Need Help finding cheap transferable collegecredit(Straighterline, Propero, Coursera

[sanantone]

There are certain tendencies in how higher education is perceived in the United States. For-profit schools which includes Grantham, University of Phoenix, DeVry, and ITT, are generally looked down upon. For-profit schools tend to be more expensive without offering any added value for the added cost. They also tend to have weaker (i.e., national) accreditation.

Online only schools are not as favorably regarded as schools with a physical presence where students attend class in person. Here in these forums we like online education but we are biased in favor of online education.

If you want to maximize acceptance and recognition of your degree, get it from a public (not for-profit, not private) university with buildings, sports teams, and dormitories. We call those brick and mortar universities. Many brick and mortar universities offer online education

Public universities usually have two or three different tuition levels. The lowest price is called in-state tuition. It is reserved for people who have lived in the state for a period of time prior to enrollment. More expensive is out-of-state tuition for people not from the state where the university is located. The idea is that they haven't paid taxes to the state, so they have to pay more tuition. The sometimes even more expensive third tuition tier is for foreign nationals. The idea is that foreign students haven't paid any taxes in the United States at all and shouldn't get an education subsidized by U.S. taxpayers. Sometimes in the interest of diversity foreigners do not have to pay extra.

Online education from a brick and mortar public university can be quite affordable. Some schools offer in-state tuition to all students who are exclusively online. Search for schools like that. If your degree is from a school such as The University of (insert the name of any of the 50 states here) or (insert the name of any of the 50 states here) University, your degree will have widespread name recognition.

Private, non-profit schools tend to be more selective and more expensive. Name recognition for top private schools is excellent. Since you mentioned cost, this discussion was oriented to public universities.

A good public university is going to be as selective as the private universities of similar status. The public schools that offer a discount to online students tend to be bottom tier, which often means less name recognition. But, I don't think the OP is all too concerned about that given the already limited online options. Out-of-state tuition is almost as expensive as private school tuition. Discounts for being an international student are going to be extremely rare for online students. When searching for online programs, one will come across many schools that don't fit the norm. Columbia College, for example, is one of the cheaper options for online students who don't have a cheap in-state college to attend. Some majors are not easy to find online, so one should not completely eliminate private schools on the assumption that they will be worse options than public schools. They might be some of the only online options.

I was just going to say I found two schools that have the same degree I pursue at grantham and they have regional accreditation: Devry and Old Dominum ... Now I read that they are looked down on omg
I can't find a 100% online computer engineering degree though... Not even a nationally accredited one. So sad. I love the courses in computer engineering.
Would you say devry or old Dominum are any better than grantham since they are regionally accredited?
I would love to take online computer engineering from a "mortar brick" university but it seems like it doesn't exist.

Hmmm... I really have some thinking to do.
I'm constantly applying for jobs at employers that sponsor h1b.
In case I do not get a job offer right after the military, I'm thinking to do either a master's program after the military in the usa or an internship. (I don't think I have the money for a real on campus masters degree though) obviously, an on campus master's in CE would make it more likely for me to find a job after graduation but the problem is money and a job is not a sure thing when you are an international student (would need to do OPT and find somebody that sponsors h1b). The internship would be an alternative that doesn't cost much (or even paid), so I can gain experiences and certifications and increase my chances to get hired in the international job market.

I can't say thank you enough. All the information I get here is so good! You are really helping me through my future plans/struggles

Old Dominion University has a much better reputation than Devry, but an engineering technology degree without ABET accreditation is still going to limit your options for graduate school.

[mhenkes]

Actually, old dominium IS accredited by ABET:

Engineering and Technology BS Computer Engineering
Engineering Accreditation Commission, ABET

EAC/ABET

1989 2010 2015 2016


https://www.odu.edu/about/accreditation

I don't get why they are not listed on the online degrees page on abet

I wrote them an email asking them about transfer credits and abet more specifically. Will need to wait to hear back from them.

[sanantone]

Actually, old dominium IS accredited by ABET:

Engineering and Technology BS Computer Engineering
Engineering Accreditation Commission, ABET

EAC/ABET

1989 2010 2015 2016


https://www.odu.edu/about/accreditation

I don't get why they are not listed on the online degrees page on abet

I wrote them an email asking them about transfer credits and abet more specifically. Will need to wait to hear back from them.

Their online program is a BSET in Computer Engineering Technology. That does not have ABET accreditation. The one that has ABET accreditation is the BS in Computer Engineering, and that is not available online.

Edit: Old Dominion University's online electrical engineering technology program is ABET-accredited. It looks like their computer engineering program is really an electrical engineering program with a computer engineering technology focus. You can contact them for clarification. You should still contact prospective masters programs to see if a degree in engineering technology will be acceptable for admission. Engineering technology curriculum is different from engineering curriculum.

It's a degree completion program. That means you should have the first two years of credit to transfer in. This might be a problem if they don't accept transfer credits from DEAC-accredited schools.

