List of free graduate credit

[udi]

Is there a list of cheap / free graduate credits in all subjects anywhere? If not, it would help to create an updated sticky thread for it.

[Merlin]

Is there a list of cheap / free graduate credits in all subjects anywhere? If not, it would help to create an updated sticky thread for it.

I don't think this exists. If it does, it isn't well-known.

FYI, graduate school credit isn't as easy to acquire as undergrad credits, not to mention that many schools don't accept transfer credits (or are very restrictive about what and how many credits they accept) at the postgraduate level, so it is much harder to DIY a graduate degree. ACE lists some providers that offer credits that are recommended as graduate level, but there really aren't that many. I don't think any of them are free. There are some schools that allow students to take MOOC courses that can be converted to credit as part of a degree program; the courses may be free but the program itself isn't.

Walden's Temp Learning program had a first term free deal, but I don't know if that is still ongoing, and there may be other restrictions. But, in theory, you could take the free term of courses from there, then quit and then transfer those courses into a comparable degree elsewhere.

[sanantone]

It's probably cheaper to go to a cheaper school without any transfer credits. Not that many graduate schools will accept ACE and NCCRS credits at the graduate level. I'm sure TESU and Excelsior will accept those credits, but as expensive as they are, you'd probably save more money going somewhere else. Even if you could find a school that will accept those credits, most graduate programs will only accept 6 to 9 transfer credits. Excelsior is a rarity; they accept 15 transfer credits.

Let's say you transfer in 15 free graduate credits into one of Excelsior's 36-credit master's degree programs. It will cost $13,645 to complete 21 credits plus the $265 annual student services fee and $130 more for graduation.

[natshar]

These are the only ACE/NCCRS grad credits that I know of and they aren't free:

Coopersmith: Intro to Education $250, 3 grad credits, NCCRS
Statistics.com: Regression Analysis, $589, 3 grad credits, ACE
Statistics.com: Risk, Simulation and Queuing, $589, 3 grad credits, ACE
Statistics.com: Survival Analysis, $589, 3 grad credits, ACE

In order to transfer for masters, it would have to be in a related field and the school takes them and you've had them pre-approved ahead of time. So probably not worth it and difficult to find a school that would accept them.

[kevinmane]

Not free, but cheap:

VESI courses through Augustana University: https://www.virtualeduc.com/direct_accou....php?uid=1

$290 for 3 credit courses

Bear in mind, these courses count as EDUCATION grad courses - so IF you find a graduate school that accepts transfer credit to begin with, it should be within a education degree.

The only one that I think it works for (money-wise) would be Amberton's Professional Development 36-credit Master's Degree, which accepts up to 12 transfer credits.

If you take four 3-credit VESI courses (for a total of $1160), you have to take the remaining 24 credits with Amberton at $265 per credit ($6360).
Total tuition cost (for both avenues of credit): $7520.

[cookderosa]

I used to have a list but I chucked it. When Annenberg stopped, I lost interest. I think the majority of these you'll find are EDU prefixes - and like Sanantone pointed out, you're going to spend a heck of a lot more to attend a college that accepts transfer credit than just choosing a cheaper college.

Believe me, if this were a hack that made sense, this board would be all over it. The math doesn't work.

[tb81]

What the others have said. Graduate credits are a different animal in academia. They transfer only in limited circumstances and don't come free for the most part. A (very) few universities will allow you to transfer under specific criteria and the most generous number of credits allowed are around 12 (Amberton) or 15 (AMU/APU, Excelsior). There really isn't any mix & match Master's program out there that allows you roll assorted graduate credits into a Master's degree. Goodness knows if that was out there we'd have found it. I have 24 credits I've accumulated after finishing my Master's that I'd love to roll into something, but that program doesn't exist.

[udi]

The reason I'm asking is because I already have a master's degree, but I can't do instruction for an English 101 class without a few more master's level English credits. But, I was thinking I could teach other things, too if I could get enough credits in one concentration.

[davewill]

The reason I'm asking is because I already have a master's degree, but I can't do instruction for an English 101 class without a few more master's level English credits. But, I was thinking I could teach other things, too if I could get enough credits in one concentration.

In that case, you should know about the Harvard Extension Poetry courses: https://www.poetryinamerica.org/programs...or-credit/

A number of people here, and my daughter have been taking them. It went up to $250 for 4 grad credits in English, but it's still a steal. There are 5 courses altogether. We weren't sure if they were going to go on past this spring term, but they've added one course this summer. It's a wait and see whether they continue on with the series in the fall.

Edit: I just clicked through to the actual school link, and they are apparently having TWO of the courses this summer. However, the way my daughter has been feeling pressed for time doing two in the spring term, I'm not sure two of them in one 7 week summer term is a great idea.

https://www.summer.harvard.edu/course-ca...w,%20elisa
https://www.summer.harvard.edu/course-catalog/courses/poetry-in-america-from-the-civil-war-through-modernism/33941?keyword=new,%20elisa

Edit: Sorry, I missed that the second one is for full tuition.

[eriehiker]

https://www.ndsu.edu/dce//k-12/info/17992

This one is $375 for 3 graduate English credits.