Planning BS/BA in IT field... leaning toward Information Systems conc. at COSC

[Ideas]

Edit: I see there are good options for the COSC degree. Now I am more focused on options for TESU or Excelsior Information Technology degrees discussed in my post below (or Excelsior Technology degree also discussed).

Preferrably a degree in Information Technology, Information Science, Information Systems, or maybe Information Management. I don't want a Health Information Management, Data Analytics, or Cybersecurity/Security degree. Or an individualized/custom plan, but I would need the transcript to say the major/concentration.

I'm starting a COSC plan below. Are there others besides COSC that I should seriously consider? I need something where I can alternate between doing a lot and taking time off (for medical reasons). I am ok with some real courses (vs testing out), but they tend to cost a lot. Depends on the course format, some I like and some I hate (but would put up with). I also want to do this in a year.

Cost is not a big factor, but I don't want to spend over $70 per credit if I don't have to I prefer the lower cost credits & prefer to avoid traveling to a testing center. However, I am trying to make this list useful to others, so I am trying to list all options like DSST/CLEP/etc

I like that COSC doesn't need as many UL courses as some others. However, two of the COSC requirements (see below) are harder to fill... may be better off paying a different more expensive school where I didn't need 2 expensive courses?

Saylor computer science courses - Most/all not ACE or NCCRS approved and don't qualify

I have Gen Ed planned out separately. I've been searching for other threads with COSC plans to help fill this out. At COSC, in addition to Gen Ed, they need:

1. Introduction to Information Systems, 3 cr

* Saylor CS101: Introduction to Computer Science I may qualify? (NCCRS approved)
* Saylor CS102: Introduction to Computer Science II may qualify? (ACE approved)
* Saylor BUS302: Management Information Systems may qualify? (ACE approved)
* Saylor BUS303: Strategic Information Technology may qualify? (ACE approved)
* StraighterLine Information Technology Fundamentals may qualify?
* CLEP Information Systems and Computer Apps would probably qualify.
* DSST Management Information Systems qualified for someone in the past.
* CSU Global CBE - Information Systems Design and Management (CIS-311)

2. Logic, 3 cr

Hard to find!

* Intro to Logic through LowCostGenEd.com $399
* TECEP Introduction To Critical Reasoning might qualify? But they say Philosophical Logic is ok.
* Penn Foster Pulse and Logic Circuits probably won't qualify? But they say Programming Logic or Digital Logic are ok.
* Math courses with some logic probably won't qualify? (Discrete Math at CSU-Global, etc) But they say Mathematical Logic is ok.

3. Introductory Statistics, 3 cr

* Saylor BUS204: Business Statistics (NCCRS approved)
* Straighterline Business Statistics
* Study.com Statistics 101: Principles of Statistics
* DSST Principles of Statistics

Stats can be found elsewhere too.

I did Aleks "Statistics for Behavioral Sciences". Aleks is hard and currently not giving ACE credit as of 4/1/17. They plan to get re-evaluated soon.

4. Database Management and Design, 3 cr

Hard to find!

* CSU-Global ITS410 Database Management should qualify!
* DSST Management Information Systems probably does not qualify.

Someone on this forum liked COSC's course.

5. Two of: Computer Organization, Computer Networking, Software Engineering, 6 cr

* Saylor CS101: Introduction to Computer Science I may qualify? (NCCRS approved)
* Saylor CS102: Introduction to Computer Science II may qualify? (ACE approved)
* Saylor BUS302: Management Information Systems probably won't qualify? (ACE approved)
* Saylor BUS303: Strategic Information Technology probably won't qualify? (ACE approved)
* Saylor CS302: Software Engineering (ACE approved) would probably qualify.
* Saylor CS402: Computer Communications and Networks (ACE approved) would probably qualify.
* StraighterLine Information Technology Fundamentals may qualify?
* TECEP Network Technology (UL) would probably qualify.
* DSST Management Information Systems may qualify and it's UL?
* CLEP Information Systems and Computer Apps may qualify?

