Confused Boomer, Help Needed Please

[PolloPolo]

I really need some help from one of the degree gurus. I’ve REALLY screwed up with my classes in the past but I’m ready to finally earn a degree. I’ve been working in finance with the federal government for over a decade and make a good salary but I hate it. I want to get into a data science/analytics/programming related career field ASAP.  

Location: Virginia 
Age: 43 (yeah I’m old as hell and kind of late to finally earn a degree/change careers) 
Degree wanted: TESU’s B.S. D.S. and Analytics/another B.S. degree from TESU or another institution if it makes more sense to do so.  

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Here’s what I’ve transferred to TESU. Listing  the various courses I’ve taken over the years with my grades is super embarrassing but here they are:  
Appalachian State Credit Grade TESU Credit TESU Course  

• CJ1100/Intro to Criminal Justice 3.00 B- 3.00 AOJ-102 
  
• HIS1101/World Civil to 1650 3.00 C- 3.00 HIS-121 
  
• PS2130/State & Local Gov’t 3.00 C 3.00 POS-211 
  
• SOC1100/Soc Prob in Amer Soc 3.00 A 3.00 SOC-173 
  
• MAT1010/Intro to Math 4.00 D 3.00 MAT-102 
  
• CJ2150/The Judicial Process 3.00 C 3.00 AOJ-202 
  

App State Total 19.00 18.00 

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Davidson County CC 

• ENG111/Expository Writing 3.00 B 3.00 ENC-101 
  
• PSY150/General Psychology 3.00 A 3.00 PSY-101 
  
• ENG113/Literature Based Research 3.00 B 3.00 ENC-102 
  
• MUS112/Intro to Jazz 3.00 C 3.00 MUS-138 
  
• HIS131/American History I 3.00 B 3.00 HIS-113 
  
• MAT101/Applied Math 1 3.00 A 3.00 MAT-101 
  
• POL120/American Government 3.00 B 3.00 POS-110 
  
• ECO251/Microeconomics 3.00 B 3.00 ECO-112 
  
• HIS132/American History II 3.00 B 3.00 HIS-114 
  
• REL211/Old Testament 3.00 A 3.00 REL-280 
  

Davidson Total 30.00 30.00 

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Harford CC 

• CIS102/Intro to Info Sci 3.00 C 3.00 CIS-102 
  
• GEOG101/Physical Geography 3.00 D 3.00 GOG-110 
  
• MATH216/Intro to Stats 4.00 C 4.00 STA-201 
  

Harford Total 10.00 10.00 
TESU-Army JST 

•             3.00 HRM-215 
  
•   3.00 MAN-210 
  
• 1.00 HRM-215 
  
• 2.00 MSC-201 
  
•   3.00 CIS-201 
  
•   3.00 COM-202 
  
•   3.00 PSY-261 
  
•   3.00 ACC-199 
  
•   3.00 ACC-320 
  
•   3.00 BUS-212 
  
•   1.00 CAP-101 
  
•   2.00 COM-199 
  
•   1.00 MAN-201 
  
•   1.00 FIN-199 
  
•   3.00 MAN-200 
  

Army Total 34.00 

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TESU-Marines JST 

•   2.00 MSC-131 
  
•   1.00 MSC-161 
  
•   1.00 PEA-199 
  
•   3.00 SES-211 
  
•   1.00 MAN-201 
  
•   1.00 NUT-101 
  
•   1.00 SOS-231 
  
•   1.00 HRM-242 
  
•   1.00 BUE-101 
  

Marines Total 12.00 
Towson University 

• LEGL225/Legal Env Bus 3.00 C 3.00 LAW-201 
  
• ACCT202/Acct Prin II 3.00 C+ 3.00 ACC-102 
  
• COSC321/Comp and Its Impact 3.00 C 3.00 COS-300 
  

Towson Total 9.00 9.00 

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UNC 

• ACCT2121/Prin of Acct I 3.00 C 3.00 ACC-101 
  
• ECON2101/Prin of Econ Macro 3.00 C 3.00 ECO-111 
  

UNC Total 6.00 6.00 
Grand Total 119.00 
 
Sophia 

• Ancient Greek Philosophers (PHI-226) 
  

Statistics.com (completed a couple of courses a few years ago but now it says I don’t have an account when I try to log on!) 

