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Advice on Degree path
#21
(06-27-2023, 07:01 PM)DolceDolce Wrote:
(06-26-2023, 05:21 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: @DolceDolce, That's a very interesting post! My suggestion for OP is to get a mix/match of certs, degree, experience under their belt.  I totally agree with you on all fronts, I actually suggested UMPI PM & IS over the WGU BSIT because of one reason alone (which sometimes is different and I should let the OP decide for themselves), it's the 'age'.  Ageism exists in most parts of any industry, at 39, it's not really getting into IT...

But either moving slightly upward such as into management/leadership or something instead of a lateral move sideways to another IT entry-role.  It really depends again on OP's choices and options available that would be suitable for them.  When OP has certs, degree, experience under their belt, they can swing laterally or move upwards... IT doesn't require people to have specific IT degrees, as long as the knowledge/requirements for entry have been met.

As far as the OP, I had recommended WGU IT, because if he is already a known commodity as a PMP Certified Project Manager, while the PM Degree might be the easiest to get based on his experience, it may also not bring him the most value, because he has already a proven work history as a PM, as is certified as a PM.  Therefore, I felt the combination of the WGU IT degree, would show an intersection between his PM expertise, and his IT knowledge.  Allowing him to leverage both areas of expertise.

There are pros and cons to each path.  Perhaps my reply to the OP would have been met with more respect in the WGU IT specific thread. 

Good luck to you OP, wishing you all the best on your new life path!

I just think WGU is not the best option for most people when they have no experience in IT.  Just passing the A+ certification exams is rough - my husband, who has 23 years of experience in IT (specifically cloud the last 15 years, but networking, some cyber, some others) and started out with the A+ exam, is completely put off by the thought of having to take those exams again - and he has earned a LOT of certs over the years.  It's just a big hurdle to get over.  Not impossible, but it's a definite hurdle.  So, for someone who has no experience in IT, it's going to be an even bigger hurdle.

My advice is based on what people have said here for a dozen years - WGU's IT degrees are doable in a single term, but almost everyone who has even attempted that has YEARS of experience and just needs a check-the-box degree.  I rarely see of people who have zero IT experience who are successful at WGU (and lots who attempted WGU and dropped for a myriad of reasons).

So telling someone to get a check-the-box degree in their field is telling them to spend the least time/money on the degree; and then getting certs is the part where they're going beyond that degree to really push into the field.  Yes, that degree isn't going to be worth a ton, because it's a check-the-box degree. It's not supposed to be valuable in new learning.
TESU BSBA/HR 2018 - WVNCC BOG AAS 2017 - GGU Cert in Mgmt 2000
EXAMS: TECEP Tech Wrtg, Comp II, LA Math, PR, Computers  DSST Computers, Pers Fin  CLEP Mgmt, Mktg
COURSES: TESU Capstone  Study.com Pers Fin, Microecon, Stats  Ed4Credit Acct 2  PF Fin Mgmt  ALEKS Int & Coll Alg  Sophia Proj Mgmt The Institutes - Ins Ethics  Kaplan PLA
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#22
(06-26-2023, 06:38 PM)ss20ts Wrote:
(06-26-2023, 04:07 PM)DolceDolce Wrote: The poster didn't seem to be in distress, emotional, nor mention that he felt that it was a lot of pressure.  They indicated they work 60 hours a week.
I already know he is capable, having the PMP certification.  If you know anything about the PMP certification, is that he does know how to study, it takes extensive preparation

Having reviewed his information in entirely now, the WGU school is a solid choice as a suggestion, for someone who can retain information and pass exams, versus a lot of writing that will be planned at UMPI. 

As someone who has experience in project management, I can confidently say that the OP didn't need to extensively prepare for the PMP exam as they have a significant amount of experience in PM. 

Also as someone who has completed 2 bachelor's degrees at UMPI, an MBA at Amberton, and am now working on a master's at WGU, I would agree with others that WGU is not the best choice for the OP. While WGU states that they accept up to 90 transfer credits, the harsh reality is that they rarely do. I'm not sure where you got the idea that there's little writing at WGU, because there's quite a bit. No program is all exams. All programs are a combo of exams, papers, and projects at WGU. WGU tech programs also have a lot of certifications required which is even more time consuming because you have to study for those exams which aren't from WGU. You can't even finish the course until you pass the cert exam. This can hold you up big time. Given that the OP has extensive PM experience, I'd say go for the BABA with Project Management Concentration at UMPI. Because of their knowledge and experience, they will most likely be done in 1 possibly 2 terms at UMPI. Even with working 60 hours a week, they could complete the degree in 6 months (or less) to at the most a year and they wouldn't be at UMPI for a year.