I'll link you to the curriculum. It really is a BSET in Electrical Engineering Technology with a Computer Engineering Technology Option. You'll come out with a minor in computer science.
https://dl.odu.edu/csheets/ComET_curr_VC...une_27.pdf

[sanantone]

I took a look at Devry's program. The campus version has ABET accreditation, but the online version does not.

ETAC of ABET requires separate review of each engineering technology program both online and at each physical location. The following programs, offered online, are not accredited by ETAC of ABET: Engineering Technology - Computers, and Engineering Technology - Electronics. DeVry will seek accreditation for these programs when appropriate in accordance with ETAC of ABET procedures. Future accreditation is not guaranteed. The CET and EET programs at DeVry Calgary are not eligible for this accreditation.

Accredited by The Higher Learning Commission | DeVry University

[clep3705]

Old Dominion is a public university with dormitories and athletic teams. It has name recognition and credibility that DeVry never will have.

There is at least one for-profit with campus housing and a sports team - Grand Canyon University. Grand Canyon University is a private Christian University in Phoenix, AZ If their baseball team won the NCAA championship, would the school be more credible? Grand Canyon was a nonprofit school when it was founded. It became a for-profit in 2004 and is considering returning to nonprofit to overcome the stigma of for-profit education.

[sanantone]

Devry has a campus with dormitories, but they don't have a sports team. Devry has a lot of name recognition; it's just not positive name recognition.

[mhenkes]

Okay guys I just applied for Old Dominion after checking with the Admissions Department to see if they accept DEAC credits from Grantham etc. Will let you guys know how it turns out and if all my credits will transfer!
The CET program at Grantham is almost identical to the CET at Old Dominion so I would def love it if all my credits transfer bc I would be pursuing an ABET degree in Engineering Technology (focus: Computer Engineering Technology) and therefor increase my chances to get accepted into a masters or to get a job.

Thanks again guys! And if you have any cool ideas/information pls comment

[mhenkes]

So I'm reporting back from my experience with ODU. After weeks of many email conversations between me and the admissions department of ODU and paying 60$ for the transcript evaluation, they now told me that they do not accept transfer credits from a nationally accredited school. Very frustrating since they said they do accept them before I applied...
Now I'm back to where I started and still looking for the same online degree (Computer Engineering) offered by a good school that I can transfer to... The only one school I know of is Devry but as you said the school doesn't have a good reputation. Is it better than Grantham though? I was wondering if I can switch to Devry and then from Devry to OD lol. Do you think this would work? (Devry accepts national accreditation and they are regionally accredited which ODU requires.)

[bricabrac]

Now I'm back to where I started and still looking for the same online degree (Computer Engineering) offered by a good school that I can transfer to... The only one school I know of is Devry but as you said the school doesn't have a good reputation. Is it better than Grantham though? I was wondering if I can switch to Devry and then from Devry to OD lol. Do you think this would work? (Devry accepts national accreditation and they are regionally accredited which ODU requires.)

That is called credit laundering and unfortunately will not work. This is why each institution requests original transcripts. When you send your Devry transcript to ODU, it will list any Devry courses taken separate (institution) from the transferred credit. All sources are listed on the transcript. Have you considered a general computer science degree then, if appropriate, enroll in a computer engineering masters program? Or some sort of graduate certificate?

[mhenkes]

A (pure) computer science degree does not fit me. I am far more interested in the hardware part of Computer Engineering/Technology. I really like the mix of the degree I currently pursue because it's like a blend of a few, basic must-know computer science courses as well as electrical engineering and hardware oriented courses. The next best thing to a Computer engineering degree is probably a network engineering degree depending on the type (I saw some offer many courses that my CE degree requires so that'd be good). Maybe the best thing for me really is to complete the two years I have left at Grantham (which I can probably complete in one year) and find a masters program in Computer Engineering that accepts national accreditation.
For a few months now, I've considered going for a masters degree in the USA (on-campus university) after the military. However, I know I won't have the money to afford a $50k master degree. That's why I was looking more into hybrid campuses (part online part on-campus) which would save me money and I would still get to experience the all-american college life . Besides, my goal is to immigrate into the United States and this way seems to be the best possible. An on-campus degree would require an F1 visa (which 100% online degrees do not require) and give me the option of doing OPT and find a job later and get sponsored H1B.
I'm still open and looking for abet accredited online degrees similar to the one I'm enrolled in now. I will also look more into universities that offer master degrees and are hybrid or cheap on-campus. I've known a family in WV for a long time that is like my own family and they would love it if I stayed with them, however, WV doesn't seem like the most exciting state for an international to pursue a masters in Computer Engineering xD. Of course, if that would mean I would save a lot of money (such as room&board) I would definitely do it.

I'm open to more suggestions. I can't say enough how thankful I am to everybody here that helps me through this process of university/immigration. Seems like my plans are a little unique lol. Does anybody here know hybrid universities that offer a masters in CE and accepts national accredited credits??