OK I'll try again

[okjustforgetit]

My background: (1) 25 year-old B.S. in Accounting from a RA with only a 2.6 GPA,but with a CPA license.
(2) Then 10 years working for Fed gov.
(3) Then 5 years starting my own small sales business.
(4) Followed by 5 more years creating my own service company.
(5) I am overseas so ONLINE is a necessity.
(6) I am Unemployed now but have free rent here.
Now I’m trying to get rehired in these terrible economic times.
So far the following facts (if I’m accurate) are:
(1) A Masters degree requires 30, maybe 36 credit units
(2) Thomas Edison stated that for an additional B.S.( since my first one was OVER 10 YEARS AGO) the most transferable would be only 9 units!
(3) IF that is true- for ALL possible online schools, then a Masters would need a LOT less units
(4) TESTS: CLEPs are all Lower Level
(5) TESTS DSSTs are Lower Level but some are Upper Level :
For the relevant Business courses – 5 @ 3units = 15 units
Business Ethics/Business Law II/Manag. Info Sys./Money & banking/ Prin. Of Finance
(6) TESTS:ECE Upper levels are : (Ethics/HR manag/Labor Relations/Org. Behavor.)=12 units
(7) DSSTs & ECEs help ONLY for a B.S.( not Master courses }
(8) DSSTSs have Overseas locations and I think ECE CAN be arranged.
(9) TECEP TESTS ARE JUST TOO EXPENSIVE!! $250 EACH * 9 courses
(10) I AM VERY WILLING TO PUT IN THE EFFORT TO SPEED UP THIS ASAP!!

Questions:
(1) IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET THE B.S. QUICKER THAN A MASTERS?
(2) CAN I ADD “LIFETIME ASSESSMENTS”(CLA) TO THESE TEST?
(3) WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM FOR A BUSINESS DEGREE THAT I CAN GET FOR THE TESTS + CLA?
(4) IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET GRADES/I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BETTER G.P.A.
(5) THE FEDS ONLY TAKE RA SCHOOLS …WHAT SCHOOLS CAN YOU RECOMMEND?

[Shawn A]

You have a CPA license + a BS in Accounting. Why on earth would you consider another bachelor's degree?

I would go after a Masters in a heartbeat - esp. if you want to teach. If you have a MS in Accounting, you will open yourself up to all sorts of teaching possibilities, both brick and mortar as well as online.

Here's a list of Accounting Options:

eLearners.com

I would eliminate MBA's with accounting concentrations and focus on MS Accounting degrees. AACSB accreditation is a bonus for the MS.

Good luck!

Shawn

[Basket Weaver]

Not sure who told you that the "Feds" pay for only RA schools.:confused: The Gov't paid 100% for my NA MBA in Human Resource Management from CCU. If you bust your butt you can finish in less than a year and have a good GPA (mine was 3.87 and I'm no brainiac like some of the other members here ; just studied really hard)

[MISin08]

If you have a bachelors I would think real hard before getting another. I wouldn't tell a stranger on an online forum categorically "don't" because I'm not living in your situation but -- well -- think real hard. You might be able to get a grad certificate (Entrepreneurship? Leadership?) that would freshen up your resume more quickly and would look less like your experience meant so little you had to go "back" to school.

If you think real hard and still want another BS, see if Excelsior would do better on transferability. Courses in the major you would probably have to take again. Answering your questions as best I can:

1. Maybe. I wouldn't.
2. If you mean 'credit for life experience' -- probably, but the final word on that is up to the school. Note that it may or not be graded credit (possibly no GPA for it) and it's reputed to be a lot of work.
3. At the schools referred to on this forum as the Big 3, nearly all of the credit can come from alternative sources. TESC will (at this time) take all 120 credits in transfer. Excelsior requires you take their business policy class; they are pretty liberal about the rest. I don't know about COSC, they don't offer proper majors, so I don't recommend them for Business, even though they appear to be a fine school.
4. Grades for classes and some tests. Many other tests, no grades.
5. The Big 3 are all regionally accredited. Here's a link to a very affordable RA MBA that if you have the stamina could be completed in less than a year.

[Griffin]

If you only have a 2.6, you will need to do well on the GMAT, but it won't really exclude you from MS Accounting programs. However, I'm getting the feeling that you've changed fields/interests, what with having a business now. For other fields, having a new BA/BS or taking part in a post-bacc program could be helpful.

Federal student financial aid covers Title IV schools -- accreditation doesn't matter with them. I used federal funds at a state-accredited school in Oklahoma, and it was no problem. I'd say go for RA just because some employers, especially in academia, will exclude NA schools from qualifications.

