Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Age: 27
What kind of degree do you want?: Bachelor's in Computer Science
Current Regional Accredited Credits: none
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: none
Any certifications or military experience? none
Budget: I have a max of $3K saved up.  I'd like to go the cheapest route possible
Dedicated time to study:
I currently work full time so I can study as much as is needed during the night or weekends as long as my schedule is free. I estimate at least 3 hours every week night and on the weekends, maybe 6 hours, total would be roughly 15+12=27 hours or slightly more.
Timeline:
Finishing the courses required for the degree as fast as possible would be ideal.  I would like to finish within 1-1.5 years (12-18 months)
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: none
Additional information :
The concept of credits is new to me as an international student. I spent a week researching and understanding the system and created a plan for Thomas Edison State University (TESU), which I found to be the school I like most. I compiled all the details in a spreadsheet (linked below). However, I haven’t identified some study providers whose credits transfer to TESU yet, so those fields are blank.
I also prefer to choose all my electives from Cybersecurity, as I plan to pursue another degree in that field in the future.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1...ue&sd=true
Halfway through planning the courses, I realized that even the cheapest option—earning 90 ACE credits and completing one term at TESU—would cost:

• $50 application fee + $4,428 flat-rate for one term + $298 graduation fee = $4,776
  

IND301 is a baby-steps refresher on writing research papers, mixed in with a sort-of continuation of the Information Literacy course. It’s supposed to be the first course you take at EU (I'm returning after a long break); there’s a similar lower-level version for those coming in with less than 60 credits. Week-by week, there’s quizzed reading and discussion on topics such as critical thinking, bias, disinformation and fake news, what it takes to stay employable, value of general education, and diversity and inclusion, plus you take learning assessments called the DAACS on self-regulated learning and writing. There’s a weekly assignment in support of the final research paper, and a career action plan. You can download the syllabus at EU and there’s a page on the background and philosophy of the course at https://www.excelsior.edu/article/from-c...-capstone/, and I recommend reviewing both before starting the course. I googled the syllabus topics ahead of the start of term (there’s several Ted Talk videos presented during the course, and you may have already watched them. TED is so 2013, but they’re well chosen.)
 
The last time I was in college 15 years ago I was comfortable with my research and writing skills, but this time I’ve had difficulty finding my groove. I think it’s partly that my job is more cognitively demanding than what I was doing 15 years ago, and I have greater and less flexible demands on my time, so time management is tough.  This is an easy class, and midway through, I was pulling a B, largely due to posting discussions/replies at the last minute, and some of my replies not really moving the discussion forward or only posting 1 of 2 required. Compared to my previous experience, they want more genuine engagement in the discussion forum and expect students to reference sources for both initial posts and replies in APA. 2 of the discussions are video/audio presentations and this is a pain in the neck if you already have business experience. 
 
The course has a $90 “webtext” you can’t really manage without. You take quizzes inside the webtext, totaling 25% of your overall grade, and some of the assignment details are in the text. I’d like to print sections from it but that’s not easy to do the way I want. You can take notes in it and print those. I want to print pages and take handwritten notes on them (grumble). Some of your responses require a text answer, and I find the small text boxes annoying, but it’s not a show-stopper. 
 
The course is designed to get you into the swing of academic research and writing, as well as the pacing of 8-week online courses, and if you don’t need that it’s going to be tedious, but if you can set aside the time (or work ahead) the work is not difficult. I found it a good refresher. I was at a standstill completing two simple papers for SDC’s Global Business class and I’ll be well-equipped after this.  Most of my peers can’t write and that makes the discussions painful, though I can’t seem to manage time this term so I’m not going to throw stones. There’s also a bit of general student support woven into the course, where they make sure you know how to get help, find stuff, understand your relationship with Advising, etc (interestingly my Advisor and the head of Advising have both taught the class previously and had tips for me, while my instructor was contract faculty with an Art History background, super nice and accommodating).  EU’s library and writing resources are as good as anyone’s and I like having access to them. I don’t anticipate doing any more undergrad writing, but this refresher has both primed me for graduate study and made me fear the time management side of it. During the second half, I needed to take my wife to the ER, and she spent 4 days in the hospital, with 2 follow-up outpatient procedures requiring extensive aftercare, so I ended up taking a 30-day extension to finish the course and got an A on possibly the worst paper I’ve ever written. 
 
