When is the right time to contact my choice of the B3? Multiple Degrees?

[sarahbellym]

Good afternoon,

I want to thank all of the folks who actively participate in answering the multitude of questions that we newbies have. I would not be doing what I am doing but for the fact that you have given me the hope and the knowledge that I can really get my degree. That being said, let the questions commence.

I want to get a Bachelor's from TESC. I started taking Straighterline courses back in January.

I have successfully completed:
Western Civ I
Western Civ II
US History I
Intro to Sociology
Intro to Religion
Intro to Philosophy
Macroeconomics
Intro to Nutrition
Intro to Criminal Justice

I have completed 4 FEMA credits. (Which probably won't be accepted by TESC now.)

In B&M schools (1991), I have
English 101
Psych 110

I plan on taking
College Algebra and US History II and Business Ethics (probably with SL)

I have read some degree paths that Sanantone and others have posted in the Wiki Forum and those have been helpful. I think I just need some folks to chime in so I feel more confident that I am moving in the right direction.

I want a Bachelors in Social Science (for myself)
and a BSBA (for my career). I don't care which one I get first.

So I guess I have three questions.

1. What other courses or tests should I take to make sure I am not duplicating efforts?
2. At what point should I begin contact with TESC?
3. How does multiple degrees work? Can a course I took for one degree be used for another? For example, can I use the same College Algebra credit for both degrees?

Insights?

Sarah

[Gaz]

2. At what point should I begin contact with TESC?

The right time is different for everyone. One factor is finances, there is a yearly fee. To save money, many people wait to enroll until they know they are close to completion. However, if TESC changes any of the requirements for the degree, which has happened, you are not grandfathered in. If money is not a factor, enroll now. My personal opinion is that unless someone is close to the amount of credits needed for a BA/BS they should get an AA first. Only because it ties up the loose ends. When I enrolled at my local four year college my AA (from another state) satisfied all the general ed courses.

3. How does multiple degrees work? Can a course I took for one degree be used for another? For example, can I use the same College Algebra credit for both degrees?

Yes, you can overlap many of the same courses. You just need to satisfy the specific degree requirements for the degree. You might run into trouble if you want to earn two degrees from the same school that fall under the same umbrella such as Liberal Studies and Social Sciences. In your case, Social Science and Business are from different "colleges" at TESC. I would suggest going for the Social Sciences first and then, instead of wasting time and money, go for an MBA.

Another tid-bit of information to know is that once you have earned a bachelor's degree you fall into the category of being a post-bac student everywhere. Imagine if your dream is to pursue a degree in Psychology from the University of Florida. You are now ten courses away from that dream. Having said that, it varies but in general most universities have a 30 credit residency (except the Big 3, of course) and most 'degree requirements' are about 30 credits.

[topdog98]

I would suggest going for the Social Sciences first and then, instead of wasting time and money, go for an MBA.

I like this idea, too.

[sanantone]

TESC requires that 24 new credits be earned in the area of study for the second degree. All of the other credits can be reused. New credits are credits earned after the first degree was conferred. There isn't a lot of overlap between the areas of study for the BSBA and BA in Social Science, so you don't have to worry about duplicating credits.

[sarahbellym]

Wonderful insights! I never thought (because I am a rookie) about just getting the MBA after completing another bachelor's. OH and my mind is blown by the fact that I would be post-bac and then able to pursue something else at a B&M school.

Thanks too for the info about the overlapping credits or lack thereof. I might be...I could be...I am UNSTOPPABLE now! It's amazing how much a little knowledge impacts everything.
Thanks for the responses.

[Yanji]

Another tid-bit of information to know is that once you have earned a bachelor's degree you fall into the category of being a post-bac student everywhere.

Regardless of your student standing, very few universities will give a 90 credit block transfer for a second degree student. Most places will just accept credits on a course-by-course basis and perhaps waive gen eds.

