Good morning... I have been lurking here for a bit and feel it is time to make my first post, as I would like some advice. I am a full time paramedic and part time firefighter. I've been doing it for twenty years (and teaching EMS as an adjunct) at the Community College level for 20 years. I already have several associates degrees, an RA B.S. degree where I double majored in Emergency/Disaster Management and Healthcare Administration, and an RA M.S. in Public Safety Administration (think MPA with first responder focus... heavy on grant writing, disasters, and terrorism, very light on community relations)...In addition to working as a medic, I am a part-time civilian with the USCG. (I am NOT a veteran and do not qualify for tuition assistance or the GI Bill) All that being said, my goal is to leave EMS behind soon. Three reasons: My back is ready for a change, the EMS agencies in my state (all private) do not provide anything for retirement, and finally I have hit the glass ceiling and cannot advance any higher. My interests have always revolved around history, the military, and national security/public policy. I am hoping to find an online doctorate, or one with very limited residencies in the field of homeland security, public policy, national security, or a mix thereof. My goal is to leverage this degree and my Coast Guard background into a position in consulting or academia, teaching national defense, homeland security et cetera. I am aware it is a bit of a niche area, but have still managed to find programs at Liberty, (PhD in Policy with National Security specialization), and Missouri State (Doctorate of Defense and Strategic Studies). I do not feel like a DPA or PhD in Public Admin or Criminal Justice would be appropriate because those are not something I've ever worked in before, and also a DPA or DCJ would focus on the wrong things. The Liberty and MSU programs both have the national strategy/military focus I am looking for. Both programs interest me greatly. The issue is cost. Even with the first responder discount at Liberty, I would struggle to afford the degree. (I do not qualify for the vets discount)...the Missouri State program is even more expensive. While I could probably get a full ride if I do a program in-house at a B&M program, I cannot afford to move, both for family and financial reasons.So... does anyone know of any Doctorate level online homeland security or public policy programs cheaper than Liberty? I have spent hours on Google, but cannot find anything under 25,000. I am NOT looking for a shortcut or a diploma mill, or an African or Spanglish proprio... I am more than willing to bust my butt and do the work of a "real" doctorate. . . . It's just that I'm just a working class paramedic and can't afford the bigger better programs.
Also, in case it matters, besides my USCG experience, I also spent time in my twenties working as a homeland security intern with both my state police agency and with my state public health department. So I do have some relevant experience I can point to, along with a few minor projects.
I am also a graduate of several military PME leadership courses, but those only provide credit at the undergrad or master's levels... Not suitable for credit at a doctorate program as I understand it.
I've been following the Wiki plan for UMPI BLS MIS, and I have done all my Sophia credits. I just have to take 3 more courses on Study.com and I'm ready for UMPI.
However, I've worked as a software developer for over a year, so I'm considering a BSCS or BSIT now, because, despite of not being my main goal at the moment, I plan to get a MSCS or MSIT in the future.
A lot of the colleges we discuss about here have gotten my attention, but there's always a talk about how SNHU isn't taking Sophia as they used to, or TESU having a limit for alternative credits, or PUG wants you to have 3 years of field experience, etc... not to mention UMass has very little information out there.
Since I might be wrong about everything I just wrote, I'm 110% open to suggestions.
It'd be nice to hear from you, so here's my info:
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil - No WGU for me
Age: 34
What kind of degree do you want?: BS in Computer Science or Information Technology, really any BS in technology would do.
I'm almost ready for UMPI BLS MIS, but want to explore the BS in tech options before I apply to UMPI.
RA Credits: None
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:
All Sophia Credits:
Art History I
Business Law
Conflict Resolution
Critical Thinking
Developing Effective Teams
English Composition I
English Composition II
Environmental Science
Financial Accounting
Human Biology
Human Biology Lab
Introduction to Business
Introduction to Chemistry
Introduction to College Mathematics
Introduction to Ethics
Introduction to Information Technology
Introduction to Nutrition
Introduction to Sociology
Introduction to Statistics
Introduction to Web Development
Macroeconomics
Microeconomics
Principles of Finance
Project Management
U.S. Government
U.S. History I
Visual Communications
Any certifications or military experience? No
Budget: Cost is my biggest concern because of the high currency exchange rate. For UMPI I know I'm going to pay around $4500 or less,
so anything around $7000 for a BSCS or BSIT will make me happy.
Commitments: I work full-time from home and my schedule is really flexible. No wife and kids.
Dedicated time to study: 3-4 hours on weekdays, and all day on weekends.
Timeline: If taking more time makes the degree cheaper than I'd say 2 years won't be a problem, otherwise I'd rather graduate faster.
