Degree Plan Advice - Can I finish in a year? Without starving to death?

[SolarKat]

If you're looking for an alternative to the BSBA with TESU, you could conceivably finish the BS in Data Science & Analytics in a year. The 12 AOS courses are 4 weeks each. You'd have to schedule carefully, but it could be done. At the moment, I'm doing 2 of the 4-week classes simultaneously. The workload isn't horrible. And data analytics/science is a hot career these days. The AOS classes will set you back $5500 or so, but they offer a no-interest 18-month payment plan ($290/month). Any remaining gen eds can be pulled right from the BSBA plan, though, so that's cheap. Good luck!

[MD_AJIBULU]

If you're looking for an alternative to the BSBA with TESU, you could conceivably finish the BS in Data Science & Analytics in a year. The 12 AOS courses are 4 weeks each. You'd have to schedule carefully, but it could be done. At the moment, I'm doing 2 of the 4-week classes simultaneously. The workload isn't horrible. And data analytics/science is a hot career these days. The AOS classes will set you back $5500 or so, but they offer a no-interest 18-month payment plan ($290/month). Any remaining gen eds can be pulled right from the BSBA plan, though, so that's cheap. Good luck!

Funny things is that I desperately wanted to get into Data & Analytics but I figured it may be too great of a deviation from what I've been doing thus far in my career. I mean, I'm not old by any means so I guess "time" isn't the issue, maybe patience is.

I'll definitely look into this

[dfrecore]

I could be wrong about this... but if you enroll in the comprehensive plan, 36 credits is your MAX and that INCLUDES testing out credits. I don't think you can take 36SH at TESU and also test out in the same 12 months. You should knock out those tests before enrolling. I will double check this... I could be full of BS

EDIT: Kinda wrong on this. From the site: The plan covers up to 36 credits of the University's Online courses, Guided Study courses, e-Pack courses, TECEP exams and portfolio assessment.

So if you want to enroll in 36 and also take TECEPS, I don't think you can. You should be able to get away with other tests.

You can use the 36cr to do anything TESU offers, but it would be crazy to take any TECEP's with it. Why would you waste a plan where you're paying $176/cr (NJ in-state comprehensive tuition) on a $37/cr exam? You'd be better off taking TECEP's after you were done with your paid-for year.

[dfrecore]

Dfrecore! This is fantastic! Thank you so much for this! Do you have a gofundme account I can send money and kind words too? lol

But seriously, thanks. I'm so ready to get started!

I accept kind words on this forum, and cash through my PayPal account! hilarious

[dfrecore]

Funny things is that I desperately wanted to get into Data & Analytics but I figured it may be too great of a deviation from what I've been doing thus far in my career. I mean, I'm not old by any means so I guess "time" isn't the issue, maybe patience is.

I'll definitely look into this

So, I was interested in creating a degree plan for this, so you're my guinea pig.

This will definitely be more expensive than the BSBA, but it may be worth the additional cost if you really want that specific degree. And the ability to pay on installment is a nice option as well. It also seems to be the only BA/BS at TESU with no capstone! So there's that.

My advice on this, if you're not sure what you want to do yet - you can start with the Gen Ed's, making sure you take College Algebra and Statistics (not through Statistics.com). THEN, take 7 business courses, either from the core or the AOS. At that point, you have a decision to make; continue on with the BSBA, or switch to the Data Analytics degree. It will be an extra $5000, so that may or may not make a difference at that point in time.

[SolarKat]

My advice on this, if you're not sure what you want to do yet - you can start with the Gen Ed's, making sure you take College Algebra and Statistics (not through Statistics.com). THEN, take 7 business courses, either from the core or the AOS. At that point, you have a decision to make; continue on with the BSBA, or switch to the Data Analytics degree. It will be an extra $5000, so that may or may not make a difference at that point in time.

Just a quick point, if the student is planning to actually work in analytics after graduation. They're typically going to need solid Excel skills, and experience with statistical software. For a general degree, any intro stats course will do, but if you're going into analytics, you will be well served by taking a stats class that actually uses the stats package(s). I took intro stats (back when dinosaurs were taking intro stats & people were writing in FORTRAN), but I'm doing it again with Statistics.com specifically because they've incorporated four different software packages into the lesson plans. (You only have to choose one to learn & do the homework, but you have the materials, instructions, and very active professor and TA support for all 4 options). It's a great way to add chops to your resumÃ, working in Box Sampler, StatCrunch, Resampling Stats for Excel (RSXL), and R. So financially, the ALEKS option (or similar) is fine. But speaking practically, I think it's important to either take a project-based class, or making a determined effort to learn the software on your own, from very early on in the program. The intro class at Statistics.com does expect that you have some basic familiarity with Excel. Also, for scheduling purposes, the Statistics.com intro stats is 2 4-week sessions (works out to 9 weeks, with a week between the sessions). The rest of their classes in the AOS are 4 weeks long.

(I'll add that one of my kids is taking intro stats at his engineering college, and they're doing all of their work in R. So perhaps a community college might be another source for intro stats with statistical software exposure?)

[rowan555]

Any reason you're not considering WGU? Their 6 month terms are $3,000 and I've read about people completing 30+ credits in a term while working a full time job and raising young kids.

[dfrecore]

Just a quick point, if the student is planning to actually work in analytics after graduation. They're typically going to need solid Excel skills, and experience with statistical software. For a general degree, any intro stats course will do, but if you're going into analytics, you will be well served by taking a stats class that actually uses the stats package(s).

I was saying that the OP should take the cheap Intro to Stats course while still deciding whether or not to do the BSBA or the BA in DA. For the DA degree, you need to take the course from Statistics.com, but I would wait to pay $500 until he/she knew for sure that that's what they wanted to major in.

[SolarKat]

I was saying that the OP should take the cheap Intro to Stats course while still deciding whether or not to do the BSBA or the BA in DA. For the DA degree, you need to take the course from Statistics.com, but I would wait to pay $500 until he/she knew for sure that that's what they wanted to major in.

Actually, you *can* transfer it into the DA degree. (For the Stats.com certificate they'll transfer in up to 3 classes. For TESU, you can transfer in any intro stats, too, or even take the pricey TESU class instead of Stats.com.) If time is a factor, then Saylor or any other cheap option is fine to transfer in. My point is that if data science is even on the horizon, and time is a factor, killing 2 birds (the software skills and the stats credits) with Statistics.com seems to make more sense than time on an outside course just for the credits, and then time repeating the material independently to learn the stats software. (You see Excel and Excel-based packages throughout a number of classes in the degree, as well as R in the electives.) If money is tight, then it would probably be worth the time sacrifice to do the Saylor credits/noncredit practice with software. Otherwise, I agree with doing all the other stuff and waiting for the final 33 credits (that's the # of credits for the DA/DS AOS) to decide on which stats (quickie plain vs. software-based longer/pricier) makes sense.

[MD_AJIBULU]

So, I was interested in creating a degree plan for this, so you're my guinea pig.

Dfrecore's Guinea Pig....*swoons*

Thanks so much for this! These spreadsheets truly make it much easier to visualize my options and track my progress.