Any advice for CLEP/ exams for my degree?

[ddopesxp]

I'm new to taking any clep or exams to test out of classes, I've been doing everything online and in person. I was told by my mother-in-law that it is easier and faster to CLEP out of majority of the classes I have remaining. I currently am sitting with 112 credits towards a Bachelor of science in liberal arts. I turned in my transcripts for a free evaluation to Excelsior (which my mother-in-law attended 7yrs ago) but the academic advisor said that I would need to complete 31 more credits. Can anyone tell me if I should stay with Excelsior? why or why not? also Im looking to graduate as soon as possible so I can rejoin the military as a commissioned officer. Any advise will be helpful thank you in advance. 


Attached are the required 31 credits that I will need to complete for my degree that the veterans advisor said I will need to take.

[dfrecore]

Actually, it's much easier for you to list the courses you've already taken, so we don't offer a course you already have.

So, list everything by school/course provider. For instance:

School, RA or NA, Semester- or quarter-based
Course #, Course name, number of credits, grade
Course #, Course name, number of credits, grade

School, RA or NA, Semester- or quarter-based
Course #, Course name, number of credits, grade
Course #, Course name, number of credits, grade

Etc. Then we can tell you what you need at EC, as well as if it would be cheaper/faster/easier to complete the degree at TESU, COSC, or another school entirely.

[ddopesxp]

Awarded: AGEC-A Degree Date: Dec 16, 2019
Certification
Curriculum Information

Major: Liberal Arts (AGEC-A)


TRANSFER CREDIT ACCEPTED BY INSTITUTION:
VALENCIA COLLEGE

Subject Course Title Grade Credit Quality Points Hours R

ASL 200 Intro to Deaf Community TB 3.000

CMN 102 Int To Speech Communication TB 3.000

CMN 140 Int To Speech Communication TB 3.000

HUM 131 Mythology TA 3.000

HUM 251 Western Humanities I TA 3.000

MAT 188 Precalculus I TB 4.000

PHI 101 Intro To Philosophy TC 3.000

POS 201 American Natl Govt & Politics TC 3.000

POS 231 Amer State/Local Govrmts & Pol TC 3.000

PSY 101 Intro To Psychology TB 3.000

PSY 215 Human Sexuality TA 3.000

SOC 101 Introduction To Sociology TC 3.000

WRT 101 Writing I TA 3.000

WRT 102 Writing II TB 3.000

ZTR ELEC Biological sci (BSC 1005) TA 3.000

ZTR ELEC Intro/Oceanography (OCE1001) TA 3.000

ZTR HU Intro Humanity (HUM 1020) TB 3.000

ZTR HUI Hum Greek/Roman (HUM2220) TC 3.000

Attempt Passed Hours Hours Earned GPA Quality GPA Hours Hours Points
Current Term:
55.000 55.000 55.000 0.000 0.00 0.00

Unofficial Transcript
04/12- PLA-Army JST
08/13:
Subject Course Title Grade Credit Quality Points Hours R
AJS 152 Beginning
Marksmanship TP 1.000

FSS 150 Fitness Activities TP 1.000

HED 140A First Aid TP 1.000

MLS 100 Intro To Leadership TP 1.000



PIMA COMM COLLEGE
Fall 2018
Major: Liberal Arts 4.000 0.000 0.00 0.00
Subject Course Level Title Grade Credit Hours Quality Start R
Points and End
Dates
ART 105 CR Exploring Art/Visual Culture B 3.000

BIO 160IN CR Intro Human Anatomy & Phys B 4.000

CSA 104 CR Computer Fundamentals D 3.000

ESE 251 CR Educational Psychology B 3.000

ASL 101 CR American Sign Language I W 4.000

BIO 156IN CR Intro Biology Allied Health C 4.000

STU 100 CR College Success/Career Plan B 1.000

SPA 101 CR Elementary Spanish I B 4.000

STU 210UA CR Univ of Arizona Transition A 2.000

BIO 201IH CR Human Anatomy/PhysioHistology B 4.000

ECE 107 CR Human Devel & Relations A 3.000

FSN 154 CR Nutrition B 3.000

BIO 202IN CR Human Anatomy/Physiology II B 4.000

HIS 101 CR Intro To Western Civ I D 3.000



Attempt Passed Earned GPA
Hours Hours Hours Hours
Current Term: Quality GPA Points
7.000 7.000 7.000 7.000
Cumulative: 15.00 2.14
49.000 41.000 41.000 45.000

Unofficial Transcript
TRANSCRIPT TOTALS (CREDIT) -Top- 112.00 2.48
Attempt Passed Earned GPA Quality GPA
Hours Hours Hours Hours Points
Total Institution:
49.000 41.000 41.000 45.000 112.00 2.48
Overall: 59.000 59.000 59.000 0.000 0.00 0.00
108.000 100.000 100.000 45.000 112.00 2.48

[dfrecore]

A couple of questions, because you don't have the info on here: all of your credits look like Transfer credits from somewhere else, like you didn't earn them at the school listed. Not that it's a huge deal, but it means I can't look anything up in the catalog for that school.

These are both different course numbers but the same course name. Did you make a mistake on one?
CMN 102 Int To Speech Communication TB 3.000
CMN 140 Int To Speech Communication TB 3.000

Are these considered English Comp I & II at the school you took them at? Or are these pre-Comp courses?
WRT 101 Writing I TA 3.000
WRT 102 Writing II TB 3.000

---

So the problem you have is that it's not just about having the correct number of credits: you need to have the RIGHT credits to fill each requirement, and also to have UL credits, which you don't have.

