Guidance in Degree Planning Needed for A new resident in USA

[rkotak2]

Hello,
I have read a lot of wonderful advice on this site from lots of members but i need guidance specific to my situation if you can help. I was recently granted asylum in Illinois. 
As for my education, I already completed a bachelor's degree in Agribusiness management from Uganda, Africa - graduated in 2017.  I had my transcript evaluated by Academic Evaluation Services in 2020 and my combined graded credits are 140 and the combined GPA is 3.18 and the comparability statement is that my bachelor's degree is comparable to a bachelor's degree from a RA institution in the US. 
At the moment, I have not been able to find any jobs that fall in the agribusiness field - and have resorted to factory jobs which i am really tired of. I am really good at Accounting, Economics, anything business related and can do computer science if needed. I actually teach MBA students in accounting and financial management courses online so im good at anything business related. I had an idea of doing an MBA quickly to open up more opportunities for me and had applied to WGU which had given me admission and I also applied to the LSU Shreveport MBA for the July start date and the application is still under review. I did all this before finding out about this forum and the big three's college hacking. Having looked at the various degree plans here i am now debating whether i should do a quick second bachelors degree in a field which has more opportunities in the USA than my Agribusiness degree - The problem is i dont know which one i should do in particular.
And then if i am to start on a second degree, Do i have to do the Gen Eds or not, what do i do and what do i leave out? Im confused about this too
And then there is the issue of the Big three. Which one should i go with. I just want one where i can graduate fastest and one that will use most of credits from my first degree (plus ACEs, CLEPS, SOPHIA,etc) so that i can have an American degree in a few months and start applying with the confidence of having an American Credential.
I can create time and have no problem with taking exams because i really want a professional career and dont want to waste my time doing factory jobs.
So basically the Big Question I am asking here is if you were in my shoes.. What direction would you take? Please help me I urgently need to change the direction of my career here because I really dont like where I am right now. Thank you

Your Location: Illinois, USA
Your Age:30
What kind of degree do you want?:Accounting, anything Business related or computer science related or any suggestions
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 140

School Name Total Credits: Course by course Evaluation results by AES, 140
Budget: I plan to spend up to 10K.  I'd like to go the cheapest route possible

Commitments: it's just myself here as my spouse is not yet here so I have free time in the evenings 

Dedicated time to study: I can study 3 hours every weeknight and 10 hours over the weekend so I have 25 hours a week

Timeline: Finishing the courses required for the degree as fast as possible would be ideal.  I would like to finish within 6 months
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: None
Class Name, Credits, Grade,
Economics, 8, A
Entrepreneurship Skills, 8, A
Geography, 8, B+ 
Mathematics, 8, B


Principles of Business Economics, 3, A,
Principles of Agriculture 3, C+
Mathematics 1, B+
introduction to Communication and Extension Methods 3, A
Basic French Communication Skills 3, A
introductory Food Science and Technology 3, A
introduction to Soil Science 3, C
introduction to Agribusiness Management 3, B
Business Statistics 3, B+
Intermediate Business Economics 3, B+
introduction to Computer Applications 1, C+
Introductory Livestock Management 3, D
Intermediate French Communication Skills 3, A
Principles of Farm Business Management 3, B+
Business Psychology 3, B
Firm Management Case Study Theory 1, A
Rural Development 3, B+
Production Economics 1, B+
Farm Power and Machinery 3, B+
Poultry Management 1, B
Agribusiness Accounting 3, A
Cooperatives and Agribusiness 3, C
Business Research Methods 3, B
Development Studies 3, D
Commodity Marketing 3, A
Gender in Agricultural Development 1, B
Post Harvest Technology 1, C+
field Attachment, 4, B
Special Project 4, B+
Agribusiness Price Analysis 3, A
introduction to Business Law 3, B+
Agribusiness Operations Research 3, C+
Agribusiness small Enterprise Management 3, B+
Introduction to Management Information Systems 3, B
Firm Management Case Study 3, B
Business Strategy 3, B+
Human Resource Management 3, B
[Agribusiness Environment and Policy 3, B
Agribusiness Finance 3, C
Intemational Trade in Agriculture, 3, C+

Total credits =140
combined GPA = 3.18
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: None


[b]Any certifications or military experience? None[/b]

Looking forward to your advice/ guidance. Thanks
i have attached a copy of this evaluation just incase you need it

[LevelUP]

Looks like your degree is similar to the U.S. Business Administration degree.

