First off you guys are awesome, second-BABA

[bjcheung77]

My suggestion is two fold.  TAMUC BAAS Organizational Leadership for undergrad and then ladder up to a WGU Texas MSML for grad school... WGU is a state endorsed school in Texas.  Note: You can take ACE credits, up to 75% or 90 credits of the degree and finish the major requirements (36 credits) at TAMUC, those are the residency requirements.  There are threads created for TAMUC, you may want to skim through those and see if it's a better choice for you than what has been mentioned.

The reasons are multi-fold, TAMUC is a local public/state school that would be more recognized than schools in other states... Instate pricing is half that of UMPI at $750/term.  It's what you're looking for management/leadership... what is more interesting about this program is, you have 48 credits in professional studies, you can take anything for those, in fact, you can take enough such as 24 credits in another concentration and another 24 credits in a different concentration than Organizational Leadership.

There are many options, you can mix and match as I mentioned between UMPI, TAMUC, WGU, and HAU (Hellenic) to find your most suitable programs.  Here's an example of someone who finished both TAMUC and WGU MSML: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...hip-Update and another post:
https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid358368

1) Hellenic MBA: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...ersity-HAU
2) HAU, UMPI, Reference: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...LS-vs-BABA
3) Review from EricF: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...d-the-soul

[Aries0991]

Thank you so much for the links and break down guys. I didn’t realize wgu was a Texas university also! I did a little research on wgu graduates and some are at one of my target companies I’d like to eventually land a job at. Also some tamuc alumni there.

Looks like I have a full term to prep for a potential acceleration into the tamuc program. Is there a step by step guide on the wiki here or something I can look at that has been laid out before. My main interest is seeing what my existing credits will count for so if I need to start clepping or doing sophia I can get as much knocked out as possible before I get into my first term.

[bjcheung77]

There's a plan already on the WIKI, it's just not as updated, there has been a couple of changes I can see. Link: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...egree_Plan

Broken down, it's 42 gen eds, 48 pro development, 36 required, total 126 credits.
1) Complete all the general education from Sophia.org, they have released US Government recently.
2) Missing is the Texas Government course, you can add that to the required 30 credits, subtotal 33.
3) There is an extra course needed that can't be taken elsewhere, so in total 36 credits at TAMUC

[Aries0991]

Just thought Id give Ya'll a quick update- I have been accepted at TAMCU for their BAAS program. I still needed an ART history and HISTORY from 1886 to present class- I was able to finish both of these this weekend in about 5-6 hours combined work on Sophia. the Summer 1 class starts 5/15 and I am really hoping I can find a way to get accepted for a late enrollment into summer 1 so I don't have to wait 8 additional weeks for the next session to start. My program advisor TARA is great, after applying to the program and not hearing back for 5ish days I called in and left her a voicemail and she called right back and was very nice and has been excellent so far.

[Aries0991]

Howdy folks!
I wanted to give a 1 month follow up!
It has been a rock and roll ride so far, I am in the middle of a career transition as I previously indicated and have been slowing down my Physical Therapy practice as I have been refocusing my energy into the direction of sales. I was accepted into an entry level sales position at a very reputable SAAS company after (3 Rounds) of interviews, and will hopefully be getting started on this in the next week to begin gaining direct industry experience.

TAMUC so far- 4 weeks in and I have been able to complete 6 of my classes of the 12/13 required. I have been able to focus extra time on these classes with my incredibly flexible schedule and low work load. The Texas Government class is the most difficult one we have had to deal with as it requires much more writing than my other classes. There is a cut off date of 6/15 for starting any new classes so it looks like Ill be able to finish 7 of my 13 classes this term. And, hopefully finish my BAAS(Bachelors in Arts and Applied Science) Organizational Leadership Program by the end of the next 7 week term.

