Degree planning advice

[Oktoberfest]

Hi found this great forum and wanted to ask for planning advice. Surely did lots of hours of digging through various topics and posts as well as the wiki and currently it looks like UMPI would be my best fit. As I am german and also living in Germany, maybe there's something else or topics I don't know yet or have to be aware of. I'm working in IT business and in younger years canceled my study as I had other important things in my mind. I am not aware of something equal to sophia or study.com here in Europe but seen the thread about ECTS in finnish universities. My goal is to have any bachelor that is as cost and time effective as possible.

Your Location: Germany

Your Age: 40
What kind of degree do you want?: Any Bachelor

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:

Provider Total Credits: Sophia / 57 credits

• Art History II (ArtHist1002)
  
• US History II (HIST1002)
  
• Introduction to Ethics (PHIL1002)
  
• Microeconomics (ECON1002)
  
• Human Biology (HumBio1001)
  
• Introduction to Java Programming (CS1101)
  
• Environmental Science (ENVS1001)
  
• Visual Communications (VisComm1001)
  
• Macroeconomics (ECON1001)
  
• The Essentials of Managing Conflict (CONRES1000)
  
• Introduction to Python Programming (CS1100)
  
• Developing Effective Teams (BUS1200)
  
• Introduction to Business (BUS1001)
  
• Principles of Finance (FIN1001)
  
• Calculus I (MATH1040)
  
• Introduction to Web Development (CS1005)
  
• Project Management (PM1001)
  
• Introduction to Statistics (STAT1001)
  
• College Algebra (CA1001)
  
• Introduction to Information Technology (CS1001)
  

Any certifications or military experience?
Yes, the following IT certs. Most are LL, one is UL

• Fortinet FortiGate 7.0 Administrator
  
• MCSA: Windows Server 2012 - Certified 2016
  
• Exam 417: Upgrading Your Skills to MCSA Windows Server 2012
  
• Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Administrator Associate
  
• Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals
  
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals
  
• Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
  

[rachel83az]

Guten Abend!

UMPI is a good choice because Anabin apparently likes it. TESU has degrees that are more fitting for a career in IT/computers, but Anabin doesn't like them as much. However, unless you plan to continue to a German Master's degree, I'm not sure if Anabin matters that much? That is, employers might or might not care that much, so long as it's a valid Bachelor's degree? Germany has some pretty sweet Master's degrees, though, so I'd keep that in mind. https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...om-Germany Even if you don't currently plan to continue to a Master's degree, you might want one later.

But there is another option for you that might fit your needs better. A degree from a Finnish university. Unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to use your Sophia credits. But it is, so far as we can tell, entirely self-paced and costs less than 600€ for EU citizens living in the EU. https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Sci-degree I cannot find the thread right now (it might be on a different forum), but someone contacted Metropolia and confirmed that the final year of their Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology can be completed online. The final year would be completely free for students from the EU.

The Metropolia degree is 100% self-paced (except, perhaps, the final year).

If you need a degree right now, and do not want to wait another 18 months, what I would probably suggest would be to get a Bachelor's degree in Business from UMPI. Perhaps in Project Management? You should take a German ACTFL exam to meet UMPI's foreign language requirements. (GEC 5C) You'll also need the Human Biology lab from Sophia (GEC 3E). Do not take English Composition from Sophia. Match up what you have from Sophia to UMPI's GEC requirements and make sure you complete as much as possible: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/UM...quivalents You've got most of it, but you're missing a few.

If you do choose Project Management, you'll want to ask to NOT waive the course that Sophia's Project Management would otherwise replace. You'll need that project to continue on to later Project Management courses.

Assuming you can quickly complete papers/projects in Academic English, and you've transferred in as much credits as possible, you should be able to complete a UMPI degree in 2 or 3 sessions ($2800-$4200).

Now, no matter how much you focus on UMPI, there will always be some downtime in between sessions. And while waiting for your degree to be conferred. In these downtimes, when you have no UMPI work to focus on, complete the Metropolia classes. Depending on your prior knowledge, you might be able to finish the 600€ portion entirely by the time you get your UMPI degree. Enroll at Metropolia and finish the final year.

So, for under 5000€ and probably in under 2 years, you'll have a BABA from UMPI and a Bachelor of Engineering from Metropolia.

