Planning Next Steps - UoP to TESU?

[Nukeme3]

Greetings everyone!   I'm happy to have stumbled on this little corner of the inter-webs.

I'm soon to be completing a BSCS from UoP (expected in November) and planning for possible next steps. I came across a post on the UoPeople Reddit about TESU which led me here. So now I'm looking for a little guidance on where I should roll my credits into. I'll give a little detail about my position and goals..

Prior credits - I have 25(ish) RA credits from some local universities roughly 10 years ago mostly Math, English, and Science courses.

UoP BSCS - All required courses are complete and I'm now finishing electives. I have 5 courses to go, taking 3 courses per term.

Goal - I would like a RA degree in Computer Science or similar. My hope is the UoP courses transfer 1-to-1 and the RA credits can satisfy required GenEd/Electives along with the RA requirements. I would like the option to transfer into an MBA or to have the credentials accepted in Germany's Anabin certification equivalency evaluation system. I'm already a working professional, so the degree is really just a checkbox. But I would like the opportunity to advance my studies if I choose to.

I am aware UoP is under evaluation for RA, but having been a teacher and involved in a Vocational School accreditation process I'm not holding my breath on this one

I'm thinking a transfer to TESU BA CS or Excelsior BS IT may be the best options. I could pick up any gaps with the resources from Sophia/Saylor/Study.com or CLEPs. Any other recommendations?

A few things that I want to ask:

1) Should I wait to complete the BSCS before transferring to TESU/Escelsior or would there be any advantage to transfer before completion?

2) Does anyone have prior experience with transferring the UoP BSCS into these or other degrees? Is there possibly a degree transfer path that I missed that would be a smoother transition?

3) Credential equivalency review in Germany - Anyone have experience with getting a transferred degree accepted in Germany from TESU/Excelsior?

[bjcheung77]

@Nukeme3, Welcome to the board, great intro post and questions to get the ball rolling. Could you provide us more info on what Reddit mentioned? Having said that, you haven't done the addendum and template here, without more details on your scenario, it's really going to be hard to assist you in any way: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Area-works

[Nukeme3]

Aye aye, captain!

The original thread which led me here is: [url= https://www.reddit.com/r/UoPeople/commen...ton]Reddit Post Rabbit Hole[/url]

Your Location: Ohio, United States
Your Age: 33 Years old
What kind of degree do you want?: Computer Science or similar related IT discipline. Avoiding test-out or experience credits as Germany's equivalency process does not always recognize them.

Current Regional Accredited Credits:

Universtiy of Cincinnati Total Credits: # 20
College Chemistry, 4, B
Calculus I, 4, B
Intro to Public Speaking, 2, A
College Composition I, 4, A
College Precalculus with Algebra, 4, A
Trigonometry, 2, A

Miami University Total Credits: # 7
Circuit Analysis I, 3, A-
College Physics, 3, B+
Physics Lab, 1, A

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:

UoPeople Total Credits: # 84
Online Education Strategies, 3, A
Programming Fundamentals, 3, A
Ethics & Social Responsibilities, 3, A
Programming 1, 3, C
Art History, 3, A
Programming 2, 3, B
Introduction to Health Psychology 3, A
Computer Systems, 3, B
Databases 1, 3, B
Web Proramming 1, 3, A
Operating Systems 1, 3, A
Greek & Roman Civilization, 3, A
Intro to Statistics, 3, B
Discrete Mathematics, 3, B
Software Engineering, 3, B
Data Structures, 3, B
Communications and Networking, 3, B
World Literature, 3, B
Globalization, 3, A
Web Programming 2, 3, A
Data Mining & Machine Learning, 3, A
Operating Systems 2, 3, A
Databases 2, 3, A
Comparative Programming Languages, 3, B
Principles of Business Management, 3, A
Introduction to Economics, 3, A (Pending)
Advanced Networking & Security, 3, B (Pending)
Artificial Intelligence, 3, B (Pending)

Introduction to Sociology, 3 (Future)
Introduction to Psychology, 3 (Future)
Emotional Intelligence, 3 (Future)

2 Additional courses TBD


Any certifications or military experience? None Applicable

Budget: Cheapest option preferred, but willing to spend up to $10k - $15k  for easier pathway.

Commitments: Full-time work (45hrs/wk), family (2 young children), house & vehicle maintenance

Dedicated time to study: I can commit 15 hours per week to study and coursework. Potentially another 5 hours for larger assignments/tests. 

Timeline: No hard deadline. Avoiding overload of my schedule, so a gradual approach is preferred.

Tuition assistance/reimbursement: $3,000/yr for US DoE Accredited schools

Notes: The RA degree is not *essential* but would be useful to keep the doors open for any future advancement. As stated, I'm considering a move to Germany for work and a recognized degree will considerably assist in the process, as far as I'm aware. Germany only formally recognizes degrees from RA institutions. I would also like the options open for a possible MBA in the future. I'm a senior automation & robotics engineer with over 15 years of industry experience, so I can leverage my experience for career advancement. I'm more than happy to take easy credit courses in lieu of 'high-quality education' when I can also just read the technical documentation to get the same info. I opted to begin studying at UoPeople just to be able to mark the checkbox on job applications (it's always disheartening when I'm turned down for a role I'm overqualified for because a company only hires college grads).

I think I will apply to both TESU and Excelsior to see what credits transfer. I could create a Wiki page for course mappings afterward.

