Pursuing CS Degree at 33 - starting from 0

[MrPokey]

Hi all! Like the title states, I'm 33 and went straight into the workforce in 2009 after high school - meaning no college, no credits, etc.

I've stumbled into a decent career in the tech/startup world, in an operations role in human resources (but I admin some tech platforms, and am extremely computer literate and tech savvy)

I've always wanted to pursue Computer Science, just never had the time/resources until now. I'm teaching myself some programming basics in Python and C but I know I need to start pursuing credits, brushing up on my math, and ultimately committing to enrolling.

Your Location: United States - North Carolina
Your Age: 33
What kind of degree do you want?: Bachelors, Computer Science
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 0
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 0 
Any certifications or military experience?: PMI Certified Associate Project Management, Google Project Management
Budget: Not unlimited but... unlimited within reason
Commitments: Work full time - but remote
Dedicated time to study: I dedicate around 4h a day to learning programming right now, so I could commit that and likely even more (weekends, etc.) as I have a flexible work schedule.
Timeline: None really, but I'd like to get through in 2 years or so - willing to put in the work
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: None that I know of

I'd also love some input from those that may have started in a similar place to me; how much programming should I learn prior to enrolling and/or taking ACE courses? Ideally I'd do it all, but I'm currently dedicating most of my time to getting through some MOOC courses in Python.

Thank you all!

[bjcheung77]

Welcome to the board, it's great you're in the same country as the most of us (we can assist you easier), but you've not indicated which 'state'. The reason I ask is, some states have in-state-tuition, and may be a better recommendation than some out-of-state institutions. My recommendation is the balanced trifecta of a mix/match of certs, degree, experience in addition the the TESU BACS degree. The other thing is, you want to make sure you transfer in the max credits and have at least 10 classes for residency if you would like the UMPI PM & IS option (it's not a CS degree, but you can get more CS related classes transferred in for a mix of certs, degree, experience).

[MrPokey]

Welcome to the board, it's great you're in the same country as the most of us (we can assist you easier), but you've not indicated which 'state'. The reason I ask is, some states have in-state-tuition, and may be a better recommendation than some out-of-state institutions.  My recommendation is the balanced trifecta of a mix/match of certs, degree, experience in addition the the TESU BACS degree.  The other thing is, you want to make sure you transfer in the max credits and have at least 10 classes for residency if you would like the UMPI PM & IS option (it's not a CS degree, but you can get more CS related classes transferred in for a mix of certs, degree, experience).

Thanks for such a quick response! I just edited my original post to include my state - North Carolina.

The TESU BACS degree was definitely the one that seemed like it aligned best, so it's assuring to see you suggesting the same. I hadn't heard of the UMPI PM & IS degrees - this could definitely be a good path to explore that aligns with my current work (and may be something I can potentially ask for some assistance from work; likely not, but worth a try!)

Thanks again for the detailed response!

[allvia]

I'd recommend starting with the UMPI BBA PM & IS. Avoid earning any credit that you would use in the TESU BACS degree AOS, then once you get the UMPI degree you can get the 2nd bachelor in CS from TESU. Why am I suggesting this (honestly, I rarely recommend more than one bachelor), but in your case you have zero RA credits (needed for TESU) and the UMPI degree aligns with the work you're already doing. It doesn't hurt that it would also be one of, if the least, lowest costs options to gain the RA credits you'd need for the TESU BACS. Also, one of the fastest. Why not take any of the TESU CS AOS courses? Because you need to earn 24 new credits after your 1st bachelor is conferred with TESU. Now with that all said, you may discover that you don't need the CS bachelor once you have the BBA, you may be able to 'prove' your CS knowledge through other methods of certification that would add more ROI than a 2nd bachelor on your resume/CV.

[LevelUP]

I think you are a good candidate to take the TESU Double degree in BSBA Marketing (best path for entrepreneurs) and BA Computer Science.
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...egree_Plan

To learn IT and programming, follow this exact path at Sophia:
Intro to IT
Intro to Web Development
Intro to Networking
Intro to DB
Intro to Python
Intro to Java

You don't need any previous experience because they are all beginner-friendly. 

You could start with the UMPI BA Business Admin Marketing (or another Biz Admin major) while taking Sophia tech courses for your electives. Then, you could do CS at TESU.
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/UM...egree_Plan

The advantage of doing it this way is that when you enroll at TESU, your General Education is waived, and all you need to take at TESU is the capstone to graduate.

[bjcheung77]

There are ways to hack the degree better... My recommendation is this, you should do the BACS requirements first by transferring all the credits you can, don't take classes at TESU yet. Complete the requirements for the BSBA with a different AOS that doesn't have a corresponding certificate available, all AOS have a corresponding certificate (some are the same classes, some will have different requirements), my choice would be Entrepreneurship and International Business.

