I am currently a first year undeclared major at UCM. After some thought, I have decided that I want to major in Public Health, however, UCM only offers a Bachelor’s of Arts in Public Health. I want a BS instead of a BA, and UCI offers a BS in PH. My advisor suggested that I can stay at UCM and transfer to UCI after completing my GE, but I want a guarantee admission rather than a 50/50 chance. If I finish my first year here at UCM, I will have a total of 32 completed units.
If I transfer to a CC after my first year, will I qualify for TAG? UCI requires a minimum of 60 semester units to fulfill TAG and minimum of 30 semester units to submit a TAG. Can I combine the units I attained from UCM with the units from CC, so that I only have to stay at a CC for a year and still meet the required 60 semester units? Or do I have to start over and basically stay at a CC for two years to meet the required units?
Also, does it matter what kind of bachelor’s degree I hold? I am aiming to become a healthcare administrator, and I plan on getting a Master’s in Healthcare Administration after getting my bachelor’s. There seems to be a negative connotation around the phrase “bachelor’s of arts”, and BS seems to open wider job opportunities. That is why I prefer a BS rather than a BA.
You should do some more research online regarding the difference between a BA and BS on your career prospects, see if you can find any specialized forums for that masters degree, and also see what advice you can get at the career center. The reason I bring this up is a quick search shows that like many MBA programs before you can enroll in a Masters in health care administration program they want you to have real world work experience.
So the BA versus BS may have an indirect effect on your ability to find that type of work prior to starting a Masters program. I don’t know if that’s really true, that there’s a difference, so it is something you should look into.
My niece has a Masters in Heath Education/Administration. She completed a few internships in Los Angeles. She had a very difficult time finding a job. Apparently, the medical centers and clinics prefer nurses who complete the health education/administration Masters. With her youth, people didn’t trust that she could do the job. She finally had to move to the middle of the desert to find a job. She did this for about 5 years. She is now working at a local hospital.
Before you go the full route to the masters, make sure you are aware of job placement and availability.