UMPI or WGU? BA Business Administration or Accounting?

[IDK123LOL]

Hi! Newbie here. I just stumbled on degreeforum from googling online degrees.  I’m so happy to find this place!

I dropped out 20 years ago. After starting back up, at a snail’s pace, I'm getting my AS in Business Admin. I’m on my last class now. I work full-time in government accounting. I need a degree to progress in my career. Positions I want require an accounting degree or any 4 year degree with 24 credit hours in accounting (3 credits can be Bus Law). CPA not in my plan

Location: California
Age: 39
Degree wanted: Bachelors - Business Admin and/or Accounting
Current RA Credits: 
Rancho Santiago CC - Total Credits: 41.5 
ACCT101 Financial Accounting A 4
ACCT102 Managerial Accounting A 4 
ENGL101 Freshman Comp A 4
READ150 Critical Reading A 3 
BUS222 Business Writing A 3
ANTH101 IntroPhysical Anthro B 3
ANTH101L Physical Anthro Lab A 1
MUS104 Rock Music History & Apprecia A 3
BUS150 Intro Info Systems A 3
MATH040 Support College Algebra P 0.5
MATH140 College Algebra B 4 
ECON120 Principles/Macro A 3 
HIST124 Mex-American History A 3
BUS105 Legal Environment of Business A 3 
MATH219 Stat & Probability CIP 4 (09/18/2023-12/10/2023)

Orange Coast CC - Total Credits: 54
ECONA110 Consumer Econ 3 B
ENGA099, Fund of Composition 3 C
GEOGA100, World Regional Geog 3 C
MUSA170, Music in America 3 A
PSYCA100, Intro Psych 3 C
SPCMA100, Interpersonal Comm 3 B
SPCMA105, Intrapersonal Comm 3 B
FRENA180, Elementary French 5 A
MUSA145, Voice 1 A
PSYCA165 Intro Human Sex 3 B
MATHA030 Intermediate Algebra 4 A
PSCIA101 Surv of Current Issues 3 B
SPANA180, Elementary Spanish 5 B
SPANA185, Elementary Spanish 5 B
GEOGA180, Physical Geog 3 B
MATHA154 Finite Math 4 B

ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: NONE
Certifications or military experience? NONE
Budget: Work reimburses up to $10k a fiscal year (July-June) 
Commitments: Family, full-time work. Busy season is June-August
Time to study: I can study on my days off (Saturday & Sunday, and every other Friday). 16 - 24 hours a week. Occasionally I have free time during my work hours. Can't do school in summers.
Timeline: Finishing as fast as possible. My goal is within 1-1.5 years, but sooner the better. I just wanna get this over with haha
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: Yes, work partners with traditional (Cal State, UCI, etc) and online schools. 
Franklin - 15% off, Purdue Global - 20% off regular program, none for Exceltrack, UMass Global - 10% off, and WGU - no discount

My initial plan was to go to Cal State Fullerton. Now that I know of CBE schools, the traditional route doesn’t seem like the best fit. It’s taken me THIS long to just get my AS the traditional way. I love the idea of self-paced programs.  I’m torn between WGU and UMPI. Although, I’m open to other options. I like that UMPI is a B&M school. Just found out about YourPace last month. 

Here are some of my hang-ups: 
- In traditional classes I get bored if they’re a full 16 weeks semester.  Hate waiting for professors to open assignments each week.  
- I have undiagnosed ADHD. I might pursue getting an official diagnosis for accommodations. 
- I get test anxiety. I don’t do as well on tests as I know I should. I’m also very verbal and think out loud. At the same time I love the idea of testing out of classes quickly.
- I seriously don’t enjoy writing for school. I know I am a strong writer when it counts.
- I do my best focusing on only one class at a time.

Post continued....

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Continued:

Degree comparisons:
WGU’s BSBA Accounting classes (23):
Fundamentals Success in Business 3*
Intro Spreadsheets 1
Info Tech Management Essentials 3
Finance Skills for Managers 3*
Managing Global Bus Environ 3
Innovative & Strategic Thinking 3
Emotional & Cultural Intelligence 3
Introduction to HR Management 3**
Employment Law 3
Compensation & Benefits 3
Operations & Supply Chain Mngmt 3
Tax I 3
Intermediate Accounting I 3
Intermediate Accounting II 3
Financial Accounting 3
Cost & Managerial Accounting 3
Accounting Info Systems 3
Auditing 3
Bus Law for Accountants 3
Bus Ethics 3
Intermediate Accounting III 3
Values-Based Leadership 3
Bus Simulation 4
*Sophia offers courses. Not reimbursement eligible.
**Current college offers 8 week course online (10/16/23 - 12/9/23)