Since your bachelor's is over 20 years old now, you might check with Excelsior and COSC to see if they will take it or are willing to bank the credits. Worth an email at least. The good news is even if they don't accept it, you have a great shot at testing out of a portion of the degree. cheersmate


Answers:
Questions:
(1) Yes, a Master's degree (for most people) takes 2-3 years of full-time study. A Bachelor's degree can take less than two years to complete.
(2) Not sure what you mean by this exactly. Most colleges offer assessments to determine if you have enough knowledge to be granted credit for some classes. No credit is given for experience, only for knowledge retained. You have to submit a proposal and pay a fee for a Prior Learning Assessment.
(3) Prior Learning assessments have (theoretically) no limit in undergrad programs, but check with the college you wish to attend. TESC has a good process in place for that, worth looking into.
(4) Grades are for classes. Excelsior will give grades for some DSST exams, but not all.
(5a) TESC, COSC and Excelsior are all RA.
(5b) For Bachelor's or Master's?

[perrik]

You already have a BS in accounting, CPA license, and a lot of experience. Getting a second bachelor's is only a lateral move, but you are presumably trying to move forward rather than sideways. What would a BSBA do for you that the BS in accounting can't?

Your GPA is going to be an issue for getting into grad programs, but it's not insurmountable. A lot of program require a minimum 3.0 undergrad GPA for an unconditional acceptance, but will admit students on conditional status if they are otherwise strong. The University of Texas at Arlington, for example, looks at GPA, letters of recommendation, professional experience, and GMAT score; a student who is strong in three of the four criteria will be considered.

What was your GPA for the last 60 credits? Some schools only look at that, understanding that students are prone to mess up in freshman year. U of Texas, for example, will grant unconditional acceptance if your junior/senior GPA was over 3.0 and you rocked the GMAT. What was your GPA for the major? Admissions committees are more likely to let a 2.6 overall GPA slide if your major GPA was a 3.3 or so.

You can pursue a graduate certificate in accounting. These post-baccalaureate programs require an earned bachelor's, but don't necessarily screen for GPA. Get a high GPA in these graduate courses and you'll impress the admissions committees with your ability to do graduate-level work AND pick up recent letters of recommendation for your MS applications.

Honestly, I would stick with RA programs. The feds accept NA degrees, but private industry may or may not. Before you pick any program, try to talk with some hiring managers or senior-level accountants. "If I got my masters from X University, would that degree be respected or would my resume get tossed into the reject pile?" Ask the same question of some HR people at accounting firms, because they may be the ones screening the resumes before the accounting supervisors see them. Remember, you're getting an additional degree to increase your chances of being hired - so get a degree that will be noticed positively. HR people have a prejudice - deserved or otherwise - against the big for-profits that advertise heavily (which are also pretty expensive).

Here are two good RA options: Rutgers University's online MS in Governmental Accounting and Florida Atlantic University's online MS in Accounting

[Shawn A]

You already have a BS in accounting, CPA license, and a lot of experience. Getting a second bachelor's is only a lateral move, but you are presumably trying to move forward rather than sideways. What would a BSBA do for you that the BS in accounting can't?

Your GPA is going to be an issue for getting into grad programs, but it's not insurmountable. A lot of program require a minimum 3.0 undergrad GPA for an unconditional acceptance, but will admit students on conditional status if they are otherwise strong. The University of Texas at Arlington, for example, looks at GPA, letters of recommendation, professional experience, and GMAT score; a student who is strong in three of the four criteria will be considered.

What was your GPA for the last 60 credits? Some schools only look at that, understanding that students are prone to mess up in freshman year. U of Texas, for example, will grant unconditional acceptance if your junior/senior GPA was over 3.0 and you rocked the GMAT. What was your GPA for the major? Admissions committees are more likely to let a 2.6 overall GPA slide if your major GPA was a 3.3 or so.

You can pursue a graduate certificate in accounting. These post-baccalaureate programs require an earned bachelor's, but don't necessarily screen for GPA. Get a high GPA in these graduate courses and you'll impress the admissions committees with your ability to do graduate-level work AND pick up recent letters of recommendation for your MS applications.

Honestly, I would stick with RA programs. The feds accept NA degrees, but private industry may or may not. Before you pick any program, try to talk with some hiring managers or senior-level accountants. "If I got my masters from X University, would that degree be respected or would my resume get tossed into the reject pile?" Ask the same question of some HR people at accounting firms, because they may be the ones screening the resumes before the accounting supervisors see them. Remember, you're getting an additional degree to increase your chances of being hired - so get a degree that will be noticed positively. HR people have a prejudice - deserved or otherwise - against the big for-profits that advertise heavily (which are also pretty expensive).

