Hi everyone, 

  I'm currently pursuing a Computer Science degree at the University of the People, having completed 127 credit hours, including 64 RA credit hours.   

  I've also earned many ACE credit hours on Sophia and Coursera. I'd like to transfer to the BGS program at East Texas A&M University. 

  What should I do? I've already submitted my application.

I applied to UMPI in early 2023 but deferred enrollment because they would not accept most of my 27 DSST credits, however, they did plan to accept 6-9 credits of those credits, meaning I would lose 21-24 credits (20% of degree requirements). Instead, I applied to Pierpont for the BOG and graduated soon after. All 27 DSST credits were transcribed to my Pierpont transcript, resulting in a combined total of 101 credits (RA, DSST, and Sophia). I know UMPI will only apply of those 90 credits, if I'm lucky, toward my bachelor degree. Now that Pierpont has transcribed the DSST credits, do I have a better chance of UMPI accepting the DSST credits?

I meet their passing score requirements of >400 for some exams and a passing score of >48 for others. However, their webpage shows UMPI equivalents for all exams taken during the eligible period but does not display scores for most of the DSST exams: https://www.umpi.edu/academics/credit-fo...ry-credit/

Does anyone have experience with UMPI accepting DSST exams listed on that webpage without a visible passing score? I plan to contact UMPI this week but wanted to ask for similar experiences first.

Thanks!

Probably the worst I've seen

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Hi all,

I'm currently pursuing a bachelor's of business administration from UoPeople. I have seven subjects left. At the end of the current term, I'll be left with just four courses for getting my degree. 

However, UoPeople is just on the cusp of launching a bachelor's of general studies. I'm really, really tempted in holding off on my degree or slow it down to a crawl so I can transfer to the general studies program when it launches.

The thing is I already have a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. I got it from another country, but the degree is not fully valid -- I had a lot of trouble in gaining admission international universities abroad with my BBA. ENIC, a validation agency, also declared that my qualification is not equal to the regular four-year degree.

Still, I worked for my old degree and show if off on my resume. I am conflicted about getting another business administration degree. It will not add much incremental value to my career, even if it can fix my degree recognition issues with entities like ENIC.

What should I do, hold it off and wait for UoPeople to launch its General Studies program, or should I stick it out with the UoPeople BSBA?

Programs like UMPI and WGU seem to be getting more attention, not all of it positive. The implication that these degrees are inherently less rigorous and deserve a different designation than traditional ones strikes me as outdated and not well-informed. I've done both traditional and CBE programs. In my experience with both, what you put in is what you get out of it. I saw many people coast through the traditional programs without much effort or consequence, so it is not as if those types of programs are without issues.

What do you guys think?



Some interesting quotes:

"'We want diplomas that mean something,' said Marjorie Hass, president of the Council of Independent Colleges, which represents more than 600 liberal arts colleges and universities. 'I would prefer to have some of these degrees called something other than a bachelor’s.'"


"The head of the New England Commission of Higher Education, which oversees the accreditation of the University of Maine system, told The Washington Post that he had never heard of students completing a bachelor’s degree in only a few months — either at the Presque Isle campus or any other accredited university. He said that is something his organization may decide to investigate. 'If students are getting a baccalaureate degree in a few months, the commission could certainly inquire, ‘Is there integrity to the degree to be awarded?’ said Larry Schall, president of the commission. (Shortly after Schall got off the phone with The Post, he said, he called the campus to ask them to look into the issue.)."




https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersa...r-AA21eMNI

There has been some chatter that this was coming, and it seems they have released it:  https://www.etamu.edu/programs/organizat...ncy-based/. 

Three tracks to choose from:  

• Corporate Training & Development
  
• Disaster Preparedness
  
• Curriculum Innovation With AI
  

Did anybody transfer this to TESU yet? I would be very interested in the equivalency. Perhaps, someone who is currently enrolled could ask TESU to preplan it?

The University of West Alabama offers the following 127-credit bachelor’s degrees in a competency-based format:

• BS in Early Childhood/Elementary Education (P-3/K-6)
  
• BS in Special Education: Collaborative Teacher
  

I previously completed the M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction there and overall had a really positive experience. I will say, the program was writing-heavy and definitely challenging at times, but it pushed me academically and ended up being worth it. The competency-based format fit me well, and I was able to finish in two terms (could've finished in one).

Now I’ve started the M.S. in IT - Product Management track. I started the program before the product management track officially rolled out, so my path isn’t as clean as it could've been. Because of that, it’ll probably take me a bit longer than the one term I originally planned, but I’m still aiming to finish within two terms.

I also decided to pause my doctorate program, as I don't have the time to dedicate. I do plan to go back and finish it after this degree. I know getting multiple degrees at the same level might not make the most sense on paper, but I genuinely enjoy the challenge. But I will keep you all up to date on how this program goes.