Full-time Firefighter/Paramedic

[dpsaila]

Your Location: Chicago, IL
Your Age: 28
What kind of degree do you want?: Bachelors in Business then ultimately Masters in Business or if it makes more sense to transfer into Bachelors of Science I am all for that. 


I work 24hrs every third day as a full-time firefighter paramedic and plan on doing that till I am retired unless something crazy happens. I would like to work part time in sales on my days off and ideally in the medical field due to my experience as a Paramedic. 

I am completing an AAS through a community college at the end of December which has awarded me 56 credits and a GPA of 3.8.


I have recently been researching competency-based learning programs. I stumbled on College Hacked and learned about Sophia/3rd party courses along with Degree programs that allow a lot of those credits to be transferred. 

Funds are not an issue, however, I would like to be as efficient with my time as possible/finish my degree as soon as possible. Work is also willing to contribute up to $8k/year for bachelor's and $10k/year for master's but would not be eligible to receive reimbursement until 2024/25 school year. 

What I have thought about doing is obtaining as many credits through CLEP/Sophia/Study.com starting in January 2024 and registering for Bachelors/Masters program and starting during fall semester maybe at UMPI??? I like unproctored exams and online competency-based learning.

Looking for advice on which Business Degree would suit my part time career goal in medical sales and best and which school to do it through. Also would appreciate a guide on Sophia classes from easiest to hardest and how to best game plan earning those credits. 

Thank you!

Budget: Non-issue 
Commitments: My work schedule is 24 hours on and 48 off. Married, no kids or pets. 
Dedicated time to study: I am able to dedicate anywhere from 2-5 hours to school per day depending on work and weekdays or weekends. I confidently say I can study for 15-20 hours per week regularly. 
Timeline: 1-2 years
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: Yes, my workplace reimburses up to $8k for a bachelor's degree per year and $10k for a Masters.

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@dpsaila, You filled a partial template but missing the bulk of the addendum here: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Area-works - My suggestion is to make sure you have the Associates completed and then decide on the institution you want to ladder upwards for the Bachelors. You can do the UMPI BABA and ladder up to the WGU MBA afterwards, as an example.  By reading the brief info you have, you should max your credit transfer forward.  Does it have to be the MBA, would an MSML or MAOL work for you as those are geared for Management/Leadership vs a general Business Admin degree?

It doesn't have to be the MBA. MSML/MAOL both fall in line with my goals. How do I "max my credit transfer forward"?

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If you are going into sales, then business administration with a concentration in marketing is the best degree to get.

UMPI BABA Marketing degree plan
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/UM...egree_Plan

TESU BSBA Marketing
https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...egree_Plan

Also be sure to take this Study.com course whichever college you choose
https://study.com/academy/course/marketi...lling.html

Thank you! I will look into these!

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It's possible your paramedic certification could be worth a stack of credits even if you didn't earn college credits directly in your paramedic training. For example, TESU awards up to 16 credits to New Jersey certified paramedics. You could potentially show their credit determination as a guideline to a another school, such as through UMPI's Prior Learning Assessment.

I will def make sure I look into this. Thanks!

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College Hacked, my last post about him was a few days ago, post #5 and #9 https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid407489

And are you a fan?