Just Finished at Excelsior! BS Liberal Arts. Need guidance for the next degree

[os4185]

I just received the Excelsior notification that I have met all the degree requirements for a BS LA. I had to take 5 weeks leave of absence from work in order to complete the LA Capstone. I could not perform at a high level at both! The final power point presentation needed voice over, animation and insertion of movie clips. This while completing the daily course work. We lost 20 students over the 8 weeks.

Now for the next phase. The BS LA is not an attractive degree to employers for a person who has a heavy engineering background and course work. I was reviewing the TESC BA in Natural Science and Mathematics and it looks like I have all the requirements with the exception of Information literacy and diversity (Junk Courses). I had my transcripts from Excelsior sent to TESC prior to completing the Capstone. This degree title is more palatable to employers for me. The other degree is a BS in Technical Studies but I have to take a Project Management course as well as the two listed above.

My Questions are.

Will TESC grant this degree? They don't know I just got my Excelsior BS LA, and I don't know why it would matter.
Will TESC allow the Diversity Requirement to be met by the Excelsior Liberal Arts Capstone?

I want to fix this degree issue before I go on and complete a MBA. I would appreciate any advice on this issue.

Many Thanks!

[cookderosa]

so you earned an entire degree, you are finished, and now you want to transfer? I'm so confused.

[GoodYellowDogs]

Congrats on your BSLA!

[dfrecore]

I'm pretty sure you will have to disclose your degree to TESC. If you don't, and they find out, it's called fraud. I wouldn't take the chance personally.

Instead, you would have to get a second degree:

"Second Bachelor’s Degree
If you have earned a previous baccalaureate degree, and wish to pursue a second, you must complete a minimum of 24 additional credits in the area of study/core beyond the date your most recent undergraduate degree was completed. You must also complete all the degree requirements indicated in the Thomas Edison State College Catalog."

Also, you will have to take a Capstone through TESC for those degrees, you can't transfer in a capstone from another school. It may count towards a degree, but it won't count as your TESC capstone.

If you're going to get an MBA anyway (which isn't related to any of these degrees), why wouldn't you just continue on, rather than trying to get a different degree at this late date? I worked in HR for years, we did not think that a degree in Natural Sciences and Math was special, it just meant that you took more courses in that instead of Humanities or Social Sciences. It was still considered a fairly generic degree, rather than specific. Nothing wrong with it, but that's just how it was looked upon. A degree in Engineering or Computer Science or something like that might make a difference depending on the job, but definitely not Liberal Arts vs. Natural Sciences.

If I were you, I would start taking any pre-reqs for the MBA and move on into that degree plan. It makes the most sense.

[bluebooger]

Online Master of Science in Security Studies: Cyber Security
Online Master of Science in Security Studies: Cyber Security Concentration

Master's Degree in Business Administration - Online MBA Program
Online Master's Degree in Business Administration (Online MBA)
With Concentrations in Accounting, Finance or Information Technology

[os4185]

No, I am not transferring. I will have the degree conferred. I would just like to get an additional degree that is more technical.

[os4185]

My intention is not to commit any fraud, it is just to obtain a more technical degree. I have about 180 credits that did not all fit in for a technical degree. I decided to go the easy way and get the BS LA, and show my technical concentrations but I would prefer the Technical degree title. I will be totally honest to a counselor when I finally get to talk to one at TESC.

[marquardt21]

Congrats on getting your BSLA. I really would not worry about getting a second bachelor’s degree. I would look at getting a graduate certification relating to your desired field of study or just start working on your MBA. Once you have that, it really is not going to matter what your under grad degree was in.

[dfrecore]

A degree in Natural Sciences and Math is definitely not a more technical degree, it's just another broad BA degree with a slant towards math & science. There is no true concentration. There are no specific courses you have to take towards it (as opposed to a BSBA where every degree from every school is similar in what they expect you to take in your "core" courses, or a degree in CIS, or mechanical engineering, etc.)

I agree with marquardt21, get a certification showing what you know, those are more valuable than anything else you can do right now, except to start working on the MBA that you ultimately want.

[cookderosa]

No, I am not transferring. I will have the degree conferred. I would just like to get an additional degree that is more technical.

OH! Ok, easy. You can search "second bachelor's" in the college handbook at TESC. They'll require new credits in some amount (15ish I think as a minimum, but you'll have to meet the degree distribution whatever it is you end up pursing). When you apply, you'll get an evaluation for the degree you want to pursue.

EDIT: I third the suggestion to put a period and move onto a masters.