Back in my "younger" years (currently 35) I was not exactly a diligent student while attending junior college. I dicked around for about 3 years accomplishing almost nothing except a variety of "elective" type courses. I took precious few actual academic courses and finally pulled to plug and went full time at work after aquiring only about 50, mostly inconsequential, units.

The units alone were enough to allow me to get some expediated pay increases and to promote at my career, which I am thankful for. However, I am now contemplating actually obtaining a degree. Ther are really only two reasons why I care at this point.

1) If I ever want to promote again, a 4 year degree is required. I don't have any plans or desire to promote again in my 8 remaining years, but I never say never.

2) As stated, I plan on taking an early retirement at age 44 with a partial pension. We'll then flee this commie wasteland and start somewhere new. Obviouslly, I'll need to work elsewhere and I surely don't want to work in law enforemcent anymore. I figure a degree will open many otherwise closed doors.

So, that all being said, I want to begin looking at online only based degree programs. I don't have a major in mind and I don't have a future career in mind. Blank slate, as it were.

The only school I've looked at so far is California Coast University. It is a popular option in my agency with many who aspire to promote currently attending. The format is is designed for the people who is working full time with no class participation, either online or in person. Essentially, you are sent the course work, you complete it, then you are sent a test. The format looks great, but at $150/unit it is awfully expensive.

What other options are there out there? At this stage in my life actually going to a physical school just won't work well. It'd take too much family time and I'm not willing to go that route. I also never did well in classrooms, not for lack of ability, but rather for glut of academic laziness. I think the online format might serve me better.

Any good experiences with online based degree programs?

Secondly, of the degree program this school currently offer the following are of most interest:
- Business administration
- Business marketing
- General Education
- Pyschology
- General Management

Not knowing what I want to do and looking at the required classes (lots of overlap there) I'm leaning towards marketing but wouldn't want to pick something limiting given my unknown future. So, does the specific field really matter?

I would recommend looking at state-sponsored universities and evaluating their online programs.

Many are expanding entire degree programs to the online format. This achieves two things--you know you are getting a good degree that will be accredited (and the diploma is exactly the same as someone who sat in classes for 4 years), and you have the benefit of only paying the in-state tuition rate.

All of the private online schools will be more than paying an in-state rate, I'd venture to say. You will have online assignments, but most likely no on-campus events.

I would not consider any other option, personally.

Do you have any college credits at all, I can’t imagine trying to get through the first 2 years of a bachelors degree online. Maybe it’s just me.

This is all fairly new to me but have online bachelors degrees become a thing??? Seems like most online programs are for masters degrees meant for people already working in their fields.

I was lucky to get into a masters program recently where I’ll spend a month in southeast AK doing classes, I’ll take 12 credits over the. Ext year (6 each semester) then spend a month in Sitka the following summer, I was even able to get it paid for.

Anyways rant over, I never really heard much about online bachelors degrees, just masters degrees. I havnt been looking though.

The cheapest accredited school that does not have a goofy name.
Also don’t get a degree with the word “general” in it.
The field matters for some lines of work others a degree and life experience are the biggest factors.

Does your department offer tuition reimbursement??
Also remember there are all sorts of loan payback programs for those in law enforcement.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
I would recommend looking at state-sponsored universities and evaluating their online programs.

Many are expanding entire degree programs to the online format. This achieves two things--you know you are getting a good degree that will be accredited (and the diploma is exactly the same as someone who sat in classes for 4 years), and you have the benefit of only paying the in-state tuition rate.

All of the private online schools will be more than paying an in-state rate, I'd venture to say. You will have online assignments, but most likely no on-campus events.

I would not consider any other option, personally.

I can certainly do that.... we have a state school here locally, but being an entity of the CA government I have very little hope for it, as a rule. I might be wrong, I suppose. My wife went to the school (graduated 6+ years ago) and her 2 year program them (she got her AA from the local junior college before transfering) was more than the projected cost of the online school I'm looking at now.

quote:

Originally posted by newmexican:
Do you have any college credits at all, I can’t imagine trying to get through the first 2 years of a bachelors degree online. Maybe it’s just me.

