Transferring credits to study an MBA in the US

[IA_288]

Your Location: Spain
Your Age: 45
What kind of degree do you want?: MBA or MS
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 94.5 semester credits
School Name Total Credits: Universidad de Cordoba, Spain
Grade: Ingeniero Tecnico Industrial (3 years)
Credits: all technical, no general education credits
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 0
Any certifications or military experience? No
 
Hello, I'm from Spain, and I graduated in 2007 in a legacy program in Engineering, by that time the length of the program was 3 years. Now this program is obsolete and has been superseded by a 4-year program.
I'm trying to get admitted into an MBA program in the US, planning to study in California, but when I requested an evaluation of my credentials to ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators), they gave me an equivalent to an Associate degree, major in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, with 94.5 semester credits. Therefore I don't think I can be admitted into an MBA or MS as they require to have at least a bachelor’s (4 years).
I'm in dispute with ECE evaluator as my title has been officially recognized in Spain and Europe, as equivalent to a 4-year program (by the time I completed graduation there were only 3-year or 5-year). But given the circumstances, and as plan B, I’d like to know if there is any way to complete some courses, and what type, so I can get 120 credits or a bachelor’s degree from an officially accredited US university.

-Can my Spanish credits be transferred into a US university (majority of them) so I just need to complete a few courses to get the 120 credits?
-Can I take CLEP credits to add up to my credits so I can get 120 credits?, would this be recognized as equivalent to a bachelor’s?
I’m really new to all this, and my student years are quite far, so please help me understand what options do I have, considering that I'd like to take the easiest solution (time and money wise).


Thanks in advance!

[rachel83az]

Which MBA program are you trying to get into? I presume that you're comfortable with writing papers in English, since you are trying to get into an American program?

If your evaluation doesn't turn into a 4-year program (some evaluators are like that), you have a couple of options: get a Bachelor's degree from UMPI or one from TESU. Simply taking random CLEP exams until you have 120 credits will NOT cut it.

UMPI would require you to complete one paper or project to finish a class (a couple of classes have exams, but most do not). UMPI requires you to take at least 30 credits through them, but this could still be the fastest option. Depending on exactly what your evaluation says, you could complete the general education requirements with Sophia.org, Study.com, and a Spanish ACTFL exam.

TESU, on the other hand, would allow you to transfer in up to 114 credits from elsewhere. Depending on exactly what your evaluation says, you could be most of the way through a Liberal Studies degree at TESU already, or you might prefer to get a business degree to meet possible MBA requirements. TESU would be more expensive than UMPI, costing $7-9000 if you transfer in 116 credits or could be $5-7000 if you transfer in 105 credits. You would be able to fill out any missing requirements, except for the cornerstone and capstone courses that MUST be taken at TESU, using sources like Sophia.org, Study.com, ACTFL (depending on degree), Davar, Coopersmith, and a few others.

If you let us know exactly what your evaluation says, minus any personally identifying information, we can help you figure out exactly what else you need to take in order to get a degree.

[bjcheung77]

Welcome to the board, IA_288! You've completed the template, brief and concise, but it's missing the info on the addendum. Basically, the more details, the better we can get to know your scenario or situation. As mentioned by Rachel83AZ, you may want to provide us your academic evaluation so we know more details without your personal info. I suggest filling in the info asked on the last post here as well, it'll give us some details in regards to your budget, commitments, timeframe and so on: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Area-works

[IA_288]

Thank you for your responses.
I'll try to answer all the questions and provide more details.

I'm trying to study an MBA or a MS in Business analysis or Engineering. I'm comfortable writing papers in English, I've never studied in the US but I've been living and working there for the last 5 years.

My main objective is to study and live there for 1-2 years, getting an F1 Visa. Completing graduate studies would be a big bump on my career. I also have personals reasons behind my intention to live in California, while I'm studying. If that cannot happen, I'd try to complete a Bachelor's as soon as I can, to get into the graduate path (as international student).

Budget: I have around 50k saved, I could dedicate 20k-30k to study and rest would be for cost of living.
Dedication: in the case of coming to the US, as international student I'd have plenty of time to study. If I need to temporarily remain in Spain and study online, I would have 3-4 hours every day to study, and the weekends.