• Python for Analytics 
  
• R Programming Intro 1 
  

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TESU’s B.S. DS and Analytics: 
A. Intellectual and Practical Skills (15 Credits) 
ENC-1010, Writing for Success, 3 
ENC-1020, English Composition II, 3  
COM-2090, Public Speaking, 3  
MAT-1150, Intermediate Algebra, 3 
SOS-1100, Fact, Fiction, or Fake? Information Literacy Today, 3 
 
B. Civic and Global Leadership (9 Credits) 
SOC-1010, Our Changing World: An Introduction to Sociology, 3 
ETH-2200, Leading the Way: A Path Towards Ethical Leadership, 3 
POS-1100, American Government, 3 

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C. Knowledge of Human Cultures (15 Credits) 
CRJ-2800, Forensic Science, 3 
HIS-1130, American History I, 3 
FIL-1100, Exploring American Cinema, 3 
 
Select two featured courses from the list below: 
SOC-2910, Criminology, 3 
HIS-1140, American History II, 3 
HUM-1030, Introduction to the Humanities III: Music, 
 
D. Scientific Knowledge (7 Credits) 
CIS-1070, Computer Concepts and Applications, 3 
-, Any Lab Science, 4 
 
II. Area of Study (42 Credits) 
-, Any Math Course, 3 
-, Any Lab Science, 4 
A. Core Area of Study Courses (23 Credits) 
STA-2010, Principles of Statistics, 3 
Predictive Analytics I- Machine Learning Tools* 
Predictive Analytics II- Neural Nets and Regression* 
Predictive Analytics III- Dimension Reduction, Clustering and Association Rules* 
Optimization- Linear Programming* 
Introduction to Network Analysis* 
Forecasting Analytics 
Interactive Data Visualization* 
 

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B. Area of Study Electives: Students select four of the following courses (12 Credits) 
SQL- Introduction to Database Queries* 
Regression Analysis* 
Introduction to R Programming 
Python for Analytics 
Financial Risk Modeling* 
Spatial Statistics with Geographic Information Systems* 
Integer and Nonlinear Programming and Network Flow 
Risk Simulation and Queuing* 
R Programming Intermediate 
*Upper-division course as designated by ACE. 
III. Electives (32 Credits) 
For TESU course options, go to Elective Courses. 
 
Sorry for the extremely long post, I have a very long and sordid academic history as you can see lol. I’m trying to get all this sorted out for some peace of mind. I’ve tried to figure all this out on my own but I end up more confused. My ultimate goal is to earn a B.S. degree then go on to GT OMSA/UT Austin’s M.S. in D.S./UC Boulder’s M.S. in D.S. I realize I most likely have absolutely no chance with GT or UT Austin so UC Boulder may be my first choice by default.  
Thanks

[bjcheung77]

@PolloPolo, Welcome to the board! Hmm, interesting set of classes/credits to say the least... We know your basic details, but it's still missing some important info. Please update us with a bit more details with the information in the addendum and template here: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Area-works

[PolloPolo]

Sorry about that, I read the thread before posting but forgot about the addendum!

Budget: I would like the cheapest and easiest route possible with the caveat of the future M.S. goal
Commitments: I work full-time, married with kids and two dogs. I'm able to study during working hours though and I'll be able to devote several hours a day during the week. Weekends are also available for study.
Timeline: ASAP
Tuition assistance: I believe my job has some kind of tuition reimbursement. I also have GI Bill benefits available.

[LevelUP]

My ultimate goal is to earn a B.S. degree then go on to GT OMSA/UT Austin’s M.S. in D.S./UC Boulder’s M.S. in D.S.

I realize I most likely have absolutely no chance with GT or UT Austin so UC Boulder may be my first choice by default.  
Thanks

A BA degree is just as good as a BS degree. This won't make much difference with employers or grad schools.