This is all fairly new to me but have online bachelors degrees become a thing??? Seems like most online programs are for masters degrees meant for people already working in their fields.

<snip>

Anyways rant over, I never really heard much about online bachelors degrees, just masters degrees. I havnt been looking though.

Yes, approximately 50 units, but not much of them are actually *real* academic courses. I wasted a lot of time, unfortunately.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
The cheapest accredited school that does not have a goofy name.
Also don’t get a degree with the word “general” in it.
The field matters for some lines of work others a degree and life experience are the biggest factors.

Does your department offer tuition reimbursement??
Also remember there are all sorts of loan payback programs for those in law enforcement.

No tuition reimbursement in my agency... The one I've looked into is indeed accredited, and I don't think it is a goofy name. Ha. In my mind, the degree is essentially just a box that needs a check. It is exceedingly doubtful that I would end up in a job that REQUIRES a specialized degree but I am curious as to the opinion of others.

I'll have to look into tuition reimbursement for LE, I haven't really seen any of that.

The FOP is forever sending me emails about discounted online college.

Do you have public community colleges?

I know nothing about CA’s schools.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
The cheapest accredited school that does not have a goofy name.
Also don’t get a degree with the word “general” in it.
The field matters for some lines of work others a degree and life experience are the biggest factors.

Does your department offer tuition reimbursement??
Also remember there are all sorts of loan payback programs for those in law enforcement.

No tuition reimbursement in my agency... The one I've looked into is indeed accredited, and I don't think it is a goofy name. Ha. In my mind, the degree is essentially just a box that needs a check. It is exceedingly doubtful that I would end up in a job that REQUIRES a specialized degree but I am curious as to the opinion of others.

I'll have to look into tuition reimbursement for LE, I haven't really seen any of that.[/QUOTE]

Your online degree being nothing more than an added check box is exactly correct. That is why I said go with the cheapest that is still accredited.
Those with goofy names tend to only scream the check box only idea on a resume.

There are quite a few federal student loan forgiveness programs for first responders. They generally require 5 years of service to pay off in full so keep that in mind for planning.
It’s been 8 years since mine have been paid off.
Here is a place to start. I need to dig into it and refresh a bit myself.
https://studentloanhero.com/fe...w-enforcement-guide/

I can go in 7 years but will likely do 12 more unless I decide to buy a few years.
Plan is not really have to work but will want something to do. I am looking into fish and wildlife conservation (non LE) positions so I need to add some math, statistics, and biology. There are some conservation and wildlife specific degrees I have been researching as well. Our city pays 2k a year in tuition reimbursement so that is helpful.

I'm retired PD and have worked with several universities (online and traditional) over the years. Presently I run one of the largest Criminal Justice departments in higher ed for a fully accredited online university.

I've directed folks to many different universities over the years as, based on your goals/circumstances, the best place for you may not be my university.

Send me a PM. I can help you out and steer you away from the paper mills out there.

quote:

There are quite a few federal student loan forgiveness programs for first responders. They generally require 5 years of service to pay off in full so keep that in mind for planning.
It’s been 8 years since mine have been paid off.
Here is a place to start. I need to dig into it and refresh a bit myself.
https://studentloanhero.com/fe...w-enforcement-guide/

I just looked at that link because "Forgiveness Program" raises an eyebrow for me. The one that requires 5 years of service also requires you have made 10 years of on time payments. I'm guessing payments don't start until after a degree is received, so add a few years on for that as well. That's a long time commitment for the 35 yo OP who doesn't sound like he plans to remain in public service.

I wouldn't know about these because I went to an in state school I could afford and got a degree in something that would get me a job when I was done. Granted it was 30 years ago, but tuition including book rental was $800 a semester for up to 18 credits. I also worked while getting an accounting degree.