6. One or more of the following business or organizational related courses: Accounting, Management, Marketing, Finance, Strategic Processes, 3 cr or more

Probably 6 cr in this to avoid having another IS elective below. It depends on what they accept as an IS elective. If they take most Saylor, those are cheap ($25 for 3 cr).

This section is not comprehensive because there are so many options.

* Saylor BUS105: Managerial Accounting is an option (ACE approved)
* Saylor BUS203: Principles of Marketing (NCCRS approved)
* Saylor BUS208: Principles of Management (NCCRS approved)
* Saylor BUS302: Management Information Systems probably qualifies (ACE approved)
* Saylor BUS303: Strategic Information Technology may qualify? (ACE approved)
* StraighterLine Financial Accounting
* StraighterLine Principles of Management
* Davar Intro to Accounting, and maybe others.
* Study.com has at least a dozen, some probably qualify.
* DSST/CLEP/TECEP I believe there are some that qualify.

See my note below. I'd like my business course(s) to be UL.

7. Electives in Information Systems, 3-9 cr

* TEEX Cyber Security courses should qualify, 6 cr. (Free!)
* DSST Fundamentals of Cybersecurity (3 UL credits)
* Many from sections 1 or 5 above should qualify, or just do 6 cr here and 6 cr of business/organizational as mentioned above.

8. Capstone, 3 cr

I would like to allow 2 months for capstone.

TOTAL, 36 cr

15 Upper Level credits requirement:

I believe 15 of the 36 must be UL. And someone else posted that Management Information Systems DSST is considered LL by COSC despite being recommended as UL, and I believe COSC is similar with some other exams. I think Statistics is UL, 2 of the Cyber Security are UL, and I could make sure the 6 business credits are UL. (Those are easy to find.) That still only gets me to 11 UL, but I guess that the Saylor 3XX and 4XX are UL too. Of course, I feel the 3XX and up courses will be harder and take me longer, so I am trying to avoid many of the harder ones.

I am still adding to the lists above. When I can no longer edit, I will have to post updates below.

I want to get farther along in my plan before asking COSC about some of the credits.

I didn't check every one. Some of the ACE/NCCRS might be only 2 credits.

[dfrecore]

The following Saylor courses you wrote in are not ACE or NCCRS approved, and therefore won't work at all:

Saylor CS403: Introduction to Modern Database Systems hopefully qualifies.
* Saylor CS410: Advanced Databases probably qualifies. (I would rather avoid this level.)
* Saylor CS107: C++ Programming should qualify. (I don't want to do this one!)
* Saylor CS201: Elementary Data Structures should qualify?
* Saylor CS202: Discrete Structures should qualify?
* Saylor CS301: Computer Architecture should qualify?
* Saylor CS303: Compilers probably qualifies.
* Saylor CS304: Algorithms probably qualifies.
* Saylor CS305: Web Development hopefully qualifies.

I'm not sure if COSC has the ability to do PLA's inexpensively like TESU does, but you could look into that.

[Ideas]

Thank you. I removed those and added more.

The real issues are filling the Logic and Database course requirements (2 x 3 credits) without spending a lot per credit.

In the ACE search, it shows Statistics.com has a course "SQL and R - Introduction to Database Queries", but I don't see it on their site. So I guess it's gone. It may have fit the database course requirement.

[dfrecore]

CSU-Global has a Database Management CBE for $250. They also have some other good UL ones that may work:

Basic Programming
ITS320EX (3 credits)
Information Technology Project Management
ITS400EX (3 credits)
Intermediate Networking
ITS405EX (3 credits)
Principles of Cyber Security
ITS415EX (3 credits)

Advanced Networking Systems
ITS420EX (3 credits)
Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing
ITS425EX (3 credits)
Digital Forensics and Investigations
ITS455EX (3 credits)
Information Security Legal and Ethical Issues
ITS460EX (3 credits)

Information Systems Design and Management
MIS300EX (3 credits)

Information Systems Analysis and Design
MIS350EX (3 credits)

Cloud Computing and Big Data
MIS440EX (3 credits)

[Ideas]

CSU-Global has a Database Management CBE for $250.

