Validity of "big 3" Degrees?

[ADONGA]

Does any have and concerns over the validity of a degree from TESC, Excelsior, or Charter Oak where ones degree is 50% or more cleps, dssts, and ece's? I understand they are regionally accredited however, does anyone know if one could run into issues, especially in the job market? Even if someone moves on to a higher level of education through alternate schools, would employers ever be concerned with your bachelors transcript Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thank you!

[cookderosa]

Does any have and concerns over the validity of a degree from TESC, Excelsior, or Charter Oak? I understand they are regionally accredited however does anyone know if one could run into issues, especially in the job market, where ones degree is 50% cleps, dssts, and ece's? Even if someone moves on to a higher level of education through alternate schools, would employers ever be concerned with your bachelors transcript ? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thank you!

>>

I think the "validity" of testing isn't the same question as the "validity" of a big 3 degree. Don't assume that students at the big 3 are all testing, in my TESC classes, I only met 2 or 3 students who even knew what CLEP exams were. On the other hand, any student at any college can use CLEP. (as well as AP exams to the extent that their home college allows)

As to regionally accredited- there is no higher accreditation.

The points where accreditation crosses residency and testing allowance is the triangle. This triangle exists in all college environments- skewed one way or the other. This board represents a collection of people who have tried a million various combinations, and found a golden triangle- this golden triangle exists at exactly 3 schools, in varied ways.

People outside this board (the normal non-obsessed college crowd) don't have a clue. I'd bet a million dollars- none of my math students know what kind of accreditation our college holds (regional). My students also have the option of using CLEP/DSST/AP to test out of 50% of their degree- they don't know that either. You can walk in the front door of any college and enroll- you don't need to know anything, just do what you are told... but people on this board will tell you you need to get educated about your education

At the end of the day, it's all your decision.

[ADONGA]

>>

I think the "validity" of testing isn't the same question as the "validity" of a big 3 degree. Don't assume that students at the big 3 are all testing, in my TESC classes, I only met 2 or 3 students who even knew what CLEP exams were. On the other hand, any student at any college can use CLEP. (as well as AP exams to the extent that their home college allows)

As to regionally accredited- there is no higher accreditation.

The points where accreditation crosses residency and testing allowance is the triangle. This triangle exists in all college environments- skewed one way or the other. This board represents a collection of people who have tried a million various combinations, and found a golden triangle- this golden triangle exists at exactly 3 schools, in varied ways.

People outside this board (the normal non-obsessed college crowd) don't have a clue. I'd bet a million dollars- none of my math students know what kind of accreditation our college holds (regional). My students also have the option of using CLEP/DSST/AP to test out of 50% of their degree- they don't know that either. You can walk in the front door of any college and enroll- you don't need to know anything, just do what you are told... but people on this board will tell you you need to get educated about your education

At the end of the day, it's all your decision.

Thank you for the reply. I didn't assume that all students enrolled at the big 3 where testing out of courses, I was meerly stating my own personal case. I should have probably made that a little bit clearer in my original post...

[frankiebleyes]

I'm planning on taking Evironmental Science I and II with lab at Chattanooga Sate Community College, this summer both semesters are being offered via internet. Tough course but fun (my son took last year).

[BrandeX]

Who is going to know anything more than the fact that you have a degree? Potential employers will probably never heard of your college anyways, much less care what classes you took.

[JLA_8]

I agree most places probably never heard of any of these schools. That could actually be a good thing if they happen to have a prejudice against online schools. I'm sure they've all heard of UoP. The only other issue would be if they've already had a bad experience with someone from a particular school, but that could go for any school, not just online/big 3.

I'll bet you could get an interview without even putting the school name on your resume. Just list that you have a degree. Or list classes that you have taken or certs you have. There are many creative ways to compose a resume (without lying). I wouldn't do this when I get my degree from EC, as I see no problem with a degree from there and I'll be proud to have it, I'm just saying it could be done.

In my field, IT, the resume only gets you in the door. The interview is the most important part of the process. I'd imagine it's the same with other fields, but I don't know. I went to a school that offered a 9 month IT program, it wasn't accreditted, I received no degree, no certs, but it helped get me in the door and I ended up getting the job. The company was so impressed with me that they started hiring all there new IT employees from that school. (I should have asked for a commission!) This school is now defunct, and received some bad press regarding the instructors credentials (although I don't think it was the location I was in that actually had the bad press). I no longer put this school on my resume even though it was good while I was there and I did learn a lot. But I do put the classes I took while there on my resume.

No degree is the same. Two people with the exact same degree from the the same school may be worlds apart when it comes to knowledge and ability.

Work hard, learn all you can, improve interview skills, and you'll do well.

[cookderosa]

After chewing on this a bit more, I have another thing to say (big surprise LOL).

In the general education courses, no one cares how you get credit. Really. No one cares how/where/when/how/why you earned your degree except the school who is giving you a bachelor's degree (if that applies to you).

If you are in a field that requires grad school, an on campus program will have a lot of requirements for admission. If that is you- then due diligence is in order. If you are going to a grad school program offered online/hybrid- then clearly they embrace alternative learning methods. (and I'm not talking about UoP, I'm talking about STATE UNIVERSITIES and private universities)

If your bachelor's degree is the top degree you will ever earn- then you have to look at even more variables.
-are there requirements in your field for licenses? (teaching, CPA, etc)
-is "hands on" a big deal in your field? (bachelor's degrees in music performance, culinary arts, or auto shop at a distance won't fly)
-are you young?
-is this a career change?
-are you a seasoned adult?

For your field:
-are you in a vocation/trade?
-what degree do your co-workers have? What degree do your managers have?

Finally- what is the purpose of the degree?
Is it for personal gain? Is it for career advancement? Is this a "check the box" degree or for something else?

These are all part of the picture, so it isn't simply a question of "is this valid" because I think the answer is on a continuum- it's not "yes" or "no" for most people. It's more complecated than that.

It's worth saying, that you should ask these questions EVEN IF you are going to college in a brick-and-mortar school in your home town. There are lots of unemployed degree holders who sat through every class for 5 years and paid $50,000 for a liberal arts degree.