Of course the in state rates are heavily taxpayer subsidized, so I'm a little hypocritical in thinking your plan shouldn't included going into debt to get a degree and expecting "forgiveness" at the taxpayer's expense.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trapper189,

Can't go wrong with a business administration degree. While a specific degree might be unnecessary, a business degree is acceptable for damn near anything, and is a good start to a MBA later if life ever takes you somewhere that you might want a master's degree.

Look into Western Governors University.

100% online, reasonable tuition, you pay per semester and go at your own pace. If you are an animal and want to take 5 classes you can and knock them out. Also if after a week you feel you have it, you can take the final at any time and be done with it.

Does CSU Stanislaus have anything available ? It’s a real college. Main campus in Turlock and satellite campus in Tracy.

quote:

Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
Look into Western Governors University.

100% online, reasonable tuition, you pay per semester and go at your own pace. If you are an animal and want to take 5 classes you can and knock them out. Also if after a week you feel you have it, you can take the final at any time and be done with it.

My wife finished her HIM degree through WGU last year. She liked everything about their program.

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:
In my mind, the degree is essentially just a box that needs a check. It is exceedingly doubtful that I would end up in a job that REQUIRES a specialized degree but I am curious as to the opinion of others.

I'll have to look into tuition reimbursement for LE, I haven't really seen any of that.

I think you need to define what you want to do before going after a degree to "check a box". Totally wrong, IMO. Some folks throw out the saying, "You can get any college degree. College is there to teach you how to learn". IMO, you need to take classes that teach you a specific skill/topic.

Try getting a job as an accountant without an Accounting degree. Or an engineering job without an engineering degree. Or a computer programmer without a CS/CIS degree. I am sure there are tons of jobs that don't need a specialized degree, but they are probably not well paying ones.

I would avoid a Business Administration Bachelors degree in general business or management. My degree is in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. If going Business Administration you would be best served by getting a concentration in something useful, CIS, Finance, Accounting, or even Marketing.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

quote:

There are quite a few federal student loan forgiveness programs for first responders. They generally require 5 years of service to pay off in full so keep that in mind for planning.
It’s been 8 years since mine have been paid off.
Here is a place to start. I need to dig into it and refresh a bit myself.
https://studentloanhero.com/fe...w-enforcement-guide/

I just looked at that link because "Forgiveness Program" raises an eyebrow for me. The one that requires 5 years of service also requires you have made 10 years of on time payments. I'm guessing payments don't start until after a degree is received, so add a few years on for that as well. That's a long time commitment for the 35 yo OP who doesn't sound like he plans to remain in public service.

That is just one option there are lots out there.
The one I used had no prior payment requirement. I had to submit a yearly affidavit stating I was actively employed in LE. The first year they forgave 10%, 2nd 15%, 3rd 20%, 4th 25%, 5th 30%.
The loans that were eligible for repayment/forgiveness also stayed in deferment while I was actively employed as well.

I actually got lucky and learned of the program only 2 weeks prior to graduation.

I went to two fairly expensive private universities but worked nearly full time during the school year and full time plus in the summers to cash flow as much as possible. Ended up with just over 20k in loans and 15k were forgiven. The other 6k I just paid off lickity split after getting a job.

I am in the exact same boat as the OP. 35 years old in the LE profession and planning to leave in 7-12 years. Granted I have a bachelors degree (nearly worthless CJ unfortunately but that is another story). I’ll be getting a masters of some sort mainly online.

I see nothing wrong with planning on using benefits offered to you in the realm of student loans.

My employer offers 2k in tuition reimbursement once I pass the course.
If needed I’ll do some loan repayment options for LE work. Not sure I see why there is an issue benefits offered.

My wife was a teacher decided she did not want to do that after a few years and enrolled in an 18 month accelerated RN program knowing the hospital she wanted to work at offered 100% tuition payment after 3 years of service (with a chunk being paid for each year of service).
Granted she cash flowed her tuition payments.
We gladly accepted the nice check each year that covered the tuition paid.

I see no issue taking advantage of money offered and planning accordingly knowing it is available.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
Do you have public community colleges?

