AA from local CC or TESU?

[fingerscrossedx2]

Hello all,

I started working on an AA at my local community college in CJ last year. Once I have completed my BA at TESU, the local school will waive the general education requirements. I have about 4 classes to complete their program. I just checked and it looks like I can finish TESU's AA program with 2 classes.

Do you think it will be more impression on my resume to have degrees from two different organizations versus both from TESU?

I just paid the grad fee for TESU and will pay the residency waiver shortly. Can both fees apply towards both degrees?

Thanks in advance for all your guidance and suggestions.

[davewill]

The grad fee can apply to both if they are granted at the same time. You can email advising and ask them to add the AA to both your eval and the grad application. The residency waiver can apply to both so long as you get them both done within a year of paying the waiver fee.

From a resume perspective, I don't think it matters at all which school you get the AA from. In actuality, once you get the bachelor's, the associate's doesn't really matter, especially if they are in the same field. I was one course away from the ASNSM-CS, but there was no point in taking any extra time for it when I was already getting the BACS.

[Ideas]

I think it looks better from TESU because it's a "university" not a community college.

Yes, it can apply to both degrees if you graduate within the same 12 months. Edit: TESU's policies aren't really clear. I think you can probably graduate with the Associates first for the same fee.

[dfrecore]

Not sure why you would care about an AA in CJ (or a general one) and then a BA in CJ. Once you have the BA, the AA is irrelevant.

[cookderosa]

Hello all,

I started working on an AA at my local community college in CJ last year. Once I have completed my BA at TESU, the local school will waive the general education requirements. I have about 4 classes to complete their program. I just checked and it looks like I can finish TESU's AA program with 2 classes.

Do you think it will be more impression on my resume to have degrees from two different organizations versus both from TESU?

I just paid the grad fee for TESU and will pay the residency waiver shortly. Can both fees apply towards both degrees?

Thanks in advance for all your guidance and suggestions.

I'm confused about what you're trying to accomplish. Once you have completed your BA at TESU, you said your local school will waive the gen ed requirements, but what does that mean? What gen ed requirements would you be having waived AFTER your BA? Do you mean if you earned a BA at TESU that your AA gen eds would be waived or is it a second BA you're going for?

If you're planning one AA and one BA, I'd look at the one with the shortest path to the goal post- whether it's shaving time or shaving money, whatever is most important to you. Either way, you don't need more than one AA or BA.

[rlw74]

If you are getting a BA the AA would drop off the resume anyway - unless it's like davewill said, if it's a separate concentration. Otherwise, I would focus on the BA and getting the AA incidentally, if it happened to be on the way to a BA. Or if you knew you needed it first for a job promotion or something and you were going to get it months before the BA. I guess it depends on what you are trying to do. Like cookderosa said, I'm not sure I understand about the Gen Eds being waived if you already have a BA. Seems like, in that case, the AA is a step back and will cost more time and money. But I may be misunderstanding.

[fingerscrossedx2]

Thanks for all the help. I am completing a BA in Liberal Studies and work in the field of law enforcement. I have completed tons of Criminal Justice courses and would list on my resume a BA in Liberal Studies, an AA in Criminal Justice and a Certification in Crime Analysis to simply emphasize the training and courses completed in my career field. While I understand that a bachelor's trump's an associates, the field of study is what is important about the AA.

I spoke with my local community college and they stated that if I had already completed a bachelor's degree then I would not need to take the general eds required for their AA program. I am working on my capstone currently and will hopefully receive my BA soon. Since I have already completed the subject requirements, I figured I would go for it at the same time as applying for the bachelor's. I look at it like a minor or a concentration that I can list legitimately.

Hopefully I clarified a few questions. I truly appreciate all the help this board has offered. Thanks again.

[Life Long Learning]

I think an AS from a CC and a BS from TESU is better than BOTH from TESU.  Your CC may be only a CC, but it is a B&M College. Also, you have roots in both!

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What Community College waives their general eds required for their AA program with a BS degree?

[fingerscrossedx2]

San Diego Miramar College stated that the general education requirements would be met by the bachelor's and only the major specific classes would be required for their associates in criminal justice. I didn't make it up. I'm simply relaying the information I was given.

[High_Order1]

I get what you're trying to do.

It sounds really good in court saying you have a 2 year, a 4 year, and several academic and vocational certificates in your career path.

I also know you know that a CJ pair of degrees have almost no utility outside the protective services field, in case you have to punch out at some time in the future.

I'd think a local to you associates, and a 4 year at a university sounds better, as LLL mentioned. Name recognition for one, but if they don't know TESU, getting six years worth of degrees with them stamped like in the same year.... the best hurdles in testifying are the ones you don't have to cross.

Others here are smarter about the fiscal and common sense angles and will counsel you better there than I.