Oh wow, somehow I must have mistyped something if I implied WGU had no writing!  You are indeed correct.....both programs have writing.  Thank you so much for highlighting that, I really appreciate it!  

Given that the OP has PM experience and is a known commodity already, and has the PMP Certification already, if he were my client, and looking to grow in his career, I would advise my client to pursue something that can add to that value even further.  Of course certainly the PM Degree is a good idea and brings some value. However, the WGU IT does offer another layer of expertise, and from there the OP could leverage both a PM with the relevancy of IT, to better meet the evolving challenges that often accompany the PMs and other leadership professionals in the area.  It is my professional opinion that the WGU IT degree would open more doors in the long run, and also provide for better compensation opportunities, even as a PM or otherwise a leader in IT.  My suggestion is based on years of clients hiring me to help them achieve the success they deserve, earn offers that are far-above industry standards, and help them achieve the potential of which they are capable of.  Since we don't know the strengths profile of this OP, nor his career history, you are really spending an extraordinary amount of time to discredit my suggestion.  It's great that you all are providing the same exact advice to the OP.  I realize many in this forum offer advice based on fast, easy, and done .. .and I'm offering my advice based on immediate impact as well as long term gains.  The OP is already known to his employer and others as a PM person.  As a PM is a business partner to IT, with a degree in IT, he will bring additional value and resources through that capability, versus PM experience/degree alone.

I respect your advice of course, but it doesn't need to discredit my suggestion either.
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#23
@DolceDolce, Exactly, that's great advice.  I was going to inform the OP about the WGU Accelerated Bachelors & Masters degree program.  OP can review the program here and see what other advice/info is mentioned, just make sure you check the WGU webpage for reference on pricing, as this particular program, the fees are different compared to their other programs, this particular Masters do not have extra resource fees as there was a discrepancy in regards to fees, so I just linked the program page and also copy/pasted the info.  Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...s-Pierpont
Study.com Offer https://bit.ly/3ObjnoU
In Progress: UMPI BAS & MAOL | TESU BA Biology & Computer Science
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Completed: TESU ASNSM Biology, BSBA (ACBSP Accredited 2017)
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#24
To give some info, I work for a major telecom as an enterprise sr. project manager for fiber internet, ethernet, aws/azure cloud services, SIP/PRI along with numerous managed services. So i'm exposed to data networks all day everyday. I have learned a lot over the years(been with the company 13 years) and i can handle a lot of topics on my own nowadays, but if things get specific enough, I need to grab an engineer to break it down for me. Which is fine, my role isn't designed to know everything, just who can find it or where to find it and keep all the departments and my projects on track through to completion. I have taken a few different udemy courses just to learn more about subnetting, or general networking information I'm lacking in. I was looking into Network+ and Security+ CompTIA courses on reddit when I stumbled across some info about this site. I absolutely can cut back on working so many hours, during the pandemic I threw myself into working from sun up to sun down because I was working remotely for almost 2 years. We have been back to the office fulltime for well over a year now, so I plan on dialing back the before and after office work sessions. I do find networking interesting and something I would like to know more about so I can speak to it better. The certs can definitely get what I am after knowledge wise and still am thinking about getting them in the near future. Although after reading through the forums here and seeing all the possibilities about being able to obtain a degree, It really made me excited that I could achieve that while working full time. I think it could open some doors i thought were closed in my company or elsewhere. Also, I did have to do a fair amount of studying for the PMP, I work in a primary waterfall org, and i would say about 60% of the exam was on agile practices. I was already a Sr project manager, it wasn't required for my job or a promotion, I just wanted to do it.
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#25
(06-27-2023, 07:01 PM)DolceDolce Wrote: And to whoever said the PMP test didn't require a lot of study, I think it was @ss20ts well good for you!  Maybe it doesn't.  The point I was trying to make was that he was capable of test taking.  Meaning he would be capable at WGU. But I'm glad you mentioned how easy it was for you!  It does remind me of how one YouTube WGU IT graduate, recapped and graded all his classes on a 1/10 level of difficulty, and he graded the WGU classes between a 4-5, and only 1 had a 6.  If we are going to go by how easy someone thinks something is, that would indeed indicate that the OP is capable of taking and mastering WGU IT without the extensive rigor that seems to have been conveyed that it would take.

