How are you Monetizing using your Degree or Certificates

[sanantone]

Obviously some fields require formal education due to professional standards which are applied, but it's worth considering that you simply cannot become a physician racking up credits at WGU or some such. The degrees offered by the higher ed institutions that allow you to test out of a lot of courses or have some easy going attitude when it comes to taking your money and providing you with a passing grade are not graduating people with degrees in molecular biology or similar fields.

Actually, people can and have been accepted to medical schools after completing degrees at non-traditional colleges. One can have a degree in anything and get into medical school and other health profession programs. While none of the Big 3 offer degrees in microbiology, they do offer degrees in information technology, mathematics, health science, various allied health fields, nursing, biology, chemistry, natural science, nuclear engineering technology, electrical engineering technology (concentrations in nanotechnology, electronics, and power systems), computer science, physics, general technology, and geology. TESC's programs in mathematics, natural science, biology, and computer science are BAs.

While most law enforcement agencies don't care about majors, I wouldn't be in the running for one of the jobs I applied to if I had a degree in something that is business, health, or STEM-related. One of my target jobs is probation/parole where a degree in criminal justice or something behavioral science-related is required. There is a lot of growth in the mental health field, but a graduate degree is required for most jobs. If I decide to get a doctorate or master's in something like counseling, social work or psychology, my BA puts me in a position to be accepted into those kinds of programs. Most of the programs I looked at require or prefer at least a bachelor's in a related field.

I may not ever make as much as you, but my aim is not to be upper-middle class or wealthy. My aim is to be financially secure and happy with what I'm doing for a living. I hate my current job because it's highly stressful; but, I feel great when I help save someone's life, property, or well-being. Law enforcement agencies in Texas are desperate for cadets, so I'm turning my focus on those after failing to get a job in the social service field.

When the job market returns to normal, employers will no longer want to hire the overqualified. The overqualified are more likely to find better opportunities and leave. In the meantime, even new nursing grads are having a hard time with getting hired and there is supposed to be a nursing shortage. 48% of new nursing grads can't find jobs within 18 months of graduating. Retirees have returned to labor force, people are delaying retirement, and hospitals are making experienced nurses work longer hours and handle more patients. This won't last forever.

My reason for getting a degree has nothing to do with elevating me necessarily, but instead just ensuring it doesn't eliminate me from future jobs.
And I can't figure out why your even on this forum. You come in these threads and just do nothing but throw hatred and act like your some big shot. Clep your 6 credits and move on.

This made my day. I'll be laughing at this for awhile.

So please save your comments of how knowledgeable in IT you are and take your grammatical corrections elsewhere.

I don't mind being corrected, although, it could have been done more tactfully. I spot spelling and grammatical errors all the time, but I don't bother with correcting people in public because it's rude. What irked me the most was the throwing of stones while living in a glass house. His post was filled with grammatical errors. Obviously, it doesn't take very good verbal skills in order to get a "real job" in the IT field. No offense is intended toward anyone in the IT field; he just presented himself as an example.

[Dude]

The original question was how people monetarily benefit from getting a "fast track" degree. My point is that the overwhelming majority of those who get BA fast track degrees will end up nowhere.

As far as grammar goes, at least I am not a native English speaker yet I know how to spell, what's your excuse?

[UptonSinclair]

RE: The thought of doing electrical work for the next 20 years is horrifying

Why is that? (And I would genuinely like to know; no hidden agenda here.)

In 1989, Uncle Sam decided I was an electrician. I don't mind the more technical aspects of the job like troubleshooting and wiring controls, but I despise grunt work. Working outside in 100 degree weather running conduit or pulling wire is just this side of dental work in my book. I am much more comfortable behind a computer for hours at a time. Thankfully, I work electrical maintenance which means a whole lot of sitting around waiting for stuff to break at the moment. I hope to never go back to construction. I respect those who enjoy outside work, but the trip from my home to my car is about all of the outdoors I am interested in.

