Did you work and go to school full time for graduate studies? Is this doable?

[soliloquy]

Okay, this may seem a bit overzealous but how much time can I expect to spend on graduate coursework compared to undergraduate studies? I would like to get this knocked out in 4 semesters but IF I have to extend it out through SU2016, I will.

The only pre-req is that advanced project management has to come before project management. I believe the rest of them can be taken in any order.

Obviously, what I've squared in red are the classes I'm thinking of taking each semester. Thoughts? Guffaws?

Thanks!

[cookderosa]

I only work part time outside the home (16 hours/week), but commute 1 hour each way to work (4 hours/week), homeschool for about 30 hours/week, and allocate 5 solid hours on maintenance of my book-related stuff, so I'm "working" full time. In fact, I work a bit less then my hubby who is "at" work full time because he has a 15 minute commute and they only work M-Th at his company. So, that's a snapshot into my life.
I enrolled in 2 classes (6 cr) the first semester, then got a feel for things. I ended up the next semester taking 3 (9 cr) then back to 2 (6 cr) the semester we moved across the country, and then last semester 12 because I was ready to be done already. (that was a tough semester). But, that freed me up to work 100% on my thesis my final semester, and that was a great plan. I have classmates who took a class with their thesis and thought the workload was too much. I don't know if your school will allow flexibility in registration each semester, but having that option means you won't ever really be too far in to a schedule that is too little or too much.
What took the most time for me, was academic writing. If you're second language is in APA style, you'll not be bothered, but this slowed my ability to crank out assignments. A paper that might only take me 1 day to write really took 3 because of all the style requirements and layout/format of headers/pages/notes/references/etc.... (meaning- the research/draft was done when I started the physical "writing" part).
Also, there was a boat-load of reading. (a bit more dry since it was generally journals instead of text books) Even little things like accessing the articles, for me, took a bit more time than cracking open a text.
The work? No different. I think if you can learn one thing you can learn anything. The information was just like learning anything new, with a little more critical thinking. I don't think it was "harder" in that sense (except for 1 class in my case, that I hadn't completed the prereq for and they let me in anyway lol- bad idea).

Good luck!! You'll do fine

[DarrylTurner34]

Last semester I was enrolled in 18 credit hours while working 45 hour weeks.
-Microbiology w/Lab (4)
-AP w/Lab (5)
-College Algebra (3)
-Intro to computers (3)
-Enc 1102 (3)

Yes, it is doable...but stressful. Just need to have the drive to knock it out! GOODLUCK!

ps- I will be enrolled in 18hrs this upcoming semester!

[soliloquy]

Last semester I was enrolled in 18 credit hours while working 45 hour weeks.
-Microbiology w/Lab (4)
-AP w/Lab (5)
-College Algebra (3)
-Intro to computers (3)
-Enc 1102 (3)

Yes, it is doable...but stressful. Just need to have the drive to knock it out! GOODLUCK!

ps- I will be enrolled in 18hrs this upcoming semester!

Thank you for your input. I appreciate it.

[soliloquy]

I only work part time outside the home (16 hours/week), but commute 1 hour each way to work (4 hours/week), homeschool for about 30 hours/week, and allocate 5 solid hours on maintenance of my book-related stuff, so I'm "working" full time. In fact, I work a bit less then my hubby who is "at" work full time because he has a 15 minute commute and they only work M-Th at his company. So, that's a snapshot into my life.
I enrolled in 2 classes (6 cr) the first semester, then got a feel for things. I ended up the next semester taking 3 (9 cr) then back to 2 (6 cr) the semester we moved across the country, and then last semester 12 because I was ready to be done already. (that was a tough semester). But, that freed me up to work 100% on my thesis my final semester, and that was a great plan. I have classmates who took a class with their thesis and thought the workload was too much. I don't know if your school will allow flexibility in registration each semester, but having that option means you won't ever really be too far in to a schedule that is too little or too much.
What took the most time for me, was academic writing. If you're second language is in APA style, you'll not be bothered, but this slowed my ability to crank out assignments. A paper that might only take me 1 day to write really took 3 because of all the style requirements and layout/format of headers/pages/notes/references/etc.... (meaning- the research/draft was done when I started the physical "writing" part).
Also, there was a boat-load of reading. (a bit more dry since it was generally journals instead of text books) Even little things like accessing the articles, for me, took a bit more time than cracking open a text.
The work? No different. I think if you can learn one thing you can learn anything. The information was just like learning anything new, with a little more critical thinking. I don't think it was "harder" in that sense (except for 1 class in my case, that I hadn't completed the prereq for and they let me in anyway lol- bad idea).

Good luck!! You'll do fine

Thank you I appreciate that. I will just take 6 credits the first semester to get the hang of it as you did and try to adjust from there

[soliloquy]

Graduate students
Maximum*: 16 hours for fall or spring semesters. Maximum of 10 hours per summer sessions. Also, Postbaccalaureate students (excluding those seeking teacher certification) may not enroll in more than nine total hours of graduate-level courses including completed, in-progress, and registered without permission from the Dean of the Graduate College.

Obtain overload permission from: Dean of the Graduate College.


Can someone explain that...it says 16 and then it says 9 and I don't understand the difference.
http://graduate.missouristate.edu/catalo...ission.htm

[sanantone]

Graduate students
Maximum*: 16 hours for fall or spring semesters. Maximum of 10 hours per summer sessions. Also, Postbaccalaureate students (excluding those seeking teacher certification) may not enroll in more than nine total hours of graduate-level courses including completed, in-progress, and registered without permission from the Dean of the Graduate College.

Obtain overload permission from: Dean of the Graduate College.


Can someone explain that...it says 16 and then it says 9 and I don't understand the difference.
Overload Permission - Graduate Catalog - Missouri State University

It sounds like there might be a difference between graduate students and postbaccalaureate students.

I worked 40 hours a week while completing my masters program. I took two courses per 8-week session. There were two 8-week sessions in the fall and spring, and one 8-week session in the summer. Most of my courses had a lot of reading, weekly discussion posts, a 6-8 page paper, a 10-12 page paper, and a PowerPoint presentation.

[soliloquy]

It sounds like there might be a difference between graduate students and postbaccalaureate students.

I worked 40 hours a week while completing my masters program. I took two courses per 8-week session. There were two 8-week sessions in the fall and spring, and one 8-week session in the summer. Most of my courses had a lot of reading, weekly discussion posts, a 6-8 page paper, a 10-12 page paper, and a PowerPoint presentation.

Well what is the difference. I never knew there was a difference. LOL

On Yahoo Answers (not the most reliable source) someone said, "A post-baccalaurate program in the US is a program you do AFTER the bachelors and BEFORE graduate school or professional school (law, medicine, dental, vet, etc) if you want to enter a graduate or professional program but did not take the necessary undergraduate coursework while working on your bachelors degree."

[soliloquy]

It sounds like there might be a difference between graduate students and postbaccalaureate students.

I worked 40 hours a week while completing my masters program. I took two courses per 8-week session. There were two 8-week sessions in the fall and spring, and one 8-week session in the summer. Most of my courses had a lot of reading, weekly discussion posts, a 6-8 page paper, a 10-12 page paper, and a PowerPoint presentation.

I think these courses are full semesters and I don't believe I've ever taken a full semester course. They have always been 8 weeks. So, maybe I will be able to handle 3 per semester.

[KayV]

Degree-seeking means in the process of earning a masters, specialist, or doctorate degree. Post-baccalaureate usually means either enrolled in a graduate certificate program or a person just taking a class or two, but not going for a complete degree. This sort of classification is important for financial aid purposes, IIRC.