I would skip the Social Science degree and go for a BSBA. You said that the BSBA was for your career, so why not get an MA in whatever Social Science discipline(s) interests you after the BSBA? Interdisciplinary MAs are more numerous, generally cheaper and less contingent on your personal/career situation than MBA programs. Not to mention that if it's just for personal reasons, you have a lot more choice in terms of individual program/institution and mode of study, whereas MBA programs require more careful selection. There are very few online (max 4-5 in the US) or part-time MBAs which would be able to even remotely reliably facilitate career-switching, and even then it is almost universally discouraged by business schools and recruiters.

[rebel100]

I would suggest you work out dual concentration at COSC, use your FEMA and knock out something like organizational leadership (business) with your social science like sociology, psych, or English. Then bust out the MBA at wgu .

[Gaz]

Regardless of your student standing, very few universities will give a 90 credit block transfer for a second degree student. Most places will just accept credits on a course-by-course basis and perhaps waive gen eds.

Many universities have specific policies regarding second degree seeking students. Often they are not handled the same as with transfer students. The best way to confirm this for yourself is to visit the website of a university that interests you and use their search engine. Type in something such as "second baccalaureate" or "second degree."

This is from USF's site:
"A student already graduated from an accredited four-year institution must earn a minimum of an additional 30 semester hours of USF undergraduate courses to apply toward his/her second baccalaureate degree. Students must also meet the University's regular graduation requirements, including the 9 semester hours of Exit Requirements, as well as the requirements of the college awarding the degree and the residency requirements."

This is from Rutgers:
"Students who hold a credential equivalent to the baccalaureate degree in the United States from an accredited institution may pursue a second bachelor's degree at the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS). Second-degree candidates must complete the following requirements: A minimum of 30 credits beyond those applied to the initial degree, All requirements for a new major."

Some universities, such as UCLA, do not accept second degree seeking students.

And in my opinion, You would benefit most by having an advanced degree that relates closest to your career.

At the end of the day, this site will provide you with loads of information to ponder. You will be able to figure out your own path.

[sanantone]

Regardless of your student standing, very few universities will give a 90 credit block transfer for a second degree student. Most places will just accept credits on a course-by-course basis and perhaps waive gen eds.

I would skip the Social Science degree and go for a BSBA. You said that the BSBA was for your career, so why not get an MA in whatever Social Science discipline(s) interests you after the BSBA? Interdisciplinary MAs are more numerous, generally cheaper and less contingent on your personal/career situation than MBA programs. Not to mention that if it's just for personal reasons, you have a lot more choice in terms of individual program/institution and mode of study, whereas MBA programs require more careful selection. There are very few online (max 4-5 in the US) or part-time MBAs which would be able to even remotely reliably facilitate career-switching, and even then it is almost universally discouraged by business schools and recruiters.

I'm going to have to disagree. There are hundreds of MBA programs out there, but not many online interdisciplinary or liberal arts masters. When you can find them, there is a good chance they either don't offer what you want or that they'll force you to take a bunch of credits you don't want. For example, if someone wants to fill the masters with psychology and sociology credits, there aren't that many programs that will either let you do that or offer enough of those two to fill the whole degree. One of the more flexible programs out there is WNMU's MA in Interdisciplinary Studies. They don't offer a sociology concentration. The closest thing they have is social work, and only 9 credits are offered in that subject. A lot of the other liberal studies programs will make you take 6-10 credits in junk courses. Fort Hays State University is a good example.
https://www.fhsu.edu/mls/conc/conc-politicalscience/

Online MAs in social science are extremely rare. There are several online, AACSB-accredited MBAs that are less than $20,000. Honestly, an MA in social science is overkill for social service jobs that only require a bachelors and worthless for jobs that require a masters because these jobs tend to require licensure. The only thing it might be useful for is teaching as an adjunct if one can manage to get 18 credits in a subject. If someone has experience in business, the MBA would actually have some worth. For someone who has no experience, a bachelors in business isn't really that much better than a BA in Social Science. Business administration majors are the most underemployed. There are way too many people with bachelors degrees in business administration, and it continues to be the #1 major in the U.S.

[sanantone]

I also want to add that the MBA is not just for those with business experience. It can be useful to anyone with experience in almost any field if that person is looking to move into management.