University of Maine at Presque Isle

University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI) is a university that offers competency-based degrees. While they used to only accept 30 ACE credits in transfer, they will now accept 90+ ACE credits towards a given degree. Their residency requirement says that you must complete at least 30 credits at UMPI. If you transfer in more than 90 credits, those excess credits may be used towards a minor. Students have reported being able to complete 30 credits in 2 sessions (16 weeks total). When used with the extremely affordable Sophia.org courses, this can be an extremely inexpensive way to obtain a degree. The list of Sophia.org equivalencies show that they are known to accept most of the courses offered by this provider.

Liberal Studies Degree Advisory
While Liberal Studies degrees can be "easier" and "faster" to complete, students considering this path should take some time to consider whether or not this is the degree that they want. Although other schools allow students to complete a liberal studies or general studies degree and then come back for another degree later, the same is not true of UMPI. UMPI considers Liberal Studies to be a "terminal degree" which means that they will not allow you to return for another Bachelor's degree in the future. You may return for their Master's degree but you cannot get another Bachelor's degree. If you get any other type of degree aside from a BLS, UMPI will allow you to return for another degree.

Students would be well-advised to think about whether or not a speedy "check-the-box" Liberal Studies degree is actually sufficient for their needs or if it would be better, career-wise, to go for a more complicated/difficult degree now to save time and money in the long run.

Completing a Degree
Unlike the big 3 where it is usually both cheaper and faster to accumulate credits from a number of sources, the path to a UMPI degree is generally much smoother than elsewhere. The following guidelines broadly apply to students who will be seeking a degree from UMPI:
 * Complete everything at Sophia.org except both English Composition courses. UMPI's courses are reportedly both faster and easier.
 * Students who are seeking a degree in Project Management should also skip Project Management at Sophia. UMPI's lower-level Project Management course project will be required for upper-level credit.
 * As of March 2021, it is strongly advised to bring in a science class in order to avoid having to do BIO 105. Study.com's "Biology 101L: Intro to Biology with Lab" is reportedly a quick and easy way to complete this requirement. Take at least one more course at Study.com since you get two exams per month. Other possible solutions are to take Biology from either Olivet Nazarene University or TEL Learning before applying to UMPI.
 * It is suggested that students take American Government and possibly Astronomy from InstantCert.com. Spanish I also transfers in but UMPI's course is reportedly fast to complete.
 * Unfortunately, UMPI does not take NCCRS sources at this time. This means that they will not accept credits from Davar, Coopersmith, or OnlineDegree.com. The speed and low cost of UMPI's degree paths means that this is not a big deal.