Undecided Career Choice

[Giddiam Jordan]

I am 17 years old and live in South Africa and have written and passed my GED and plan to earn my degree by way of the test out method, studying at Study.com, Sofia, and Saylor, etc(I'm not sure where else I can earn ACE College credit). My aim is to eventually apply to TESU or Charter Oak. However, my problem is, I have no idea what to study but since I'm good at Math and Physics I would like to go in this direction, but I don't know if I can study Physics online and I was thinking of becoming an Astrophysicist or Astronomer, but any scientific field requiring Physics will suffice. Could you please help me in this regard.

[rachel83az]

It depends on what your budget is. One possibility is a TESU degree in Mathematics. Another possibility would be a BS in Technical Studies from TESU. Either of those would be a bit more expensive than something like computer science or psychology because of a lack of alternate credit but they are still possibilities.

Personally, I would suggest math and then you could do a few physics classes as electives.

[dfrecore]

So an online Physics degree is probably not possible - nor would that be any fun (hands-on labs is the fun part of this degree).

An online math degree is definitely possible - TESU would be mostly self-taught, and more expensive than the norm, but you could probably do it for ~$10k. Another option is SNHU - they accept 90cr of transfer, including ACE credit, and it would cost about $9600 to take 30cr there (their minimum residency requirement). APU has a math degree with mutliple concentrations for $8550 (their minimum residency requirement). They are stricter on the transfers (I think they'll only take 60cr of ACE & CC's combined). Bellevue University has a Math degree for about $10k in residency (30cr) with a Study.com 20% discount.

You can also just get a liberal studies degree at one of the Big 3, and load up on Math and Physics courses that you find inexpensively. COSC is the cheapest, TESU is the most expensive, and EC is in the middle.

[Giddiam Jordan]

So an online Physics degree is probably not possible - nor would that be any fun (hands-on labs is the fun part of this degree).

An online math degree is definitely possible - TESU would be mostly self-taught, and more expensive than the norm, but you could probably do it for ~$10k.  Another option is SNHU - they accept 90cr of transfer, including ACE credit, and it would cost about $9600 to take 30cr there (their minimum residency requirement).  APU has a math degree with mutliple concentrations for $8550 (their minimum residency requirement).  They are stricter on the transfers (I think they'll only take 60cr of ACE & CC's combined).  Bellevue University has a Math degree for about $10k in residency (30cr) with a Study.com 20% discount.

You can also just get a liberal studies degree at one of the Big 3, and load up on Math and Physics courses that you find inexpensively.  COSC is the cheapest, TESU is the most expensive, and EC is in the middle.

I will look in to everything you have given me but I'm am quite interested in liberal studies, I think it would suite me quite well. Thank you very much for you help.

[rachel83az]

FYI, if you want to go into a STEM field (Astrophysics, Astronomy, etc.) then I'm not sure that liberal studies is for you. Even if you took all the math and physics classes, most employers would probably not consider a liberal studies degree sufficient to enter a science field. And it's highly unlikely that you'd qualify for a STEM Master's degree with "only" a liberal studies degree. On the other hand, a mathematics degree would open up the doors to most science fields.

[Alpha]

So an online Physics degree is probably not possible - nor would that be any fun (hands-on labs is the fun part of this degree).

There are a number of online Bachelors degrees in Physics available.  Michigan Tech, ASU and Liberty all have online Physics degree programs.  A simple google search will reveal more choices.

[bjcheung77]

If you're interested in Liberal Arts/Studies already, then the Big 3 would be your best bet, just take more math/physics courses at the undergraduate level. I suggest adding not just COSC and TESU, but Excelsior to your list as well, their BSLA you can transfer in 113 of the required 120 credits for the degree. You should focus your lower level with Sophia.org and for your subject matter for math/physics, you should do Study.com. I would add the CSM Learn course, InstantCert American Government, and TEEX courses as free electives.

[dfrecore]

So an online Physics degree is probably not possible - nor would that be any fun (hands-on labs is the fun part of this degree).

There are a number of online Bachelors degrees in Physics available.  Michigan Tech, ASU and Liberty all have online Physics degree programs.  A simple google search will reveal more choices.

I guess I should have said "while it may be possible, it certainly takes ALL of the fun out of it."  Plus, one of the main points of a Physics degree is that many include an internship of some kind.  Not sure if that's possible online...

[Giddiam Jordan]

I've done some investigation and I'm now more confused than ever. Which of the liberal studies undergraduate degrees will be the most affordable? Our financial situation here in South Africa is tight. I like what Excelsior College offers, but I don't have a degree plan and I'm unsure where to find one. My parents and I also need to know upfront what the entire degree more or less will cost through the "Test-Out" method and transferring in ACE credits at Excelsior.

Which of the big three grants discount for transferring credits from Study.com?

[rachel83az]

If you are transferring in everything except the bare minimum, none of the big 3 offer discounts for SDC. If you need to take a couple extra classes at the school for your degree (which you shouldn't need to do with a liberal studies degree), only Excelsior offers a "discounted rate". The fees at Excelsior (not counting Sophia, Study.com, etc. would be just under $5300USD.

Tuition & fees at Charter Oak would be about $3100 if you are only enrolled for one semester. Add to that 8 classes (24 credits) at either ONU ($150 per class) or TEL Learning ($200 per class). That adds another $1200 to $1600 to the total. A COSC degree (not counting SDC, Sophia, etc.) would cost $4300 to $4700.

SDC costs approximately $100USD per exam/course. Excelsior also accepts Coopersmith (COSC does not) and those cost $150 per course.