Shortest Path to Bachelors in CS?

[csbachelor]

Hi everyone, I have a slightly different request.

I have 2 degrees already and I am 90% finished with my third.

B.S. in Accounting & Finance
M.S. in Computer Science (90% completed)
J.D. Juris Doctorate (Law).

Even though I (almost) have a Masters in CS, for various reasons certain applications I am interested in require both a Bachelors and Masters in CS.  With my current undergrad major, I do not meet that requirement.  So I want to understand what would be the fastest way to use some of my credits to obtain a Bachelors in CS.  It doesn't matter what school it comes from, just looking for the quickest solution.  Cost matters too.

I am assuming that the courses I earned in undergrad and my masters could not be applied to another degree?  I would love to be wrong about that.

B.S. Degree (145 cr) - my college gave me 28 transfer credits from AP courses on my transcript, but I still met the requirements of the degree without those credits. I assume the AP courses are not usable because they appear on the transcript?
M.S. Degree (27 cr + 3 planned)
J.D. Degree (88 cr)

But if we are only looking at the coursework that has not been applied to a degree yet, here is my "extra" coursework:

Python Computer Science I (Community College, 3 cr)
Computer Architecture & Organization (Community College, 3 cr)
Java Computer Science I (Community College, 3 cr)
Artificial Intelligence (Community College, 3 cr)
Data Structures & Algorithms (Quarter-based college, 2.5 cr)
Discrete Math (College extension school, 3 cr)
Linear Algebra (College extension school, 3 cr)
General Chemistry I (Community College, 4 cr)
General Chemistry II (Community College, 4 cr)
Organic Chemistry I (Community College, 4 cr)
Organic Chemistry II (Community College, 4 cr)

Planned: (I know this forum has workarounds for these classes but I need letter grades direct from schools for these calculus courses)
Calculus & Analytic Geometry I (Community College, 5 cr)
Calculus & Analytic Geometry II (Community College, 5 cr)

Let me know what you think.  I am looking at TESU currently, but I'm not sure how my degree would be structured given it would be essentially a second bachelors.

[rachel83az]

With TESU, a first Bachelor's degree waives the gen eds and electives, leaving ONLY the AOS courses. You'd need to complete the courses listed here (or similar ones): https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ience_Plan Like you wouldn't need to complete Discrete Math again.

You may be allowed to back-transfer some of your MS courses to meet UL credit requirements. But I think that only works while the Master's degree hasn't yet been awarded? I'm not 100% sure there.

I would apply to TESU and send in your transcripts ASAP to see what they say. TESU will almost certainly be the quickest way to get a Comp Sci degree at this point.

[Jonathan Whatley]

One other notable option would be WGU's competency-based BSCS. Your prior bachelor's would likely fulfill or waive the liberal-arts-type gen ed courses. With WGU's competency-based platform you could knock out courses not transferred in at your own pace. Unlike at TESU, at WGU like at most schools, would have to earn an absolute minimum 30 credits from WGU itself.

[davewill]

It is certainly possible to use the credits from your undergrad and graduate work to secure a CS bachelor's. In the case of the graduate work, all of your courses will probably be considered upper level. TESU will consider it a second bachelor's, but they allow that. Your first bachelor's will excuse all of your GenEds, including TESUs cornerstone, plus the individual courses in all of your transcripts will be evaluated and applied to the program.

In TESU's view, there's no such thing as "coursework not applied to a degree". They only look at whether the credits were earned before or after the last degree was conferred. TESU requires 24 new credits earned after the last degree was conferred for a second bachelor's, but I would guess that is not a problem since your master's work would probably be after the bachelor's, and I assuming you finish the BACS before you graduate your master's program. You will have to take courses to fill in whatever degree requirements your existing transcripts don't fulfill at TESU, plus take their capstone course.

You want to be careful that you don't trip over any policies that your grad program may have. I would be very up front with them about what you would like to do. This isn't meant to scare you off from trying, I would expect there to be no problem with the plan.

Steps:

0. Talk to your Grad program advisors to make sure there are no problems with using your grad credits to get a BACS while completing their program.
1. Post a more detailed list of your coursework so we can give you specific advice.
2. Go ahead and apply to TESU ($50) and send in all of your transcripts. If there are more than two transcripts, sign up for a 1cr TECEP test ($52) to secure enrollment. It's not necessary (or desirable) to take the test, it's just a hack to get enrolled student status. This will get you an academic evaluation showing exactly how all of your credits transfer and what you still need in order to finish.
3. When you find out what's missing, use alt credit providers like Sophia and Study.com to fulfill anything that's missing.
4. Take the TESU capstone course, and graduate.

Expected TESU fees:

Application: $50
1cr TECEP: $52
Capstone: $1635
Residency waiver: $3354
Graduation fee: $298

[rachel83az]

One other notable option would be WGU's competency-based BSCS. Your prior bachelor's would likely fulfill or waive the liberal-arts-type gen ed courses. With WGU's competency-based platform you could knock out courses not transferred in at your own pace. Unlike at TESU, at WGU like at most schools, would have to earn an absolute minimum 30 credits from WGU itself.

Unfortunately for this case, there are only a handful of gen eds at WGU. It'd be a LOT more work to complete a WGU degree than to finish the 10 or so courses needed for a TESU Comp Sci degree.

[dfrecore]

I'd apply at both TESU and WGU to see what they say. Both waive the GE for the 2nd or 3rd bachelor's degree, so you just have to do the major/aos. You'll want to see how each brings in credits towards the major before making any decisions. And heck, who knows - either or both might say you can't get a bachelor's degree in CS if you already have a master's degree in it, so you're going to want to find that out.

[bjcheung77]

@csbachelor, I would apply and get your evaluations done so we know how close you are to the degree... It really depends on the courses and the next Bachelors degree requirements, your major would need to be significantly different, so just like TESU, your gen eds/electives are fulfilled with the previous degree, you just need to work on the major/AOS. If you are almost complete with the Masters degree, you can have it transferred in as upper level for the major.

[fmsoa]

I am in the situation just like you. A B.S. in engineering from a traditional brick-and-mortar school, then TESU BA Math. Currently I am working on GT's OMSCS alongside TESU BA CS. As long as you finish your TESU BA CS before (that's important) your MS CS, ALL credits you earned from your masters can be applied to your 24 new hours! So what you need is just the Lib-4950 Capstone pay your residency waiver you are one and done.

Are you sure you have not taken any Operating Systems class in your whole academic career? And that 2.5cr equivalent on Data Structures might be a little tricky to get transferred.

[csbachelor]

Thank you everyone for the amazing advice. As davewill suggested, I sent an email to my academic advisor at the Masters program just to make sure there are no issues with using my credits there for another degree outside of the school. It is the GT OMSCS program, so hopefully from fmosa's post it sounds like there are no issues there. Once I get that confirmed I will be applying to TESU.

It sounds like I thought about this second bachelor's issue at exactly the right time. I was in line to graduate from OMSCS this fall not realizing it may have invalidated my ability to quickly get another degree. I have no issues delaying graduation from GT for another semester or so to make sure I meet all requirements for TESU.

Unfortunately I am sure I haven't had an Operating Systems class before, so I will have to take at least one course beyond the capstone. I am worried about the Data Structures class too but there's a chance at least.

[rachel83az]

Study.com's Operating Systems course is pretty fast/easy for someone with computer experience. Take Computer Science 105: Introduction to Operating Systems and not 305.

Data structures shouldn't be too difficult either. Good luck!