UMPI Admissions Questions - BA Psychology

[iza27]

Hello everyone, 

I am so grateful to have found this community and for all the information I have already learned on different threads about alternative credit and competency-based programs. I just graduated this summer with an A.S. degree from my local community college. Almost half of that degree was composed of CLEP credits so even though I have 60 credits from that degree, I will list the CLEP courses under that section of the template. 

I had originally planned on attending TESU and taking advantage of the in-state tuition. However, after doing some more research I believe that I can finish my degree faster and cheaper at UMPI. I would love to hear feedback about whether UMPI seems like a good fit for my goals. Also, I have not yet completed the application process as I'm not sure if I should check the box asking if I have college equivalent credit transcripts to submit or not. Since the CLEP credits are included in my A.S. degree transcript do I still have to select this option and send in an additional transcript from the college board?

I am hoping to complete the minimum number of credits (30) at UMPI. Since the next term only begins on January 16th, I am planning on completing as many Sophia courses as possible to meet this goal as well as taking some of the required UL psych courses on Study.com that are included in the UMPI BA Psychology Degree Plan Wiki. Should I wait to apply until I have these additional credits? I've read that they are taking longer to process transcripts and I don't want to miss the December 12th deadline for the next term but I heard that you need permission to transfer credits after enrolling and I don't want to complicate things. 


Your Location: New Jersey, United States. 
Your Age: 21
What kind of degree do you want?: BA in Psychology with the intention of applying to a Speech-Language Pathology Masters Program. 
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 

Ocean County College Total Credits: 60 
ENGL 151 English I, 3, A
ENGL 152 English II, 3, A
ENGL 260 Shakespeare Plays I, 3, A
HIST 181 World Civilization to 1660, 3, B
RELG 193 World Religions, 3, A
CSIT 123 Integrated Office Software, 3, A
ENVI 152 Environmental Science with Lab, 4, B
SOCI 230 Women in Society, 3, B
MATH 156 Intro Statistics, 3, B+
PHIL 192 Ethical Issues, 3, A
STSC 150 Student Success Seminar, 2, A


Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 

CLEP Credits: 27
Introductory Sociology 64
Introductory Psychology 60
Intro to Educational Psychology 61
Human Growth And Development 57 
Principles of Macroeconomics 50
Principles of Microeconomics 52
American Government 65
Principles of Marketing 58
History of United States II 61

Any certifications or military experience? None

Budget: It would have to be under $10k, though I would like to spend as little as possible as I am coming out of pocket to pay for tuition.
Commitments: Aside from freelance work and the responsibilities I have for my family and pets, my schedule is mostly free. I would like to start interning if my future schedule allows for it though. 
Dedicated time to study: I can study as much as is needed. 
Timeline: Finishing the courses required for the degree as fast as possible would be ideal. I would like to finish within a year. Completing the program in 1-2 sessions at UMPI would be perfect. 
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: None.

Thank you so much to anyone who replies to this post. The third-party enrollment specialists are clueless. I spoke with one who wanted me to submit my high school transcripts when I have an A.S. degree. What? That can't possibly be accurate.

[Duneranger]

I’d apply now, due to tons of students applying they are having issues getting everyone processed since the team is so small. I waited at least 1 month before I even got accepted. Yes the contractors are useless but they try I guess. Apply and just wait….

You can do Sophia until you start and even after.

I work with SLPs every day at the hospital, good people.

[rachel83az]

Hello everyone, 

I am so grateful to have found this community and for all the information I have already learned on different threads about alternative credit and competency-based programs. I just graduated this summer with an A.S. degree from my local community college. Almost half of that degree was composed of CLEP credits so even though I have 60 credits from that degree, I will list the CLEP courses under that section of the template. 

