First Term Free at Walden!

[Ideas]

We don't know for sure if this will be available in March, do we? It has been in Dec, Jan, and now Feb, but they could stop anytime.

[acamp]

Hi acamp!

Each term is three months. I would recommend skipping February because you get screwed with the short month. March would be a good start month.

My experience is that there is no limit to the number of credits that you can take per term. The system does gatekeep a bit. They only let me have like three classes live at any one moment, so I try to pick smaller ones that I can finish in a day with the competencies with the eight or ten page papers.

The first term is still free. One thing to think about is that they also offer a graduate certificate in early childhood administration with the first term free offer. I think that the grad. cert. really can be completed within a single term, so that might be a great option for some people. I have completed seven competencies so far and I am expecting some transfer credit, so I might just go for the grad. cert.

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https://www.waldenu.edu/online-certifica...ency-based

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Note: There is also an applied project management graduate certificate with the first term free:

https://www.waldenu.edu/online-certifica...ency-based

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https://www.waldenu.edu/financial-aid/li...me-savings

Scroll all the way to bottom.

@eriehiker - thanks for all the info and links! Are you pursuing the the administration track for the masters in early childhood?

And you said you completed 7 competencies. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it looks like that specific admin track for education has around 30 or so competencies/classes, right?

For each competency, are they the same layout for the most part? Can you give me an overview on what is required to pass each competency in regards to papers, exams, quizzes, etc?

Thank YOU again!

[eriehiker]

Yes. That is what I am doing. You are correct. It is about 30. The graduate certificate is 16 competencies and you get about 90 days. Even if you run into a second term, it is $1750 on the master's degree, that is really pretty good for a master's degree.

My initial interest in the program was to get enough ed. leadership classes to apply for an administrative certificate in New Jersey and transfer it via reciprocity to Michigan/Wisconsin. Things are going well and I am definitely going to go for the grad. cert. and if I get enough transfer credit, maybe I'll go for the second master's.

BTW, a person can transfer in 6 credits for the certs and 15 or 16 for the master's.

[Merlin]

Yes.  That is what I am doing.  You are correct.  It is about 30.  The graduate certificate is 16 competencies and you get about 90 days.  Even if you run into a second term, it is $1750 on the master's degree, that is really pretty good for a master's degree.

My initial interest in the program was to get enough ed. leadership classes to apply for an administrative certificate in New Jersey and transfer it via reciprocity to Michigan/Wisconsin.  Things are going well and I am definitely going to go for the grad. cert. and if I get enough transfer credit, maybe I'll go for the second master's.

BTW, a person can transfer in 6 credits for the certs and 15 or 16 for the master's.

It looks like most of their grad certs are 9 credits and their master's degrees are ~30 credits. Does that mean you can transfer in 2/3 of a given cert and 50% of the master's degree?

I also find it interesting that their certs appear to be 9 credits but each 3 credit course consists of 3 to 5 competencies each. Does that mean there are 3-5 different papers/exams per course?

Unfortunately, I don't think I have any interest in the Tempo Learning master's degree programs. However, if I can complete a grad cert in a single term with the first term waived, that Tempo Learning Applied Project Management certificate might be worth considering.

Too bad Walden doesn't offer a competency-based masters-level Computer Science or Software Development degree. Now that I could get behind. (Yes, I know NAU has a competency-based MCIT with a specialization in web & mobile development, but that isn't really the same thing.)

[acamp]

Yes. That is what I am doing. You are correct. It is about 30. The graduate certificate is 16 competencies and you get about 90 days. Even if you run into a second term, it is $1750 on the master's degree, that is really pretty good for a master's degree.

My initial interest in the program was to get enough ed. leadership classes to apply for an administrative certificate in New Jersey and transfer it via reciprocity to Michigan/Wisconsin. Things are going well and I am definitely going to go for the grad. cert. and if I get enough transfer credit, maybe I'll go for the second master's.

BTW, a person can transfer in 6 credits for the certs and 15 or 16 for the master's.

@eriehiker - thanks for the info. Just a few followup questions if you don’t mind:

1) will that specific masters program (admin specialization) give you enough credits to apply for the NJ admin cert by itself? Or do you have previous credits already earned from other colleges that will help get the admin cert credit requirements?