With more energy, money, time... You can get the balanced mix/match trifecta of certs, degree, experience, by getting associates, certs, on route to the bachelors. A total of 2 associates and 4 certs (maybe more if they allow extra certs). You can do two flat rate terms to complete all the requirements for both associates and bachelors. The kicker is, you'll be using one of the flat rate terms to do, graduate credits with the Bachelors to Masters, to get the grad credits for the price of undergrad.

[thornytumbleweed]

Some people here are already directing you towards another major. I'm like you, I enjoy computers. I definitely wouldn't (couldn't) do a business degree. I do not enjoy the content. Regardless of what works best for you, here are my suggestions.

The following link gives you a roadmap to general education.
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ts_Roadmap

One of the challenges is to make sure that you get a sufficient number (30) of regionally accredited (RA) credits. You'll get six from TESU for the two mandatory TESU courses. The remaining 24 will need to come from somewhere else. I came in with previous RA credits so I didn't have to worry about this. Other folks here can probably advise you on what the best choices are.
Some details here on the residency waiver and RA courses
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Th...University

For the Computer Science courses, study.com is where you will get most of the core computer science courses.
Here's the degree plan for TESU CS.
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ience_Plan
Note that the degree plan does not cover the coursera courses. However, it clearly lays out how to get parts A-F courses.

For the upper level AOS computer science electives (Part G). I suggest the following:
Google Cloud Data Analytics which nets you CIS 3110 Database Management and CLD 4300 Machine Learning in the Cloud
IBM Full Stack which gets you CLD 4200
Both of these also get you some lower level credits as well for the AOS.
I suggest taking a few of the other Google and IBM courses from coursera to get a bunch of elective credit. I particularly enjoyed the IBM Data Science Professional and Data Analytics Professional certificates. For what it's worth, I took several coursera certificates and brought in over 50 ACE credits to TESU. Most are counted as electives. However, for 3 months at 59 dollars a month, it was a bargain!
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Coursera

My advice, start with Couresera and Sophia. They are budget friendly and you can get quite a few credits quickly. While you are doing that, read up on RA credits and figure out where to get a few RA credits.

[origamishuttle]

If I were to go for the TESU BACS today, starting from scratch, I would probably get the UMPI BBA PM&IS first, maxing out transfers from Sophia (and secondarily Study.com, Saylor, and CLEP, as is convenient for you), then go to TESU for the BACS as my second degree. Both of my TESU degrees were second degrees, which was good because I wouldn't have wanted to take any extra TESU courses beyond the liberal arts capstone, which was plenty enough for me! The UMPI degree seems to align perfectly with your current role, so you would probably be able to cruise through in one or two terms by relying on your existing knowledge, assuming you maximize your transfers. After that, TESU is mostly about earning the credential, as the Study.com courses you can do on your own anyway, and the TESU capstone is unrelated to your major.

However, you may also want to consider either the CS degree or Software Engineering degree at WGU:

https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/WG...egree_Plan
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/WG...egree_Plan

These are more challenging degrees with more courses aligned with the major, so they will take you further in your learning journey. There is also more at stake financially because each term is over $4,000, so it's best to maximize transfers and strategize on how to complete the remaining courses in a single six-month term.

[MrPokey]

I think you are a good candidate to take the TESU Double degree in BSBA Marketing (best path for entrepreneurs) and BA Computer Science.
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...egree_Plan

To learn IT and programming, follow this exact path at Sophia:
Intro to IT
Intro to Web Development
Intro to Networking
Intro to DB
Intro to Python
Intro to Java

You don't need any previous experience because they are all beginner-friendly. 

You could start with the UMPI BA Business Admin Marketing (or another Biz Admin major) while taking Sophia tech courses for your electives. Then, you could do CS at TESU.
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/UM...egree_Plan

The advantage of doing it this way is that when you enroll at TESU, your General Education is waived, and all you need to take at TESU is the capstone to graduate.

Great, thank you! I love the idea of that double degree; I work in a MarTech company, so IF I were to stay where I am during/after graduating, that would be extremely valuable!

---

There are ways to hack the degree better... My recommendation is this, you should do the BACS requirements first by transferring all the credits you can, don't take classes at TESU yet.  Complete the requirements for the BSBA with a different AOS that doesn't have a corresponding certificate available, all AOS have a corresponding certificate (some are the same classes, some will have different requirements), my choice would be Entrepreneurship and International Business.

With more energy, money, time... You can get the balanced mix/match trifecta of certs, degree, experience, by getting associates, certs, on route to the bachelors.  A total of 2 associates and 4 certs (maybe more if they allow extra certs).  You can do two flat rate terms to complete all the requirements for both associates and bachelors.  The kicker is, you'll be using one of the flat rate terms to do, graduate credits with the Bachelors to Masters, to get the grad credits for the price of undergrad.

Interesting; if I'm understanding correctly, I should look at first completing the requirements for a BSBA (i.e. HR specialty) following the Core Roadmap and the HR AOS (this would make sense for my current job, as I work in HR).