I had originally planned on attending TESU and taking advantage of the in-state tuition. However, after doing some more research I believe that I can finish my degree faster and cheaper at UMPI. I would love to hear feedback about whether UMPI seems like a good fit for my goals. Also, I have not yet completed the application process as I'm not sure if I should check the box asking if I have college equivalent credit transcripts to submit or not. Since the CLEP credits are included in my A.S. degree transcript do I still have to select this option and send in an additional transcript from the college board?

Yes, I think you do need to check that box. The CLEP credits will need to be sent separately. UMPI will not (properly) process your application if you send the AS and not the CLEP credits.

I am hoping to complete the minimum number of credits (30) at UMPI. Since the next term only begins on January 16th, I am planning on completing as many Sophia courses as possible to meet this goal as well as taking some of the required UL psych courses on Study.com that are included in the UMPI BA Psychology Degree Plan Wiki. Should I wait to apply until I have these additional credits? I've read that they are taking longer to process transcripts and I don't want to miss the December 12th deadline for the next term but I heard that you need permission to transfer credits after enrolling and I don't want to complicate things. 

I would at least take Human Biology or Intro to Nutrition (you already have Env. Science + Lab) and Spanish I before applying. Those are the main classes that, if you don't get permission, will trip you up when taken at UMPI. That said, they're generally pretty easy-going regarding the transfer of additional credits. Apply now, as soon as you've got those credits, and keep going at Sophia/SDC.

Timeline: Finishing the courses required for the degree as fast as possible would be ideal. I would like to finish within a year. Completing the program in 1-2 sessions at UMPI would be perfect. 

Because this is a new degree program and this program seems to be more in-depth than most of their other degrees, I would plan on spending at least 2-3 sessions at UMPI. I'm guessing it'll actually take about 4 sessions. This seems to be about right for their BABA Marketing degree; BABA Marketing may or may not be work than the BA Psych. That said, I could certainly be wrong and maybe you'll be able to finish in just 1-2 sessions!

[bjcheung77]

@iza27, Welcome to the board... Hmm, If you're in NJ still and you're at such a young age, I would not rush into things so quickly and dig deep, I would work on the trifecta, getting some certs, degree, experience.  You may be eligible for this and have your TESU double bachelors paid for, as you can get up to 4 semesters, you can do the BA Psych and a BSBA, FREE if you qualify: https://www.tesu.edu/tuition/gsg

[iza27]

@iza27, Welcome to the board... Hmm, If you're in NJ still and you're at such a young age, I would not rush into things so quickly and dig deep, I would work on the trifecta, getting some certs, degree, experience.  You may be eligible for this and have your TESU double bachelors paid for, as you can get up to 4 semesters, you can do the BA Psych and a BSBA, FREE if you qualify: https://www.tesu.edu/tuition/gsg

Thank you. I appreciate the suggestion that I apply for the Garden State Guarantee, but unfortunately, since I am under 24, I am considered a dependent student. Only my parents' AGI is considered when I apply for financial aid and they make just enough that I never seem to qualify for anything. It doesn't seem to matter that I am investing in my own education. 

It is for this reason that I have been giving more careful consideration to UMPI. Two terms there would cost about $3,000 and would give me 16 weeks to complete my remaining 30 credits. TESU, on the other hand, would cost a little over that and I would only have 12 weeks to complete my credits. 

The only thing that I can see holding me back with UMPI would be the difficulty/length of the courses as that would requre me to complete more terms. As a TESU grad, I would love to hear more about your experience with the courses you completed. Did you find them difficult/long? Do you think it would be possible to complete the 30-credit requirement in a single 12-week term? I know that the TECEP exams can help expedite this process.

---

Hello everyone, 

I am so grateful to have found this community and for all the information I have already learned on different threads about alternative credit and competency-based programs. I just graduated this summer with an A.S. degree from my local community college. Almost half of that degree was composed of CLEP credits so even though I have 60 credits from that degree, I will list the CLEP courses under that section of the template. 

