I have received several emails in the past 6 months looking for information on going back to college to complete a BA or BS degree, so I decided to post some basics.

First, there two major things you should know:

1. no college must accept any other college’s credits–it is up to each college to set their own criteria; and
2. most colleges don’t accept many credits 10 or more years old.

Several students (and staff) have most recently been taking classes at St. Mary’s (private colleges traditionally accept more credits than public colleges and are easier to get into). I transferred my tech college credits from Dunwoody (it was a diploma at that time) to Metropolitan State University. They were big into non-traditional students at that point in time. They still have a portion of the college that is pro-nontraditional, so that may be worth checking out. Your best bet is to search each college’s web site for non-traditional options, such as CLEP testing, Dantes testing (also known as DSST), Credit for life experience, etc. My husband earned most of his AS and BS degrees by these methods through Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey, but he took tests and a few courses at Metro State. Thomas Edison ‘banks’ credits, so you can earn credits numerous ways. The nice thing about testing is you only need to pass the test (many times 60% will do) to earn the credit for a course.

There are numerous online options. Virtual colleges such as Capella (my alma mater–in Minneapolis) and the University of Phoenix have been offering programs online a long time. In my experience, virtual colleges do it better than brick and mortar colleges simply because it is their specialty, but they are more expensive. You really must be able to motivate and manage yourself, and enjoy reading and writing to do well in an online class. I love learning that way, but many people do not. This site may be helpful: http://www.educationforadults.com/.

If you want to get a degree in engineering or architecture and have been working in that arena since graduating from NTI, be prepared to sell your past NTI education and your on-the-job knowledge to someone at the college you want to attend. Most 4-year programs in these fields are very particular about the classes students need and very distrusting of 2-year programs. Come prepared with a transcript, course descriptions, samples of your work, tests and a cross-referenced list that matches NTI courses with their’s. You need to convince them of course redundancy. If you are sure you know GD&T, for example, and they are still not convinced, ask to test out. Push as far as you can (in a professional manner of course) for the most credits you can get.

Another option is to become certified in your field. Some colleges recognize professional certifications and give college credit. You can become a certified drafter through ADDA. If you are in manufacturing or engineering, consider the Certified Manufacturing Technologist – CMfgT, the Certified Manufacturing Engineer – CMfgE, or the Certified Engineering Manager – CEM all available through SME.

These are a few options. If you have had success using any of these options or others, please share your wisdom by posting a reply to this message.