2) since you teach full-time and have a family, how many hours/days does each competency take you to complete?

3) could you give me a general overview on how each competency is structured in regards to grading with amount of papers, tests, quizzes, posts, etc?

Thank you! Hope you have the day off today from school (many schools are getting rid of today’s holiday it seems)

[posabsolute]

@merlin If I had to put my money on it, I think WGU will be the first to have a competency-based comp sci master. Personally, now that I will have a bachelor in comp sci from TESU, I'm rethinking getting an MCIT. I am looking back at MBA's, funny how time erases memory...

Unfortunately, Walden only offers this to US residents so I can't get get the free term. As far as I know, all you can eat free grad credits is unheard of. I would not bet this offer will come back any time soon, from anyone.

[Merlin]

@merlin If I had to put my money on it, I think WGU will be the first to have a competency-based comp sci master. Personally, now that I will have a bachelor in comp sci from TESU, I'm rethinking getting an MCIT. I am looking back at MBA's, funny how time erases memory...

Unfortunately, Walden only offers this to US residents so I can't get get the free term. As far as I know, all you can eat free grad credits is unheard of. I would not bet this offer will come back any time soon, from anyone.

I am assuming that WGU is already working on an MSCS as well, but who knows when (or if) it will surface. By that time I'll already have my MBA, but I'd like to get a CS or software development-related masters to go with it. That or move on to a technology leadership-related doctorate. The project management grad cert would just be for the free grad credits, though if I got it first, it might be applied towards the MBA or used in a future degree.

I'm still considering the GA Tech OMSCS but given the schedule, the earliest I could start would be the fall session. Plus it isn't competency-based and I'm not sure how interested I am in doing traditional courses. Based on my experience with the BSBA Capstone, I don't know that I could tolerate dealing with 12-week courses on a regular basis. I'm used to finishing 9-12 courses in 12 weeks.

[davewill]

...I'm still considering the GA Tech OMSCS but given the schedule, the earliest I could start would be the fall session. Plus it isn't competency-based and I'm not sure how interested I am in doing traditional courses. Based on my experience with the BSBA Capstone, I don't know that I could tolerate dealing with 12-week courses on a regular basis. I'm used to finishing 9-12 courses in 12 weeks.

From my experience, you wouldn't be able to finish the OMSCS courses that fast. I would go so far as to say that if you take the maximum number of courses allowed, you would find yourself very challenged.

[Merlin]

...I'm still considering the GA Tech OMSCS but given the schedule, the earliest I could start would be the fall session. Plus it isn't competency-based and I'm not sure how interested I am in doing traditional courses. Based on my experience with the BSBA Capstone, I don't know that I could tolerate dealing with 12-week courses on a regular basis. I'm used to finishing 9-12 courses in 12 weeks.

From my experience, you wouldn't be able to finish the OMSCS courses that fast. I would go so far as to say that if you take the maximum number of courses allowed, you would find yourself very challenged.

Oh, I bet. Not to mention I probably wouldn't be able to work if I was taking a full load.

I assume the OMSCS courses aren't self-paced, so as far as I know, the only way to accelerate is to take multiple courses simultaneously. Which I don't want to do since I don't task switch well. I'd rather focus on one, finish it, and then move on to the next. If I take one course at a time with 12-week courses, it will take several years to finish since courses are only offered in spring and fall; at two courses per year, it would take five years to finish... which is also not happening. To get it done in two years I'd have to take at least five courses per year spread between the two terms.

Which is why I'm considering other options as well. I'm still planning to focus on an MBA first and then see what my options are for a more technology-based second master's or doctorate degree.

[Ideas]

I'm still considering the GA Tech OMSCS but given the schedule, the earliest I could start would be the fall session. Plus it isn't competency-based and I'm not sure how interested I am in doing traditional courses. Based on my experience with the BSBA Capstone, I don't know that I could tolerate dealing with 12-week courses on a regular basis. I'm used to finishing 9-12 courses in 12 weeks.

Yeah, it's hard after you get used to competency-based! Even 8 weeks can seem long.