Here are two good RA options: Rutgers University's online MS in Governmental Accounting and Florida Atlantic University's online MS in Accounting

Based on the OP's info, it's been 20 years since the BS in Accounting. Based on the strong work history, most B-schools won't weigh the GPA very heavily. I was accepted into an AACSB accredited MBA with a 2.3 GPA, but with 6 years of strong work history.

Shawn

[perrik]

Based on the OP's info, it's been 20 years since the BS in Accounting. Based on the strong work history, most B-schools won't weigh the GPA very heavily. I was accepted into an AACSB accredited MBA with a 2.3 GPA, but with 6 years of strong work history.

MBA programs take experience very seriously. Presumably an MS Accounting program will do the same - he might be admitted conditionally until the first semester grades come in, though.

[cookderosa]

My background: (1) 25 year-old B.S. in Accounting from a RA with only a 2.6 GPA,but with a CPA license.
(2) Then 10 years working for Fed gov.
(3) Then 5 years starting my own small sales business.
(4) Followed by 5 more years creating my own service company.
(5) I am overseas so ONLINE is a necessity.
(6) I am Unemployed now but have free rent here.
Now I’m trying to get rehired in these terrible economic times.
So far the following facts (if I’m accurate) are:
(1) A Masters degree requires 30, maybe 36 credit units
(2) Thomas Edison stated that for an additional B.S.( since my first one was OVER 10 YEARS AGO) the most transferable would be only 9 units!
(3) IF that is true- for ALL possible online schools, then a Masters would need a LOT less units
(4) TESTS: CLEPs are all Lower Level
(5) TESTS DSSTs are Lower Level but some are Upper Level :
For the relevant Business courses – 5 @ 3units = 15 units
Business Ethics/Business Law II/Manag. Info Sys./Money & banking/ Prin. Of Finance
(6) TESTS:ECE Upper levels are : (Ethics/HR manag/Labor Relations/Org. Behavor.)=12 units
(7) DSSTs & ECEs help ONLY for a B.S.( not Master courses }
(8) DSSTSs have Overseas locations and I think ECE CAN be arranged.
(9) TECEP TESTS ARE JUST TOO EXPENSIVE!! $250 EACH * 9 courses
(10) I AM VERY WILLING TO PUT IN THE EFFORT TO SPEED UP THIS ASAP!!

Questions:
(1) IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET THE B.S. QUICKER THAN A MASTERS?
(2) CAN I ADD “LIFETIME ASSESSMENTS”(CLA) TO THESE TEST?
(3) WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM FOR A BUSINESS DEGREE THAT I CAN GET FOR THE TESTS + CLA?
(4) IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET GRADES/I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BETTER G.P.A.
(5) THE FEDS ONLY TAKE RA SCHOOLS …WHAT SCHOOLS CAN YOU RECOMMEND?

Getting a second degree in a similar field is like getting 2 high school diplomas. You could do it, but you don't gain an advantage, you just complete something. A similar second bachelor's degree is horizontal- go vertical.

(the operative word is similar field, if you were changing careers, then it would be different)

So, even if you could get a business degree quickly, why would you? Any random MBA program is going to have 5 or fewer pre-reqs that you could use CLEP to complete if you don't already have them done. Honestly, you probably will need 1-2 since I'm sure you at least have taken accounting

To go into business, get the MBA. You can do it in +/- about year. I'd say 3-4 semesters would be typical. Hundreds of such RA programs exist, hundreds don't have GRE requirements, and hundreds won't care that your BS is from 25 years ago. (*currency is the term schools use for demonstrating that you have a current grasp on the material- currency is almost always demonstrated by employment) If you want to mix things up, don't focus on accounting, do something else like marketing or small business management, etc.

NA or RA is a debate for another day, but as you know, RA has greater utility...so that's something to think about. The work is the same.

[okjustforgetit]

I should say that I had an extra 25 semester units (LL &UP) in Economics I never needed; thought a "quick" BA in Economics would add to my resume.

But you are all right in that I should pursue a Masters. As noted, I have changed my focus somewhat. But I'm still a "figures" person. So maybe a Masters (I agree a MS fits better) in maybe Budgeting or Financial Management suits me better now. Any particular online (I am overseas) schools? (I do like the idea of RA but now understand NA would also suffice).

As to the 2.6 -it was the same with the core Accounting courses. But as to the GMAT, it was 534 back then. So I guess that's rather a good score. But I wonder if it's too old to count?

Again, thanks for caring enough to help!