If I were re-entering now at 40ish with 30 in-person credits I would look at UMPI. However, I have residency at EU and I can meet most of my remaining requirements through alternative means and if I can keep up the pace this will be the only EU course I take. I paid for IND 301 with tuition reimbursement, so overall I am satisfied with this course.
 
Btw I use a 2015 MacBook Pro running Monterey and MS Word, and EU’s LMS and everything else I needed runs fine.  

Phillip

Has anyone mapped the BS EET as if starting from nothing, by any chance? Are there any known sources for area of study classes?

Your Location: Florida
Your Age: 21
What kind of degree do you want?: Computer Science
Current Regional Accredited Credits: ~50
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: 0
Any certifications or military experience?: No
Budget: FASFA approved
Commitments: At least 4-5 hours per day.
Timeline: 6 to 18 months
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: FASFA Approved

Hi everyone!, I'm having such a hard time picking between WGU and TESU for their respective computer science degrees. To me, each of them have their own pros and cons.

TESU Pros - 
• I already have college credits that I can transfer in 
• The degree doesn't require as much math as WGU
• TESU is a public university.
• Degree could be completed quicker

TESU Cons - 
• The diploma itself only says "Bachelors of arts" leaving out any mention of computer science (this kind of just rubs me the wrong way).
• No certifications included in the program.
• I'm concerned with how employers would perceive a "Bachelor in Arts" CS degree.

WGU pros - 
• Certifications included (really nice since FASFA would be covering the terms for me)
• ABET accredited 
• The diploma states "Computer Science".

WGU Cons - 
• Degree requires Discrete Math II (I'm worried about this class to be honest) 
• I'm also worried about the credibility of the school in the years to come (I don't believe that WGU is a degree mill at all, I'm just worried about other peoples perceptions).


I would really love to hear all of your guys' thoughts and opinions!

https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-...-education

Out of curiosity, has anyone here actually done or considered this program?

The PUG Analytics plan guide on the Wiki is very helpful and I'm very grateful! 

There are some classes that are not listed as having alternative options: IN300, IN301, IN400, IN401, IN402, MM325, and of course IN498 which is the Capstone. 

However, there are also a number of specializations, and the wiki doesn't seem to notice them. Are these optional? Whether so or if not, I'd be curious for alternatives for them! 

If someone has any info, or could guide me on how to find out for myself, I'd be extremely appreciative.

Best, 
Nick

Disregard my original question. I just realized the Workplace Writing course is numbered ENG 1020.

I just completed the course and can say the reviewers were very fair compared to the horror stories I read about with English Composition II.

It is definitely the most involved Sophia course I took and I have taken 28 of their courses so far.

https://youtu.be/E7UaaAyPqPY?si=t66CTy6kfbSb-Eis

WGU allows StC "Math 108" to transfer as D420, but my WGU degree would still require D421.  Is D421 dependent on D420?  Would it be a bad idea to take D421 at WGU without first taking D420 at WGU?

These are the first new Study.com ACE credit courses in a while:

Computer Science 104: Intro to Web Development at Study.com
Computer Science 104: Intro to Web Development (ACE National Guide)

I've seen complaints about the assignments in Sophia's Introduction to Web Development. Now they have direct competition. At a quick glance the assignments for this Study course seem reasonable.

Business 112: Intro to Project Management at Study.com
Business 112: Intro to Project Management (ACE National Guide)

Business 112: Intro to Project Management has a lower-level credit recommendation and is assessed entirely by chapter tests (quizzes) and the final exam. Study also continues to offer the separate course Business 311: Project Management, which also has two required assignments and has an upper-level credit recommendation.