Plenty of people have transitioned from TESU/PUG/WGU to GT. Your past grades won't be on your TESU transcript, and though a grad school could request your previous grades, it's still possible to gain admission to prestigious grad schools.

A computer science degree is the best option and would be much easier than pursuing an IT or Data Analysis degree at TESU.

[bjcheung77]

@PolloPolo, Do you have an associates already? Hmm, you know what, you can go for the following, a double degree in BACS and BSBA CIS, skip the BS Data Analytics altogether... You have a few of the business core classes completed already, it would be a very easy degree for you to complete as there would be about 4-5 more courses in total for both degrees. Here's the WIKI created by LevelUP: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...egree_Plan

[PolloPolo]

A BA degree is just as good as a BS degree. This won't make much difference with employers or grad schools.

Plenty of people have transitioned from TESU/PUG/WGU to GT. Your past grades won't be on your TESU transcript, and though a grad school could request your previous grades, it's still possible to gain admission to prestigious grad schools.

A computer science degree is the best option and would be much easier than pursuing an IT or Data Analysis degree at TESU.

Okay good to know, thanks. I'll take a look at TESU's B.A. in Comp Sci. I know GT's OMSA requires a min 3.0 GPA so wasn't sure I would take enough courses that will give out grades to satisfy that requirement.

Hopefully I'll be able to use the Statistics.com courses (Python for Analytics and R Programming Intro I) to complete a couple of the Comp Sci degree requirements.

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@PolloPolo, Do you have an associates already?  Hmm, you know what, you can go for the following, a double degree in BACS and BSBA CIS, skip the BS Data Analytics altogether... You have a few of the business core classes completed already, it would be a very easy degree for you to complete as there would be about 4-5 more courses in total for both degrees.  Here's the WIKI created by LevelUP: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...egree_Plan

Nope, don't have an associates. Never looked into getting an associates actually. 

You're right, just looked at the Professional Business Requirements for the BSBA in CIS. I think I've completed a bunch of those courses already. Besides the obvious fact of attaining two bachelors degrees, what's the benefit of earning multiple?

[bjcheung77]

There are many reasons people have multiple degrees, for personal/professional growth, some people like to be well versed in fields just in case they decide to go into another area after a few years, others it's for the learning and knowledge gaps that interest them. It really depends on the person... For yourself, in your original post, it mentioned the BS Data Analytics and another degree at TESU, why not go with the gut feeling and do a slightly different BACS/BSBA CIS combo instead? You'll be well versed in Comp Sci and if you decide to go into Business Admin later in a leadership or management role, it'll be easier for you.

[fmsoa]

I really need some help from one of the degree gurus. I’ve REALLY screwed up with my classes in the past but I’m ready to finally earn a degree. I’ve been working in finance with the federal government for over a decade and make a good salary but I hate it. I want to get into a data science/analytics/programming related career field ASAP.  

Location: Virginia 
Age: 43 (yeah I’m old as hell and kind of late to finally earn a degree/change careers) 
Degree wanted: TESU’s B.S. D.S. and Analytics/another B.S. degree from TESU or another institution if it makes more sense to do so. 

I have a different take. From what I've read so far you want a degree

1) to pivot to DS from zero
2) and you want it asap due to age and family
3) Finance not a very big concern with tuition reimbursement and/or military benefits available
4) You had taken (but somehow disappeared) statistics.com courses in Python and R

With that in mind, I'd suggest going directly for Colorado's MS-DS program.
Most people your age choose TESU BA or BSBA to tick the box for promotion, i.e. they already work in the field. Not in your case. A BA-CS from TESU might not even get you an interview as you had zero DS experience and the BA-CS program is not remotely ML-rigorous.
If I were you I would go straight to studying everything DS instead of spending the next year studying subjects that are not DS relevant and a Liberal Arts Capstone that is very time-consuming. You should spend time on kaggle.com, not study.com
The only caveat is that if you set your sights on GT's OMSCS you do need a bachelor's degree. You are correct about UT-Austin though. Their Admissions is super focused on for-grade academics and your cumulative GPA from all colleges attended is well below 3.0 the bare minimum which does not look good

