The planned AA in Business consists entirely of existing UMPI courses. YourPace students can already get an AA in Liberal Studies with concentration in Business Administration, so this isn’t a big change. I imagine the AA in Business will have a CIP code specific to Business, which might help a graduate in the armed forces get into a business-related occupational specialty?
The planned AS and planned BS in Tourism, Hospitality, and Outdoor Recreation are a collaboration between UMPI and the THOR Institute, a consortium of all seven colleges in the University of Maine System. This collaboration has already launched minors and concentrations across the UMS, mixing and matching courses from the student’s home school with online courses from other UMS schools. The proposed YourPace AS and BS will be the first majors developed from the THOR collaboration. It looks like the YourPace THOR program will use faculty from across the UMS to deliver UMPI credits. The programs are proposed to launch in Fall 2026. The UMPI catalog also lists a THOR minor and BABA concentrations in each of Tourism, Hospitality, and Outdoor Recreation, and perhaps courses from the full THOR major could help students complete who don’t choose the full major complete these instead.
The planned MS in Healthcare Administration — this is the full title, but the planning document also abbreviates it MHA — consists of 30 core credits all specific to healthcare, and an elective section likely of 6 credits which may include MSB or MAOL courses with permission. When the MSB was proposed, one of the concentrations was to be Healthcare Management, with 18 credits of the MSB in general business and 18 credits specific to healthcare. The MHA proposal doesn’t mention that MSB concentration. It’s plausible now that UMPI won’t launch the MSB-HCM and is instead “upgrading” it to this full MHA. The MHA is proposed to launch in Fall 2026.
The planned MS in Sport Management will prepare candidates “to excel in management and leadership roles across K–12 athletics, collegiate sport, professional sport, municipal and community recreation, outdoor and event venues, and sport-adjacent industries such as media, sponsorship, and esports.” A 27-credit core section includes OLS 510 Foundations of Organizational Leadership plus eight courses specific to sport management. A 9-credit elective section proposes a mix of options, some specific to sport management and a few from the MSB or MAOL. The University of Maine at Fort Kent is simultaneously planning an on-campus BS in Sports Management and an online MS in Athletic Administration. UMPI and UMFK ”plan to work together in providing needed courses in each program.” The UMFK MSAA is more directed toward athletic departments in schools. The MSSM is proposed to launch in Summer 2026.
This UMS academic programs proposal preview was part of the meeting materials for the UMS Academic and Student Affairs Committee meeting held today (YouTube), but none of the UMPI plans were discussed specifically at the meeting. Fuller proposals will be discussed and voted on at subsequent ASA meetings. The meeting did commend YourPace and President Rice and the UMPI team for a great source of growth for the UMS.
New England College is introducing a three-year online Doctor of Business Administration. Specializations are Healthcare Management, Organizational Leadership, and Technology and AI Strategies. NEC’s prior business programs are accredited by the ACBSP. 680 x 63 credits + fees = 43 902 estimated total cost.
“Additionally, as students advance through the program, they may earn three stackable certificates: an Executive Leadership certificate, a Specialization certificate, and an Executive Certificate in Applied Doctoral Research. Students can earn a DBA and three doctoral certificates within the same program timeframe and tuition.”
I've poked around and only seen one unsubstantiated post about YourPace being terribly formatted/layout, while TAMU had a much better layout and UI. Is this accurate? Any insight?
For various reasons, I'm limiting myself to state universities, so I think these are the only CBE type degrees, and that's why I'm only comparing these two. Wondering if one or the other is much more clunky to work through. Thanks!
WGU is making some transfer credit changes, so I wanted to share the verified details for anyone using Study.com (or other transfer sources) in their degree plan.
What's happening overall
WGU hasn't ended transfer partnerships or changed its transfer-friendly model. What has changed is that WGU is changing which specific requirements can be met via transfer credit versus completed internally.
At a high level:
WGU still accepts Study.com courses
The 75% transfer cap remains in place
A small number of requirements in certain programs now need to be completed at WGU
These updates apply to all non-WGU transfer sources, not just Study.com.
Programs impacted
Technology
Education
Health and Nursing
Most affected programs lose only 1-2 transferable requirements.
Business programs are not impacted by this change.
From a planning standpoint, this looks more like WGU updating a few core requirements rather than broadly rolling back transfer credit.
What hasn't changed
WGU still is transfer-friendly
Many Study.com courses still transfer normally
Degree plans and transfer guides are being updated to reflect the new rules
Grace period (important for current planners)
There is a grace period for students already planning coursework under the prior articulation:
Courses must be completed by February 28
An official Study.com transcript must be received by WGU no later than March 31
If both of those conditions are met, the courses will be evaluated under the previous transfer guidelines
If you're close to finishing planned coursework, these dates matter. If you have questions about the grace period, you should reach out to Study.com's customer support team by emailing support@study.com.
Where to get more information
Always rely on WGU's official transfer pathways page for your specific program since that's what admissions uses
Your Location: NY, USA
Your Age: 28
What kind of degree do you want?: Bachelors, preferably in IT/CS. Coming from a CIS associates in progress at my local community college. Looking at the dual TESU CIS & CS bachelors degrees. Ideally getting the two free associates as well.
Current Regional Accredited Credits: Computer Science & Information Systems
Computer Programming: 4 Credit hours
Applied Database Concepts: 3 Credit hours
Data Communication Concepts: 3 Credit hours
Linux Using Python: 3 Credit hours
Computer Systems & Applications: 3 Credit hours
English & Humanities
Composition I: 3 Credit hours
Composition II: 3 Credit hours
Introduction to Philosophy: 3 Credit hours
Acting I: 3 Credit hours
Social Sciences & History
History of the United States I: 3 Credit hours
History of United States II: 3 Credit hours
American National Experience: 3 Credit hours
Macro Economics: 3 Credit hours
Social Problems Today's World: 3 Credit hours
Math & Natural Sciences
General Chemistry I / Lab: 4 Credit hours
Algebra & Trig Precalc: 3 Credit hours
College Algebra: 3 Credit hours
Total of 53 RA credits.
Current ACE, CLEP, or NCCRS Credits: Sophia Intro to Nutrition, Intro to Stats, Workplace Communication (planning a lot more). Additionally planning on study.com courses.
Any certifications or military experience?: None relevant.
Budget: No cap.
Commitments: 40 hour workweek. I can do some schoolwork at work, and have a large amount of PTO.
Dedicated time to study: 40+ hours a week
Timeline: ASAP, preferably within a year.
Tuition assistance/reimbursement: Likely from my employer. I'd prefer to have them reimburse the whole thing, but I don't think they will if I do the fee for accelerating. I think a 16 credit semester may be too much.
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So, looking to see if my plan makes sense. I've made the spreadsheet below to organize the courses I need to take. Taken from the example on the wiki. I removed the CIS gen ed section as its a copy. I know its counter intuitive to try to speed two bachelors, but the difference between them is negligible and can be taken primarily at Sophia/Study.
Spreadsheet also attached. It's not perfect as a lot of the credits go into multiple spots, but it gives a good overview of what to take where. My understanding is I don't need to take all the courses in each category, so I will prioritize sophia classes, followed by study classes, then elsewhere if needed. Yellow courses I'm seeking clarification on from TESU.
WGU only gave me around 7 courses (including the ACE credits), where TESU I am basically halfway done with the bachelors. I have attached that evaluation as well for the CS degree.
My current career is Emergency Manager / Response where I participate in a lot of IT projects.
Essentially, I want to take as many classes as possible at Sophia/Study, then take the bare minimum at TESU. Opinions? I appreciate it.
