RE: Question 3: Certification-What's in the Plan

Certification is a subject matter dependendent subject.  I hold 3 certifications myself in Material Management, Project Management and Electronics Technology.  These are professional certifications and sicne technology and business are moving at a faster pace then education, it would seem acceptable to keep those types of issues as certifications.  As far as testing out of required classes at a University Level, once again it is subject matter dependent.  I would err on the side of caution here.  You gain more from a writing class for English than the abiltiyt to form a sentence.  You also gain critical thinking skills and communication skills.  If the goal was to skip the lower level class but still spend the same number of class hours in an advanced class I could agree but if it is to skip the time altogether, Istrongly disagree.  

I am a returning student and am taking all of the classes and am amazed every class at how much I thought I knew versus how much more I learned and how much of the puzzle came together with each class.  I learn as much from my fellow students as I do from my instructors and that would not happen with a certification.