People have gotten an MBA at WGU in under 6 months so that is a quick way to earn a master's degree.

Instead of going into computer science, you could opt to get some industry-recognized certifications that may be related to the types of jobs you want.

[bjcheung77]

@rkotak2, In addition to what was mentioned by LevelUP, I highly recommend you to finish the template addendum located here and provide as many details as possible to see if a competency based Masters degree is for you, or another online option.  Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Area-works

Basically, having another Bachelors will depend on "what" you need it for, if you want it to show you have Computer Science or IT knowledge, then it may be worth it, if you're just getting another Bachelors and it showing as a Business Admin degree, that would be redundant and not advised at all... again, it all depends on your answers.

[Vle045]

I think your plans to get an MBA are solid. Both schools are good choices. If you can work faster than average WGU may be your best bet. But I do like LSU-Shreveport. A friend of mine went through their MBA-Project Management program and she highly recommended it to me.

[rkotak2]

Looks like your degree is similar to the U.S. Business Administration degree.

People have gotten an MBA at WGU in under 6 months so that is a quick way to earn a master's degree.

Instead of going into computer science, you could opt to get some industry-recognized certifications that may be related to the types of jobs you want.

Thank you for your advice. I actually had the same idea of getting the MBA from WGU. Just that I wanted to make sure whether it's my best alternative. I like the idea of taking certs too. I just think that if I added say a BLS in Project Management from UMPI to my resume in addition to the MBA and the certs, it would increase my opportunities.  So my question is if i decide to take the BLS in project management at UMPI, do i transfer in most of my degree and just study for 30 credits and graduate or its on a case by case evaluation. Any clarification on this will help. Fact is i want to get a quick bachelors, plus a quick MBA before the end of year if that is possible then i focus on certs.

---

@rkotak2, In addition to what was mentioned by LevelUP, I highly recommend you to finish the template addendum located here and provide as many details as possible to see if a competency based Masters degree is for you, or another online option.  Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Area-works

Basically, having another Bachelors will depend on "what" you need it for, if you want it to show you have Computer Science or IT knowledge, then it may be worth it, if you're just getting another Bachelors and it showing as a Business Admin degree, that would be redundant and not advised at all... again, it all depends on your answers.

Thanks for your response. I have edited the finished the template as required. I am looking at getting a bachelors for project management as long as its fast and i finish it in a few months then i can add the MBA and the necessary certs.

[Insert Name]

These guys will know more than me as far as which schools are best for what, and I can’t say that I know YOUR industry supper well, but maybe this will help you figure something out.

Now for my “if it were me” advice, if I had your background.
-starting tomorrow: my resume would be in front of EVERYONE. I would start local, and keep branching out as far as I’d be willing to relocate. You already have a solid Bachelors to work with. Most jobs just want to see a degree in “the wheelhouse” of what they are looking for. I wouldn’t stress on it being an ag vs project management.
-by the end of the week/month: I’d pick a Masters that compliments your bachelors (I.E. project management, Organizational leadership, administration, etc). I don’t think I’d go for a second bachelors at the moment. Build up, then out if necessary.
-at some point, if I wasn’t happy with the final results of that, then I would look at “rounding things off” with certificates or associates or something.
-With your resume out there, and adding more education as life moves forward, see what happens and keep going until you’re happy with where you are.

I don’t know how it is in Illinois, but the junior college program in California would be a cheap way to do that last part. Round off with whatever (AS in IT, or Certificate in crop management, or whatever you feel you need) for somewhere between $0 and $50 per unit.

Which leads me to another question. What’s the Ag like in Illinois? Have you looked at other areas, as far as available work in the industry? California Central Valley is super loaded with Ag. Not sure how the job market is, but my street alone is fields of peaches, nectarines, grapes, almonds, walnuts, and blueberries. A lot of variety out here to get into.

[rkotak2]

These guys will know more than me as far as which schools are best for what, and I can’t say that I know YOUR industry supper well, but maybe this will help you figure something out.

