Degree Planning - Choice Selection Help

[Kjnova]

I am not sure where to ask this question. This thread seems like it might fit, but apologies if not.

I completed ~120 credit hours at NCSU from 1989 to 1993 without graduating. I switched majors, and had a few missing requirements at the time. I got a job that led to me moving out of state. In 2010/2011, I was readmitted with a plan to finish my degree online, but had a major work event (ie my division was eliminated so I lost my job) that caused me to lose focus on the online classes and flunk out.

Recently, I reapplied and was admitted for a third time. I need five academic classes (most of which are very specific) and a one-credit physical fitness type class to graduate. If I meet these requirements, I will have BA in English Literature from NCSU.

I can take up to 15 credits elsewhere and transfer them in. I do need to take one NCSU class in my final semester for a residency requirement. Specifically, I need to complete 45 of my final 30 credits at NCSU, and currently, all of my credits are from NCSU.

However, I have had a lot of trouble finding self-paced courses that would transfer in, so for my ~16 credit hours I need, I am looking at two problems. One is that I have to wait for specific upper level classes to be offered. They are generally not offered every semester. (Think: 16th Century British Literature Other Than Novel, stuff like that.)

Even when I have found classes that look to me like they should transfer in - for example, Jazz History at UW-Flex transferring in as NCSU Jazz History - NCSU has said they would not accept it as transfer credit, for whatever reason. I speculate that they refuse to accept self-paced credit even from regionally accredited universities.

The second problem is that NCSU does have online classes, but every class is not online, and the online classes are sometimes synchronous, sometimes asynchronous, but never self-paced. So realistically, I am looking at being tied up at dinnertime every night until May, when I could probably graduate.

I might do that ... ultimately, it may be a small price to pay.

However, it leads to me wondering, would I be better off getting a bachelor's degree in business from a school with less brand awareness? For example, UMPI.

This would require more credit hours (30+ instead of ~16), but it might be faster anyway, because of the self-paced nature of the classes.

My career is in business - specifically, IT product management/program management. So, a business administration degree makes more sense from that standpoint. English Literature isn't what I would choose today. It is what I chose way back when.

NCSU isn't Harvard, but it is tied for #60 right now on the USN&WR list of top national schools, for what it is worth. It is a major research university, and the largest university in North Carolina.

I guess my question amounts to, all else being equal, should I choose the higher profile school, or the degree that seems like a better fit for my established career path? This might be one of those questions that it's impossible to truly answer, but I'm interested in other opinions. I don't have anybody with an informed perspective of this stuff who I can discuss this with in person.

Thanks!

[bjcheung77]

Basically... You'll be given many various answers, most of them are just personal advice or opinion, you should go with your gut feeling. There really isn't a right or wrong answer, some look at the rankings and others look at course content, it also depends on what you want to get out of it... Factors such as energy, money, time will change your choices, for me, I like to get the most ROI/Value with options provided, my personalized view on this, wait for it...

Take BOTH if you have energy, money, time to complete the 1 class at NCSU. You can then take classes at UMPI and transfer them into the degree, furthermore, you can use these credits at UMPI for residency and complete a different degree... You will end up with the NCSU BA English, UMPI AALS (it's free, no extra classes as your residency classes complete the degree), and the Bachelors of your choice (you should really add the 3-4 classes that go towards the MAOL).

[Kjnova]

Thanks, but, I probably didn't explain it well - for the NCSU degree, I need to meet these requirements:
- 1 upper level British Renaissance literature class
- 1 upper level World literature class
- 1 upper level Rhetoric class
- 5 hours of interdisciplinary classes
- 1 math class (any math will do)
- 1 U.S. diversity requirement
- 1 physical fitness 1-hour class

In some cases, one class can meet multiple requirements. Using NCSU classes, it amounts to five academic classes I would need:

- Brit Lit has to be one class
- World Lit has to be one class
- Rhetoric can double as an interdisciplinary
- Jazz History can double as interdisciplinary and diversity
- Math
- And, the PE

So, that is five academic classes plus a PE.