Super easy test. Banged out a script and PowerPoint for the admittedly annoying presentations and knocked both out in about an hour. Test section took about fifteen minutes, and was easy. Only thing that wasn't extremely extremely obvious (probably where I lost points) was common logical fallacies. Just have a basic idea about academic integrity and you'll be fine, that's most of the written section.
Your Location: Flexible, USA Your Age: 36 What kind of degree do you want?: a Business Degree from a prestigious university that will give me points for my future EMBA application. E.G. transferring credits into an Ivy League school and finishing there.
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 24 Community college credits from 2006-2010 that I'd rather throw away.
School Name Total Credits: # Class Name, Credits, Grade
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 0
Provider Total Credits: # Class Name, Credits, Grade
Any certifications or military experience? No, but I have had a succesful ecom startup, brand leadership, enterprise consulting, and agency work.
Currently thinking of routes like:
CLEP into Penn State World, Finish
Apply for EMBA Program in Dubai or an M7 after EA Test
Transfer credits into Upenn Online
Very location indepdent, US Citizen born in NY, spent a lot of my adult life in Asia, some in London. Just spent a year in Canada professionally.
I am looking for an online CBE Master's in Security Management (or similar) program. This is not to be confused for information or cyber security. Criminal justice is not preferable unless if it has specialization options. I did my obligatory Google search but no luck. Figured I'd ask before giving up.
Hello, I am deciding between WGU and TESU for an IT degree, i originally wanted TESU because i figured it would be cheaper since i live in NJ, but i cant seem to figure out which courses I can use 3rd party sites for(like study.com) for the main ITS courses. I have an prebuilt excel sheet setup to do an IT degree at WGU, but I'm not sure if I should be doing these courses now, then applying/enrolling, or if i need to apply/enroll first and then do the courses. I just want to pull the trigger and start ASAP, so I'm leaning alot towards WGU for now, but I need to know if i should just start using study.com or if i need get accepted first, any insights/answers are greatly appreciated, thank you!
I've attached both the excel for WGU and TESU for anyone interested in looking, the TESU one is under construction still.
hello everyone,
I have an upcoming final exam on the MAT150 straighterline course. Has anyone taken this recently, and can share any tips, tricks, or just information on what types of questions can be expected?
The previous exams were not straight forward for me with the math problems being more complicated than I had grasped, and really need to do well in the final exam. Would appreciate any guidance from someone who has completed this recently.
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Hi all. Mods please delete if this breaks any rule. Also sorry for any formatting issues as I’m posting from my phone.
I’m on the spectrum, high functioning in a lot of areas but my low functioning area is executing repetition. I’d like to work on my Sophia courses. So far I have paid hundreds and only completed 5 courses, which I completed in maybe a month. I need someone that will expect me to be sitting at my desk working on my courses for at least 3-4 hours a day, up to 7 days a week but not less than 5. Time of day never matters as long as it’s at least 5 days a week. I can work around your schedule and hop on whenever. I also don’t need help understanding the coursework, although the algebra course has been the main reason for the logjam so far.
I would prefer to stay in a discord or something during those hours but it’s not essential as long as there would be a touch base at the end of every session so that I have to show progress. In return I’m willing to cover your monthly Sophia cost until I complete enough courses to get either a BOG AA or to transfer to UMPI or something and finish a BA. Please message me or reply on this thread if interested. I’m on Pacific time but like I said I don’t care what time you choose as my schedule is unbound.
I’m asking in this forum because I’m sure you guys can understand the ADHD/ASD difficulties and empathize. Maybe if you are struggling with self motivation can help you while you help me.
Hello everyone. Since finnish universities are not an option anymore (or so I read), I wonder what's the best computer science online university for those starting in 2024. Here's my info:
Your Location: Italy, EU Your Age: 27 years this June What kind of degree do you want?:Computer science Current Regional Accredited Credits: None Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: None Any certifications or military experience? No Budget: Around $10.000 - $15.000. 15k feels like going all-in, but if it's worth, I'll do it Commitments: Full time job (unrelated from the field of study). Fortunately I am able to study at work most of the time Dedicated time to study: I'll try to put 30 hours per week Timeline: I aim to expat in 2 years Tuition assistance/reimbursement: I don't believe I'm eligible for tuition assistance Schools: I dropped out from the University of Bologna after completing courses in Microeconomics and Accounting.
My ultimate goal is to secure a remote job as a SWE, or in a related related field. Therefore, I'm looking for a regionally accredited degree program that is recognized globally. I hope this isn't too ambitious of a goal. WGU would be perfect, but they don't accept non US residents. UMPI doens't have compsci.
Through my research on this forum, I've found TESU and SNHU to be promising options, but I couldn't find information on the total cost. Additionally, I'm wondering if having a BA degree from TESU rather than a BS would pose any challenges in finding a job.
Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
