Seeking guidance to best map 140 RA semester credits and finish!

[Timberline]

Hi all! ...long time lurker, first time poster. First, I want to thank everyone here who has generously volunteered their time, insights, and skills to help the community. This forum, and the associated wiki, have been so very helpful in my journey, and I can't thank you all enough for your patience and guidance. I am truly humbled by all the success stories here.

I am planning to complete my degree that I started in 1998. Unfortunately, life got in the way, and I stopped a few classes short of finishing at state college. Between 1998 and 2005, I earned 140 RA semester credits, 2 college certificates, my AA, and 7 Microsoft certifications. I also passed 19 Microsoft tests. I have no credits from alternative sources. As I mention below in the breakdown, I realize my IT courses and certifications may not transfer in some cases due to time limits. That said, I feel like I may be close to a few of the degrees below, but I am finding it super hard to triangulate which ones and whether I am on the right path.

I am hoping the 'institutional' knowledge here can help me figure which schools/degrees may be most aligned to my past course work from a 'time to completion' perspective, as well as learn if there are any other tips or tricks for optimizing and capitalizing on all of this past work to maximize outcomes/returns (~multiple degrees, optimized path to a Masters, etc.). Thanks!

Your Location: New York, United States
Your Age: 41
What kind of degree do you want?: These degrees are most interesting to me from my research, broken out by school and linked:

TESU
BA in Computer Science
BA in Liberal Studies - Computer Science
BSBA in Computer Information Systems
BS in Information Technology
BS in Data Science and Analytics
COSC
BS in General Studies/Information Systems Studies
EC
BS in Information Technology
BPS in Technology Management/Information Technology
WGU
BS in Computer Science
BS in Information Technology
BS in Data Management/Data Analytics
BSBA in IT Management
UMPI
Bachelor of Liberal Studies - Management Information Systems Minor
PUG
BS in Information Technology
BS in Information Technology - ExcelTrack

Current Regional Accredited Credits: 140

I have credits from three RA schools, all earned between 1998 and 2005. I added the Term years for each course below, since I know some schools enforce time limits on IT-related course work. I am aware this could impact my transfer evaluations.

St. Petersburg College, Total Credits: 85
Class Name, Term, Grade, Credits

ENC 1101 Composition I, Fall 1998, A, 3
ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics, Fall 1998, B, 3
CEN 1300 Microsoft Windows XP Prof, Fall 1998, A, 3
PHI 1631 Studies In Professional Ethics, Fall 1998, A, 3
CEN 1301 MS Windows 2000 Prof & Server, Spring 1999, A, 3
MGF 1113 Topics in College Math I, Spring 1999, B, 3
HUM 2270 Humanities (East-West Synthes), Spring 1999, A, 3
SPC 1600 Intro Speech Communication, Spring 1999, B, 3
ENC 1102 Composition II, Spring 1999, A, 3
CEN 1304 Sptng MS Win NT 4.0-Entr Tech, Fall 1999, A, 3
POS 2041 American National Government, Fall 1999, C, 3
AST 2002 The Solar System, Fall 1999, C, 3
AST 1022L Observational Astronomy Lab, Fall 1999, A, 1
CGS 1560 Microcomputer Operating System, Summer 2000, B, 3
CEN 1303 Sys Admin MS SQL Server, Summer 2000, B, 3
CGS 1930 Micro Systems Software, Summer 2000, P, 1
OST 1741 Microcomputer Word Processing I, Summer 2000, P, 1
HLP 1081 Personal Wellness, Summer 2000, B, 1
HUM 2211 Western Humanities I, Summer 2000, A, 3
BSC 1930 Biological Issues, Summer 2000, A, 3
CGS 1060 Basic Computer & Info Literacy, Summer 2000, P, 1
CGS 1510 Electronic Spreadsheet I, Fall 2000, P, 1
CGS 1520 Microcomputer Business Graphic, Fall 2000, P, 1
CGS 1263 Local Area Network Concepts, Fall 2000, A, 3
CDA 2500 Data Communications, Fall 2000, B, 3
CGS 1100 Microcomputer Applications, Fall 2000, A, 3
CEN 1302 Internetworking MS TCP/IP W NT 4.0, Fall 2000, A, 3
MGF 1107 Mathematics Liberal Arts II, Summer 2001, A, 3
GEB 1011 Introduction to Business, Fall 2001, A, 3
MAN 2340 Human Factors of Supervision, Fall 2001, A, 3
CGS 2402 Programming in C++ for Business, Fall 2002, A, 3
ENC 2210 Technical Writing, Fall 2003, A, 3
STA 2023 Elementary Statistics, Spring 2005, A, 3