UMPI BA Accounting classes (20):
BUS 101: Intro to Business
BUS 200: Intermediate Bus Computing
BUS 242: Spreadsheet Applications
BUS 325: Financial Mngmt
BUS 348: Cost Accounting
BUS 350: Bus Law I
BUS 352: Bus Law II
BUS 361: Intermediate Accounting I
BUS 362: Intermediate Accounting II
BUS 376: Independent Auditing
BUS 377: Federal Tax I
BUS 378: Federal Tax II
BUS 415: Operations Management
BUS 440: Bus Analytics
BUS 464: Advanced Accounting
BUS 466: Governmental & Not-for-Profit Accounting
BUS 469: Strategic Professional Comm
BUS 489: Bus Policy & Strategy
COM 210: Organizational Communication
ECO 207: Macro & Micro Economics*

UMPI’s BABA - Accounting classes (18):
COM 210: Organizational Communication
BUS 101: Introduction to Business
BUS 200: Intermediate Business Computing
BUS 244: Management Information Systems
BUS 325: Financial Management
BUS 353: Legal & Ethical Environment of Business
BUS 440: Business Analytics
BUS 469: Strategic Professional Communication
ECO 207: Macro & Micro Economics*
MAT 140: Mathematics for Business
BUS 350: Business Law I
BUS 352: Business Law II
BUS 361: Intermediate Accounting I
BUS 362: Intermediate Accounting II
BUS 376: Independent Auditing
BUS 377: Federal Taxation I
BUS 378: Federal Taxation II
BUS 464: Advanced Accounting
*My ECON classes already cover this?

I am unfamiliar with UMPI transfer requirements. Do they have a similar list of transfer partners like WGU? UMPI BABA might be less classes, but I’m interested in the Governmental & Non-Profit Accounting class. I could take that one still, right?

Thoughts? Thank you in advance!

[bjcheung77]

@IDK123LOL, Welcome to the board! What a great intro with all that detail, it's great to paint an overall picture of your situation... It really depends on the student and their needs... My answer is going to differ than what I posted earlier for someone who was deciding on the two schools, instead, I directed them to TAMUC as it's a local, public/state institution: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...er-Options

Since you have tuition assistance, it's best to maximize what you have as it's more than the usual $5K/year... For you, my recommendation is to take UMPI for a BA Accounting & BABA with a concentration in Project Management & Info Systems.  You get the Accounting major you're looking for, in addition to a second major in Business Administration (you can select a different concentration such as Management & Leadership if you wanted).

My suggestion for you is to then ladder that up to the UMPI MAOL and call it a day.  You should be able to complete the two degrees within the year and also be within budget. BA double major in 3 sessions, $4500 plus the MAOL in 2 sessions $4300, total would be $8800 flat for both Bachelors & Masters.  If you decide on the WGU route, then you can do something similar, Bachelors and Masters - one and done from the institution of choice.

[IDK123LOL]

Hi @bjcheung77 , thank you for replying! I really appreciate it.

Is there a reason why you would recommend the double degree besides having the time and money? How do you go about getting two degrees at once? Is it that most of the classes are similar and I'd only have to do one or two classes extra? What is the UMPI MAOL? I wasn't expecting a response saying do more school lol

Honestly, my work offers a lot of upward mobility with just one degree since I have the years of experience. They won't offer more for getting a Masters. I would qualify for more positions as a CPA, but I'm really not interested in that. I'd like to just get this over with as soon as possible with out overwhelming myself. I don't think multiple degrees is right for me at this time.

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Another question I just thought of: Are there other B&M schools that offer self-paced classes that you can focus on doing one at a time like WGU & UMPI?

Also, since I need to take the summers off to focus on work, would that have any bearing on one school or another?

[rachel83az]

Hi @bjcheung77 , thank you for replying! I really appreciate it.

Is there a reason why you would recommend the double degree besides having the time and money?

If you want/need to take the CPA exam in the future, the general recommendation is more credits = better. Each state is different, but most are looking for at least 150 credits. I'm not sure about California in particular, but 2 undergrad degrees from UMPI are often the cheapest/easiest/fastest way to meet the CPA requirements.

How do you go about getting two degrees at once?

