Guidance on Excelsior

[SJKBAE]

I've been reading through so many threads and you all are so helpful! I got my Associates in Human Services from Columbia College back in 2013. I've always wanted to finish my Bachelors. Ultimately I want to be a social worker but online social work degrees are so hard to come by. Plus I don't have $60k and I have three small children which makes in seat too tough. I found that Excelsior has a Bachelors in Social Science with a concentration in Human Services. Has anyone pursued that degree? 

Right now I'm working on all the Sophia courses while they'e free. I have 10 total ACE credits and then 60.2 from Columbia. I realized that many of the courses I took for my AA were 300 level so I'm hoping that will satisfy that requirement. What are the other Sophia type places you have used?

So, thoughts on Excelsior? Thoughts on the Social Science program? Any other ideas for online that aren't Psych degrees?

Thanks so much!

[dfrecore]

I would say that if you want a degree that will get you into a MSW program, you don't need a degree in any particular subject - not even social science. I've found in my research, that you either have a BSW and do the +1yr accelerated MSW, or you do the full 2 to 2 1/2 year MSW program with any other degree you get. Psych doesn't really give you a leg up. Some specifically say they want different types of degrees, so don't get to set on Pscyh or SocSci.

That being said, if you list the courses you've taken, then it would be much easier to tell you which school to look at. List your credits in this way:

Columbia College
course #, course name, number of credits, grade if less than a C
course #, course name, number of credits, grade if less than a C


Course provider
course name, number of credits

[bjcheung77]

You also don't want to limit yourself with just one school, you should apply to a few more just in case it's got more ROI or Value. So, if you're really into competency based degrees, go for those providers or you can stick with the Big 3 for now. Get all your requirements done by getting an evaluation from the schools of choice and completing as many alternative credit courses as possible. Finally work on the remaining courses, I agree you should find the state requirements for being a social worker and also the schools requirements for entrance, get all those courses done.

[SJKBAE]

I've been reading through so many threads and you all are so helpful! I got my Associates in Human Services from Columbia College back in 2013. I've always wanted to finish my Bachelors. Ultimately I want to be a social worker but online social work degrees are so hard to come by. Plus I don't have $60k and I have three small children which makes in seat too tough. I found that Excelsior has a Bachelors in Social Science with a concentration in Human Services. Has anyone pursued that degree? 

Right now I'm working on all the Sophia courses while they'e free. I have 10 total ACE credits and then 60.2 from Columbia. I realized that many of the courses I took for my AA were 300 level so I'm hoping that will satisfy that requirement. What are the other Sophia type places you have used?

So, thoughts on Excelsior? Thoughts on the Social Science program? Any other ideas for online that aren't Psych degrees?

Thanks so much!



Associate of Science in Human Services at Columbia College:
HUMS105 Intro to Human Service - 3
HUMS 250 Working to Individuals - 3
CISS170 Intro to Computer Info Systems - 3
ENGL111 English Comp 1 - 3
HUMS335 Working with Groups - 3
HUMS340 Working with Families - 3
ENGL112 English Comp 2 - 3
PHIL201 Intro to Western Philosophy - 3
HUMS345 Working with Communities - 3
PSYC101 General Psychology - 3
HUMS310 Military Case Work - 3
HUMS380 Substance Abuse - 3
ENGL123 Intro to Mythology - 3
HUMS390 Child Welfare - 3
SOCI218 Social Deviance - 3

Transfer Credits from a Community College which became part of my Associates
POLS101 Intro to Politics
ECE135 Family Dynamics
ECE130 Intro to Issues in ECE
CHEM 101 College Chem 
ECE125 Health/Safety/Nutrition 

Sophia (I'm still working on a bunch):
Human Biology - 3
Intro to Ethics - 3
Visual Communications - 3
Essentials of Managing Conflict - 1 
Developing Effective Teams - 1

ALEKS:
College Algebra - 3

American Institute for Chartered...
Ethics and CPCU Code Code of Professional Conduct - 2

[dfrecore]

So have you looked at the Social Sciences/Human Services degree?  Because you don't have the correct courses to be able to do that degree. You'd have to take more courses at EC to get it, which would get pretty expensive.

Another cheaper/easier option is to get the BALA/BSLA with an Area of Focus in Human Services.  You just need 7 courses there, 2 of which are UL, which you already have, so I think you're good.  The rest can be done via ACE entirely, you'd need 2 more UL courses I think, which are easy to come by.  I'd probably do the TEEX Death Investigations course for $75, I've heard it's really good.  And then either CJ 305: The Juvenile Justice System (Study.com) or SOC 305: Sociology of Work (Study.com).

The remaining courses are all Free Electives, which is the easiest thing in the world to get.

I'd finish your Sophia courses, then send everything to EC for an eval to see what they say. I'm guessing you will be VERY close to being done with this degree, and I think it's just as good as a SocSci/HumSrv degree, IMHO.

Degree plan attached.

[ctcarl]

So have you looked at the Social Sciences/Human Services degree?  Because you don't have the correct courses to be able to do that degree. You'd have to take more courses at EC to get it, which would get pretty expensive.

Another cheaper/easier option is to get the BALA/BSLA with an Area of Focus in Human Services.  You just need 7 courses there, 2 of which are UL, which you already have, so I think you're good.  The rest can be done via ACE entirely, you'd need 2 more UL courses I think, which are easy to come by.  I'd probably do the TEEX Death Investigations course for $75, I've heard it's really good.  And then either CJ 305: The Juvenile Justice System (Study.com) or SOC 305: Sociology of Work (Study.com).

The remaining courses are all Free Electives, which is the easiest thing in the world to get.

I'd finish your Sophia courses, then send everything to EC for an eval to see what they say.  I'm guessing you will be VERY close to being done with this degree, and I think it's just as good as a SocSci/HumSrv degree, IMHO.

Degree plan attached.

TEEX Death Investigations was one of the tougher TEEX CJ courses for me, but not unreasonably so since it was UL.  I thought it was an excellent value for $75.  For two UL courses, it's worth looking at Davar and/or Coopersmith as well.  They're NCCRS but transferred in to EC with no issues in my case.

[SJKBAE]

So have you looked at the Social Sciences/Human Services degree?  Because you don't have the correct courses to be able to do that degree. You'd have to take more courses at EC to get it, which would get pretty expensive.

Another cheaper/easier option is to get the BALA/BSLA with an Area of Focus in Human Services.  You just need 7 courses there, 2 of which are UL, which you already have, so I think you're good.  The rest can be done via ACE entirely, you'd need 2 more UL courses I think, which are easy to come by.  I'd probably do the TEEX Death Investigations course for $75, I've heard it's really good.  And then either CJ 305: The Juvenile Justice System (Study.com) or SOC 305: Sociology of Work (Study.com).

The remaining courses are all Free Electives, which is the easiest thing in the world to get.

I'd finish your Sophia courses, then send everything to EC for an eval to see what they say.  I'm guessing you will be VERY close to being done with this degree, and I think it's just as good as a SocSci/HumSrv degree, IMHO.

Degree plan attached.

THANK YOU!