Is the final capstone course for the IT, software engineering, or CS major hard?

[whiverem]

UMPI is almost all papers and projects. Zybooks is programming. UMPI doesn't have a technical Bachelor's degree right now.

For the papers do you have to cite scienfitic research papers or are articles on something like tomsguide.com okay? How many pages is a paper you're supposed to write supposed to be? At WGU I only have to cite for the final capstone course and I think that's it, I would be doing most of the courses with Sophia, SDC, etc. like the links I mentioned.

[rachel83az]

UMPI has an online research "library" for you to use to find citations. In general, something like Tomsguide.com is NOT a scholarly source and would probably not be accepted at either UMPI or WGU.

If you only have to cite for the final course and you're freaking out about it this much, I have doubts about being able to do it correctly the first time. Things like citations and academic papers take time and practice. That's the only way to get good. It's like giving someone new to programming an Intro to C++ textbook and expecting them to be able to code an MMORPG right away. Most of what they need may be in the textbook, but they won't know how to apply the knowledge.

[MNomadic]

Or is it easy for all these majors?

Can someone with a GED and not much experience writing research papers pass this, after having completed most of the prior classes at Sophia, SDC, and some at WGU? And maybe pass it quickly?

This is the only reason I'm hesitant to try. I've haven't done any courses yet at Sophia, SDC, or at WGU. I don't want to have done all the courses and then be stuck at this one course and can't graduate and it all ends up being a huge waste of time.

I believe I could pass all the other classes for the degree though. For the IT major capstone course I think you have to write 35 pages but I'm not sure. Are you just answering mini questions or responding to small things and that ends up being your paper? Do you have to cite scientific journal articles or can you cite an article from something like tomsguide.com?

No, it isn't easy, though it is probably easier than some colleges. "The easiest" would probably be the IT major, as you're basically writing a paper about a theoretical work project you're proposing and then implementing. For the CS and SD ones, I believe you have to make a functionally programming project that meets various criteria. There are no page requirements, you just have to meet the rubric requirements. Some may be able to meet it in under 10 pages. Some may take 30+. The average is probably 15-20. Regardless, if come up short, you can work with your instructor to fix any deficiencies and resubmit as needed.

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The number one reason why people fail at WGU is that they don't bring in enough transfer credit and are shocked to find that they have a lot of work to do to finish.

What?? The majority of WGU students aren't min-maxing their degree like people here. I hope the majority of people aren't signing up for college and realizing they have to actually work once they're attending, though I understand a lot of people see the "graduate in 3 months" videos and have extremely unrealistic expectations.

I agree with the rest of your comments though, the key is discipline, consistency, utilizing your resources, etc.

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At WGU I only have to cite for the final capstone course and I think that's it, I would be doing most of the courses with Sophia, SDC, etc. like the links I mentioned.

There are other courses with papers/projects that you will have to complete that you likely won't find at Sophia/SDC. Also, SDC/Sophia have papers as well which require citations. You can't get out of writing papers no matter what college you go to.

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I agree with RachealAZ, regardless of what see and read on this site and elsewhere, this path isn't fast and easy without having a strong foundation. One of those foundational skills is college level writing and that isn't something you acquire overnight. You're going to have to develop it over time through things like your English composition, communication, and project based courses. These skills aren't only important for college, they're important for the workplace as well, which is one of the reasons many companies like to hire college grads: you need good written and oral communication skills.