I had originally planned on attending TESU and taking advantage of the in-state tuition. However, after doing some more research I believe that I can finish my degree faster and cheaper at UMPI. I would love to hear feedback about whether UMPI seems like a good fit for my goals. Also, I have not yet completed the application process as I'm not sure if I should check the box asking if I have college equivalent credit transcripts to submit or not. Since the CLEP credits are included in my A.S. degree transcript do I still have to select this option and send in an additional transcript from the college board?

Yes, I think you do need to check that box. The CLEP credits will need to be sent separately. UMPI will not (properly) process your application if you send the AS and not the CLEP credits.

I am hoping to complete the minimum number of credits (30) at UMPI. Since the next term only begins on January 16th, I am planning on completing as many Sophia courses as possible to meet this goal as well as taking some of the required UL psych courses on Study.com that are included in the UMPI BA Psychology Degree Plan Wiki. Should I wait to apply until I have these additional credits? I've read that they are taking longer to process transcripts and I don't want to miss the December 12th deadline for the next term but I heard that you need permission to transfer credits after enrolling and I don't want to complicate things. 

I would at least take Human Biology or Intro to Nutrition (you already have Env. Science + Lab) and Spanish I before applying. Those are the main classes that, if you don't get permission, will trip you up when taken at UMPI. That said, they're generally pretty easy-going regarding the transfer of additional credits. Apply now, as soon as you've got those credits, and keep going at Sophia/SDC.

Timeline: Finishing the courses required for the degree as fast as possible would be ideal. I would like to finish within a year. Completing the program in 1-2 sessions at UMPI would be perfect. 

Because this is a new degree program and this program seems to be more in-depth than most of their other degrees, I would plan on spending at least 2-3 sessions at UMPI. I'm guessing it'll actually take about 4 sessions. This seems to be about right for their BABA Marketing degree; BABA Marketing may or may not be work than the BA Psych. That said, I could certainly be wrong and maybe you'll be able to finish in just 1-2 sessions!

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely start working on those suggested Sohia courses now. I read that some colleges accept the credits straight from Sophia.org while others require them to be sent from Parchment. Do you happen to what UMPI prefers? Also, do you know how much the service fee is?

[rachel83az]

@iza27, Welcome to the board... Hmm, If you're in NJ still and you're at such a young age, I would not rush into things so quickly and dig deep, I would work on the trifecta, getting some certs, degree, experience.  You may be eligible for this and have your TESU double bachelors paid for, as you can get up to 4 semesters, you can do the BA Psych and a BSBA, FREE if you qualify: https://www.tesu.edu/tuition/gsg

Thank you. I appreciate the suggestion that I apply for the Garden State Guarantee, but unfortunately, since I am under 24, I am considered a dependent student. Only my parents' AGI is considered when I apply for financial aid and they make just enough that I never seem to qualify for anything. It doesn't seem to matter that I am investing in my own education. 

It is for this reason that I have been giving more careful consideration to UMPI. Two terms there would cost about $3,000 and would give me 16 weeks to complete my remaining 30 credits. TESU, on the other hand, would cost a little over that and I would only have 12 weeks to complete my credits. 

The only thing that I can see holding me back with UMPI would be the difficulty/length of the courses as that would requre me to complete more terms. As a TESU grad, I would love to hear more about your experience with the courses you completed. Did you find them difficult/long? Do you think it would be possible to complete the 30-credit requirement in a single 12-week term? I know that the TECEP exams can help expedite this process.

There is so much going on here that I'm not sure where to begin.

TESU does not require you to take 30 credits with them.
Even if they did, you cannot take more than 15 credits per term without permission. (People rarely get permission.)
TECEPs do not count toward residency. But they do count toward RA credit. These are very different things.
TESU only requires 6 TESU credits, though taking 15 credits in a flat-rate term is going to be cheaper.
You already have more than 30 RA credits, so you don't even have to worry about the RA credit requirement. If you didn't have those, you could use XAMK or something.
So you only need 15 TESU credits in a single flat-rate term to get the cheapest price.