"Do I need a bachelor's degree to be admitted to the University of Colorado online MS-DS program?
No. This program uses performance-based admissions, which means you must complete 3 pathway courses for credit with a 3.0 GPA average or better. This demonstrates your proficiency and allows you to be admitted to the program.
https://www.colorado.edu/program/data-sc...rsera/faqs"

[PolloPolo]

I really need some help from one of the degree gurus. I’ve REALLY screwed up with my classes in the past but I’m ready to finally earn a degree. I’ve been working in finance with the federal government for over a decade and make a good salary but I hate it. I want to get into a data science/analytics/programming related career field ASAP.  

Location: Virginia 
Age: 43 (yeah I’m old as hell and kind of late to finally earn a degree/change careers) 
Degree wanted: TESU’s B.S. D.S. and Analytics/another B.S. degree from TESU or another institution if it makes more sense to do so. 

I have a different take. From what I've read so far you want a degree

1) to pivot to DS from zero
2) and you want it asap due to age and family
3) Finance not a very big concern with tuition reimbursement and/or military benefits available
4) You had taken (but somehow disappeared) statistics.com courses in Python and R

With that in mind, I'd suggest going directly for Colorado's MS-DS program.
Most people your age choose TESU BA or BSBA to tick the box for promotion, i.e. they already work in the field. Not in your case. A BA-CS from TESU might not even get you an interview as you had zero DS experience and the BA-CS program is not remotely ML-rigorous.
If I were you I would go straight to studying everything DS instead of spending the next year studying subjects that are not DS relevant and a Liberal Arts Capstone that is very time-consuming. You should spend time on kaggle.com, not study.com
The only caveat is that if you set your sights on GT's OMSCS you do need a bachelor's degree. You are correct about UT-Austin though. Their Admissions is super focused on for-grade academics and your cumulative GPA from all colleges attended is well below 3.0 the bare minimum which does not look good

"Do I need a bachelor's degree to be admitted to the University of Colorado online MS-DS program?
No. This program uses performance-based admissions, which means you must complete 3 pathway courses for credit with a 3.0 GPA average or better. This demonstrates your proficiency and allows you to be admitted to the program.
https://www.colorado.edu/program/data-sc...rsera/faqs"

Yep, degree ASAP. Age and because I really do not like my current career field. Finance isn't a huge concern, I have a good salary and my wife just became a nurse practitioner so we're doing pretty good. 

I was just going through that dual BA-CS/BSBA-CIS wiki link and noticed the lack of programming/ML/data science courses. I'm currently following this data science roadmap: https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/data-s...g-roadmap/

I'm doing the Coursea Python for Everybody Specialization now to get a good understanding of programming with Python. I want to concentrate on Python, SQL, Git/GitHub, mathematics for DS, and ML/AI. Learning Python is really enjoyable for me, so far lol. I'm excited about continuing to learn and become a semi-competent programmer. 

I read about UC Boulder's M.S. non-bachelors degree requirement and don't really understand how that works. Always thought a bachelors is required for a masters. I guess I could just jump into UC Boulder's masters program then finish up a bachelors from TESU later. 

P.S. Hopefully my issues with quoting people isn't a bad omen for my future in DS/info tech.

[fmsoa]

"I read about UC Boulder's M.S. non-bachelors degree requirement and don't really understand how that works. Always thought a bachelors is required for a masters. I guess I could just jump into UC Boulder's masters program then finish up a bachelors from TESU later."

Basically the program consists of 30 1-cr courses. Each course is 8 weeks. So there are 6 terms a year (2 in Fall + 2 in Spring + 2 in Summer). If you take 3 courses a term you can finish the program in 1 yr 8 months.
You do not need a bachelor's degree. All you need is at least 3.0 average GPA in 3 courses from either the statistics or data structures pathway and you become an admitted University of Colorado MS-DS student automatically
And course lectures from all MS-DS courses are available on Coursera free to audit and watch.