Pierpont to UMPI Degree Plan
This is a degree plan specifically for students who wish to continue on to a UMPI Bachelor's degree after obtaining their Pierpont BOG AAS. Others student are also free to use this plan. However, if your ultimate goal is a different school or if you already have prior credits then you may want to substitute some of the suggestions for other options.
Note on RA credit[edit | edit source]
As of the time of creating this guide, Pierpont only requires a single graded RA credit and everything else can come from Sophia.org or other alternate sources. This is something that could change at any time, however, and students should be advised that they may be required to obtain 12 graded RA credits before being granted a Pierpont degree. Proceed with caution if you don't have 12 RA credits already.
Degree Plan[edit | edit source]
The BOG degree specifically requires 3 credits in communications, 6 credits in math/science, 3 credits in social sciences, and 3 credits in computer literacy for a total of 15 required credits. The degree plan listed below has been designed to fill both Pierpont's requirements and as many UMPI GEC requirements as possible.
Required Courses[edit | edit source]
| Degree Requirement | Recommended Course to Take | Credits | Touchstones (Assignments), if Sophia.org/Notes & important info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication | Communication at Work - Sophia.org | 3 | 1 - very short, should take 15-30 minutes for most people to complete. May fill UMPI GEC 1C |
| Communication | Visual Communication - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - UMPI elective |
| Math/Science | College Algebra OR Introduction to Statistics - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Fills UMPI GEC 3A & 3B |
| Math/Science | Environmental Science - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Fills UMPI GEC 3D |
| Social Sciences | US History I - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Fills UMPI GEC 5B |
| Social Sciences | Psychology or Sociology - Sophia.org | 3 | 3 or 2 - Preview each course to see which one has Touchstones that you think will be easier to complete. Current Psychology course is a UMPI elective. Sociology fills GEC requirements 2B & 5A. |
| Computer Literacy | Introduction to Information Technology - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - CS elective at UMPI. |
Total credits: 21 (While only 15 specific credits are required for the Pierpont BOG AAS, additional courses are recommended above both for historical reasons and because they fulfill UMPI requirements.)
Students can choose whether they want to take both Communication & Social Science courses listed above or if they only want to take one of each.
It is strongly recommended that students take their English Composition courses through UMPI if they do not have prior English Composition credit. If you have already taken 1 or 2 English Composition courses from a college or university, that's great.
While Pierpont accepts essentially any math courses toward their degree, UMPI requires a minimum of College Algebra. Thus, that is recommended over the other Sophia.org math options. If you struggle with math, you may wish to take advantage of Sophia's free tutoring for Algebra. Some students who have difficulty with math have found Sophia's Statistics to be easier for them than Algebra after following the suggested videos.
Additional Courses[edit | edit source]
After filling out the core requirements, students are required to bring an additional 39 credits or more to Pierpont to meet the 60 credit requirement. These can technically be anything and students are free to choose others if they feel that a different course will be better for their goals at UMPI. These are just suggestions.
Area of Emphasis[edit | edit source]
It is strongly suggested that students pursuing a BAS at UMPI choose an Area of Emphasis in Information Systems. At Pierpont, this requires 15 or more credits in the desired AoE. Another AoE, aside from Information Systems, can be chosen, but students should still obtain enough technical credits to be able to pursue the BAS. For UMPI, students must have at least 40 technical credits in order to access the BAS path.
Students who have obtained an AAS but who did not obtain any computer or technology credits along the way have previously been denied the ability to pursue the BAS. Suggestions are as follows:
Information Systems[edit | edit source]
| Recommended Course to Take | Credits | Touchstones (Assignments), if Sophia.org/Notes & important info |
|---|---|---|
| Google Data Analytics Certificate - Coursera | 12 | Multiple labs & quizzes. Counts for BUS-245 + COS electives at UMPI. |
| Google IT Professional Certificate - Coursera | 12 | Multiple labs & quizzes; a diligent student can complete this in a month or less. |
| Google UX Design Certificate - Coursera | 10 | Multiple labs & quizzes. |
| IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate - Coursera | 10 | Multiple labs & quizzes. |
| Introduction to Programming with Python | 3 | 1 - Python is an easier programming language, so this shouldn't be a very difficult course even for students who haven't previously done any programming. |
| Introduction to Relational Databases | 3 | 0+ - Course is quite lengthy, involved and not recommended for UMPI students unless the extra 3 credits are really needed. |
| Introduction to Web Development | 3 | 0 - Course can be completed in a matter of hours. CS elective at UMPI. |
It is known that Pierpont gives the full 12 credits for the Google IT Professional Certificate, but it is currently unknown how UMPI brings this course in. It may only be worth 3 credits at UMPI (the same as at TESU) and it will almost certainly only fill general electives. Students should plan accordingly. This is still a quick, easy, and free (through The American Dream Academy) way to get an Area of Emphasis at Pierpont.