I think that, with UMPI, you have to graduate with one degree and then come back for the other. I'm not 100% sure about the BA Accounting + BABA, though.

Is it that most of the classes are similar and I'd only have to do one or two classes extra?

These degrees aren't that similar and you'd definitely have to do more than just one or two classes at UMPI. But the BABA Accounting wouldn't fit your needs and the BA Accounting wouldn't be a Business degree. It's a good combination to do both the BA Accounting and the BABA PM degrees.

What is the UMPI MAOL?

Master's in Organizational Leadership. For students who don't need/want an MBA, an MAOL is a good choice. https://www.umpi.edu/yourpace/maol/

I wasn't expecting a response saying do more school lol

No matter which university/degree, the answer is going to be "more school". You need more classes. Fortunately, UMPI is a pretty quick/easy way to get a degree.

Another question I just thought of: Are there other B&M schools that offer self-paced classes that you can focus on doing one at a time like WGU & UMPI?

You could also go with TESU. Their BSBA Accounting has 24 credits in the AOS. You can complete most requirements via Study.com and/or Sophia. Study.com has required exams, but they have less weight than something like a TECEP or CLEP that is only an exam. If you get high scores on your non-proctored quizzes and assignments, you can utterly fail the exam and still pass.

Also, since I need to take the summers off to focus on work, would that have any bearing on one school or another?

Depends on the school. If you go with UMPI, you should be finished before summer arrives. If you aren't, you can make arrangements to take a break for 1 or 2 sessions. It's not automatic, but they're generally okay with students pausing enrollment for 1 or 2 sessions.

For TESU, this isn't possible with the TESU classes. However, for Study.com and Sophia, you can simply pause/cancel your membership and resubscribe when you again have time to study.

[bjcheung77]

@IDK123LOL, In addition to what was mentioned...
1) Main reason for a double major vs a double degree is, you're getting enough credits in two areas of study instead of one. You'll be well versed in Accounting and Business Administration, even if you don't go for the CPA in the future, you've opened doors for other positions that may require more business skills later, such as management.

2) You are getting a double major, you get one degree. So, it's a BA Accounting and Business Administration together, you graduate with just one degree. If you're going for one degree at a time, it means a dual degree, a BA Accounting first and then a BA Business Administration later. The requirements for graduation are different for these...

3) Well, think of it this way, a major at UMPI is compared to as a Capstone course to COSC, Excelsior, TESU. BA Accounting is one big Accounting course broken down into pieces, BA Business Admin is one big BA course also broken down... You're just taking 'two' courses at UMPI, equivalent to the time it would take you one at say Excelsior or TESU.

4) MAOL is going to be 12 extra classes, people have finished that in 2 sessions, I would think of it as again, two extra courses broken down. Get this, if you do the BABA with a concentration, you have 3 of those classes completed, you would only need to do 9 courses instead of 12 altogether. You're already 1/4th done without even starting!

5) All the institutions we recommend are more or less, self-paced as you're going to transfer in at least 90 credits or more. The credits you transfer in are all ACE options that are self-paced. It's the remaining credits you do at the institution that may/may not be self-paced, but most certainly they'll have a set time frame for completion...

[LevelUP]

Another question I just thought of: Are there other B&M schools that offer self-paced classes that you can focus on doing one at a time like WGU & UMPI?  

PUG is another CBE college which offers a business degree but not an accounting degree. Downside to this college is that there's a lot of writing so this might not be a good fit for you.
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/PU...egree_Plan

WGU doesn't like taking transfer credit over 5 years old.

TESU is a traditional college with deadlines, though you can work ahead as all modules are unlocked once you start the course.

[IDK123LOL]

Hi again everyone! I know it's been over a month since I last posted, but I forgot my password. You all gave me a lot to think about. I really do appreciate all your replies.

I wanted to give a small update. I am almost done with my Associates at my community college. My old ECON class from 2003 was denied as a course substitution, so I have to now take Micro Economics to get my AS in Business Admin. I'm still working on my Stats & Probability class. Ends beginning of December. I've signed up for an accelerated month long class in January already. In the mean time, my work has changed the minimum qualifications for degree requirement to ANY bachelors with 1 year accounting experience. So now my degree options are a little more open!

Any suggestions on other degrees besides accounting?

Note: I'm still NOT interested in perusing Masters or CPA, but I'm still leaning towards WGU, and then UMPI Your Pace.

[bjcheung77]

Review the thread and see what options are better for you, WGU, TESU, UMPI, whatever else that hits your requirements...