[scorched]

I don't need an excuse, your a nobody in the IT world with nothing better to do than come on a forum and harass people.
My worries about grammar occur when it matters, on the two $20M proposals I just recently wrote. Not on replying to some jackass like you.

The original question was how people monetarily benefit from getting a "fast track" degree. My point is that the overwhelming majority of those who get BA fast track degrees will end up nowhere.

As far as grammar goes, at least I am not a native English speaker yet I know how to spell, what's your excuse?

[cookderosa]

The original question was how people monetarily benefit from getting a "fast track" degree. My point is that the overwhelming majority of those who get BA fast track degrees will end up nowhere.

As far as grammar goes, at least I am not a native English speaker yet I know how to spell, what's your excuse?

>

Wow, I'm not sure what the point of becoming a member of this forum is? To slam other members? Clearly you object to much of the philosophies embraced here by members, perhaps this isn't the best place for you to find information and support; which is what we do here.

[mrs.b]

My friends, I believe some of the wildlife living beneath the bridge is just making itself known. Please do not toss food over the side; it encourages the fauna.

[sanantone]

The original question was how people monetarily benefit from getting a "fast track" degree. My point is that the overwhelming majority of those who get BA fast track degrees will end up nowhere.

As far as grammar goes, at least I am not a native English speaker yet I know how to spell, what's your excuse?

Mixing up fairing and faring is not really a spelling mistake; it's the mixing up of homophones. I'm sure you don't know how to spell every word in your native language. Just because someone makes one mistake, it does not mean they don't know how to spell in general. You're being ridiculous. I scored in the 86th percentile on the verbal portion of the GRE without studying and I was in honors, pre-AP, and AP English courses throughout middle school and high school. I think I'm okay in the English department. After being here for decades, you should at least know when to capitalize a word and when to use spend vs. spent. My Spanish grammar is better than your English grammar and I've never even lived in a Spanish speaking country.

[Jonathan Whatley]

Today I work for an accredited college, earn a ~$70k salary + excellent benefits […]

The Bachelor degrees are pretty much useless with the only exception potentially being engineering degrees. The other degrees just don't teach students enough topics and skills that are relevant in the real world. I have hired quite a few people working for the University in the past 10 or so years

Ten years into employment, you're earning about 70K and excellent benefits working in IT. Congratulations!

The National Association of Colleges and Employers collects data from U.S. employers on starting salaries for new college graduates. For Computer Science majors hired, within their survey population, they report a national average starting salary of 64 800.

This average starting salary, for Class of 2013 CS graduates, is only about 8% away from your salary today. You've been with your employer for about 10 years at least. Of course you may have been working with the university or in IT even longer. "10 or so years" is only how long you've hired people there.

and I have often hired someone with no formal education if they could demonstrate that they can do the job. In fact, I once fought the HR department over me not wanting to include that at least a High School diploma is necessary for the job. I insisted that High School wasn't necessary, what was necessary was knowing C#, .Net, and JavaScript. There is a skill test during hiring and there's an interview, for both it's totally irrelevant whether someone spend years of their life and thousands of dollars on a degree.

An honest question about HS non-completers, or HS graduates with no college, who you hire based on skill tests: How many of this group starts at or near 64 800 (in constant 2013 dollars)? How many reach 64 800, say, four years later?

NACE Salary Surveys (National Association of Colleges and Employers)

[sgloer]

Hey guys,

Please stay on topic. Personal insults are not allowed and will result in being banned from this discussion forum.

Thank you,

[Daithi]

I've have a few more credits to go before I get a degree, but I thought I'd add my own two cents anyway.

I've worked in the IT industry for over 20 years and never had a degree. I'm getting my degree(s) for personal satisfaction more than anything, but a degree will provide me with some monetary benefit. In the event that something were to happen to my current job, a degree will make it easier for me to find another job. When looking for work in the past I have found that some employers (the government is a huge one) do place a high value on degrees. If you don't have that checkoff box then you may not get through the first step in the hiring process. So my degree isn't just personal satisfaction, but insurance in case something happens to my job as well.