I know nothing about CA’s schools.

Yes, we have a local community college… That is where I obtained the units I do have. However, with a full time job consisting of minimum 12 hour shifts, sometimes, more, and three kids at home 6 and under, I won’t be stepping foot into a classroom at any point in the foreseeable future. That just isn’t in the cards.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
I can go in 7 years but will likely do 12 more unless I decide to buy a few years.
Plan is not really have to work but will want something to do. I am looking into fish and wildlife conservation (non LE) positions so I need to add some math, statistics, and biology. There are some conservation and wildlife specific degrees I have been researching as well. Our city pays 2k a year in tuition reimbursement so that is helpful.

My original plan was to stay until 50 – 53. I wouldn’t have to work after that, assuming I moved out of this state. However, we want to bail on CA yesterday, but I can’t justify financially at this point. If I stick it out 8 more I can pull a decent monthly pension beginning at age 44. If I leave before I hit 20 years of service then I forfeit the ability to pull money prior to turning 50. In other words, if we left this year I’d be giving up about 50k a year between the ages of 44 and 50…. That is no pittance. Plus, I’d have to find a job that can support us with my exceedingly limited skill set and education. By staying until I hit 20, everything gets much easier.

quote:

Originally posted by CWR67:
I'm retired PD and have worked with several universities (online and traditional) over the years. Presently I run one of the largest Criminal Justice departments in higher ed for a fully accredited online university.

I've directed folks to many different universities over the years as, based on your goals/circumstances, the best place for you may not be my university.

Send me a PM. I can help you out and steer you away from the paper mills out there.

I’ve dispatched an email to you with all the speed that Google can muster. Thank you!

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:
Can't go wrong with a business administration degree. While a specific degree might be unnecessary, a business degree is acceptable for damn near anything, and is a good start to a MBA later if life ever takes you somewhere that you might want a master's degree.

I’m probably learning to Business Marketing at this point…. It sounds the most interesting. Though I would probably be able to get a Criminal Justice degree much faster.

quote:

Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:
Look into Western Governors University.

100% online, reasonable tuition, you pay per semester and go at your own pace. If you are an animal and want to take 5 classes you can and knock them out. Also if after a week you feel you have it, you can take the final at any time and be done with it.

I looked into that a little bit and it looks promising too… It seems that in order to be cheaper than California Coast University I’d have to complete 26 CU per 6 month term. I read that many people routinely do 40-50 + CU at WGU, but I have a full time job and little kids…. I’m not sure I can handle that pace. I saw one guy claiming to complete 108 CU in a single term… that is just crazy.

quote:

Originally posted by ElToro:
Does CSU Stanislaus have anything available ? It’s a real college. Main campus in Turlock and satellite campus in Tracy.

Not really. They only seem to have a few options….
- BA in Gender Studies -- NO WAY –
- BS in Nursing – Not interested—
- MBA in Business Admin – Not at that level --
- Hybrid program in Social Work -- Not interested in social work or hybrid programs—

I'm going to have to look more into WGU compared the CCU... They both seem like viable options with very different approaches.

Still fishing for opinions on CCU, WGU, and degree program selections.

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:
Still fishing for opinions on CCU, WGU, and degree program selections.

What do you want to know about WGU? I'm taking classes for business management now. Almost done.

Check these guys out. I used them for my associates back in the 90's They are legit.

https://www.tesu.edu/admission...i-have-to-start-over

quote:

Originally posted by 1967Goat:
Try getting a job as an accountant without an Accounting degree. Or an engineering job without an engineering degree. Or a computer programmer without a CS/CIS degree. I am sure there are tons of jobs that don't need a specialized degree, but they are probably not well paying ones.

I’d agree with you on accounting and engineering, and it is possible that Software engineering has changed, but when I was working in computer networking, I’d guess that less than 25% of those of us who wrote code at the places I worked had a CS degrees. It was all about who could write the code. Nobody who was worth a darn gave a rat’s rump about degrees.