Business[edit | edit source]
| Recommended Course to Take | Credits | Touchstones (Assignments), if Sophia.org/Notes & important info |
|---|---|---|
| Google Project Management Certificate - Coursera | 9 | Multiple labs & quizzes. Not recommended for students desiring a PM minor/concentration from UMPI. |
| Accounting - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Intro to Financial Accounting at UMPI. |
| Business Law - Sophia.org | 3 | 1 - Takes 1-2 hours to research sources, then another 2-3 hours (depending on writing ability) to assemble a competent Touchstone. (Possibly) LL Business Law at UMPI. |
| Introduction to Business - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - BUS-101 at UMPI |
| Principles of Finance - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - (Possibly) LL Financial Management at UMPI. |
| Corporate Communication OR Organizational Behavior OR Principles of Marketing - Saylor Academy | 3 | Saylor's exams are reportedly tough. Students are advised to be very familiar with the subject material before attempting an exam. |
Principles of Management is listed as being an upper level class in the ACE guide. Students may attempt to complete this course instead of the Saylor courses, but the Touchstone for Principles of Management appears to be quite involved for students who are just looking for quick and easy credit.
UMPI students are strongly advised to avoid the Project Management course at Sophia. This is because the Sophia course replaces BUS 141: Introduction to Project Management with Microsoft Projects at UMPI. The final project for BUS-141 is a requirement to be able to complete two upper level Project Management courses for students who decide to complete either the concentration or minor in Project Management at UMPI.
Electives[edit | edit source]
Students who are intending to get an Area of Emphasis will only need at least 24 additional credits here. Students not seeking an Area of Emphasis will require at least 39 credits. Students may also choose to take some of the Area of Emphasis credits listed above instead of some of the courses listed here.
| Recommended Course to Take | Credits | Touchstones (Assignments), if Sophia.org/Notes & important info |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient Greek Philosophers - Sophia.org | 3 | 1 - If you do not wish to complete the Touchstone, it is recommended that students complete everything else but the Touchstone before dropping the course and continuing on to Intro to Ethics. - Fills UMPI GEC requirements 2A, 2B, 4C, 5D. |
| Introduction to Ethics - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Fills UMPI GEC requirements 2A, 2B, 4C, 5D |
| Approaches to Studying Religions - Sophia.org | 3 | 3 - Fills GEC requirements 2A, 2B, 4C, 5D |
| Art History I - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Fills UMPI GEC 2E |
| Human Biology - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Fills UMPI GEC 3C |
| Human Biology Lab - Sophia.org | 1 | 1 - Fills UMPI GEC 3E |
| Conflict Resolution - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Business Elective |
| Art History II - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Fills UMPI GEC 2E |
| Introduction to Chemistry - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Fills UMPI GEC 3D |
| Introduction to Chemistry Lab - Sophia.org | 1 | 1 - Fills UMPI GEC 3E |
| Macroeconomics - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - When both Macro & micro econ are taken, this comes into UMPI as ECO-207 + 3 elective credits. |
| Microeconomics - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - When both Macro & micro econ are taken, this comes into UMPI as ECO-207 + 3 elective credits. |
| US History II - Sophia.org | 3 | 0 - Fills UMPI GEC 5B |
| Personal Finance - Sophia.org | 3 | 2 - The 2 Touchstones take 15-30 minutes each to complete. Economics elective |
RA credits[edit | edit source]
Currently, the cheapest, easiest & fastest way to meet this requirement is with ASU's 1-credit course CIS-194: Business Technology Fundamentals for $25. Coming in second place is the free Clackamas CC credit. Although free, the Clackamas course has limited availability and is not self-paced. If you don't have the good fortune to be able to take this class, the ASU course is recommended.
TEL Learning also has a $67 College Readiness course that should work. While self-paced, this course has a proctored exam with scheduling that could slow down course completion.
Post-Pierpont instructions[edit | edit source]
The above includes recommendations to fill the BOG AAS requirements as quickly and as easily as possible. While waiting for Pierpont to confer your AAS, students will want to take additional courses to bring their credit count as close as possible to 90 credits. Two essential GEC courses that were left out of the above degree plan are GEC 3E (lab science) and 5C (foreign language).
For GEC 3E, there are currently 1 recommended course. Biology 101L: Intro to Biology w/ Lab from Study.com is most recommended due to reported ease. Students may also choose Biology 107L: Clinical Microbiology w/ Lab or Chemistry 111L: Chemistry I w/ Lab. These courses rely on virtual labs instead of having to wait for physical lab kits as you do with StraighterLine. Earth Science 104: Intro to Meteorology is listed as a possible course, but this is thought to be a mistake due to Intro to Meteorology having no lab component at all.
For GEC 5C, is strongly recommended that students who are fluent in a non-English language take an ACTFL exam if possible. Otherwise, Spanish I at InstantCert.com is suggested. Students who are following the above plan but who intend to go on to a degree in History should instead choose Spanish 101 & Spanish 102 from Study.com