Online Degrees

[scoobs]

Can anybody recommend any schools online?University of Phoenix is just to expensive.

Thanks

[M2]

Scoobs

With 100% TA, what's so expensive?

123abc, good luck! There are some diploma mills out there, but I doubt you will find one that will issue a masters without taking classes. Besides, that degree is suppose to indicate you received some sort of an education, y'know...

Cheers! M2

[scoobs]

I was just seeing if there were other schools.

[Ryder1587]

Im guessing that was some sarcasm 123abc haha. If not, man... life would be great lol

[ellsworb]

Isn't the 100% TA up to $250/credit hour? So if I wanted to take an online course at Purdue University ($750/hour) i would come up with $500 of it. Hmm. . .

[scoobs]

There are cheaper online classes.They just do it online and you finish faster.

[Guest Walter_Sobchak]

I just enrolled for online classes at Touro - I think somebody else on this board has also taken courses through them, but I can't remember who. I bring this up because though they list tuition as $300/hr for a 4 hour course, Touro gives financial assistance (aka discounts) and covers $50 per credit hour. In effect the class is free to me. The $4500 annual cap on TA is still in effect.

[Guest theflyboy1]

123abc,

I don't know what field you are looking for a Master's degree in, but the University of Southern California offers some degrees completely online, and you get the exact same degree as the ones who go to the school in L.A.

https://den.usc.edu/students/degreeprograms.htm

Edit: A wee bit pricey, though.

[ 14. March 2005, 15:47: Message edited by: theflyboy1 ]

[HerkDerka]

Try Devry.

I hear the employers like the idea of online, career focused education.

HD

[Guest mrharvester]

Anyone have any experience with Troy State University?

[Guest Luke]

I got my masters from troy. Only had like one or two online classes though, they were all weekend classes.

[Ryder1587]

I live around 40 minutes from Troy and heard its not to bad.

[Guest pcampbell]

Check out Thomas Edison State College . My bro-in-law got his undergrad through them.

[Guest HerkRider]

Go to Grantham University's web site. I am currently enrolled completing my B.S degree in software engineering. You can use TA assistance and Grantham has a military sholarship that covers the remaining cost. Basically a free education. They also take CCAF credits.

[Beaver]

Your base library should have a Peterson's book with a listing of all schools with online programs and program descriptions. It's in the reference section.

[ClearedHot]

Originally posted by 123abc:

No I am at least partly serious...

This whole MAsters degree thing really bothers me...

Ok, Old guy stepping up on rant container;

Why wouldn’t you get a Masters Degree? The principle of this situation bothers me just as much as the next guy, but instead of viewing this as something the USAF is making me do, view it as an investment in your future.

Originally posted by 123abc:

I'll be long gone from the Air Force before I do the same.

I was your age once (a long time ago) and I had many of the same feelings. However, time and events have a way of helping you see things differently. Fortunes can change in an instant. Take for example your medical situation. I have several friends who in their mid 30’s developed problems Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, and Slipped Discs that put them feet on the ramp. They lost their flight pay, their bonus (yes they were forced to repay it), and in some cases their position with the USAF (medically retired).

I’ve also seen guys get a DUI that ended their USAF and airline career in one incident. Unfortunately, a DUI will prevent you from getting on with a major in most cases.

Perhaps the airlines will recover someday and that may be your goal, but what if they don’t?

From my experience it’s always best to have options. Better yet, what do you have to lose? A few Tuesday and Thursday nights of partying?

View this as a bit of sage advise or as an old guy rant, but I would recommend you put the politics of the USAF aside and take advantage of the free tuition and books to get a reasonable Masters Degree and help protect your future.

Begin Flame….Rant Switch off.

[M2]

ClearedHot

I agree, although it took me almost seven years to complete it, I did get a MS in Info Systems that will help me in future endeavors. Why not underwater basketweaving? Because I wanted a degree that I could be somewhat proud of, and since the USAF is paying 100% TA I thought I would make an effort to give them their money's worth.

123, if that's how you feel, then take the time and effort to go out and find a program that suits you and that you will be proud to complete. I doubt you will ever again have the opportunity to get a grad degree at nearly no cost to yourself, hell, back in the days when we only got 75% TA I thought it was a great deal!

By the way, I started one program and also didn't like it, so I transferred the credits to another program which is the one that I completed. If your bud isn't happy, then he should look elsewhere.

By the way, if that is how you feel about a grad degree, then you are REALLY going to hate ACSC!

Cheers! M2

[pcola]

Why does everybody keep calling it 100% TA? I could be wrong, but isn't it capped at $250/credit hour? I have only done a limited amount of research on this, but so far I haven't found any reputable online degree granting institutions for nearly that cheap. Most of the universities I looked at were $700-$900/hour. That's more like 35% TA which still equals a whole lot out of pocket.

[Guest mrharvester]

If you go to usnews.com and click on the E-Learning section, they have a directory of online graduate degrees. It lists a lot of good information. Pcola Stud is right in that with few exceptions the cost per credit hour is higher than $250. The average price from what I saw was $350-500/credit hour. Still better than paying it all out of pocket. It only makes sense that since you aren't taking up space in a classroom and the student to teacher ratio is much higher with online classes, the tuition should be much cheaper right? I guess not.

[Guest STLCFII]

Embry Riddle offers online degrees also. The cost is under 170/cr and if you are in the military or have some aviation experience you can be granted credits (up to 36) towards the degree program. They are now working it to where you take all test online instead of having some be proctored. All that, and you get to learn about aviation! https://www.erau.edu/ec/online_education.html I can't believe no one mentioned ERAU. They're everywhere and greatly used by military people.

[ClearedHot]

Originally posted by STLCFII:

I can't believe no one mentioned ERAU. They're everywhere and greatly used by military people.

As STLCFII said, ERAU offers several good programs. I got my first Masters Degree there when I was trying to fill the square. I would have finished in 1.5 years, but I met one pain in the ass professor (at Moody AFB), who disapproved my previously approved research topic and I ended up telling him to go screw himself right in front of his class. I didn't finish the paper for another four years (waited until I PCSed to another base. As a side note the Eglin AFB and Hurlburt outreach centers are both great and will work with you on most issues.

The program is typically 36 credits and a thesis or research paper. As I recall you can get 6 credits for SOS in residence, 9-12 credits for WIC (depending on the course you attended), and 6 credits for the USAF Maintenance Officer Course.

[Gravedigger]

Originally posted by Clearedhot:

and 6 credits for the USAF Maintenance Officer Course.

This may be completely retarded, but do you have to be a maintenance officer to go to the maintenance officer course?

[ 15. March 2005, 19:00: Message edited by: c17wannabe ]

[Champ Kind]

Originally posted by c17wannabe:

This may be completely retarded, but do you have to be a maintenance officer to go to the maintenance officer course?

[ClearedHot]

There are two ways to go.

1. if you are going to be a MX Officer you will go to the five month course.

2. There are also a limited number of short course slots for pilots that are going to be FCF pilots.

It was a so-so course, but I did learn a few things.

[Guest RookiePilot]

I got my M.S. online at HU! It was relatively inexpensive and not too difficult! And the AF pays for AD members to get their's, maybe I should have waited.