[elonmollusc]

The term you're looking for is competency-based education. If you can demonstrate that you meet the learning goals for a course, usually by taking an exam, you get credit for it. You only need to invest time in studying the parts of the course that you haven't yet mastered.

Western Governors University is the largest and best-known school with competency-based degrees. They use an online model where you pay a fixed amount per semester, but with no cap on the number of credits you can complete.

[the_only_law]

OP mentions the potential of doing an MS. I’m curious what the effects of WGU and similar programs are in regards to grad school acceptance.

It’s definitely not on the level of a classic for-profit, in fact I believe it’s accredited and non-profit, but I forget who accredits them. I’m generally wary of any school that invests so much into advertising.