Cost: Flat rate 1500 + 30 per credit hour x (7 classes x3 hr each)= 2130 all books and learning materials are free online based. Sophia 100$ LinkedIn Learning 40$

To help me land the job at the SAAS company I completed 2 online certifications: a sales, and a "foundations of software development" cert, I included this in my follow up email to the company's and the next day they notified me that I landed the position. Which will be excellent because they willcover all higher education costs once I am onboard.

My ultimate goal has slightly developed as I have been researching sales as a career and taking some classes and certifications. I am looking more heavily at "presales engineering" and its cousin "Sales Engineering" as career focuses that can help me gain qualifications adjacent to sales to help me land higher positions.
Qualifications I am looking for and want to follow up with you guys on: Presales engineers work with programing and software implementation as part of the sales process, essentially I need to be able to know enough about programing to be dangerous in a sales conversation and effectively communicate with the companies software team on what exactly a client needs for me to make a sale. I took a 6 hour Linked in Certificate class which basically let me know how much I don't know. If there are certifications/ quick degrees that are recommended I would greatly appreciate hearing what you guys know about.

Additionally for me to land the higher positions I would likely need to finish my MBA or potentially some equivalent. Which is much less daunting knowing my company is going to foot the bill. Speed and credibility would be my goals with the MBA.

Thank you for all you do here. I have been singing this Forums Praises to any and every person I run into who is a parent of a teen, or is going to college themselves.
Happy Tuesday.

[dfrecore]

My ultimate goal has slightly developed as I have been researching sales as a career and taking some classes and certifications. I am looking more heavily at "presales engineering" and its cousin "Sales Engineering"  as career focuses that can help me gain qualifications adjacent to sales to help me land higher positions.
Qualifications I am looking for and want to follow up with you guys on: Presales engineers work with programing and software implementation as part of the sales process, essentially I need to be able to know enough about programing to be dangerous in a sales conversation and effectively communicate with the companies software team on what exactly a client needs for me to make a sale.  I took a 6 hour Linked in Certificate class which basically let me know how much I don't know. If there are certifications/ quick degrees that are recommended I would greatly appreciate hearing what you guys know about.

Additionally for me to land the higher positions I would likely need to finish my MBA or potentially some equivalent. Which is much less daunting knowing my company is going to foot the bill.  Speed and credibility would be my goals with the MBA.

My husband has been a sales engineer for 20+ years, and does not have a bachelor's degree, let alone an MBA.  Way more important - he's a more "sales-y" engineer, meaning he has a personality (many sales engineers do not), is a great networker, and is great with customers.  He recently lost his job, reached out to everyone he knew, and had interviews at 15+ companies and at least 50 interviews within 3 weeks.  He took a job at week 4 1/2, and that one was from someone who reached out to him that he'd previously worked for.

So don't get ahead of yourself in terms of thinking you need an MBA.  I would say that at the start of his career, his technical knowledge was more important than anything else, and then the other stuff took over after that (probably by year 3).  A salesperson knowing that you have the technical expertise for the product they're selling, and are good with customers - they'll constantly be calling you when they leave the company to come and work with them at their new company (this happens to my husband All. The. Time.  He is constantly recruited by his former salespeople.  I'd say at least monthly someone reaches out to him to talk about moving to a new company).

[Aries0991]

My ultimate goal has slightly developed as I have been researching sales as a career and taking some classes and certifications. I am looking more heavily at "presales engineering" and its cousin "Sales Engineering"  as career focuses that can help me gain qualifications adjacent to sales to help me land higher positions.
Qualifications I am looking for and want to follow up with you guys on: Presales engineers work with programing and software implementation as part of the sales process, essentially I need to be able to know enough about programing to be dangerous in a sales conversation and effectively communicate with the companies software team on what exactly a client needs for me to make a sale.  I took a 6 hour Linked in Certificate class which basically let me know how much I don't know. If there are certifications/ quick degrees that are recommended I would greatly appreciate hearing what you guys know about.

