Nichols College BS in Business Administration

[ss20ts]

Not really surprising this didn’t take off. Both UMPI and WGU offered the same degree, and both had more friendly policies towards the learner. (Both take more than 30 ACE credits, UMPI only makes you pay for the time you actually use, WGU has every course you need, no partnerships with some mystery school in a different region as Nichols did if you needed Gen Eds)

And that FAQ says they didn’t allow adding a course after the fourth week of a term?  Yikes, that would generate a lot of downtime.

Most people haven't a clue about ACE, UMPI, or WGU. WGU is probably the most well known of the 3 due to their constant social media advertising. Nichols is one of those regionally known schools - you know of it if you leave near it. Same with UMPI. When I started UMPI, I was an outlier. I was one of a handful of students outside of Maine. UMPI's enrollment increased significantly due to this forum. And now it's increasing due to other social media platforms where groups about it now exist. 

Not being able to a course after the 4th week is ridiculous. If it's a 7 or 8 week term what on earth are you going to do for a whole month? That is a major flaw in their system. UMPI doesn't let you add a class during the last 10 days of the session for good reason. You only have 3 days to submit a rough draft of the Final Assessment. That rough draft can be the key to passing or failing.

[bjcheung77]

Hodges University had an option for CBE called UPower and had that shut down after a few years, I guess their enrollment wasn't all that great either or they got frightened away with the WGU debacle at the time where institutions were challenged with explaining why the competency based model would continue to work and help students excel after graduation. Essentially, only the ones who actually create a well defined competency based system will be self-sufficient as most students are self-studying to pass each assessment/assignment with basic mentor feedback if any.

[JPN]

Nichols College was added to the list of partner universities for Sophia.org today. (I monitor the list of Sophia.org partners for interesting new CBE options). Sophia List: https://nicholscollege.sophia.org/#courses

It has also now achieved AACSB Accreditation as well.

Not sure if this will lead any renewed interest in trying to determine a degree path for the program using alternative credit.

● The maximum number of transfer credits allowed is 90 credits
● Only 6 credits are permitted toward a junior or senior specialization
● Only 3 credits are permitted for transfer credit toward a minor
● A maximum of 30 credits may be transferred from DANTES or CLEP
● The capstone course (MGMT 485) is ineligible for transfer credit and must be taken at Nichols College


Nichols College evaluates non-traditional credit according to the recommendations of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and courses must be American Council on Education (ACE) approved

[bjcheung77]

For 30 credits residency at Nichols would be $400 each credit, that'll ring up $12K for a degree. If you can find a specific degree that isn't offered elsewhere such as Excelsior, TESU, or UMPI, they may be a valid option to investigate further in addition to SNHU or others that are in a similar price bracket... Link: https://www.nichols.edu/degree-programs/...-and-fees/

[dfrecore]

For 30 credits residency at Nichols would be $400 each credit, that'll ring up $12K for a degree.  If you can find a specific degree that isn't offered elsewhere such as Excelsior, TESU, or UMPI, they may be a valid option to investigate further in addition to SNHU or others that are in a similar price bracket...  Link: https://www.nichols.edu/degree-programs/...-and-fees/

The only online option is the BSBA, with concentrations in Accounting, HRM, and General Business.  You're much better off at TESU, EU, or UMPI.

[JPN]

For 30 credits residency at Nichols would be $400 each credit, that'll ring up $12K for a degree.  If you can find a specific degree that isn't offered elsewhere such as Excelsior, TESU, or UMPI, they may be a valid option to investigate further in addition to SNHU or others that are in a similar price bracket...  Link: https://www.nichols.edu/degree-programs/...-and-fees/

The only online option is the BSBA, with concentrations in Accounting, HRM, and General Business.  You're much better off at TESU, EU, or UMPI.

TESU and UMPI are certainly good options, but the main selling point of this option is that it's AACSB accredited, which the 3 that you mentioned aren't. Not everyone needs the AACSB accreditation (some are going down career paths where the degree is largely a checkbox, and aren't targeting specific firms or state CPA licensure that favours AACSB). That being said, TESU is already ACBSP.