My hope was that I could knock off most of them via UW-Flex or a similar option, and only take the literature classes at NCSU. But I learned today that NCSU will not accept the UW-Flex classes, and since I can't see any obvious reason they wouldn't take a UW-Flex Jazz History class in lieu of the NCSU Jazz History class, for example, that makes me think NCSU will not accept any self-paced classes from anywhere. So, I either need to take (at best) asynchronous classes at NCSU or take asynchronous classes somewhere else.

The one-class requirement is just the residency requirement. In theory, if I could meet all of my requirements elsewhere, I would need to take one class at NCSU in the semester I graduate simply so I am an NCSU student at the time of graduation.

I like the idea of ending up with two bachelor degrees and I've considered at least going for a business minor at NCSU; however, the residency requirement would become a complication then. I think I would need to just complete the NCSU English Lit degree first.

Thanks for the response!

[Vle045]

I understand the appeal of having a “brand” name degree. But at this stage, I really don’t think it matters. If you are already established in your career and you just need to complete that degree for the sake of having it, then the “brand” won’t matter too much. UMPI is a solid choice if it fits with your goals. Your experience will hold more weight than the name of the college where you finish your degree. Your experience might also help you get through the courses more quickly.

[Kjnova]

For business, are there other options on par with, or better than, UMPI for someone who prefers self-paced learning?

The University of Wisconsin Flex Plan has a BSBA, offered via UW-Parkside. I feel like my humanities-based transcript might fare better transferring into a BA in business, than a BSBA, but I am not sure.

I should also look into Western Governors University, I think?

Prices seem kind of comparable for those three. Which is the better deal may depend how many classes you can complete at each in their different length academic terms ($1500/8 weeks at UMPI, $2250/12 weeks at UW-Flex, and $3,500ish/6 month term at WGU). If I simply divide cost per week, WGU looks like the winner, but I'm sure there is more to it than that.

I would prefer a regionally accredited (or I guess, formerly regionally accredited) school if possible.

And if anybody thinks this is crazy talk and I should just finish at NCSU, please let me know ... that is why I am here, in case I'm overlooking the obvious. Thanks!

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, it really depends on the person, for the last little while, I've been telling people to go the TESU/UMPI route vs the Excelsior/WGU route, the main reason is because TESU & UMPI are public/state institutions vs Excelsior/WGU, they're private nonprofit institutions that are exclusively online. You want to have a 'more rounded' educational institution at the undergrad level, if you are looking at the Masters level, I would go WGU or a one and done, I would go either UMPI for their BAS/MAOL or WGU BSIT/MS option.

[Kjnova]

Hmm, it really depends on the person, for the last little while, I've been telling people to go the TESU/UMPI route vs the Excelsior/WGU route, the main reason is because TESU & UMPI are public/state institutions vs Excelsior/WGU, they're private nonprofit institutions that are exclusively online.  You want to have a 'more rounded' educational institution at the undergrad level, if you are looking at the Masters level, I would go WGU or a one and done, I would go either UMPI for their BAS/MAOL or WGU BSIT/MS option.

Thanks! Are you familiar with the UW-Flex/UW-Parkside program?

Does TESU do 100% self-paced? I have not been considering them.

I have applied at UMPI, and I have been emailing back and forth with a UW-Flex admissions person. I have not contacted TESU or WGU, or anywhere else aside from NCSU.

Thanks again!

[karehiro]

For business, are there other options on par with, or better than, UMPI for someone who prefers self-paced learning?

The University of Wisconsin Flex Plan has a BSBA, offered via UW-Parkside. I feel like my humanities-based transcript might fare better transferring into a BA in business, than a BSBA, but I am not sure.

I should also look into Western Governors University, I think?

Prices seem kind of comparable for those three. Which is the better deal may depend how many classes you can complete at each in their different length academic terms ($1500/8 weeks at UMPI, $2250/12 weeks at UW-Flex, and $3,500ish/6 month term at WGU). If I simply divide cost per week, WGU looks like the winner, but I'm sure there is more to it than that.

I would prefer a regionally accredited (or I guess, formerly regionally accredited) school if possible.

And if anybody thinks this is crazy talk and I should just finish at NCSU, please let me know ... that is why I am here, in case I'm overlooking the obvious. Thanks!