Additionally for me to land the higher positions I would likely need to finish my MBA or potentially some equivalent. Which is much less daunting knowing my company is going to foot the bill.  Speed and credibility would be my goals with the MBA.

My husband has been a sales engineer for 20+ years, and does not have a bachelor's degree, let alone an MBA.  Way more important - he's a more "sales-y" engineer, meaning he has a personality (many sales engineers do not), is a great networker, and is great with customers.  He recently lost his job, reached out to everyone he knew, and had interviews at 15+ companies and at least 50 interviews within 3 weeks.  He took a job at week 4 1/2, and that one was from someone who reached out to him that he'd previously worked for.

So don't get ahead of yourself in terms of thinking you need an MBA.  I would say that at the start of his career, his technical knowledge was more important than anything else, and then the other stuff took over after that (probably by year 3).  A salesperson knowing that you have the technical expertise for the product they're selling, and are good with customers - they'll constantly be calling you when they leave the company to come and work with them at their new company (this happens to my husband All. The. Time.  He is constantly recruited by his former salespeople.  I'd say at least monthly someone reaches out to him to talk about moving to a new company).

This is a phenomenal insight and I really appreciate it!
I will be going into a SAAS (software) side of sales and honestly have minimal to no technical back ground in software other than my personal use in real estate and this is why I am hoping to expand this side of my credibility. I would say I fall under the category of being "salesy/personable" in person and will luckily be associated with a quality product to begin my career.  I got my offer letter today and am definitely taking a hair cut over my Physical Therapy career, but hopefully this will give me the opportunity to earn my stripes, network and set me up for long term success in the field. 

My secondary passion in real estate investing is adjacent to the products Ill be selling so I have credibility on that front. 
I really appreciate you giving me this insight.

[dfrecore]

My ultimate goal has slightly developed as I have been researching sales as a career and taking some classes and certifications. I am looking more heavily at "presales engineering" and its cousin "Sales Engineering"  as career focuses that can help me gain qualifications adjacent to sales to help me land higher positions.
Qualifications I am looking for and want to follow up with you guys on: Presales engineers work with programing and software implementation as part of the sales process, essentially I need to be able to know enough about programing to be dangerous in a sales conversation and effectively communicate with the companies software team on what exactly a client needs for me to make a sale.  I took a 6 hour Linked in Certificate class which basically let me know how much I don't know. If there are certifications/ quick degrees that are recommended I would greatly appreciate hearing what you guys know about.

Additionally for me to land the higher positions I would likely need to finish my MBA or potentially some equivalent. Which is much less daunting knowing my company is going to foot the bill.  Speed and credibility would be my goals with the MBA.

My husband has been a sales engineer for 20+ years, and does not have a bachelor's degree, let alone an MBA.  Way more important - he's a more "sales-y" engineer, meaning he has a personality (many sales engineers do not), is a great networker, and is great with customers.  He recently lost his job, reached out to everyone he knew, and had interviews at 15+ companies and at least 50 interviews within 3 weeks.  He took a job at week 4 1/2, and that one was from someone who reached out to him that he'd previously worked for.

So don't get ahead of yourself in terms of thinking you need an MBA.  I would say that at the start of his career, his technical knowledge was more important than anything else, and then the other stuff took over after that (probably by year 3).  A salesperson knowing that you have the technical expertise for the product they're selling, and are good with customers - they'll constantly be calling you when they leave the company to come and work with them at their new company (this happens to my husband All. The. Time.  He is constantly recruited by his former salespeople.  I'd say at least monthly someone reaches out to him to talk about moving to a new company).

This is a phenomenal insight and I really appreciate it!
I will be going into a SAAS (software) side of sales and honestly have minimal to no technical back ground in software other than my personal use in real estate and this is why I am hoping to expand this side of my credibility. I would say I fall under the category of being "salesy/personable" in person and will luckily be associated with a quality product to begin my career.  I got my offer letter today and am definitely taking a hair cut over my Physical Therapy career, but hopefully this will give me the opportunity to earn my stripes, network and set me up for long term success in the field. 

