Pursuing CS Degree at 33 - starting from 0

[bjcheung77]

@MrPokey, Not exactly, you've got that reversed... as your primary goal is the BACS, you should complete the max transfer for that degree first, then complete the max transfer for the BSBA. You can then finish off the degree with the residency requirements for both completed at the same time, thus, you graduate the both of them together.

[davewill]

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.

Of course you can get more of your credits from TESU. The only reason we don't tell people to do that is that it's more expensive than the other choices, and you have to work with the 12 week terms rather than at your own pace. If you can live with another 15cr fixed price term, that brings the price and time spent down quite a bit.

[LevelUP]

You can get RA credits for TESU by taking TECEP exams, which is probably the easiest way.

[ifomonay]

I agree with everyone here to transfer as many credits as possible. I'm not in favor of taking business courses, though. Considering opportunity cost, I think it's better to be hyperfocused on CS-curriculum courses. If you have time to take business courses, then I think it's better to take other CS electives instead. I wasn't going to mention WGU, because the community here is already rallying around the BACS, but you did mention it above. I think if you don't mind paying a little more, I would consider WGU or SNHU as both are Bachelor of Science. I know it doesn't make a difference to many, but if a BS vs a BA makes a difference to you, then I think ther are other option. I don't have experience with either school, but it seems students report better experiences at SNHU. From my research (mostly reddit) it seems like WGU advantage is that it can be faster and cheaper, while SNHU has the advantage of no proctored exams.

[origamishuttle]

SNHU is a solid choice, but it has the disadvantage of taking longer and costing more than the other options - just over $10k and 8-10 months, assuming you max transfers and courseload. It's also not CBE, so there is work to turn in throughout each 8-week course, and it's not self-paced. However, the curriculum seems to fall between TESU and WGU, so it's pretty good, the structure can be good for students who don't do well with self-paced, and the non-proctored quizzes and exams are very important for those with test anxiety.

I will say that the UMPI + TESU combo could end up being a similar amount of work as either the WGU degree or the SNHU degree. So all things considered, WGU may be your best option if you're trying to maximize how much you learn in your chosen major. Again, their Software Engineering degree is a great choice if you're more interested in applied skills than in systems and theory. Every degree has its pros and cons, so basically find one that seems like it fits and go for it. Or be silly like me and get a bunch of them.