# Need Diploma Fast

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-diploma-fast/188399>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 14, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-diploma-fast/188399 "2003-07-14T15:55:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![braintree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@braintree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/braintree)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-diploma-fast/188399/1 "2003-07-14T15:55:19Z")

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After having enjoyed a most checkered academic career I have tons of credits but no sheepskin (during my last phase I majored in Psych but became shocked and then despondent after becoming familiar with the blatantly invalid original research — Freud, Betelheim, Herman and all the other revered quacks). I’m still short a few 400 credits to rate as something but basically I’m looking for a down and dirty diploma that’s actually recognized as valid if not terrifically esteemed. Any ideas?

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**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-diploma-fast/188399/2 "2003-07-14T16:39:49Z")

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Find a regionally-accredited state university with rolling admissions, an open admissions policy, and a liberal transfer-credits administrator (this last requirement might be the most difficult).

At most state universities I’m familiar with you are required to complete your final 30 semester credit hours in residence, so assuming that you are able to transfer at least ~100 credits _that can be applied to your degree_, you should be able to easily finish the last 30 within two long semesters (Sept.-May).

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**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-diploma-fast/188399/3 "2003-07-14T17:50:39Z")

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There are some accredited colleges that will give you a degree and allow you to earn _all_ your credits elsewhere. I believe we had an informative thread about it within the last year or so, with input from an alumnus, but I’m not going to kill the hamsters by searching for it now. Off the top of my head, the two schools I know of like this are [Empire State College](http://www.esc.edu/) in New York and [Charter Oak State College](http://www.cosc.edu/) in Connecticut. They are both accredited public (state-run) schools.