Actually, I never said anything about how easy anything was for me. My post was all about the OP if you read what I wrote. Becoming a PMP after you have years of experience isn't difficult because you have the knowledge and skillset needed for the exam. I said WGU isn't the best option because they don't really accept 90 transfer credits, he would have to spend a significant amount of time on the certification exams at WGU and he can't complete those courses until he passes the exams, and he works 60 hours a week so he doesn't have a great deal of time to put into WGU. I curious what your personal experience at WGU is.
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#26
(06-27-2023, 07:54 PM)DolceDolce Wrote:
(06-26-2023, 06:38 PM)ss20ts Wrote:
(06-26-2023, 04:07 PM)DolceDolce Wrote: The poster didn't seem to be in distress, emotional, nor mention that he felt that it was a lot of pressure.  They indicated they work 60 hours a week.
I already know he is capable, having the PMP certification.  If you know anything about the PMP certification, is that he does know how to study, it takes extensive preparation

Having reviewed his information in entirely now, the WGU school is a solid choice as a suggestion, for someone who can retain information and pass exams, versus a lot of writing that will be planned at UMPI. 

As someone who has experience in project management, I can confidently say that the OP didn't need to extensively prepare for the PMP exam as they have a significant amount of experience in PM. 

Also as someone who has completed 2 bachelor's degrees at UMPI, an MBA at Amberton, and am now working on a master's at WGU, I would agree with others that WGU is not the best choice for the OP. While WGU states that they accept up to 90 transfer credits, the harsh reality is that they rarely do. I'm not sure where you got the idea that there's little writing at WGU, because there's quite a bit. No program is all exams. All programs are a combo of exams, papers, and projects at WGU. WGU tech programs also have a lot of certifications required which is even more time consuming because you have to study for those exams which aren't from WGU. You can't even finish the course until you pass the cert exam. This can hold you up big time. Given that the OP has extensive PM experience, I'd say go for the BABA with Project Management Concentration at UMPI. Because of their knowledge and experience, they will most likely be done in 1 possibly 2 terms at UMPI. Even with working 60 hours a week, they could complete the degree in 6 months (or less) to at the most a year and they wouldn't be at UMPI for a year.

Oh wow, somehow I must have mistyped something if I implied WGU had no writing!  You are indeed correct.....both programs have writing.  Thank you so much for highlighting that, I really appreciate it!  

Given that the OP has PM experience and is a known commodity already, and has the PMP Certification already, if he were my client, and looking to grow in his career, I would advise my client to pursue something that can add to that value even further.  Of course certainly the PM Degree is a good idea and brings some value. However, the WGU IT does offer another layer of expertise, and from there the OP could leverage both a PM with the relevancy of IT, to better meet the evolving challenges that often accompany the PMs and other leadership professionals in the area.  It is my professional opinion that the WGU IT degree would open more doors in the long run, and also provide for better compensation opportunities, even as a PM or otherwise a leader in IT.  My suggestion is based on years of clients hiring me to help them achieve the success they deserve, earn offers that are far-above industry standards, and help them achieve the potential of which they are capable of.  Since we don't know the strengths profile of this OP, nor his career history, you are really spending an extraordinary amount of time to discredit my suggestion.  It's great that you all are providing the same exact advice to the OP.  I realize many in this forum offer advice based on fast, easy, and done .. .and I'm offering my advice based on immediate impact as well as long term gains.  The OP is already known to his employer and others as a PM person.  As a PM is a business partner to IT, with a degree in IT, he will bring additional value and resources through that capability, versus PM experience/degree alone.

I respect your advice of course, but it doesn't need to discredit my suggestion either.

I am not discrediting your suggestions, just offering alternatives.

For some people, WGU is a great option.  And for everyone, thinking long-term about your career is smart.  But, in this instance, where the OP does not have a ton of IT experience, it may be a more expensive, and longer, option to do a WGU IT degree than it would be to get a quick inexpensive bachelor's degree in PM, and then to move on to IT for career purposes, and not necessarily get a degree in it right now.  This does not discount eventually getting an IT degree; nor does it discount getting a master's in IT, which might be a much better option.

