Your Location: Qatar 

Your Age: 30 

What kind of degree do you want?: Bachelors (preferably or willing to get another type of degree if it allows me to move to Japan)

Current Regional Accredited Credits: 0

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:0

Any certifications or military experience?: CCNA (but i undertook the course just before reaching high school and could not undertake the official cisco test due to moving countries and have no dealt with IT overall since ) 

Budget: 10-12k USD (preferably lower, but wouldn't skimp if it meant a good degree)

Commitments: Working weekly rotating shifts full time 6 days on 2 days off (6AM-2PM , 10PM-6AM , 2PM-10PM)

Dedicated time to study: 3-5 hours (Free time after work , no specific limit could be more)

Timeline: Starting this month and graduate as soon as possible 


Tuition assistance/reimbursement: None

First of all would like to genuinely thank everyone here for all the help and experiences provided, until recently i had no idea that self paced ,online and accredited university studying was even possible.

I am currently residing in the middle east working full time (UK citizen but grew up scattered so i never qualified for any country's student benefits) , no having a degree steered the course of my life in a direction i am unhappy about.

I have 2 goals depending on the outcomes , if i do manage to study something sought after like Computer Science , Cyber Technology and the likes i might stay in my current country and find a better career , unfortunately this country does not accept any degree that clearly states it has been taken online.

Second goal : i might use the degree as a stepping stone to try and move to Japan as it is something i always had in mind growing up.

Unfortunately i grew up in an environment with little to no guidance and counselling and i am worried about the whole studying process as i have not studied (especially maths) for a decade and i will have to basically start from zero.

realistically i would have wanted to try and opt for a traditional university and try to study engineering but in this country it is impossible due to high costs and non compatibility with my work schedules.

There's no chance of getting tuition or any sort of help from my employer , it has been pretty clear that we are only viewed as human cattle.

I would appreciate if someone can guide me on how to fully organize my academic future as i have never had to deal with university systems, Sophia and the sorts , did some basic research tho.

At the hope of sounding cliche but i genuinely thank all of you 

P.S: I looked into WGU and its a shame it does not accept non US residents, sounds like the perfect way to go

This feels maybe a little crass as I was naturalised under Article 116(2), which is effectively a restitution programme for the descendants of holocaust victims/survivors (direct ancestor was done in under the period of you-know-who for being a political dissident). 

But I am seriously wondering how to gain some geographic, educational, and career advantage out of my second citizenship. Apply for a PhD in Government at the Hertie School (I anticipate rejection as the most likely outcome) or a comparable institution in Germany or a nearby country? Teach English in a neighbouring country (already applied)? Enlist in the Bundeswehr (I wish, but I don't speak German, yet). 

What are some hidden advantages of my second citizenship that I am missing?

Does anyone know how many alternative credits such as Study.com or Sophia can be used toward a TESU Undergraduate Certificate only, not an Associate or Bachelor’s degree?

Specifically, I am looking at the Undergraduate Certificate in Finance/Accounts. From what I can tell, all courses except one can be completed through Study.com.

Before I commit, I want to confirm the following:

Is there a cap on alternative credits for undergraduate certificates at TESU?

Does TESU require a minimum number of credits taken directly through TESU for certificates?

Any firsthand experience or official confirmation would be appreciated.

Warm regards

BS

Buffalo State University will launch a fully online Doctor of Professional Studies (DPS) in Creativity and Change Leadership in Fall 2026. Synchronous courses, 72 semester hours. The Center for Applied Imagination at Buffalo State has been a leader in creativity education for seventy years. Its founders include Alex Osborn, the creator of brainstorming. This will be Buffalo State University’s first doctoral program. Note that Buffalo State University (“Buff State”) is a different institution from the University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo); both are members of the State University of New York system. Buffalo State University was Buffalo State College until 2023.

Hi everyone ,
I’m writing from Chile. I’ve been reading the forum for a while and have learned a lot from you all. I finally decided to post to get your perspective on my specific situation.
My Profile:

• Background: Biomedical Engineer with experience in Healthcare Management (Public Sector).
  
• Education Status: I have completed my WES Evaluation, which verifies my credentials as equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's and Master's degree (GPA 3.33).
  
• Goal: I want to pursue an online DBA (or potentially a DHA) to support my career growth in healthcare leadership.
  

1. South College (CBE Model):
   • I like the speed potential, but I am worried about the cost variable. Since I am international, I can't access federal aid, so if I get stuck or life gets busy, the term-based pricing could become expensive quickly.
     
2. Golden Gate University / Edgewood (via UpGrad):
   • I found these options which seem to offer a fixed price for international students (approx. $12k-$15k total). This feels financially "safer," but maybe less flexible than a pure CBE program.
     

This is more of the type of discussion had on the sister forum, but there are technical issues on that forum with sign-up that prevent me from asking. So I figured I'd ask here.

What are some notable examples of distance learning doctorate holders who've held tenure track positions at universities, permanent teaching faculty positions at LACs/SLACs, full-time paid researchers outside of academia etc. or who managed a career-shift after their DL doctorate? How common is this? 

Speaking anecdotally, I had a class taught by a professor during my second Master's degree who got a Professional Doctorate from Regent, but she also wasn't full-time faculty. The program I was in itself also offered a functionally DL Doctorate program geared mainly towards mid-career military and diplomatic personnel, though it had produced one Doctoral graduate who now participates in thought-leadership via writing and speaking engagements, full-time, for a prominent think tank. 