This is my academic evaluation:
US equivalence: Associate Degree, major area of study: Industrial and Mechanical Engineering technology
Grade average: 2.19
Credential: Equivalent to US regional academic accreditation
Institution: Universidad de Cordoba (Spain)
Date: 2007
Admission requirement: US equivalent of high school diploma

Total semester hours of undergraduate credits: 94.50

Courses/US semester credits/US grades:
Water supply and drainage          1.75       C
Business Administration and Production management     2.5         C
Complements of Chemistry          2.5         C
Fundamentals of Computer Science         2.5         B
Hot and Cold installations             1.75       C
Mathematics II  3.5         C
Mathematics II  4.25       C
Statistical Methods in Engineering            2.5         C
Occupational Safety and Health  1.75       B
Statistical Quality Control             1.75       C
Descriptive Geometry: Representation systems   2.5         C
Physical Bases of Engineering      4.75       C
Statics   2.5         C
Structure and Mechanical Properties of Materials              2.5         C
Chemical Bases of Engineering    2.5         C
Fundamentals of Materials Science          2.5         C
Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering   3.5         C
Fluid Mechanics Engineering        3.5         C
Mechanical Technology 3.5         C
Machine Design 4.25       C
Low Tension Installations              1.75       B
English for technical purposes I  1.75       B
Differential Equations     1.75       EXC
Technical Projects: Methods, Procedures and Management          2.5         C
Elasticity and Resistance of materials       4.75       C
Mechanical And Technical Drawing and CAD        3.5         C
Mechanics: Kinematics and Dynamics      3             C
Thermal Engineering       3.5         C
Theory of Structures and Industrial Constructions              4.75       C
Concrete Structures         1.75       C
Instrumental English Language IV             3.5         B
Quality in Industry, Teaching and Services: seminar and workshop             1             C
Building Installations Calculus, design and basic standardization   0.75       B
Exceeding credits in Elective        0.5         EXC
Undergraduate Thesis: Project of Mini-Hydroelectrical power plant           2.75       A

[dfrecore]

I think Excelsior might be a better option than TESU for your circumstances - they have a BLS that allows for 60cr of Liberal Arts and 60cr of Free Electives - while TESU is 90/30. Since almost all of your credits are Free Electives, you need a program that will take those.

My advice, since you already got an eval - apply to both TESU and EC (they both take ECE evals) and see what they tell you. Then, come back and post your evals from both schools. We will help you figure out what the best options are.

And remember, it's not what you get credit for, but what you have left to complete that makes the difference. Always look forward to see what you will have to spend in time and money to get your remaining credits.

[ss20ts]

And remember, it's not what you get credit for, but what you have left to complete that makes the difference.  Always look forward to see what you will have to spend in time and money to get your remaining credits.

This is definitely what the OP needs to focus on and not get hung up on how many credits aren't useable.

[IA_288]

I think Excelsior might be a better option than TESU for your circumstances - they have a BLS that allows for 60cr of Liberal Arts and 60cr of Free Electives - while TESU is 90/30.  Since almost all of your credits are Free Electives, you need a program that will take those.

My advice, since you already got an eval - apply to both TESU and EC (they both take ECE evals) and see what they tell you.  Then, come back and post your evals from both schools.  We will help you figure out what the best options are.

And remember, it's not what you get credit for, but what you have left to complete that makes the difference.  Always look forward to see what you will have to spend in time and money to get your remaining credits.

That's not accurate, according to my transcripts, only 10% of my credits are free elective, another 10% are optional courses, and the rest (80%) are core and compulsory.

Given that statement, wouldn't it make sense to pursue a Bachelor of science on Mechanical Engineering, to try to get transferred as many credits as possible (due to similarity of programs), so I have less to complete?