If OP could get a UMPI BABA/PM degree in less than 6 months, and then get a WGU MSIT degree in 6 months, that would be cheaper and better than getting a WGU BSIT in 12 months.
TESU BSBA/HR 2018 - WVNCC BOG AAS 2017 - GGU Cert in Mgmt 2000
EXAMS: TECEP Tech Wrtg, Comp II, LA Math, PR, Computers  DSST Computers, Pers Fin  CLEP Mgmt, Mktg
COURSES: TESU Capstone  Study.com Pers Fin, Microecon, Stats  Ed4Credit Acct 2  PF Fin Mgmt  ALEKS Int & Coll Alg  Sophia Proj Mgmt The Institutes - Ins Ethics  Kaplan PLA
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#27
Hey all, it's been a minute since I last posted. I've been working towards the alternative credits towards applying at UMPI for BABA Project Management Degree Plan. I finished all the Sophia courses and just started the Study.com courses. I have taken too many alt credits I think in the Business Admin major. From what I have read, i'll need to have 4 courses (12 credits, 9 UL) in the Business admin major.

Right now i'm trying to figure out what I now may have to omit when I apply and retake at UMPI. Should I take BUS 353: Legal & Ethical Environment of Business? Or can I use some of the PM concentration courses? I could also try to take the business math at UMPI. Math is my weak point currently. I’m about 30% of the way through Study.com’s business math and 70% through Business 303: Management Information Systems on Study. I've also recently obtained my certified scrum master cert, not sure if that transfers to any type of credit at UMPI. 

At study.com, I have not really started working on Accounting 301: Applied Managerial Accounting, Business 304: Leading Organizational Change or Business 312: Advanced Operations Management yet. But the placement test and completing most of management information systems, did test me out of some of the quizzes.

As I need 30 total credits for residency, I’m planning right now on stopping these courses at Study.com and taking them at UMPI:
Business 304: Leading Organizational Change - Study.com (BUS 240: Change Management UMPI)
Business 312: Advanced Operations Management - Study.com (BUS 415: Operations Management UMPI)

Gen Ed - In Progress:
Business Math - Study.com
Business Administration Major - In Progress:
Business 303: Management Information Systems - Study.com -
BUS 220: Managerial Accounting - Study.com
Project Management Concentration 
In Progress:  
Business 304: Leading Organizational Change - Study.com 
Business 312: Advanced Operations Management - Study.com

Gen Ed - Completed Courses:
Business Communication (Also fills PCJ 215 requirement for BA Business Admin Major)
Intro to Ethics
Visual Communication
Art History I
Human Biology
Human Biology Lab 
Environmental Science
Introduction to Sociology
US History I
Spanish I
US Government
Business Administration Major - Completed Courses:
Introduction to Business
Financial Accounting
Business Ethics
IBM 0018: Data Analyst Professional Certificate ** transfers in as 3 credits BUS 440, and 9 credits BUS 1XX (business electives)
Macroeconomics
Microeconomics
Project Management Concentration - Completed Courses:
Project Management
IBM 0022: IBM Data Analysis and Visualization Foundation Specialization Certificate ** transfers in as: 3 credits BUS 345, 3 credits BUS3XX, and 3 credits BUS 1xx (business electives)
GOOG 0003: Google Project Management Professional Certificate ** transfers in as: 3 credits BUS 400, 3 credits BUS 3XX, and 3 Credits BUS 1XX (business electives)
GOOG 0004: Google Data Analytics Certificate ** transfers in as: 3 credits for BUS 245 and 6 credits for COS 1XX (business elective)

Will take at UMPI:
Gen Ed - 
English Comp I
English Comp II
Business Administration Major  - 
BUS 200: Intermediate Business Computing
BUS 325: Financial Management
BUS 469: Strategic Professional Communication 
Project Management Concentration - 
BUS 343: Project Risk & Cost Management
BUS 359: IT Project Management
BUS 401: Advanced Project Management Applications II

I've attached a spreadsheet if it's easier to view than the wall of text above


Attached Files
.xlsx   UMPI BABA Project Management Degree Plan.xlsx (Size: 15.41 KB / Downloads: 3)
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