The common received wisdom I've heard about DL doctorates over the years is that they're often functionally (not so much in the substance of the coursework/research program) box-ticking exercises for mid-career managers in the private sector (eg the same reason online MBAs are so popular), federal civil servants at the higher end of the GS scale, military personnel, etc. 

itt tl;dr what usually happens to DL Doctorate holders:

• In Academia 
  
• Outside of Academia 
  

Background:

When I had just finished high school, my parents forced me to go to medical school to become a nurse. I was very young and inexperienced at that time, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do in my life, so I agreed. Additionally, I am from a small town (a rural area) in a developing country in Southern Europe, and in my town there was only this medical school. Maybe this is the main reason why my parents so deliberately wanted me to study there. They didn’t pay anything for my education because I had very strong high school grades.
The whole education consisted of four years, including clinical practice and theoretical studies. However, I had no interest in this field, so I started working full time (six days a week) in a local factory, where I could pay for all my expenses and feel quite good financially, while continuously missing medical college for three years. During my third and fourth years, COVID-19 even helped me avoid expulsion from school.

In general, since my school was in a small rural area, my professors were not very motivated to teach students. Corruption and nepotism were widespread in this college. I didn’t want to disappoint my parents, so I continued studying as best as I could. Sometimes I paid for my exams, and sometimes professors simply gave me a passing grade without any effort on my part. I barely passed the national exam at the end of my education.

Finally, I received a diploma without having any real nursing knowledge, and I never planned to work in this profession because I truly hated it. After finishing this college, I started working in multiple fields, traveled to many places, and learned English from scratch. I also started a career in accounting, working remotely for a U.S. firm. Additionally, I earned an Associate’s degree in accounting (and I am currently working on a Bachelor’s degree Accounting and CIS) from Thomas Edison State University, since this college charges the same rate for international students abroad and accepts various types of credits, such as ACE credits.

I am fascinated by accounting and computer science, and I am also good at programming. I feel that I really want to immigrate to the United States, and the most transparent and fastest pathway for me is the EB-3 nursing visa. It is relatively easy to find an employer, and I already have the education I mentioned above. However, in addition to that, I need at least one year of bedside experience and to pass the NCLEX-RN exam for an agency to accept me.

I thought I was capable of doing that, so I found a job as an OR nurse in my home country. However, I feel overwhelmed by all of this information (yesterday was my first day), and I am starting to hesitate about what I should do with my life. I also started NCLEX preparation, but I realize that I don’t know basic anatomy and biology. My coworkers also think that I am incompetent in this job because I don’t know anything. But will work under constant supervision at least a few month, so I am confident that I will not harm any patient.

Now I am very confused about what I should do next. Should I give a chance to myself or just quit?

Your Location: Tampa, FL
Your Age: 45
What kind of degree do you want?: Bachelor's and possibly eventually a Master's.
Current Regional Accredited Credits: 70 - AA in Accounting from Palm Beach State College.
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: None, but I plan on going through Study/Sophia depending on the degree plan chosen.
Any certifications or military experience?: No.
Budget: 12k-16k
Commitments: I work full-time, business hours. Weekends free. I am married, so I'll need to balance studying with nurturing my marriage. 
Dedicated time to study: Evenings and weekends.
Timeline: ASAP, but I'm realistic about how much I can comfortably complete in a session/semester.
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: None

I have 29 years of accounting/ 23 years of managerial experience and I want to increase my employability with a bachelor's degree.  I've put together 3 different degree plans featuring WGU/UMPI.  Based on cost alone, the BS in Accounting from WGU is equal to the BABA in Accounting from UMPI though WGU will take me 3 sessions/1.5 years and UMPI will take 7 sessions/56 weeks. 

It's been 25 year since I've been in college so I'm looking for the "easiest" path toward my bachelor's.  I don't have time to muck about and fail so I'll be dedicated to studying/working, but if anyone has any insight on which might be the "best" path forward, I'll take your feelings/judgement into account 100%!

WGU Cons: I'm worried about what master's programs I'll be able to transfer my degree to in the future if I decide not to continue at WGU for MAcc.

UMPI Cons: I'm not thrilled about having to revisit Spanish I and some other Gen Eds even if I'm doing it through Sophia/Study.  (Spanish was a pre-requisite to getting INTO the community college so I took 2 years of Spanish in High School just to qualify to attend.)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...sp=sharing

Thank you in advance for reading and weighing in!

Caye

Hello! I recently received my BS in Accounting from Missouri State and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for MTAX/MST/MT etc. programs. My only hard requirements are online and AACSB, as I would like to start as soon as possible and admittedly have procrastinated applications a bit. Current options that seem appealing to me are Widener (for Taxation and Financial Planning specifically) and St. Johns, though St Johns seems to have "conflicting" information regarding the deadlines. So I was wondering if anyone had experience/recommendations/comments with regard to this type of program. Thanks!

I would like to wish all of the students here in the IC Forums Classroom a very Happy New Year 2026 and of course hoping that you all come closer to your academic goals this year too!

- ShotoJuku (Brian) 
Senior Moderator
IC Member Since 2006