Associates degree and unrelated Bachelor's? (and Grad school enrollment)

[SolarKat]

Masters at Capella, because of cost.

Then step 1 is finding out what *Capella* wants for admission to the psych masters.

I'm reading your posts & sig, and I'm a little confused about your big picture, that "What I want to be when I grow up." part of the equation. Biology, psychology, CIS, marketing, math, CS...you're all over the map. Multiple AA/AS, multiple BA/BS, certificates, concentrations...it's very tangled.

The associates is "nice to have" along the way, but if you don't need it for work/cash-inflow, then just keep heading towards your BS/BA and when you have enough credits, toss transcripts at a BOG program for the AAS along the way. Don't focus on the AS/AA/AAS as the goal unto itself, because it's unlikely to open many doors...the only advantage to focusing on it is if you can justify it by a) job prospects, b) a raise, c) ability to participate in something otherwise unavailable to you. Otherwise, you can pick up the AS/AA anytime - focus on what really moves the needle for you, which is more likely to be the BS/BA.

As for the BS/BA plan - here's where discernment has a bigger payoff than the AS/AA/AAS. Tell us what you want to *do* with/after the bachelors. Are you planning to look for a new/different long-term job? If so, what interests you? Are you planning to continue your current job while you move into a masters program? Are you looking for a bachelors that yields a more lucrative career so you can save up for the masters?

If it was me...if what I really want to do is psychology, I'd just bite the bullet and get the degree in psychology. If what I want is a degree so I can earn more money, which would then create time/resources to get me what I really want down the road, I'd just go for the fastest bachelors that I could stomach, whether that's business or something else. The associates is "at least something"...but I wonder if it's sidetracking you from Your Big Picture. I don't see AS/Bio getting you to BS/CIS getting you to MS/Psych very easily (nor very affordably). Maybe you can help me see the chain of thought that I'm missing.