Mature student seeks help with college credit/bypassing courses. Psychology oriented.

[rachel83az]

CBE (competency-based education) is going to be the closest that you should come to "life experience" credits. If you already know the material at a school like UMPI, you can pass the course relatively quickly and easily. There are also portfolio credits, but these tend to be more expensive and take longer than simply completing CBE courses or courses at places such as Sophia/Study.com/etc.

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, there are so many ways to look into this, it all depends on which 'certification, licenses, or professional titles' you're looking at and if you really need them to have the programmatic or secondary accreditation. Here's a sample pathway, you can do something similar: TESU BA Psych, Walden MS Psych, Kairos Doctoral Degree. And here's a quick post or thread, you want to review the links on post #2, especially the licensure post. https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...rad-school

[Cyath]

Ok so something like this? (below) Sorry it's so messy I pasted it from Word.

If I can't get credit at the Masters level, I'll settle for it at the BA level. How many credits could I get for life experiences?

Is there any way to accelerate the Masters course using Sophia, CLEP etc? Or some form of exams? I just don't like wasting time and money on things I know.


SPRING 17-2018 (20182 ) SANTA ROSA JUNIOR COLLEGE (001287)
ENGL1A ENC1101 READING & COMPOSIT A 03.0 03.0 03.0
NOTE: WRITING CREDIT
PSYCH3 PSY1997 HUMAN SEXUALITY A 03.0 03.0 03.0
PSYCH1A PSY2012 GENERAL PSY A 03.0 03.0 03.0
COUN10 UNC1997 FIRST YEAR EXPERIENC A 03.0 03.0 03.0
Term Totals: Att: 12.00; Ern: 12.00; For GPA: 12.00; Pts: 48.00; GPA 4.00
Cuml Totals: Att: 12.00; Ern: 12.00; For GPA: 12.00; Pts: 48.00; GPA 4.00
*
FALL 18-2019 (20191 ) SANTA ROSA JUNIOR COLLEGE (001287)
ANTHR01 ANT1997 BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOL A 03.0 03.0 03.0
CHLD10 PSY1997 CHILD GROWTH/DEVELOP A 03.0 03.0 03.0
Term Totals: Att: 6.00; Ern: 6.00; For GPA: 6.00; Pts: 24.00; GPA 4.00
Cuml Totals: Att: 18.00; Ern: 18.00; For GPA: 18.00; Pts: 72.00; GPA 4.00
*
SPRING 19-2020 (20202 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 01/04/20 ENDING 05/03/20
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
MAT1033 MAT1033 INTER ALGEBRA T D 03.0 0. 0.
*
SPRING 19-2020 (20202 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 01/04/20 ENDING 03/01/20
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
HLP1081C HLP1081C TOTAL WELLNESS A 02.0 02.0 02.0
Term Totals: Att: 2.00; Ern: 2.00; For GPA: 2.00; Pts: 8.00; GPA 4.00
Cuml Totals: Att: 23.00; Ern: 20.00; For GPA: 20.00; Pts: 80.00; GPA 4.00
*
SUMMER 19-2020 (20203 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 05/11/20 ENDING 08/08/20
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
CGS1060C CGS1060C COMP LITERACY A 03.0 03.0 03.0
MAT1033 MAT1033 INTER ALGEBRA R C 03.0 03.0 03.0
Term Totals: Att: 6.00; Ern: 6.00; For GPA: 6.00; Pts: 18.00; GPA 3.00
Cuml Totals: Att: 29.00; Ern: 26.00; For GPA: 26.00; Pts: 98.00; GPA 3.76
*
FALL 20-2021 (20211 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 08/21/20 ENDING 12/15/20
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
ENC1102 ENC1102 COMPOSITION II A 03.0 03.0 03.0
NOTE: WRITING CREDIT
STA2023 STA2023 STATISTICS C 03.0 03.0 03.0
Term Totals: Att: 6.00; Ern: 6.00; For GPA: 6.00; Pts: 18.00; GPA 3.00
Cuml Totals: Att: 35.00; Ern: 32.00; For GPA: 32.00; Pts: 116.00; GPA 3.62
*
