TESU BSBA Computer Information Systems or WGU

[grungefork]

Hello guys,

First of all I just want to thank everyone for their time and effort they put into this. I appreciate all the help that I have had through these forums.

Just a little background about myself...I just received an A.A. in Computer Science from Los Angeles Mission College and want to pursue my education by finishing a Bachelor Program. I'm stuck between TESU, WGU, and NAU for their BSBA in CIS, I.T. Security, and BA CIS programs and came on here looking for guidance.

My main concern is time and money...I would really like to finish my degree quite fast and need the guidance from the pros of this forum.

Going into these programs with an AA makes me a bit more comfortable but I really do need some guidance. Anyone's input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[Leherself]

With TESU you're pretty much completely learning things on your own. Granted, all college work is essentially self study to some degree, but with TESU you're picking your own classes/exams, your own study materials, deciding when you feel ready to test, etc. If you're willing to do your research it's possible to shave off quite a bit of time and money with TESU, but that isn't always the best fit for what every person needs.

WGU is more of a guided program. You'll have a series of "competencies" that you have to meet, papers to write, exams to take, but you'll be working with a mentor who grades your work, and you'll have the ability to repeat any work that didn't receive a passing score the first time around. I haven't heard much information about NAU, but I imagine it works pretty similarly to other self paced programs.

It really comes down to what kind of program you're looking for. Are you a complete self-starter who is willing to do all the leg work designing and executing your own program of learning? Or do you want to follow a guided path that some professional education staffers have put together?

Another thing to consider is Industry certifications - I know that WGU incorporates them into at least some of their IT programs, and I believe they're included in the overall tuition. With TESU you might save money on the degree itself, but if you need to pay out of pocket for industry certs that might not help as much as you think.

If you're already in the IT field and have industry certs, and you basically know everything you need to know and you just need a piece of paper as evidence, then TESU is a great option. If you're still learning the trade, don't have a lot of tech know-how, and don't have any certs, I'd personally be inclined to go with a more guided study approach like WGU or NAU (not sure if NAU includes certs or not). Ultimately though, it's your decision. You know you best.

[grungefork]

With TESU you're pretty much completely learning things on your own. Granted, all college work is essentially self study to some degree, but with TESU you're picking your own classes/exams, your own study materials, deciding when you feel ready to test, etc. If you're willing to do your research it's possible to shave off quite a bit of time and money with TESU, but that isn't always the best fit for what every person needs.

WGU is more of a guided program. You'll have a series of "competencies" that you have to meet, papers to write, exams to take, but you'll be working with a mentor who grades your work, and you'll have the ability to repeat any work that didn't receive a passing score the first time around. I haven't heard much information about NAU, but I imagine it works pretty similarly to other self paced programs.

It really comes down to what kind of program you're looking for. Are you a complete self-starter who is willing to do all the leg work designing and executing your own program of learning? Or do you want to follow a guided path that some professional education staffers have put together?

Another thing to consider is Industry certifications - I know that WGU incorporates them into at least some of their IT programs, and I believe they're included in the overall tuition. With TESU you might save money on the degree itself, but if you need to pay out of pocket for industry certs that might not help as much as you think.

If you're already in the IT field and have industry certs, and you basically know everything you need to know and you just need a piece of paper as evidence, then TESU is a great option. If you're still learning the trade, don't have a lot of tech know-how, and don't have any certs, I'd personally be inclined to go with a more guided study approach like WGU or NAU (not sure if NAU includes certs or not). Ultimately though, it's your decision. You know you best.

Deep down inside I knew that WGU was a better path to take because of the whole mentoring and the certifications. From what I read on here is that NAU does not include certs. Do you happen to know anyone that has finished their degree with WGU?

[dfrecore]

I think WGU might be a good option as well, especially for the certs. If you're going in with an AA, and they will take it all, that's great. If you need just a couple of courses to get the full credit an just go in as basically a junior, then I would take those couple of courses first if they're easy to get, just to make a smooth entry into the program. I think I read that if you apply and get your eval done, NOT to enroll until you're 100% certain that those are all the classes you're going to bring in, because once you enroll, you're done with outside courses; they won't accept any additional ones. So make sure you apply, get exactly what you want in terms of transfer credit, come back here if there are some courses they want you to take and see if anyone has any ideas, take any additional coursework and transfer it in, and then go back and enroll. For instance, if they want you to take College Algebra, and you only took Intermediate Algebra, it's much easier to just go take the ALEKS course for $20, and transfer it in, then to have to take it through WGU and take up time in your term. Make sure you have all the lower level courses in place before you enroll. You want the term to start on the big stuff!

My husband is in IT/Security stuff, he has an AA also, and we are looking between those 3 programs as well. Keep us updated on what you find out.

[grungefork]

I think WGU might be a good option as well, especially for the certs. If you're going in with an AA, and they will take it all, that's great. If you need just a couple of courses to get the full credit an just go in as basically a junior, then I would take those couple of courses first if they're easy to get, just to make a smooth entry into the program. I think I read that if you apply and get your eval done, NOT to enroll until you're 100% certain that those are all the classes you're going to bring in, because once you enroll, you're done with outside courses; they won't accept any additional ones. So make sure you apply, get exactly what you want in terms of transfer credit, come back here if there are some courses they want you to take and see if anyone has any ideas, take any additional coursework and transfer it in, and then go back and enroll. For instance, if they want you to take College Algebra, and you only took Intermediate Algebra, it's much easier to just go take the ALEKS course for $20, and transfer it in, then to have to take it through WGU and take up time in your term. Make sure you have all the lower level courses in place before you enroll. You want the term to start on the big stuff!

My husband is in IT/Security stuff, he has an AA also, and we are looking between those 3 programs as well. Keep us updated on what you find out.

Thank you! I was going to enroll before doing that haha and I do need the Algebra course for sure no doubts about it. I have a scheduled call with a counselor there tomorrow so we'll see what they have to say. I didn't know about the transferring courses part(not being able to transfer credit after you enroll) that information saved me big time there.

Thank you very much and I will keep you guys updated =)

[sanantone]

If you're testing out at TESU, then you're picking your own tests, courses, and study materials for transfer credits. Otherwise, TESU's online courses are more traditional, as far as online goes, than WGU's and every other competency-based school/program. If you're looking for a lot of instructor involvement, you're not going to get that at WGU. It's actually the source of a federal government investigation on whether or not WGU's programs should be considered online (an instructor is facilitating courses) or correspondence (self-study). It sounds like an unnecessary distinction to make, but the U.S. Department of Education uses this to determine whether or not a program will qualify for financial aid. WGU tells you what to study and gives you the study materials, but you're teaching yourself.