I just added that a few minutes before you posted $250 is great!

Thanks for the Logic course info in the other thread! I'm feeling much better about this plan now.

[Ideas]

I am now taking a glance at the requirements for TESU BS in Applied Science and Technology in Information Technology.

They require 45 in the area of study not 36. 33 core credits below + 12 credits electives.

Foundations of Information Technology (3)
COS-330: Computer Architecture (3)
COS-213:C++ Programming (3)
COS-241: Data Structures (3)
COS-352:Operating Systems (3)
CIS-311: Database Management (3)
CIS-351:Software Engineering (3)
CIS-301:Management Information Systems (3)
MAN-435roject Management (3)
Network Technology (3)
Current Trends and Applications of AST (3)

And Excelsior's Bachelor's degrees in the areas I'm interested in:

Bachelor of Science in Information Technology [Without Concentration]:

Has a lot of specific requirements similar to TESU. Has a list of 10 topics. I don't like the concentration options but others might. I could just do "without concentration" if I did it.

I am interested in one of the IT degrees from TESU or Excelsior, but feel that the cost would go way up. For most of the core credits I would probably have to pay $83 and up. I am still not ruling this out though, because I may have financial aid. I personally like the Info Systems degree a lot, but am a little worried that employers will consider the Info Systems degree to be "less than" Info Technology especially if they see the transcript. I am going to research that aspect more. I would prefer to do Info Systems at COSC, but think that it might fall short of my goals.

Excelsior also has Bachelor of Science in Technology (Computer Technologies or 4 other areas of focus). I'm interested in this one too. Same problem as the IT degree though, with needing actual courses. Some may have start and end dates and be less flexible. However, I am pretty interested in this Computer Technologies one, depending on what I learn from the research about employers, career demand, etc. I want a specific type of job, so I have to look at this more.

I don't want management but for someone else to consider: they have 4 Bachelor of Professional Studies in Technology Management degrees.

They also have CyberSecurity.

[Ideas]

Non Big-Three schools: As I said above, it seems the TESU and Excelsior degrees will involve lots of coursework and cost. So I have to consider going to a school where I would do up to 24 credits in residence.

I do have prior learning experience, but feel like PLA isn't going to work well for me.

I would have to research Certifications. Are there some that I can study for and test for within months, that save me from taking 1-4 of the TESU or Excelsior courses? I feel that many certifications will be hard, however. And I would prefer not to have learned a very specific thing in depth. I would rather have a more broad knowledge, but that's a small factor.

[ajs1976]

My experience at COSC is from a few years ago, so some of this may have changed. COSC requires 30 UL. 15 have to be in the concentration. The Logic requirement can be filled by a programing class.
Has anyone confirmed that COSC accepts CSU-Global CBEs?

https://www.charteroak.edu/catalog/curre...amlist.pdf
Charter Oak State College Course Equivalency Guide | StraighterLine
https://www.saylor.org/partner-schools/c...e-college/
Charter Oak State College

[ajs1976]

Foundations of Information Technology (3)
COS-330: Computer Architecture (3) - course
COS-213:C++ Programming (3) - Straighterline?
COS-241: Data Structures (3) - course at CC, but make sure you have a good intro to programming course and that it meets the prereq
COS-352:Operating Systems (3) - course
CIS-311: Database Management (3) - CSU-Global CBE?
CIS-351:Software Engineering (3) - Saylor
CIS-301:Management Information Systems (3) - DSST
MAN-435roject Management (3) - Sophia, Study.com(?)
Network Technology (3) - TECEP
Current Trends and Applications of AST (3) - Course at TESU

[ajs1976]

Another COSC: "I would like to allow 1 month for capstone." It is an 8 week course.