University of Central Florida, Total Credits: 51
Class Name, Term, Grade, Credits

CET 4505 Applied Operating Systems I, Fall 2002, A, 3
CET 4931 Current Topics in Technology, Fall 2002, B, 3
ETI 3651C Computer Applications, Fall 2002, B, 3
CET 4748 Wide Area Networks I, Fall 2002, B, 3
ENC 2210 Technical Writing, Fall 2003, A, 3
CET 4584 Web Systems II, Fall 2003, A, 3
CET 3383 Applied Systems Analysis I, Spring 2003, A, 3
CET 4463 Computer and Network Security, Spring 2003, A, 3
CET 3010 Introduction to Information Technology, Spring 2003, A, 3
CET 4583 Web System I, Summer 2003, A, 3
CET 4523 Applied Systems Analysis II, Summer 2003, A, 3
CET 3752 Intro To Telephony, Fall 2004, A, 3
CET 4483 Intro to Local Area Network Technology, Spring 2004, A, 3
CET 4884 Security Methods and Practice, Spring 2004, A, 3
CET 4427 Applied Database I, Spring 2004, A, 3
CET 4333 Computer Organization And Design, Summer 2004, A, 3
ETI 4448 Applied Project Management, Summer 2004, A, 3

Grayson College, Total Credits: 4
Class Name, Term, Grade, Credits

CETT 1425 Digital Fundamentals, Spring 2004, A, 4


Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: None

Any certifications or military experience? Yes:

St. Petersburg College
Certificate in Microsoft Certified Professional - 12/15/2000
Certificate in Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer - 12/15/2000
Associate of Arts - 07/20/2001

Microsoft Certifications
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Messaging on Windows 2000 - December 13, 2004
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator: Windows 2000 - December 08, 2004
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: NT 3.51 + Internet - June 30, 2003
Microsoft Certified Database Administrator: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 - November 05, 2001
Microsoft Certified Professional: Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet - February 27, 2001
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Windows NT 4.0 - December 13, 2000
Microsoft Certified Professional: Microsoft Certified Professional - April 02, 1999

Microsoft Certification Exams
229 Designing and Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition - December 29, 2004
316 Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual C#.NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET - December 27, 2004
315 Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET - December 27, 2004
216 Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure - December 23, 2004
214 Implementing and Managing Security in a Windows 2000 Network Infrastructure - December 20, 2004
284 Implementing and Managing Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 - December 13, 2004
218 Managing a Windows 2000 Network Environment - December 8, 2004
080 Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 by Using the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit - June 30, 2003
217 Implementing and Administering a Microsoft Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure - January 16, 2002
215 Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Server - January 8, 2002
210 Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional - January 3, 2002
029 Designing and Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 - November 5, 2001
087 Implementing and Supporting Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0 - February 27, 2001
067 Implementing and Supporting NT Server 4.0 - December 13, 2000
059 Internetworking with Microsoft TCP/IP on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 - December 6, 2000
028 Administering Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 - August 7, 2000
068 Implementing and Supporting NT Server 4.0 in the Enterprise - December 7, 1999
073 Implementing and Supporting NT 4.0 Workstation - April 2, 1999
058 Networking Essentials - December 5, 1998

[origamishuttle]

I'm no expert, so I hope someone can correct me; I would expect that none of the certifications, and most/all of the technical courses will not be accepted at most schools. Since you have an AA, that may transfer as block credit, possibly at WGU, for example, otherwise you may need to take many more courses to complete a degree. I hope I'm wrong! Just to warn you against high expectations...

---

That being said, I would encourage you to apply to WGU for BSBAITM (the easiest degree listed) and get a transfer evaluation. If you get credit for your AA, and complete some extra courses to transfer, maybe at Sophia or Study.com, then it should be easy enough to complete that degree in one term.

[Vle045]

Here are the ones that I think are most likely to transfer to most schools….

