Lowest Cost Online Masters

[mohelena02]

The cheapest online master is WorldQuant University - MSc in Financial Engineering!

It's FREE!!

https://www.wqu.edu/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorldQuant_University

Thanks! Never heard of it, is it accredited?

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@OP, it depends on the person and what their needs are... If you're looking for an immediate bump and need that Masters right away, the MSML is an option for you.  Some people can complete it in a term or less if they're working on the assessments or assignments as they do not have any other commitments.  Stay the route you're going, you can get the MBA slowly and surely...  Just make sure you have enough budget/finances to fund both programs.  I would apply for as many bursaries, grants, scholarships, relief aid as possible...

Thank you!! I will, I only have three more classes to fo at TAMUC. What are bursaries?

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Wouldn’t an MSML and an MBA have a ton of overlap?  Why not just go straight to the MBA?   What is the benefit of having both?

Not typically. MSML focuses on management and leadership. MBA's cover finance, accounting, HR, econ, management, etc. 

If one wants to go onto a doctorate some schools will waive some credits for the second master's. The other benefit is career wise. Every company isn't looking for MBAs today. They want leaders not managers because the younger generations don't respond to management the same as the older generations. They philosophies and approaches are actually pretty different.

Good point here! I would consider a doctorate degree at the end of all of this if I still have studying in me.

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If you are going to do a MSML at WGU, I would recommend a more specialized masters after instead of an MBA. Pursue a MS in Finance, Accounting, Business Analytics, etc. Otherwise, do the MBA instead of the MSML.

Thank you, I think this is a really good tip. The reason why I would want to do the MBA after would be to take my time as Math is not my strongest. I could do one of these other masters as well, I did enjoy accounting. Could you elaborate a bit on your suggestion?

[Vle045]

The cheapest online master is WorldQuant University - MSc in Financial Engineering!

It's FREE!!

https://www.wqu.edu/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorldQuant_University

This is definitely an interesting option.  They are NA and free.

[ThatBankDude]

The cheapest online master is WorldQuant University - MSc in Financial Engineering!

It's FREE!!

https://www.wqu.edu/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorldQuant_University

Thanks! Never heard of it, is it accredited?

---

@OP, it depends on the person and what their needs are... If you're looking for an immediate bump and need that Masters right away, the MSML is an option for you.  Some people can complete it in a term or less if they're working on the assessments or assignments as they do not have any other commitments.  Stay the route you're going, you can get the MBA slowly and surely...  Just make sure you have enough budget/finances to fund both programs.  I would apply for as many bursaries, grants, scholarships, relief aid as possible...

Thank you!! I will, I only have three more classes to fo at TAMUC. What are bursaries?

---

Wouldn’t an MSML and an MBA have a ton of overlap?  Why not just go straight to the MBA?   What is the benefit of having both?

Not typically. MSML focuses on management and leadership. MBA's cover finance, accounting, HR, econ, management, etc. 

If one wants to go onto a doctorate some schools will waive some credits for the second master's. The other benefit is career wise. Every company isn't looking for MBAs today. They want leaders not managers because the younger generations don't respond to management the same as the older generations. They philosophies and approaches are actually pretty different.

Good point here! I would consider a doctorate degree at the end of all of this if I still have studying in me.

---

If you are going to do a MSML at WGU, I would recommend a more specialized masters after instead of an MBA. Pursue a MS in Finance, Accounting, Business Analytics, etc. Otherwise, do the MBA instead of the MSML.

Thank you, I think this is a really good tip. The reason why I would want to do the MBA after would be to take my time as Math is not my strongest. I could do one of these other masters as well, I did enjoy accounting. Could you elaborate a bit on your suggestion?

So the MBA program is still not going to be very math heavy in my opinion. If you are concerned about math, I'd definitely avoid grad programs in Finance and Business Analytics as both are going to be very quantitative and math intensive.