SPRING 20-2021 (20212 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 01/06/21 ENDING 05/04/21
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
BSC1005 BSC1005 GEN BIOLOGY B 03.0 03.0 03.0
DEP2004 DEP2004 DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCH A 03.0 03.0 03.0
NOTE: WRITING CREDIT
PHI2010 PHI2010 INTRO TO PHIL A 03.0 03.0 03.0
NOTE: WRITING CREDIT
*
SPRING 20-2021 (20212 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 01/25/21 ENDING 04/25/21
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
SPC1024 SPC1017 INTRO SPE COMM A 03.0 03.0 03.0
Term Totals: Att: 12.00; Ern: 12.00; For GPA: 12.00; Pts: 45.00; GPA 3.75
Cuml Totals: Att: 47.00; Ern: 44.00; For GPA: 44.00; Pts: 161.00; GPA 3.65
*
SUMMER 20-2021 (20213 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 05/12/21 ENDING 08/06/21
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
AMH2020 AMH2020 U S HISTORY FRM 1877 A 03.0 03.0 03.0
NOTE: WRITING CREDIT
MAC1105 MAC1105 COLL ALGEBRA C 03.0 03.0 03.0
Term Totals: Att: 6.00; Ern: 6.00; For GPA: 6.00; Pts: 18.00; GPA 3.00
Cuml Totals: Att: 53.00; Ern: 50.00; For GPA: 50.00; Pts: 179.00; GPA 3.58
*
FALL 21-2022 (20221 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 09/08/21 ENDING 12/06/21
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
HUM1020 HUM1020 INTRO TO HUM B 03.0 03.0 03.0
NOTE: WRITING CREDIT
Term Totals: Att: 3.00; Ern: 3.00; For GPA: 3.00; Pts: 9.00; GPA 3.00
Cuml Totals: Att: 56.00; Ern: 53.00; For GPA: 53.00; Pts: 188.00; GPA 3.54
*
SPRING 21-2022 (20222 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 01/05/22 ENDING 05/03/22
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
BSC1005L BSC1005L GEN BIO NON-MAJ LAB A 01.0 01.0 01.0
SYG2340 SYG2340 SOC OF HUM SEX A 03.0 03.0 03.0
NOTE: WRITING CREDIT
*
SPRING 21-2022 (20222 ) BROWARD 001500 BEGINNING 01/24/22 ENDING 04/24/22
PROG: (1010 ) AA AA-ASSOCIATE IN ART
EVR1001 EVR1001 ENVIRO SCIENCE A 03.0 03.0 03.0
Term Totals: Att: 7.00; Ern: 7.00; For GPA: 7.00; Pts: 28.00; GPA 4.00
*
DEGREE AWARDED: ASSOCIATE IN ARTS
HIGH HONORS
GRADUATION DATE 05/05/22
GPA: 3.60 CREDIT HOURS: 60.00
*
Local Inst Cum:Att: 45.00; Ern: 42.00; For GPA: 42.00; Pts: 144.00 ; GPA 3.42
Trnfr Inst Cum:Att: 18.00; Ern: 18.00; For GPA: 18.00; Pts: 72.00 ; GPA 4.00
Overall Cum: Att: 63.00; Ern: 60.00; For GPA: 60.00; Pts: 216.00 ; GPA 3.60
CURRENT CUM GPAAtt: 63.00; Ern: 60.00; For GPA: 60.00; Pts: 216.00 ; GPA 3.60
OVERALL/HONORS Att: 63.00; Ern: 60.00; For GPA: 60.00; Pts: 216.00 ; GPA 3.60
*
END OF COLLEGE CREDIT RECORD

[bjcheung77]

In short, select your Bachelors of choice, then ladder that to the Masters of your choice, and finally go for the end goal of certification or licensure if the 'profession' requires one. Review what's in the thread already and decide on which degree you want to start off with, you need to apply and get an evaluation to see where you're at. For the Bachelors & Masters, I suggest you complete a competency based program as those would be much faster...

[davewill]

Accelerating your master's using alt credit or PLA (Prior Learning Assessment or credit for experience) is pretty much unheard of. For a bachelor's, if alt credit is available, it is generally faster, easier and cheaper than the equivalent PLA process. You can follow the links in my signature to see my and other's experience with PLA at TESU, as an example. Other schools use a very similar process. I used a lot of PLA because, at the time I did it, there was very little alt credit available to fulfill the requirements of a BACS. Now that there is, I would not counsel anyone to take that route.