Now for my “if it were me” advice, if I had your background.
-starting tomorrow: my resume would be in front of EVERYONE. I would start local, and keep branching out as far as I’d be willing to relocate. You already have a solid Bachelors to work with. Most jobs just want to see a degree in “the wheelhouse” of what they are looking for. I wouldn’t stress on it being an ag vs project management.
-by the end of the week/month: I’d pick a Masters that compliments your bachelors (I.E. project management, Organizational leadership, administration, etc). I don’t think I’d go for a second bachelors at the moment. Build up, then out if necessary.
-at some point, if I wasn’t happy with the final results of that, then I would look at “rounding things off” with certificates or associates or something.
-With your resume out there, and adding more education as life moves forward, see what happens and keep going until you’re happy with where you are.

I don’t know how it is in Illinois, but the junior college program in California would be a cheap way to do that last part. Round off with whatever (AS in IT, or Certificate in crop management, or whatever you feel you need) for somewhere between $0 and $50 per unit.

Which leads me to another question. What’s the Ag like in Illinois? Have you looked at other areas, as far as available work in the industry? California Central Valley is super loaded with Ag. Not sure how the job market is, but my street alone is fields of peaches, nectarines, grapes, almonds, walnuts, and blueberries. A lot of variety out here to get into.

Thank you so much for this piece of advice. This makes a lot of sense. I will get my resume out there more than I have been doing and see what I can catch. Based on everyone's view, I guess the 2nd bachelor's seems like a waste of resources and time so I will stick to the LSUS MBA. As for the agriculture opportunities here in Chicago, IL, doing a quick search returns very few results and the wages paid by farmers are usually much lower than in other sectors hence my desire to branch out. But thanks for the advice

[Insert Name]

If you were trying to do a complete change of course, like switching from business to medical or engineering to business or something like that, I might consider breaking from the consensus and saying go for the bachelors if you can find somewhere that accepts your general education and free elective courses you already have, but I wouldn’t waste my time going sideways from business to business other than if for some reason you absolutely need a SPECIFIC business degree for some reason. Personally, you seem to be in a good spot to move up, not sideways.

[allvia]

If you're going to go the UMPI route (I think it is a good idea for you), I'd recommend the 'B.A. in Accounting' not a BLS (no matter what the minor).  Your need is to have something added to your resume that says "I'm ready to work in XYZ field" (your case it sounds like accounting would the most logical) - a BLS is just another non-specific degree, I don't see how it helps you more than the degree you already have.  Also, Accounting is a universal field - if you move from IL to another location in the US it is an easily transferred skill set. Going directly for a MBA does not make you qualified for any particular field, and a MBA does not equal an accountant. If project management is something that appeals to you add it as a minor to the BA in Accounting.  Since your primary objective is to get out of the factory and into an office the accounting path seems the quickest path, with the least resistance and the lowest cost; once that is complete then I'd recommend the MBA (WGU is a good choice).  You should be able to complete both the B.A. in Accounting (UMPI) and a MBA (WGU) within your budget.  It will also allow you the credential you need to start building a professional US resume.  Welcome to the USA.

[rkotak2]

If you're going to go the UMPI route (I think it is a good idea for you), I'd recommend the 'B.A. in Accounting' not a BLS (no matter what the minor).  Your need is to have something added to your resume that says "I'm ready to work in XYZ field" (your case it sounds like accounting would the most logical) - a BLS is just another non-specific degree, I don't see how it helps you more than the degree you already have.  Also, Accounting is a universal field - if you move from IL to another location in the US it is an easily transferred skill set. Going directly for a MBA does not make you qualified for any particular field, and a MBA does not equal an accountant. If project management is something that appeals to you add it as a minor to the BA in Accounting.  Since your primary objective is to get out of the factory and into an office the accounting path seems the quickest path, with the least resistance and the lowest cost; once that is complete then I'd recommend the MBA (WGU is a good choice).  You should be able to complete both the B.A. in Accounting (UMPI) and a MBA (WGU) within your budget.  It will also allow you the credential you need to start building a professional US resume.  Welcome to the USA.

Thank you so much. I think this is doable. I like accounting alot and i know i can get through the exams really fast at my pace. Where i am confused is ok if im to do this BA in Accounting- given my previous bachelors courses, how many credits do you suppose they will transfer in and what additional credits i will need to graduate. Because i want to start tomorrow but i dont know if i should skip over the gen eds and some courses similar or i should just do them. Any one with an idea of how this might play out can come in and advice please. Thanks everyone for your inputs its really helping clear my doubts and solidify my decisions