[Nukeme3]

Oh, just doing some more digging and found this: https://www.reddit.com/r/ExcelsiorUniver...ditations/

Excelsior University BS Intormation Technology is ABET accredited (along with BSEET and BSNET)

RA with ABET sounds pretty good. My career aligns more with Electrical Engineering Technology, but all my class work has been Computer Science. I'll take a more detailed look into Excelsior to check the applicability.

[Nukeme3]

Digging through the options, I'm wondering now if the financial and time commitment for an RA equivalent bachelor's degree might be better attributed to an RA master's. I'm eyeballing WGU MBA and may look into a few others. 

I think in my situation it makes more sense to progress upward than to branch outward. An MBA will likely have a more immediate payoff in my current standing while still satisfying the RA requirement for any kind of German equivalency process. I might be restricted in a future position for any regulated titles and roles, but a combination of experience and qualifications should do aptly regardless of where I end up.

Or if I stick in the States I'll have the MBA for upward mobility.

The only downside will be the short-term increase in workload for graduate classes. But I think if I can get an accelerated path where I can focus on one course at a time it should not be too bad.

I've got some more to think about and decisions to be made. I'll have my BS completed in November.

[allvia]

Digging through the options, I'm wondering now if the financial and time commitment for an RA equivalent bachelor's degree might be better attributed to an RA master's. I'm eyeballing WGU MBA and may look into a few others. 

I think in my situation it makes more sense to progress upward than to branch outward. An MBA will likely have a more immediate payoff in my current standing while still satisfying the RA requirement for any kind of German equivalency process. I might be restricted in a future position for any regulated titles and roles, but a combination of experience and qualifications should do aptly regardless of where I end up.

Or if I stick in the States I'll have the MBA for upward mobility.

The only downside will be the short-term increase in workload for graduate classes. But I think if I can get an accelerated path where I can focus on one course at a time it should not be too bad.

I've got some more to think about and decisions to be made. I'll have my BS completed in November.

I think the master is a better investment (long and short term). Since you're in the US, the most budget friendly RA is the HAU MBA at 3K. There are numerous threads here on it, I had a family member complete the program last year and is very pleased they made the choice. It is not CBE like WGU, but can be completed quite quickly (a year) if that is the goal.

[Nukeme3]

Digging through the options, I'm wondering now if the financial and time commitment for an RA equivalent bachelor's degree might be better attributed to an RA master's. I'm eyeballing WGU MBA and may look into a few others. 

I think in my situation it makes more sense to progress upward than to branch outward. An MBA will likely have a more immediate payoff in my current standing while still satisfying the RA requirement for any kind of German equivalency process. I might be restricted in a future position for any regulated titles and roles, but a combination of experience and qualifications should do aptly regardless of where I end up.

Or if I stick in the States I'll have the MBA for upward mobility.

The only downside will be the short-term increase in workload for graduate classes. But I think if I can get an accelerated path where I can focus on one course at a time it should not be too bad.

I've got some more to think about and decisions to be made. I'll have my BS completed in November.

I think the master is a better investment (long and short term). Since you're in the US, the most budget friendly RA is the HAU MBA at 3K. There are numerous threads here on it, I had a family member complete the program last year and is very pleased they made the choice. It is not CBE like WGU, but can be completed quite quickly (a year) if that is the goal.

Thanks for the input. I reached out to HAU for more information. Hopefully, the 3K tuition is still offered. Their website states the following:

*The $3,000 tuition cost is a limited time offer for new US students enrolling through our Nashua, NH campus. To receive the $3,000 price, students must be enrolled by June 7 or September 7, 2021. Limited seats are available for each term. Secure your spot now.

I do like the idea of a slower progression, though. I'm an engineer, not a business professional, so much of the information will likely be new. I don't think i'd be able to speedrun an MBA by any means.

UPDATE: Just got a response back, $3k seats are still available. I'm going to submit an application and see about locking in a slot for enrollment early next year. Fingers crossed and my mind blown by the opportunity to get an RA MBA for less than what I have paid for my UoPeople BSCS.

[ss20ts]

The problem you may run into is that many colleges will not accept an NA degree for entrance into a master's program. We just had someone post on here trying to get into UMPI's MAOL with a U of the P degree and they were told no because it's NA.

[allvia]

The problem you may run into is that many colleges will not accept an NA degree for entrance into a master's program. We just had someone post on here trying to get into UMPI's MAOL with a U of the P degree and they were told no because it's NA.

Since HAU is at its core an international school with a US Campus (they are used to dealing with  degrees that aren't either US RA/NA), I suspect the odds are favorable if the OP meets their other admission requirements. This OP is located in the US so they would still be able to go for the 3K MBA; which is not available to international students (other than a few Canadian regions).

[Nukeme3]

Well understood about the challenge of NA degree acceptance. Originally set out only for a BS for the checkbox on job applications. Did not have any plans for RA MBA at the time. 

So far, discussions with HAU have not turned down the NA, but waiting to hear back from their admissions department for an official statement. Transcripts submitted while I twiddle my thumbs.

If they say no, I can either try to pivot the UoPeople BS into TESU/Excelsior/WGU along with my 27 previous RA credits and fill any gaps needed, or I can accept it as-is and double down on a UoPeople MBA. My resume is more than capable of speaking for itself, so I'm not hurt about missing out on too much.