The whole process for TESU would look something like this:

1. Apply to TESU; send in all existing credits.
   
2. Pay for, BUT DO NOT TAKE, the Medical Terminology TECEP
   
3. As soon as evaluation(s) are complete, decide which 15 TESU credits you'll take. https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Th...University These will be taken at the end, but should be decided first. They would probably be something like:
   • SOS-1010 (cornerstone)
     
   • LIB-4950 (capstone)
     
   • 1 Psychology ePack or (whichever looks easiest and doesn't overlap with what you already have) https://www2.tesu.edu/listallc.php?type=EP or Psychology course
     
   • CIS-1070 ePack (relatively easy, even if you aren't a computer person, should require little/no study)
     
   • ART-1000 or GOG-2300 class.
     
4. As much as possible, fill 'holes' in your degree plan with Sophia.org credits. This would be gen eds and electives.
   
5. Fill in the rest (except the 15 credits you decided above) with Study.com credits.
   
6. Complete the flat-rate term, paying for an extension to the capstone course if needed
   
7. Graduate
   

If you'd still prefer UMPI, that's fine! I just wanted to let you know that TESU doesn't work how you seem to think it works. I'm just giving you the full information so that you can be sure you're making the right choice for your needs.

Because this is a new degree program and this program seems to be more in-depth than most of their other degrees, I would plan on spending at least 2-3 sessions at UMPI. I'm guessing it'll actually take about 4 sessions. This seems to be about right for their BABA Marketing degree; BABA Marketing may or may not be work than the BA Psych. That said, I could certainly be wrong and maybe you'll be able to finish in just 1-2 sessions!

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely start working on those suggested Sohia courses now. I read that some colleges accept the credits straight from Sophia.org while others require them to be sent from Parchment. Do you happen to what UMPI prefers? Also, do you know how much the service fee is?

Actually, Parchment is "direct from Sophia" while the other option is Credly. Credly is the current ACE credit transcription option.

For Sophia, UMPI accepts credits either from Parchment or from Credly. Credly is free; I'd go with Credly. Parchment for Sophia is only a few dollars, but why pay for something you can get for free?

[bjcheung77]

Hmm, the way I would slice things is this... Create a spreadsheet of the requirements for the TESU and UMPI Psych side by side in a spreadsheet.  Also list the courses you can transfer in and from which provider, you can then see what courses are needed (can't be transferred or have remaining) and you'll know which provider to use by following the recommended WIKI plans for both.  You should use CLEP/MS or Sophia.org for lower level credits, Study.com or another provider for upper level, and make sure to complete the residency requirements at TESU (15) or UMPI (30).  Here's an example of how I put the BALS and BSBA side by side to compare them in 2021: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...edit#gid=0

It may be cheaper, easier, faster for you to complete the UMPI BA Psych for $3K and at two sessions.  You'll get a good public/state degree... For TESU, it's also a public/state degree as well, but it will give you the option to get a BSBA if you take some extra cheap, easy, fast alternative classes using Sophia.org, Study.com, LawShelf, etc.  You only need those 15 residency credits, for both degrees combined...  I would play the 15 credits differently and it goes like this and would skip the Medical Terminology TECEP as you don't really need to get enrollment.  Cornerstone, PLA-1010, Business Admin Capstone, Liberal Arts Capstone, E-Pack of your choice at $3319 for 2 degrees...

Note: Decide before you have completed the same classes you need for either degree/institution (about 90 credits are identical).  You will need to see what energy, money, time, you want to spend on this, you can get the UMPI degree within a 6 month period.  For TESU, it may take you 9 months to get the extra classes (easy ones from Sophia.org/Study.com, etc)  The costs of the UMPI sessions is $3K, TESU is $3319, this does not include the costs for Sophia.org/Study.com... If you take those extra classes, I think the added fee is nominal but in the end, you get the extra degree at TESU for just a few hundred more, in Business Admin with an area of study of your choice.