All of you who have been reading my blogs recently know that I have been actively searching for my next degree. I knew that when I completed my
MBA from Ashford University that my academic career as a student was not over or at least I knew I had enough vinegar left to do one more degree at least. I consider learning to be a lifelong pursuit but even I have to admit that enough is enough when it comes to actually obtaining that next degree. At some point it just doesn’t make sense to keep going, to keep sacrificing and to keep having your family make sacrifices. Sometimes you just have to know when to walk away. A day will come when you have to admit to yourself that you can’t keep doing this indefinitely. Fortunately this isn’t that day!
I have decided to attend online at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, New Mexico. I will be working towards a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with an 18 hour emphasis in Management Information Systems and an 18 hour emphasis in Criminal Justice. Given my undergrad degree and certificate this will tie those two together very nicely and who knows, maybe one day I’ll be “Super Cyber Cop”. Anyhow there are a number of reasons I have decided to attend WNMU.
First, they are inexpensive. This is the one of the single most important things to me right now. It has to be accessible and to be accessible it has to be inexpensive. In fact the school has a payment plan that allows you to spread the tuition payments over 5 even sums at given times throughout the semester. How thoughtful.
Second, they are regionally accredited. This is a big deal because I intend to use this degree primarily as a teaching credential.
Third, with the 18 hour emphasis in two subjects, I will qualify to teach at the collegiate level for 2 more disciplines on top of my MBA. Like most investments, it makes sense to diversify. This is the big winner over my second runner up, Fort Hays State University.
Fourth, with an MIS emphasis I can list my M.A. on my resume for professional reasons (leaving off the criminal justice portion) in order to help me change careers or for other reasons. For example “Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (Management Information Systems) – Western New Mexico University” looks pretty good next to an MBA. Being that this is a 2nd masters degree it also makes a lot of sense as traditionally liberal studies and interdisciplinary studies programs have had pretty good flexibility in credit transfers. So from an H.R. perspective it may not be as tasty as an MS in MIS but it sure beats almost anything else.
Fifth the school is primarily campus based; you all know how much I like that.
Now some cons that I have discovered, or at the very least some concerns.
First, the learning software is Web CT. So far I am primarily experienced with Blackboard but I did have some experience with Web CT at St. Joseph’s College of Maine. I found it to be somewhat less “slick” but still serviceable. Still if I had my pick I’d go with Blackboard.
Second, most of the instructors for this program are PhDs and from what I have been told, they have a lot of autonomy in how they work their class. This can present problems from the student perspective as workload, assignment format, expectations, etc. will likely vary greatly from one professor to the next.
Last but not least are the accelerated summer formats which are two, 5 week sessions. To maintain at least half time enrollment I have been informed you are expected to take no less than 2 classes per semester. Well if summer courses are 5 week classes and if I am not allowed to maintain my student status over the summer without taking classes for loan deferment, this means that I will have a very stressful and busy 10 weeks. Hopefully when I speak to them on Jan. 5th they will have a few more answers for me. As of now though I am a little worried.