Unsure of Which Institution to Choose and How I Can Use Work Experience to My Benefit

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If you look at this page https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Un...esque_Isle  on the forum’s wiki, under Degree Plans is a degree plan for the BLS with management minor.  You will have met a few of the requirements with the courses you posted in your revision to your original post. The general education curriculum is the same for the BLS and the different BA degrees (Bus Adm, history/poli sci), so that should give you a place to start working from. UMPI has been popular and well discussed on the forum, particularly for the business-related degrees. Lots of good information, but it might require some wading through the muck to find.

I have this sinking suspicion that the specific degree you select—let’s imagine it is a UMPI degree—will not matter all that much. It will allay some concerns (clearly yours and potentially your boards), but it will never be their preferred credential. It sounds like you have made peace with that, at least I hope you have. Assuming you continue to be effective in your role, I don’t think you will be terminated or demoted because you selected the “wrong” major/minors for your degree.  Seems to me you should pick a degree you will enjoy, that is justifiable in its relevancy, and that would help you with any future career/educational goals.

Do you think you want to pursue a master’s degree?  I ask this, because that may help to guide your thinking about a bachelor’s degree. With a master’s you can build on your strengths or use it to add a skill set. For amounts of money that hopefully wouldn’t be prohibitive (under $15,000, say, and depending on the program as little as perhaps $5,000), you could earn a master’s degree in history, public history, nonprofit administration, management, leadership, education, public administration, or even a field like hospitality and tourism management.  If you are drawn to a particular field, make sure you take sufficient courses at the undergraduate level to meet admissions requirements.

In regards to me—I would perhaps describe myself as a recovering history nerd. I actually spent 10 years in graduate school working toward a PhD in history and came very close to finishing (my dissertation draft with notes and statistical annex was 500 pages long when I left my program). For me, studying history in that way sapped the joy out of it.  Between undergrad and grad school, I probably read 1,000 history books (monographs). Other than books that I had to read for museums that I worked at (to help write tours and so forth), I don’t think I have read a history monograph in its entirety since I left grad school. It still seems too much like work. Sorry, don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer.

You really are right and this is why I have ended up going this route. I have looked at UF since they are the gold standard for history degree's here in Florida and most of our local scholars have their doctorates from them as well, but even the online program is 4 solid years. I looked at the Harvard Extension and although studying under some of the greats and the Harvard name on my degree, its expensive and can take a while as the classes are given to 'normal' students first then the Extension students. For the group I am working with its more about the college experience than the actual degree attained. I'm not about to move into the dorms anytime soon!

As for the masters degree, yes, I do think that would be the ultimate goal. I would likely go all in on a history track at that point, possibly archival/library studies. 

Totally get you on the reading! I think I currently have 5 half finished texts going right now. We were doing a program back at the beginning of the year on urban slavery and I had so many books to go through I called a staff meeting and handed everyone a book and gave them a week to give me a C grade verbal book review! Never an end to the reading in the history world.

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I see some folks have mentioned the Marketing Concentration. I completed it and I advise those who want to complete their degree quickly to choose the Management & Leadership Concentration instead. The Marketing Concentration has several loooong papers that take quite awhile to be graded. The grading can be pretty harsh as well. The management courses have shorter papers and more exams. The grading isn't nearly as harsh. I've spoken with several others who were in the Marketing Concentration earlier this year and we all struggled with the professors in this concentration. They want things in the papers that aren't mentioned in the instructions or rubrics. I completed the courses before the people I spoke with and nothing had changed.

Thanks for the heads up. I just reviewed the BABA Management and Leadership course overview and I do like it as it seems quite comprehensive of the topics I am interested in. Leaning toward this with a history minor to get started.

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If you look at this page https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Un...esque_Isle  on the forum’s wiki, under Degree Plans is a degree plan for the BLS with management minor.  You will have met a few of the requirements with the courses you posted in your revision to your original post. The general education curriculum is the same for the BLS and the different BA degrees (Bus Adm, history/poli sci), so that should give you a place to start working from. UMPI has been popular and well discussed on the forum, particularly for the business-related degrees. Lots of good information, but it might require some wading through the muck to find.

I have this sinking suspicion that the specific degree you select—let’s imagine it is a UMPI degree—will not matter all that much. It will allay some concerns (clearly yours and potentially your boards), but it will never be their preferred credential. It sounds like you have made peace with that, at least I hope you have. Assuming you continue to be effective in your role, I don’t think you will be terminated or demoted because you selected the “wrong” major/minors for your degree.  Seems to me you should pick a degree you will enjoy, that is justifiable in its relevancy, and that would help you with any future career/educational goals.

Do you think you want to pursue a master’s degree?  I ask this, because that may help to guide your thinking about a bachelor’s degree. With a master’s you can build on your strengths or use it to add a skill set. For amounts of money that hopefully wouldn’t be prohibitive (under $15,000, say, and depending on the program as little as perhaps $5,000), you could earn a master’s degree in history, public history, nonprofit administration, management, leadership, education, public administration, or even a field like hospitality and tourism management.  If you are drawn to a particular field, make sure you take sufficient courses at the undergraduate level to meet admissions requirements.

In regards to me—I would perhaps describe myself as a recovering history nerd. I actually spent 10 years in graduate school working toward a PhD in history and came very close to finishing (my dissertation draft with notes and statistical annex was 500 pages long when I left my program). For me, studying history in that way sapped the joy out of it.  Between undergrad and grad school, I probably read 1,000 history books (monographs). Other than books that I had to read for museums that I worked at (to help write tours and so forth), I don’t think I have read a history monograph in its entirety since I left grad school. It still seems too much like work. Sorry, don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer.

I just looked at the link you provided and its the same as one I read last night so thats great, we're on the same page. Thoughts on the BABA Management and Leadership? This the one I am leaning toward as it just 'feels' right according to my past experience and future career goals. It also seems to be very comprehensive covering many of the functions I am already doing in my current role at the museum. The BLS seems a litle more... regimented? Not sure, but not quite the same vibe as the other. Sorry if I'm not being clear, lots going on this morning! Thanks for putting up with me!