Confused Brit looking for advice

[BritStudent]

Hey, I wonder if someone can give me some advice. I've been reading all around the Wiki and the forum, but there's just so much information to take in and it feels like I keep disappearing down a new rabbit hole. Just a bit overwhelmed and not sure how I should go about beginning to plan. Should I just be trying to get my UK credits reviewed by something like WES before I think about anything else? It feels a bit chicken and egg, I can't pick a school and subject until I know what I can transfer, but I won't know if they will transfer until I pick a course and enroll?

Location: UK - could establish EU citizenship but process may take 9/10 months.
Age: 45
Target university: Cheapest possible, which seems like it might be UMPI?
Aims / degree aims: I'm currently just finishing my second of three years for my Cyber Security degree with the UK Open University. This is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. I plan to complete this degree, but as I'm studying part time that's going to take two years. I'm hoping that I can gain a US bachelors and then a masters degree within the same time frame or less. My ultimate aim is to work in cyber security in the US, which will require a H1B and thus the masters will help with that.

In terms of the actual degree subject, I'm fairly flexible, Comp Sci would probably be the most ideal, cloud computing would also be good, but open to non-tech degrees. Would probably prefer not to do a second Cyber security bachelors, unless it made a big difference in cost and access to a cyber security masters.

Budget: Ideally looking to complete a bachelors for under $5-6k, but the lower the better.
Commitments: Work and some other study commitments, but fairly flexible.
Dedicated time to study: I can get a lot of free time to do this, I'll be working from home mostly so won't have a commute.
Timeline: As quick as possible, ideally hoping to do this within roughly six months, or if that's not possible, a year.
Tuition assistance / reimbursement: No, although about to start a new job that may get me free or discounted access to IT certifications.

Current Regional Credited Credits:

I'm currently two thirds of the way through a Cyber Security degree with the UK Open University. This is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The 240 credits mentioned below are the UK version of credits. I understand these may translate to around 48 to 60 in the US system.

Code:

Module - Module Name                                 - Credits - Year  - Result
T175   - Networked living                            -   30    -   1   - Pass
M150   - Data, Computing and information             -   30    -   1   - Pass
MU123  - Discovering mathematics                     -   30    -   1   - Pass
TM129  - Technologies in practice                    -   30    -   1   - Pass
TM257  - Cisco networking (CCNA) part 1              -   30    -   2   - Grade 2
TM255  - Communications and information technologies -   30    -   2   - Distinction
TT284  - Web technologies                            -   30    -   2   - Grade 2
TM256  - Cyber Security                              -   30    -   2   - Probable Distinction

T175, M150 and MU123 were all taken 2009/2010 if that matters, the rest are since 2021. All first year courses are pass / fail, rest are graded from distinction, grade 2, grade 3, etc.

I also have all 8 MS Fundamentals certs taken this year, about to complete the Coursera IBM Cyber Security cert. They are recommended as being worth 20 total for the 8 MS and 10 ACE credits for the IBM cert, although I know some award less.

I have Linux+ and L-PIC1 and VMware VCP-6DCV completed in 2019. I also have Network+ and Security+ passed in 2010. I plan to be taking quite a few more over the next year, mainly MS certs, but also AWS, Oracle OCI, Nutanix and possibly VMware, GCP and CCNA. Will also have the GSEC in a few months.

[bjcheung77]

@BritStudent, Welcome to the board, nice addendum and template! Hmm, sometimes it's a little confusing on what path to take as there are so many ways to get to your educational goal. In this day and age, a trifecta is what I usually would recommend, you have some certs, experience, but you're missing out on the degree. Since you're working towards that Open Uni UK Cybersecurity degree, continue with it, keep going until you're done with that degree, don't lose focus...

Also work on the UMPI BABA Project Management & Info Systems as well, you can then ladder that to the UMPI MA Organizational Leadership. If you can get the UMPI BABA done in two sessions, that'll be $3K USD, two sessions of the MAOL would be $4300, the total costs would be $7300 for both the BABA & MAOL (plus any Sophia.org classes you need to reach the 90 credits). You'll now be well versed in Cybersecurity, Info Systems, Project Management, Organizational Leadership...

[dfrecore]

I agree that the UMPI BLS/PM & MIS degree is the best one for you. There's no sense getting a BACS from TESU because it will cost more, and I don't think you should spend any additional due to the fact that you're already getting a degree that you want.

I have no opinion on a master's degree.

Since it looks like you haven't done any GE's for your degree, I would do that wiki plan for UMPI's GEC courses at Sophia. Between the Sophia courses and the courses you already have which will transfer in as Free electives, you should be good to go.

[rachel83az]

I also suggest the BABA Project Management/(Management Information Systems) degree. It's not the fastest UMPI degree, but it's one of the faster ones (per previous students). And a business degree could be useful for getting promoted in your later career.

Check out the degree plans here https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Category:UMPI especially the Sophia GEC page https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/UM...quivalents

[BritStudent]

Thanks everyone for the input, PM and MIS does look like a very good option, definitely very cost effective! I'll try and map out a plan.

One other thing, will UMPI insist on having details of my high school grades to enroll? I took them almost 30 years ago, I know it's going to be somewhat costly and time consuming to recover the details from the old awarding bodies.

[rachel83az]

UMPI shouldn't care about grades, but they may want to see your "leaving school certificate" or whatever to show that you graduated from high school. Is that the one that'll be difficult to get?

[BritStudent]

Yeah, we don't get a graduation diploma or anything like that, we just get individual grades A-F for all of our GCSE subjects, issued by examining bodies, not the schools. Not worried about the grades themselves, I've got 5 C's and I saw WES said they will evaluate 3 Cs or above as the equivalent of a high school diploma in the US system.

https://wenr.wes.org/2016/02/education-in-the-u-k

Just have to contact all the examining bodies, confirm which body holds my records and pay them separately to issue transcripts.

[bjcheung77]

Since you're in the UK, you may want to review this thread, or start with my post here and read through the remainder of the posts: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid395545 Depending on how self-study efficient you are... you may be able to get this done in less time, cost wise, it may be slightly over your budget.

[BritStudent]

That looks like it'll be quite a bit more expensive, plus mainly I'm looking to get a low-cost US degree while I keep doing my UK degree at the same time, to cost-efficiently speed up H1B opportunities. It looks like any Comp Sci or even Cyber Security degrees in the states are going to cost considerably more than the suggested UMPI  PM / MIS.

Any ideas on what would be the cheapest Cyber Security MA as an alternative to the Organizational Leadership? Looking around, most seem like they'd cost $10k.

[BritStudent]

Actually, the more I look into the H1B requirements, it looks like I DO need a BS in Cyber Security, Computer Science or possibly Information Management, in order to be able to apply for Cyber Security roles in the US as the degree has to be specifically required for the job role.

This means something like TESU is the cheapest option at double or more for the BS compared to UMPI? Or possibly Purdue? I also see Excelsior have fully online Cyber Security degrees, is that viable?

Actually, now I see COSC also has Cyber Security!

These aren't listed on the 'Choosing the right college' wiki article apart from PUG, does that mean they aren't as cheap or fast to do with credit transfer?