In your shoes, I would shop for my master's program first, then tailor my bachelor's plan to best prep for that. Unlike some of the other posters, I think you should probably plan on getting a BA Psych. I have two reasons for this. First, it doesn't seem like getting a generic BA is going to immediately change your career prospects. Second, it should also make your application a little more competitive. I think that outweighs a small amount of extra time spent getting the Psych BA vs a generic degree.

Besides, with your experience, the Psych material it likely to be fairly easy for you.

[dfrecore]

If you were to choose a BA in Psych at TESU, you'd need:

Sophia
Ethics
American Gov
Any SocSci/His/Hum
18cr of Free Electives

Study.com
PSY 105: Research Methods in Psychology
PSY 104: Social Psychology
PSY 312: History & Systems of Psychology (UL)
PSY 311: Physiological Psychology
PSY 310: Psychology of Personality (UL)
PSY 316: Advanced Social Psychology (UL)
SOCSCI 108: Ethics in the Social Sciences
BUS 323: Organizational Theory (UL)

TECEP Exam or Coopersmith
Abnormal Psychology (UL)

You can decide between a single 15cr term and take the cornerstone, capstone and 3 courses of your choice. Or just taking the cornerstone and capstone and paying the residency waiver. The 15cr term is cheaper by quite a bit.
-----------------------------

If you were to choose a BA in Psych at UMPI, you'd need:

Sophia
Critical Thinking
Spanish
American Gov
15cr of Free Electives

Study.com
PSY 104: Social Psychology
PSY 106: Abnormal Psychology

That leaves you with exactly 30cr of Psych to take at UMPI.

[Cyath]

Thanks for all the detailed replies. I was away for a while and that's why I didn't reply.

>For a bachelor's, if alt credit is available, it is generally faster, easier and cheaper than the equivalent PLA process.

By alt credit you mean CLEP and similar?

Yes, I am shooting for a BA in Psych, I already have the Associate's.

Cost is a factor, so I would be looking to take as few courses as I needed to do as possible.

I guess I could try scholarships for the Masters, but I suppose that is beyond the scope of this forum?

[allvia]

By alt credit you mean CLEP and similar?

Far more options than CLEP (what works depends on the school you choose) - https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sources_of_Credit

[bjcheung77]

Yes, I am shooting for a BA in Psych, I already have the Associate's.
Cost is a factor, so I would be looking to take as few courses as I needed to do as possible.
I guess I could try scholarships for the Masters, but I suppose that is beyond the scope of this forum?

UMPI BA Psych would be the first choice, you can complete the required courses for gen eds/electives using Sophia.org and Study.com. Then take the major at UMPI, you want to try and transfer in 90 credits into the degree program if possible and just finish 30 credit residency with UMPI. In regards to the Masters, I recommended the CBE option earlier, an example is Walden Tempo MS Psych at a little of $6K

[rachel83az]

Thanks for all the detailed replies. I was away for a while and that's why I didn't reply.

>For a bachelor's, if alt credit is available, it is generally faster, easier and cheaper than the equivalent PLA process.

By alt credit you mean CLEP and similar?

Yes, I am shooting for a BA in Psych, I already have the Associate's.

Cost is a factor, so I would be looking to take as few courses as I needed to do as possible.

I guess I could try scholarships for the Masters, but I suppose that is beyond the scope of this forum?

Yes, alt credit is any credit that doesn't come from an RA (or NA, depending on the university's policies) institution. This includes, but is not limited to:

CLEP
DSST
Sophia.org
Study.com
Davar Academy
Coopersmith
Straighterline
Coursera (Google, IBM, etc.)

I would almost certainly go with UMPI's BA Psych. Just make sure that you know what Master's program you want to get into and what their requirements are. For example, if they want a graded Abnormal Psych class for some reason, I would not take it at Study.com and would take the UMPI version instead. "Graded credits" are kind of a code-word for RA or NA credits. If you see that, you usually need a "real" class and not CLEP or Study.com or whatever.