COSC and EC both require 30cr of UL: you'll need to bring in 27cr of UL to COSC (with the Capstone fulfilling that last 3cr), and you'll need to bring in 24cr of UL to EC (with the Cornerstone and Capstone fulfilling that last 6cr). TESU requires 18cr of UL; you'll need to bring in 15cr of UL (with the Capstone fulfilling the final 3cr).

UMPI may also be a good option for you, but I'll let someone else help you figure that out.

But, thank your MIL for getting you to this forum, because I think you'll be able to get a degree pretty quickly, and pretty inexpensively as well.

[rachel83az]

If you are missing UL credits, specifically CLEP exams aren't going to help. CLEP is LL and not UL. Fortunately, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to earn UL credits for an Excelsior Liberal Arts degree. Excelsior students have Coopersmith, Study.com, etc.

However, you might also want to look into UMPI. For a flat rate of $700/mo. ($1400 per term) they let you complete as many courses as you are able during that time. They have Liberal Arts degrees but they also have other, arguably more useful, degrees available under this model.

[ss20ts]

After looking at your EC evaluation, I wouldn't take a single CLEP exam. You need an ethics course which you can complete on Sophia.org or Study.com and you need UL (upper level) courses. CLEP exams are all LL (lower level). SDC (Study.com) has an UL Business ethics course - Business 318 which transfers to EC as an UL. The link below will show you all of the courses SDC has to offer that transfer to EC and if they're UL or LL. One thing to keep in mind is that you must complete 3 courses at EC: Information Literacy, Cornerstone, and Capstone.

https://study.com/college/school/excelsior-college.html

[dfrecore]

Ok, in looking at all of the Big 3, here's what I think you can do (and I'm assuming the 2 speech courses are not the same, and the 2 writing courses are English Comp I & II):

TESU BALS - you need 1 Ethics course and 5 UL Liberal Studies courses (Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Computer Sciences). Study.com has all, and I think Davar and/or Coopersmith as well.

TESU - non-military price $6654
TESU - military price w/o taking 6 TECEP exams $4990 (can't remember if veterans count as military rate & rules)
TESU - military price including 6 TECEP exams $2698 (can't remember if veterans count as military rate & rules)

EC BSLA - you need 1 Ethics course and 8 UL courses; you can make your Ethics course UL to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. 1 UL Ethics plus 5 UL LS courses (Humanities, Social Sciences, or Natural Sciences) and 2 UL Applied Professionals (business is easiest). Study.com has all, and I think Davar and/or Coopersmith as well.

EC - non-military price $5300
EC - military price (not veteran) $3005


COSC BSLS - you need 1 Ethics course and 9 UL courses; you can make your Ethics course UL to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. 1 UL Ethics plus 6 UL LA courses (Humanities, Social Sciences, or Natural Sciences) and 3 UL Non-LA courses. Study.com is your only option. Also, you need to choose 2 related concentrations, the easiest option to get inexpensively is Psych and Business. You'd take the 5 UL Psych courses at Study.com, BUS 310: Advanced Business Ethics to cover UL Business & Ethics, BUS 308: Globalization and International Management to cover the Global Understanding requirement and UL Business, and then 2 more UL business courses (lots of options).

COSC - non-military price $3181
COSC - military price $1753 (not sure if Veterans are covered by this)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At UMPI, it looks like you have everything in the GEC area except a hands-on art course and Spanish 2 (both of which you'd just take there). You also have most if not all of the Electives done. For the BLS degree, that leaves 6cr in the GEC, and 18cr for a minor.

I think you could probably get this degree done very quickly (probably 2 terms) for less money and work than any of the other degrees above. Even the military price at the Big 3 will be more work than UMPI.

[ss20ts]

At UMPI, it looks like you have everything in the GEC area except a hands-on art course and Spanish 2 (both of which you'd just take there).  You also have most if not all of the Electives done.  For the BLS degree, that leaves 6cr in the GEC, and 18cr for a minor.

I think you could probably get this degree done very quickly (probably 2 terms) for less money and work than any of the other degrees above.  Even the military price at the Big 3 will be more work than UMPI.

UMPI does NOT require 2 semesters of a foreign language except in the history/poli sci degree. The BLS has a 3 credit of foreign language requirement. 

The GEC has additional requirements such as an additional English course - 3 are required. An ethics course is required. ART105 may cover the art learning objective - not the studio art learning objective. The biology requirement may be fulfilled, but the other physical science requirement is not. So there are several courses missing from the GEC. 

UMPI also requires a minimum of 30 credits be completed at UMPI. In addition to the FGEC and general electives, each degree program has a minimum number of UL requirements. The vast majority of those need to be completed at UMPI. The BLS also requires a minor. There are 5 options for a minor - project management, education, management, accounting, and management information systems. It is not just a general liberal arts degree like EC, ESU, and COSC offer like the BALS. 

[ddopesxp]

I appreciate the time and effort everyone has put towards helping me figuring out my degree plan. Thank you for all the options and advice as well I will sign up for Sophia.org and UMPI to knock out some of my UL courses and complete the remaining of the courses with EC.

[rachel83az]

I appreciate the time and effort everyone has put towards helping me figuring out my degree plan. Thank you for all the options and advice as well I will sign up for Sophia.org and UMPI to knock out some of my UL courses and complete the remaining of the courses with EC.

Sophia does NOT have UL courses. UMPI isn't meant for hop-on, hop-off credits. Why would you not get your degree from UMPI instead of EC? It would be cheaper and probably faster.