Posted on Sep 17, 2013
Sgt Joshua Ray
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Type and or location of the main office of the school.
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CWO2 B. Sean Fairburn
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Your Internet Connection.
Thats the consideration.
I would have said Location but Now with Telepresence and EDX.com College is Changing forever and Fast. You dont need to Be there to get the good out of it. Online classes are the wave of the Future. So I say Again, A good Fast Internet Connection. Or better Yet save the Money Buy a Great Computer System that you put together yourself, Decide what Field you want to go into that is actively LOOKING for people to fill those jobs. and Search You Tube for tutorials on those Programs and How to's to use the Software or Skill set. Then Practice Practce Practice and get good on that Program It will get you a Job faster than a Degree. IMHO. Semper Fi
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CMC Robert Young
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Consider only those schools which enjoy regional accreditation. Accreditation is a key requirement for graduate school, transfer to other institutions and many civilian jobs. Then assess your ability to meet program goals in timely fashion. Some have very structured time lines without much room for adjustments. Make certain you understand what is being asked of you, and that you can accommodate the requirements within your duty schedule. I completed my MA while still serving on active duty by going half time, and getting the support of the command before starting school. Plan ahead. Good luck!
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SCPO Stephen Ibanez
SCPO Stephen Ibanez
>1 y
Accreditation is the single most important factor. It doesn't matter whether you attend a brick-and-mortar college or do it all on line.  Regional accreditation is the ticket that proves you had to actually meet some standards to get your degree.  That sets many schools apart from the "diploma mills" you hear about - and used to see advertised in the back of certain magazines...
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TSgt Scott C. Brammer
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How easy it will be to transfer the credits to another college if you can't finish at that school. Also, how willing they are to accept the credits that you have already accumulated from other institutions. Also, one suggestion for people to consider if they are active duty is to go to a college that has the shorter 10 week long classes rather than the traditional 18 week long ones. Remember, you are in the military and are subject to being deployed somewhere and it sucks when that happens and you are in the middle of a class and you have to drop it and retake it later.
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1px xxx
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Great Question, Honestly I do not know if anyone can give you a straight answer concerning transfer credits to and from another university. From experience transferring credits from one state school to another in state school was painless for core classes (The State of Texas Colleges as a whole are very veteran friendly). Not sure how it works for junior and senior level degree core classes. Honestly I would inquire about looking into getting and accredited associate’s degree. AA degrees from my experience transfer easier than a bunch of credits from several universities. Another good point to remember is to be in contact with the university you are looking to graduate from. They can provide guidance on what they willing to except concerning transfer credits. Also note the majority of universities require that you complete so many residency hours in order to be awarded a undergraduate degree from that institution. For example when my buddy and I got off of active duty in 2006 TCU accepted my AA degree with all credits (I had credits from TCC and Texas Tech, but because I completed the required course work for an AA degree they accepted everything). My buddy on the other hand had credits from a few community colleges, one in Houston, TX and one in Arizona, but because he spend one semester at a local Tarrant County Community College to earn his AA degree he was also able to transfer everything in without any problems. It is also important to remember just because a university accepts a transfer credit does not mean they will be applied to the same courses. For example the history class my buddy took in Arizona counted as an elective hence he had to take practically the same history class again in Texas to receive credit.
Something else that needs to be pointed out, it is VERY important to note it does matter where you went to school. This comes in to affect when you graduate and are looking at getting a job. From my experience everyone was very patriotic when I was in school but employers wanted to know what I did afterwards. The funny thing is two of my former directors were former Marines and still was more interested in what I did after the Marines. Alumni networks and professors help you land your first job, and they generally have access to jobs that are not posted. I learned from experience that TCU was a great place to go to school, not so good for helping with employment afterwards. Texas A&M on the other hand, I have received job offers in class, through the Aggie network and through contacts in my classes! Just something else that everyone should be thinking about, in today’s market a undergraduate degree is just a degree, if it is not in the right major, right school and with the right Alumni/professor/network.
1SG Jeff Finlay
1SG Jeff Finlay
10 y
I worked as a College Advisor for three years after leaving the Army. Every college you enter will pick and choose what course will transfer into your degree program. The truth is the institution that grants you a degree, by law, has to have provided you with at least 1/3 of all hours required for the degree. If it requires 120 hours for a Bachelors degree then 40 of those hours must come from the degree granting institution. LTC Hill has given some good advice. A non-profit must still make a profit to stay in business. Some Brick and Mortar are still in it for profit. I would suggest if you are going to take courses while still in the military go with one that offers classes at your duty station and has an online component. That way when you are deployed you can still finish your course work and even if you move to another duty station you can continue with the current program.
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SSgt William Perry
SSgt William Perry
10 y
There a a bunch of military themed schools out there, however I found that Penn State University had the best online program around. Look into their World Campus and you will be pretty surprised at how affordable a PSU education can be online. I did two semesters online before moving to a campus and it was great.
Oh, and as far as credit transfers go, I was able to move in almost all of my undergrad classes I had already taken, and was able to move almost 60 credits!
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Sgt Joshua Ray
Sgt Joshua Ray
>1 y
This is the best comment. Transferring credits was a big issue for me and I had to take a few extra classes because they just couldn't transfer over.
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