I think you need to definitively confirm with NCSU as to whether they can accept CBE credits or not. There are a number of schools or open universities where you can take credits right now and be potentially done with these requirements if your university allows it. Check also to see whether they take international credits as well, as there are cheap open universities in Europe where you can take various classes online as well.

Confirm that first, and then you can make your decision from there. I think at this point you should find a way to complete your degree at NCSU since you only have a handful of classes left to graduate, and you don't necessarily need a degree anytime soon in the first place.

I would work on the NCSU credits to finish there while also concurrently working at a Masters program such as the one provided by University of Huddlesfield via Coursera, which is a MSc in Management and which could qualify you for PhD studies if you desired since it has a research component: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/msc-man...ddersfield

Various institutions in the UK/Europe such as the one above allow you to enter without a Bachelor's degree for the business masters, and its AACSB accredited as well so it would be recognized in the United States as well as relevant to your career. You'd graduate from NCSU and then with an internationally respected business masters.

[ItsNeverTheLionsYear]

The case for completing the degree at NCSU would be:

• Networking. Do you want to go to alumni events? Do you want to watch basketball with other NC state people and try to make professional connections that way?
  
• Pride. You've already spent a good portion of your life at this institution. Do you want to close it out with them? Would you be happy to see an NSCU degree hanging on your wall?
  
• Recognition, specifically for grad school, visas, etc. Most grad schools accept the schools we talk about here with no question, but it's always a bit of an "if". NSCU is acceptable, no questions.
  

Whether these factors matter to you is for you to decide. Personally, if I were in your shoes, I would complete it at NCSU out of sentiment, but I'm sentimental.

[Kjnova]

Thanks, however, I have spent weeks trying to find courses that would transfer in for my remaining NCSU requirements without much luck. There are two problems, one is that the courses are in some cases pretty specific, and the second problem is that NCSU rejected two courses that (in my opinion) clearly did fit in terms of syllabi but were offered in a self-paced format. So, I think I would need to use asynchronous classes, in which case there is little advantage to doing them elsewhere instead of at NCSU.

As an example of the first problem, these are the only courses that will meet my British Renaissance Literature requirement:

ENG 439
Studies in English Renaissance Literature
3.00

ENG 529
16th-Century Non-Dramatic English Literature
3.00

ENG 530
17th-Century English Literature
3.00

ENG 561
Milton
3.00

ENG 578
English Drama To 1642
3.00

As an example of the second problem, here is an NCSU class that would meet two of my requirements (3 hours interdisciplinary, plus a diversity requirement):

AFS 260 - History of Jazz

Course Detail
Career: Undergraduate
Units: 3.00

Description
History of jazz and the contributions of major artists. Emphasis of the various styles that have contributed to this American art form. Investigation of structural forms in the jazz idiom.

Here is a UW-Flex class that NCSU told me today would not transfer in as AFS 260 ... which makes me question what WILL transfer in, and what the reasons are for this one not transferring in (I assume because it's self-paced):

CGS MUS 273x
Jazz History & Appreciation
An introduction to the styles and forms of jazz through a study of its history, literature, cultural influences, musical structure, and prominent performers. Includes recorded listening experiences.

Maybe I am just frustrated right now and can come up with a better plan, but right now I feel like NCSU wants me to do this the hard way. Synchronous online classes every night or maybe at best asynchronous but not self-paced, and waiting an extra semester or two for rarely offered classes to pop up on the schedule.

I would like my diploma to say NCSU. But I also want to get this done in a timely fashion ...

---

I would work on the NCSU credits to finish there while also concurrently working at a Masters program such as the one provided by University of Huddlesfield via Coursera, which is a MSc in Management and which could qualify you for PhD studies if you desired since it has a research component: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/msc-man...ddersfield

Various institutions in the UK/Europe such as the one above allow you to enter without a Bachelor's degree for the business masters, and its AACSB accredited as well so it would be recognized in the United States as well as relevant to your career. You'd graduate from NCSU and then with an internationally respected business masters.

Replying separately to say that I do like this idea. In fact, before I started down this path with NCSU, I was looking at the University of East London MBA program, for that same reason, and then decided I should do first things first. But maybe this would be a way to do something better and get benefits now and later.

Of the UK MBA programs that do not require a bachelor's degree, is there a preferred option, for reasons of quality, speed, cost, reputation?

Thanks!