying for freakin' Harvard as long as you only take one semester per year. Why use the GI Bill now when you get 100% TA already? The benefit is there, you certainly work for it, so maximize it because it will be gone forever once you are out.

Just my unsolicited advice. :patriot:

[drewthedude]

Dcan,
Thanks for the input - always good to hear what another active duty student is doing, in terms of college completion. I agree with you 100% on saving the GI bill for later, and using TA as much as possible. I always exhaust TA within a few months though, and then I'm stuck for the rest of the year.
I guess my concern is, I'm not going to stay in and retire, so I want my education complete when I leave the military - this way I can go straight into the workforce. I originally planned to get a TESC degree for my undergrad, but the more I think about it - if I'm going to spend taxpayers dollars by using the GI bill, I might as well get a degree from the best online school I can. TESC is completely legit, obviously, but CSU would give me better name recognition later on down the line.

[dcan]

I completely agree with you, and if I hadn't waited until a few years before retirement to squeeze in an undergrad AND grad degree I would have probably just gone to the best school I could find. But I was stupid and thought I knew everything. I don't blame you one bit, if you have the time and flexibility then maximize the advantage given to you. In hindsight I wish I'd gotten on the bandwagon sooner. I like the idea of a computer science degree from Auburn. Oh well.

[drewthedude]

Ok just in case someone ever wonders about CSU-Global, here's what I found out:

-The degree awarded IS from Colorado State University, but according to my advisor you would need to list "Global Campus" on your resume. The diploma itself states "Colorado State University System" but the seal is the Global Campus one - just like the other campus's specify "Pueblo" or "Fort Collins."

-Overall, I believe it's worth putting in a few extra months to get the degree, as it is from a well known state college. If I were paying for my own education, I'd definitely just go with a BA from TESC/COSC/Excelsior, but since the military is covering costs, I figured name recognition won't be a bad thing. Depending on how many of my former credits they accept in transfer, I'll probably start classes in March. If someone asks where I received my degree, I'll just say CSU (unless they want details or whatever), which is correct - but on all official resumes, applications, etc.., I'll probably specify "Global Campus" just to be on the safe side.

-For general knowledge, the way the school works is very similar to alot of online degree completion programs. CSU accepts up to 90 credits in transfer, and 30 must be completed at CSU. A maximum of 60 non-traditional credits (i.e. CLEP/DANTES/military credits) can be transferred in - the rest must be traditional college credits. CSU accepts Straighterline, and a matrix of equivalent credits can be found on the Straighterline website. CSU runs on eight week terms, with six start times per year. Degree conferral occurs at the end of each term, so you can be finished pretty much as soon as you complete graduation requirements. Course load is typically two classes per term, but after successful completion of the first two classes, you may request permission to take three classes at a time, and I believe you can take an absolute maximum of four classes per term, IF you maintain a certain GPA - somewhere around 3.5 - so basically, if you only need ten courses, you could feasibly complete your degree in about four terms, which is eight months. CSU also offers several Master's programs, and I believe grad courses also run on eight week terms.

- Again, Big 3 options are obviously best for most of the demographic within this forum - most of us simply do not have the time or finances to take the traditional undergrad route, but for those of you on the fence, or other military folks like me, maybe this information will be helpful if you're considering CSU. Other similar options include Southern New Hampshire University (private, non-profit, regionally accredited), Troy University (public, NP,RA), Upper Iowa University (private, NP, RA), and University of Maryland University College (public, NP, RA).