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

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

Interested in hearing what you all have planned for 2026 in terms of your educational goals.

I am planning to finish up my MBA, get some Coursera certificates, and start another masters while I continue plugging away at UoPeople. I must admit, the latter feels like quite the slog some days with all its required discussion posts, but I want to stick with it as the material is interesting and relevant to my work.

As the title states I’m looking at the easiest/fastest online degree completion for someone transferring in another 90 credits.  At one time years ago I had a degree completion done by TESU and needed about 25 hrs.  Since they went to the capstone and since most of their upper lvl business courses required proctored exams with essays I’d prefer something easier just to check a box for a job that requires a bachelors at my current employment for a promotion.   Any help and advice is appreciated.

Your Location: Midwest US
Your Age: Late 30s
What kind of degree do you want?: Currently need 60 hours for licensure as a paraprofessional. Eventually want to get an AA/AAS and BA (long shot, but it's the plan)

Current Regional Accredited Credits: 52

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:  Have modern states voucher for one exam, need to take the exam in a few weeks. 

Any certifications or military experience?: Short term paraprofessional license in Illinois. 

Budget: Cheaper the better.

Commitments: Occupied full time (work and parenting)

Dedicated time to study: 2 hours a day

Timeline: Summer 2026

*I am native Hindi speaker and was looking into getting credit via ATCFL or equivalent. Suggestions welcome.

I am currently first trying to obtain 60 hours for full paraprofessional licensure.  I would like to eventually obtain an associates degree as I am just a few classes away from such (I need to take a science class, and an English class).  While a BA is a long shot, I am not opposed to pursuing an AA/AAS that meshes easily with an eventual BA.

Looking into - UWisconsin system (some colleges offer the AA degree with eventual path to a BA), Upper Iowa University, UMPI, TESU, WV Community College System (the few options that remain). 

Currently, UMPI looks quite appealing, but it is far so regional recognition may be an issue (has anyone experienced this?).

The $1,500 price tag is real. They accepted 90 of my transfer credits. That included a recent Associate’s degree, Saylor/ACE credits, and some industry certifications. I only had to take 10 classes to finish.

You need to watch out for the transfer rules. They will accept your credits, but only if they map directly to a recommended ACE credit or appear on an official college transcript. Do not expect them to accept random industry certs unless they map to something official.

I have 20 years of experience in business management, so the actual coursework wasn't overwhelming. The stress comes from the Degree Hearings.


It is competency-based, but it is not easy. The rigor is the same as the semesters I did at Temple and community college. The big difference is the standard. They require "Mastery" to move forward. That is basically an A or B+. If you know most of the material but miss a few minor points, you don't get a C. You fail. Then you have to study and book another hearing.
I had to redo hearings for four of my 10 classes. One class took me four tries to pass.

Grading is fast. Projects usually take three or four days max. The feedback is solid when you don't pass.
The live hearings also aims to solve the AI cheating problem. You have to solve scenarios on the spot. You cannot just memorize definitions or use ChatGPT when a professor is staring at you.

They are obviously a small team and they are struggling to scale. They jumped to 800 students this year and things are getting clogged. Transcript evaluations are slow. Finding a time slot to talk to a professor can be a challenge.

Despite the admin delays, the program feels very human. There are weekly forums with over 30 students and an active Discord community. You actually know your professors. They are not just text on a screen.

I finished everything in six months. This degree got me accepted into Master's programs at both Universidad de Andalucía and WGU.
It is DEAC accredited. That is National accreditation, not Regional. If that works for your goals, I highly recommend it.

Your Location: Midwest US
Your Age: Late 30s
What kind of degree do you want?: Currently need 60 hours for licensure as a paraprofessional. Eventually want to get an AA/AAS and BA (long shot, but it's the plan)

Current Regional Accredited Credits: 52

Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits:  Have modern states voucher for one exam, need to take the exam in a few weeks. 

Any certifications or military experience?: Short term paraprofessional license in Illinois. 

Budget: Cheaper the better.

Commitments: Occupied full time (work and parenting)

Dedicated time to study: 2 hours a day

Timeline: Summer 2026

*I am native Hindi speaker and was looking into getting credit via ATCFL or equivalent. Suggestions welcome.

I am currently first trying to obtain 60 hours for full paraprofessional licensure.  I would like to eventually obtain an associates degree as I am just a few classes away from such (I need to take a science class, and an English class).  While a BA is a long shot, I am not opposed to pursuing an AA/AAS that meshes easily with an eventual BA.

Looking into - UWisconsin system (some colleges offer the AA degree with eventual path to a BA), Upper Iowa University, UMPI, TESU, WV Community College System (the few options that remain)

For those who have done this, does the YourPace degree have any such indication on the diploma indicating that it was done online/remote/as a YourPace option?

I wanted to confirm whether there are any restrictions on the source of credits for the 24cr minimum required for a second TESU bachelors degree. 

I already have a BACS from TESU and am looking into getting a Math BA as well. I need 24 credits, but can they come from anywhere? Are study.com or Coopersmith credits accepted or do they need to be from a regionally accredited institution? Thanks

They have a robust online presence at the Master's level (including through Coursera) but there's no real clue that their doctoral-level versions of the same programs can be completed remotely or if they require moving to Sonipat.

The tuition looks ridiculously cheap by US standards.