Then (i assume) the remaining credits for the BACS degree will be in the CS AOS, and essentially all I'll need to do is do 2 flat rate terms to complete whatever remaining requirements (Capstones, maybe RA credits, I assume)?

---

If I were to go for the TESU BACS today, starting from scratch, I would probably get the UMPI BBA PM&IS first, maxing out transfers from Sophia (and secondarily Study.com, Saylor, and CLEP, as is convenient for you), then go to TESU for the BACS as my second degree. Both of my TESU degrees were second degrees, which was good because I wouldn't have wanted to take any extra TESU courses beyond the liberal arts capstone, which was plenty enough for me! The UMPI degree seems to align perfectly with your current role, so you would probably be able to cruise through in one or two terms by relying on your existing knowledge, assuming you maximize your transfers. After that, TESU is mostly about earning the credential, as the Study.com courses you can do on your own anyway, and the TESU capstone is unrelated to your major.

However, you may also want to consider either the CS degree or Software Engineering degree at WGU:

https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/WG...egree_Plan
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/WG...egree_Plan

These are more challenging degrees with more courses aligned with the major, so they will take you further in your learning journey. There is also more at stake financially because each term is over $4,000, so it's best to maximize transfers and strategize on how to complete the remaining courses in a single six-month term.

I'm definitely looking at exploring the UMPI BBA PM&IS, if nothing else because I may be able to convince my job to contribute to something here as it directly relates to my current role (i.e. they paid for my CAPM materials, exam, etc.) 

I've been exploring the CS degree at WGU for some time as well, as I've heard the coursework for CS is pretty in depth - which I don't mind. I don't see that they have a partnership with Coursera, as I'd love to do some learning and earning certs through there along the way of getting credits, but from what I've seen folks are able to transfer a TON from Sophia which is an advantage.

Thanks for your input!

---

Some people here are already directing you towards another major.  I'm like you, I enjoy computers.  I definitely wouldn't (couldn't) do a business degree.  I do not enjoy the content.  Regardless of what works best for you, here are my suggestions.

The following link gives you a roadmap to general education.
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ts_Roadmap

One of the challenges is to make sure that you get a sufficient number (30) of regionally accredited (RA) credits.  You'll get six from TESU for the two mandatory TESU courses.  The remaining 24 will need to come from somewhere else.  I came in with previous RA credits so I didn't have to worry about this.  Other folks here can probably advise you on what the best choices are.
Some details here on the residency waiver and RA courses
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Th...University

For the Computer Science courses, study.com is where you will get most of the core computer science courses.  
Here's the degree plan for TESU CS.
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ience_Plan
Note that the degree plan does not cover the coursera courses.  However, it clearly lays out how to get parts A-F courses.

For the upper level AOS computer science electives (Part G).  I suggest the following:
Google Cloud Data Analytics which nets you CIS 3110 Database Management and CLD 4300 Machine Learning in the Cloud
IBM Full Stack which gets you CLD 4200
Both of these also get you some lower level credits as well for the AOS.
I suggest taking a few of the other Google and IBM courses from coursera to get a bunch of elective credit.  I particularly enjoyed the IBM Data Science Professional and Data Analytics Professional certificates.  For what it's worth, I took several coursera certificates and brought in over 50 ACE credits to TESU.  Most are counted as electives.  However, for 3 months at 59 dollars a month, it was a bargain!
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Coursera

My advice, start with Couresera and Sophia.  They are budget friendly and you can get quite a few credits quickly.  While you are doing that, read up on RA credits and figure out where to get a few RA credits.

I do like this path and appreciate you sharing those CS electives via Coursera; I'm definitely interested in grabbing some certifications along the way and like the Coursera platform in general. 

Assuming I maxed out the credits I could get from there and Sophia - there's no way to get the RA credits through TESU at all, even if I were to be open to enrolling for more than 1 term? If I have to get them elsewhere, no worries, but I don't mind having to spend a few terms at TESU if necessary.

[thornytumbleweed]

You can get a lot of credits from Coursera and Sophia. Sophia will take care of most of your general ed requirements. To my knowledge, it is the most affordable approach.

You can get a lot of the CS courses at Coursera; however, there are a few that you will need to get from study.com. Discrete math, computer architecture, and operating systems are the three that come to mind.

For RA credit, you will get 15 credits from TESU, so you'll need 15 more. There are numerous options for 15 credits, which amounts to about 5 classes. Your state's community college system is likely going to be one of the cheapest ways to get credit. You should be able to find several online classes that you can finish quickly. Many community colleges will offer 8 week classes. Another option for RA credit is ASU universal pathways. You pay 25 bucks to enroll and 400 if you finish the class and want the credit. Some of the ASU classes also count for UL credit as well. That is an important thing for the CS major at TESU.

I heard from my advisor today and it looks like I just have the capstone left for my BACS degree at TESU. Oh, and don't think you're too old for a degree. I'm 50 and finishing up.