I did the MBA program through an AACSB Accredited program and found that I love Data Analytics hence the pursuit of a MS in Quantitative Management: Business Analytics.

[Alpha]

There are some MBA programs that de-emphasize Math.  I'm thinking of St. Joseph's program in Leadership.
https://catalog.sjcme.edu/preview_progra...urnto=1435
It's not especially cheap though and so  you will need to be strongly averse to Math in order for it to be worthwhile for you.

[bjcheung77]

WorldQuant University - MSc in Financial Engineering is free, but it's very hard to get in. I tried and didn't get in! I think it'll be easier for those who majored in Data Analytics/Data Science or Math related subjects... Too bad Quantic changed their pricing, they offered a free option but now it costs more than some RA offerings.

[Vle045]

WorldQuant University - MSc in Financial Engineering is free, but it's very hard to get in.  I tried and didn't get in!  I think it'll be easier for those who majored in Data Analytics/Data Science or Math related subjects...  Too bad Quantic changed their pricing, they offered a free option but now it costs more than some RA offerings.

Don’t they have some kind of test you have to pass to get in too?

[BigBird]

WorldQuant University - MSc in Financial Engineering is free, but it's very hard to get in.  I tried and didn't get in!  I think it'll be easier for those who majored in Data Analytics/Data Science or Math related subjects...  Too bad Quantic changed their pricing, they offered a free option but now it costs more than some RA offerings.

Can confirm that WQU's admission test is not the easiest, but it is definitely doable with some practice. There are lots of quantitative challenges and some abstract algebra. So, if one does not like Maths, it is definitely the wrong track to go.. Haha  BTW having studied some Electrical Engineering and Economics at a renowned university in Europe, I wasn't well prepared myself; Took me two tries to eventually get the 75% needed for admission.

[MrPanda]

I just noticed that a colleague that teaches in the same department as me has the WQU degree.

His background was a Bach. in BA + Master in Economics

By the way, the diploma looks like this:

[Randyb100]

From my research, World Quant and University of the People are the cheapest options (if you get their scholarship) for master's degrees. UoP has a master's in education and another in computer science. How far it will help with getting a job, I don't know, but if you're looking internationally then national accredidation does go much further than in the USA (for some strange reason).

I, too, am in Texas, and am looking for better options. The Texas education system is f@$&ed. Even the bottom-tier schools won't accept transfer credits from other states. I have two AAS degrees from Oklahoma and they wouldn't accept any credits, yet I could transfer to Colorado State or WGU or Thomas Edison and they all worked. 

"Prestigious" Texas schools are almost at the level of Ivy Leagues with entrance scandals. They make it unusually difficult to get accepted, yet here's avenues like Coursera where you can get a cheap degree in a particular field and get in pretty easy.

I would definitely look elsewhere for a degree, and consider moving if you're open to it. The job market in Texas isn't bad, but the salary will be low because Texas is basically a libertarian state with a $7.25 minimum wage when other states are approaching $18. You will be capitalized on in every way imaginable, then potentially imprisoned or killed because that's also very common here. 

Other than that, there are international options, even online. Germany is a country I'm looking at, as well as France and Switzerland. UK is cheap in comparison, but still over 10k. France would be like $2500 a year for an American resident. Germany and Switzerland would be maybe $500. Some degrees are offered online, and it could lead to an education or work visa. I work for an international company and hope I can do both so I can move far far away from the shithole that is Texas state. I say that as someone who's family fought in the Texas Revolution and who have lived in Texas and Oklahoma for hundreds of years. The grass really is greener on the other side.

[bjcheung77]

@Randyb100, there are options as workarounds, instead of completing a degree at the undergrad level, you can do something elsewhere. You can then come back to a Texas University for your graduate program, example is in the AI, CS, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics/Science, and whatever else available between Coursera or Edx partnerships, you can go for Georgia Tech or UTexas - Austin, or something similarly ranked.