St. Petersburg College, Total Credits: 85
Class Name, Term, Grade, Credits

ENC 1101 Composition I, Fall 1998, A, 3
ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics, Fall 1998, B, 3
PHI 1631 Studies In Professional Ethics, Fall 1998, A, 3
MGF 1113 Topics in College Math I, Spring 1999, B, 3
HUM 2270 Humanities (East-West Synthes), Spring 1999, A, 3
SPC 1600 Intro Speech Communication, Spring 1999, B, 3
ENC 1102 Composition II, Spring 1999, A, 3
POS 2041 American National Government, Fall 1999, C, 3
AST 2002 The Solar System, Fall 1999, C, 3
AST 1022L Observational Astronomy Lab, Fall 1999, A, 1
HLP 1081 Personal Wellness, Summer 2000, B, 1
HUM 2211 Western Humanities I, Summer 2000, A, 3
BSC 1930 Biological Issues, Summer 2000, A, 3
MGF 1107 Mathematics Liberal Arts II, Summer 2001, A, 3
GEB 1011 Introduction to Business, Fall 2001, A, 3
MAN 2340 Human Factors of Supervision, Fall 2001, A, 3
ENC 2210 Technical Writing, Fall 2003, A, 3
STA 2023 Elementary Statistics, Spring 2005, A, 3

University of Central Florida, Total Credits: 51
Class Name, Term, Grade, Credits

ENC 2210 Technical Writing, Fall 2003, A, 3

[bjcheung77]

In addition to answering or using the template, I usually ask the following: What was your AA in? How busy are you, what commitments do you have? How much time do you have to spend on studying? Do you have family/kids that you have to attend to? Do you have a budget or tuition assistance/reimbursement? What is your end goal, what's the masters program you're interested in?

You've provided a great amount of info - My suggestion is to provide more details from above questions so we can gauge which one of the options are best for you. It depends on the amount of energy, money, time you dedicate towards your certain educational goal. With your experience, I am leaning on telling you to get it done with the cheapest, easiest, fastest option, COSC or UMPI, the only caveat is that they're not true IT degrees, then head over to WGU for your masters and be done with it...

[origamishuttle]

With your experience, I am leaning on telling you to get it done with the cheapest, easiest, fastest option, COSC or UMPI, the only caveat is that they're not true IT degrees, then head over to WGU for your masters and be done with it...

Wouldn't this presuppose that COSC and/or UMPI will transfer the very old technical courses? How likely do you think that is?

[rachel83az]

With your experience, I am leaning on telling you to get it done with the cheapest, easiest, fastest option, COSC or UMPI, the only caveat is that they're not true IT degrees, then head over to WGU for your masters and be done with it...

Wouldn't this presuppose that COSC and/or UMPI will transfer the very old technical courses? How likely do you think that is?

For UMPI, not really. You just need to make sure the GEC requirements are met and you transfer in your electives. The rest can come from UMPI pretty quickly.

[ss20ts]

Wouldn't this presuppose that COSC and/or UMPI will transfer the very old technical courses? How likely do you think that is?

Yes and no. UMPI will put ALL of your credits on one transcript. That doesn't mean that they will apply to your degree. UMPI doesn't have an IT/CS degree so at best they would be general electives. Some of them won't be eligible to be general electives due to what they are. Speaking from experience, UMPI doesn't accept every course. Like I said they will all appear on the transcript but not apply to the degree. First thing to do is to really figure out which degree you want. That's quite the list of options.

[origamishuttle]

Here's my take on the different schools:

TESU, COSC, EC - Good for transferring more or less the entire degree, which you're not likely to have, but you can always apply and see how they evaluate your transcripts.
WGU - Josh Madakor did a decent job of analyzing these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEQbB_e8UMA
UMPI - Mostly writing, mostly not too bad
PUG - Beware: lots and lots and lots of writing!

You can definitely apply to any/all of these, which will give you more information about what you can transfer, but narrowing down your potential choices will help a lot. For example, I don't think you can apply to more than one WGU degree at a time.

[ss20ts]

Here's my take on the different schools:

TESU, COSC, EC - Good for transferring more or less the entire degree, which you're not likely to have, but you can always apply and see how they evaluate your transcripts.
WGU - Josh Madakor did a decent job of analyzing these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEQbB_e8UMA
UMPI - Mostly writing, mostly not too bad
PUG - Beware: lots and lots and lots of writing!

You can definitely apply to any/all of these, which will give you more information about what you can transfer, but narrowing down your potential choices will help a lot. For example, I don't think you can apply to more than one WGU degree at a time.

PUG ExcelTrack's are a RIDICULOUS amount of writing. I don't know about the regular programs but holy moly the ExcelTrack's are a crazy amount of work. My husband gets so annoyed when I have 1 paper to write at UMPI and he has 5+ papers per class to write. He's in his capstone now and can't wait to be done.

[origamishuttle]

PUG ExcelTrack's are a RIDICULOUS amount of writing. I don't know about the regular programs but holy moly the ExcelTrack's are a crazy amount of work. My husband gets so annoyed when I have 1 paper to write at UMPI and he has 5+ papers per class to write. He's in his capstone now and can't wait to be done.

Thank you for spreading the word! You've saved me, and presumably many others, from going down this path.