My secondary passion in real estate investing is adjacent to the products Ill be selling so I have credibility on that front. 
I really appreciate you giving me this insight.

He started out with a bunch of MS certs back in 1998, and has parlayed that into a great career.  The technical side of things is what you need to focus on now, and a degree may get your foot in the door of a place, but it won't be enough to get you up the ladder.

[dfrecore]

This is a phenomenal insight and I really appreciate it!
I will be going into a SAAS (software) side of sales and honestly have minimal to no technical back ground in software other than my personal use in real estate and this is why I am hoping to expand this side of my credibility. I would say I fall under the category of being "salesy/personable" in person and will luckily be associated with a quality product to begin my career.  I got my offer letter today and am definitely taking a hair cut over my Physical Therapy career, but hopefully this will give me the opportunity to earn my stripes, network and set me up for long term success in the field.

Just talked to my husband about this.  For what you want to do, a degree is a check-the-box type of thing, and since you already have a degree, you do NOT need another one.  Instead, you need technical knowledge and expertise.  And for that, you need to figure out what certs to get for your particular niche - specific to your company if possible, and then branching out to the area you want to be in (networking, cloud, etc.).

He said he wouldn't spend 5 seconds on getting another degree (he hasn't spent 5 seconds getting a first degree, so he practices what he preaches).  Instead, get certs that will advance your career.  Spend literally all of your time doing that instead of a degree that you just don't need.  He also said that of all of the SE's that he knows - and he knows a LOT of them - not a single one has an MBA, that will do exactly zero for your career.  Many don't even have a degree at all, but the ones that do don't even have degrees in IT - they have them in all kinds of things, and then got into Sales later on and moved to SE, and their careers took off because of their technical knowledge.  None have gone back to get degrees, and certainly not to get advanced degrees.  They never talk about degrees either, but they do discuss certs, and which ones are good based on the product lines they're selling.

[allvia]

This is a phenomenal insight and I really appreciate it!
I will be going into a SAAS (software) side of sales and honestly have minimal to no technical back ground in software other than my personal use in real estate and this is why I am hoping to expand this side of my credibility. I would say I fall under the category of being "salesy/personable" in person and will luckily be associated with a quality product to begin my career.  I got my offer letter today and am definitely taking a hair cut over my Physical Therapy career, but hopefully this will give me the opportunity to earn my stripes, network and set me up for long term success in the field.

Just talked to my husband about this.  For what you want to do, a degree is a check-the-box type of thing, and since you already have a degree, you do NOT need another one.  Instead, you need technical knowledge and expertise.  And for that, you need to figure out what certs to get for your particular niche - specific to your company if possible, and then branching out to the area you want to be in (networking, cloud, etc.).

He said he wouldn't spend 5 seconds on getting another degree (he hasn't spent 5 seconds getting a first degree, so he practices what he preaches).  Instead, get certs that will advance your career.  Spend literally all of your time doing that instead of a degree that you just don't need.  He also said that of all of the SE's that he knows - and he knows a LOT of them - not a single one has an MBA, that will do exactly zero for your career.  Many don't even have a degree at all, but the ones that do don't even have degrees in IT - they have them in all kinds of things, and then got into Sales later on and moved to SE, and their careers took off because of their technical knowledge.  None have gone back to get degrees, and certainly not to get advanced degrees.  They never talk about degrees either, but they do discuss certs, and which ones are good based on the product lines they're selling.

The OP (Aries0991) in this case has an associates, this will be their 1st bachelor (to check that box).  I realize that your main point was you don't feel they need a degree at all (for this career path), but I wanted to make it clear that they are not working on a 2nd bachelor.  And although I agree that long term, gaining the technical knowledge will be key to long term success (in this career path) - earning a bachelor is definitely not a wasted effort long term, especially at this low cost.