[Oktoberfest]

Hi rachel83az and thank you very much for a detailed explanation. The selfpaced study at finnish university sounds good. Do you think I could somehow get them acknowledge an official american university transcript, e.g. apply at any anabin recognized university and transfer my sophia credits in and request a university transcript afterwards? Anyone tried that already?

[rachel83az]

Probably not. It's my understanding that American and European degrees are very different. American degrees usually only have 25-50% of their classes concerning the major. The rest is general education credits (things like science, history, psychology, etc.) and electives (whatever you want). In Europe, you're assumed to have finished your general education classes in high school/Gymnasium and probably 75-90% of the university courses are specific to the degree. Sometimes, you get a small choice of electives.

Even if Metropolia would acknowledge Sophia credits on a university transcript, most of what you've completed does not match with the required classes for their Bachelor of Engineering in Information Technology. Maybe the Java or Python, but I think that would be about it. I cannot find any information about how many, if any, electives a Metropolia student is allowed to have in this degree. The link to curriculum information is entirely in Finnish and I don't think Google Translate is doing a very good job. It looks like you maybe get one or two elective ("Vapaasti valittavat opinnot" = "freely chosen studies") classes per degree.

[debrag]

Probably not. It's my understanding that American and European degrees are very different. American degrees usually only have 25-50% of their classes concerning the major. The rest is general education credits (things like science, history, psychology, etc.) and electives (whatever you want). In Europe, you're assumed to have finished your general education classes in high school/Gymnasium and probably 75-90% of the university courses are specific to the degree. Sometimes, you get a small choice of electives.

You learn something new everyday

[rachel83az]

Yup, in Germany, the last school you attend before heading off to Universität is called Gymnasium.

[bjcheung77]

@Oktoberfest, It really depends on how you like to do things, with the limited info on the template, it's really hard to point you into the direction of your choice. Several variables are in play, you should give us a better overview of your situation. You need You missed the last post addendum here: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Area-works

Having said that and since you mentioned any degree and would like this done as cheap, easy, fast as possible, I would recommend what I usually tell most people in similar situations, work on three things: Certs, Degree, Experience. From your age/certs/work experience, you've got two of the three, I would just get the UMPI BLS with a MIS Minor and call it a day.

[rachel83az]

For Germany, I would NOT recommend a BLS degree for someone who wants to work in tech. Maybe not liberal studies at all, no matter what field. Employers who want a degree in Germany are a lot more particular about what the degree is in. A tech company, and probably most companies, won't know what to make of a Liberal Studies degree. MIS minor or not, it's still "just" a Liberal Studies degree. And, depending on exactly what one wants to do, it might be just as bad as no degree at all. Worse, even, because you spent thousands of dollars on the paper.

Get a BABA at UMPI or get the Bachelor of Engineering from Metropolia. Or do both. Those will be much more useful in the long run.

Honestly, I'm impressed that Oktoberfest managed to get a job in technology in Germany without a degree at all. You must be pretty skilled. Everything I've read and everyone I've talked to essentially says that such a thing is "impossible".

[ss20ts]

For Germany, I would NOT recommend a BLS degree for someone who wants to work in tech. Maybe not liberal studies at all, no matter what field. Employers who want a degree in Germany are a lot more particular about what the degree is in. A tech company, and probably most companies, won't know what to make of a Liberal Studies degree. MIS minor or not, it's still "just" a Liberal Studies degree. And, depending on exactly what one wants to do, it might be just as bad as no degree at all. Worse, even, because you spent thousands of dollars on the paper.

Get a BABA at UMPI or get the Bachelor of Engineering from Metropolia. Or do both. Those will be much more useful in the long run.

Honestly, I'm impressed that Oktoberfest managed to get a job in technology in Germany without a degree at all. You must be pretty skilled. Everything I've read and everyone I've talked to essentially says that such a thing is "impossible".

BABA with Project Management Concentration from UMPI? The MIS Minor is built into that Concentration. Or if the OP is wanting to move into management, the BABA with Management & Leadership Concentration?

[bjcheung77]

As I mentioned, It really depends on what Oktoberfest needs/wants and how they study/work. Basically, If the OP didn't have much certs/experience, I would have recommended the BABA PM&IS option, since they're already in IT and not trying to break into that industry after X years of experience and some certs, I think the UMPI BLS in MIS would check the box - they even mentioned any BA would do... Anyways, I still suggest OP to take a look at the addendum and see if you can provide extra details about your scenario, the more details the better picture we have of your overall situation, then we can probably help you deduce your options.