I saw this program from SFSU, for example:
https://bulletin.sfsu.edu/colleges/scien...ansfertext

[freeloader]

Your Location: Spain
Your Age: 45
What kind of degree do you want?: MBA or MS
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 94.5 semester credits
School Name Total Credits: Universidad de Cordoba, Spain
Grade: Ingeniero Tecnico Industrial (3 years)
Credits: all technical, no general education credits
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 0
Any certifications or military experience? No
 
Hello, I'm from Spain, and I graduated in 2007 in a legacy program in Engineering, by that time the length of the program was 3 years. Now this program is obsolete and has been superseded by a 4-year program.
I'm trying to get admitted into an MBA program in the US, planning to study in California, but when I requested an evaluation of my credentials to ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators), they gave me an equivalent to an Associate degree, major in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, with 94.5 semester credits. Therefore I don't think I can be admitted into an MBA or MS as they require to have at least a bachelor’s (4 years).
I'm in dispute with ECE evaluator as my title has been officially recognized in Spain and Europe, as equivalent to a 4-year program (by the time I completed graduation there were only 3-year or 5-year). But given the circumstances, and as plan B, I’d like to know if there is any way to complete some courses, and what type, so I can get 120 credits or a bachelor’s degree from an officially accredited US university.

-Can my Spanish credits be transferred into a US university (majority of them) so I just need to complete a few courses to get the 120 credits?
-Can I take CLEP credits to add up to my credits so I can get 120 credits?, would this be recognized as equivalent to a bachelor’s?
I’m really new to all this, and my student years are quite far, so please help me understand what options do I have, considering that I'd like to take the easiest solution (time and money wise).


Thanks in advance!

Rather than another bachelor’s degree, have you considered another evaluator?  The WES tool says your degree would be evaluated as a bachelor’s degree. That’s no guarantee, but I think I would give it a try. A new evaluation would likely cost less than a single class toward your 2nd bachelor’s…

And the evaluator tool gave the choice of 3,4, or 5 years of study. This screenshot is based on 3 years of study.

[IA_288]

Your Location: Spain
Your Age: 45
What kind of degree do you want?: MBA or MS
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 94.5 semester credits
School Name Total Credits: Universidad de Cordoba, Spain
Grade: Ingeniero Tecnico Industrial (3 years)
Credits: all technical, no general education credits
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 0
Any certifications or military experience? No
 
Hello, I'm from Spain, and I graduated in 2007 in a legacy program in Engineering, by that time the length of the program was 3 years. Now this program is obsolete and has been superseded by a 4-year program.
I'm trying to get admitted into an MBA program in the US, planning to study in California, but when I requested an evaluation of my credentials to ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators), they gave me an equivalent to an Associate degree, major in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering, with 94.5 semester credits. Therefore I don't think I can be admitted into an MBA or MS as they require to have at least a bachelor’s (4 years).
I'm in dispute with ECE evaluator as my title has been officially recognized in Spain and Europe, as equivalent to a 4-year program (by the time I completed graduation there were only 3-year or 5-year). But given the circumstances, and as plan B, I’d like to know if there is any way to complete some courses, and what type, so I can get 120 credits or a bachelor’s degree from an officially accredited US university.

-Can my Spanish credits be transferred into a US university (majority of them) so I just need to complete a few courses to get the 120 credits?
-Can I take CLEP credits to add up to my credits so I can get 120 credits?, would this be recognized as equivalent to a bachelor’s?
I’m really new to all this, and my student years are quite far, so please help me understand what options do I have, considering that I'd like to take the easiest solution (time and money wise).


Thanks in advance!

Rather than another bachelor’s degree, have you considered another evaluator?  The WES tool says your degree would be evaluated as a bachelor’s degree. That’s no guarantee, but I think I would give it a try. A new evaluation would likely cost less than a single class toward your 2nd bachelor’s…

And the evaluator tool gave the choice of 3,4, or 5 years of study. This screenshot is based on 3 years of study.

That is a great idea! 
I'll definitely will give it a chance, however it'll take a few weeks until I got a new evaluation, and I need to figure out an alternate (planning to get a bachelor's degree) for if the new evaluation comes back with the same result 
Thank you!

[bjcheung77]

@IA_288, yes, you can try another evaluation with WES and see how that goes. I also would recommend you to have a back up plan with the Bachelors option. I suggest the Excelsior BSLA or UMPI BLS option, there are plenty of elective options and the degree will come out relatively affordable, easy/fast to complete. Is there a particular Masters degree you're trying to get into?