BS in Emergency Management advice

[jartar93]

Hi All,

I am new to the forums and am looking for some guidance on where to begin. I am a 32 year old New Jersey resident and I would like to get a BS in Emergency Management. Working three jobs and having a family pretty much precludes going to a traditional school full-time, so I looked through some online degree programs and have found programs at Thomas Edison State University, Excelsior and American Public University. I do have some college credit from my local community college as well as a whole bunch of FEMA classes that I can covert to credit through FCCC. I also took a couple of online classes and added them to an ACE transcript, they are currently waiting for review.

I figured that before I got too far into just taking classes, I should get organized, so I am trying to put together a plan to get as many credits out of the way prior to enrolling and transferring them in. However, I am having a hard time finding which courses to take. I have the general degree requirements, however they only list a general category, not which courses fall into those categories. Is there a listing of the online learning courses and tests and their equivalents to the schools categories?

My current credits are:

Local Community College:
Anatomy & Physiology I - 3 credits
English Composition I - 3 credits
American History I - 3 credits
Introduction to Sociology - 3 credits
Introduction to Psychology - 3 credits
Criminology - 3 credits
NJ Emergency Medical Technician-Basic - 6 credits

ACE Credits (awaiting review):
The Institutes Ethics Course - 2 credits
TEEx Cyber Security for Everyone - 2 credits

I've read that TESU no longer accepts the FEMA credits and that Excelsior requires them on FCCC transcripts. If Excelsior is my eventual choice, this is not an issue.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Life Long Learning]

All three are excellent AMU, Excelsior College, and TESU.  In your case, you have so few credits that all three should except 100% of what you have.  I applied to all three myself.  I was in a 180-degrees different place than you.  I had tons of Gov't FEMA colleges credits (120+) from many different organizations.  For experienced Emergency Management types, Excelsior College is the better deal of the three.  For new students with few credits, it's really up to you.  They are really all about even.  Look at the degree plans and see if those classes are what YOU want to take.  FCC/CCC/GCC/COSC/Baker FEMA IS college credits are not allowed by TESU.  AMU and Excelsior will accept FCC FEMA IS credits.  Excelsior even accepted as few as UL.  If I was new I would also look at the BAS in Emergency Management online from ASU.


EMI keeps a College list of over 200+ Emergency Management programs.
https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/collegelist/

[dfrecore]

I'm going to ask a dumb question here - but where is the TESU Emergency Management degree listed? I can't find it.

[jsd]

Might be the BS in Homeland Security & Emergency Management?

https://www.tesu.edu/watson/bs/Homeland-Security.cfm

[dfrecore]

Might be the BS in Homeland Security & Emergency Management?

https://www.tesu.edu/watson/bs/Homeland-Security.cfm

AH!  When I look on the website for the list of degrees, it does not say that; it only says Homeland Security!

This is one of the degrees that can't be tested out of.  If you got it at TESU, there would be at least 3 courses that you would need there (Counterterrorism, Protecting the Homeland and the Capstone).  Most of the other courses can be had through Penn Foster or Propero ($330 each) or Study.com ($100 each).  The other issue you're going to have is that many of these aren't considered UL by ACE, and although TESU has brought some of them in as UL in the past, they may not any longer.  So you have to get them preplanned into your degree, if they will do so, before you plunk down any money for them.

Core
Terrorism - PF
Homeland Security - Propero
Research Methoids - Study.com

Electives (choose 5)
Management Info Systems - DSST or Study.com
Organizational Behavior - Study.com, SL, DSST
Social Psychology - Study.com, UExcel, Coopersmith
Counseling - DSST
White Collar Crime - PF
Victimology - PF, Propero
Interpersonal Comm - Study.com, UExcel, PF, CSU-Global

For TESU, you might want to create a plan using the cheapest methods, and then alternate, and see what it's going to cost.  You might consider this:

3 courses at TESU for $1098 each (using Study.com discount) = $3294
Residency Waiver (using Study.com discount) = $1800
Total fees at TESU $5094

INSTEAD

Enroll in the Comprehensive Tuition Plan (using Study.com discount) for $6350.  This entitles you to a year of courses (up to 36cr), and that will get you all of the UL courses you need in the AOS.  You can supplement the remaining cost of the courses you'll need using the free resources here, and you can probably do the rest of your degree for just that $6350 (ModernState.org vouchers for CLEP exams, Study.com/Guardian scholarship for 6 free Study.com courses, and free courses using TEEX, The Institutes, Sophia, and NFA).

[jartar93]

Might be the BS in Homeland Security & Emergency Management?

https://www.tesu.edu/watson/bs/Homeland-Security.cfm

AH!  When I look on the website for the list of degrees, it does not say that; it only says Homeland Security!

This is one of the degrees that can't be tested out of.  If you got it at TESU, there would be at least 3 courses that you would need there (Counterterrorism, Protecting the Homeland and the Capstone).  Most of the other courses can be had through Penn Foster or Propero ($330 each) or Study.com ($100 each).  The other issue you're going to have is that many of these aren't considered UL by ACE, and although TESU has brought some of them in as UL in the past, they may not any longer.  So you have to get them preplanned into your degree, if they will do so, before you plunk down any money for them.

Core
Terrorism - PF
Homeland Security - Propero
Research Methoids - Study.com

Electives (choose 5)
Management Info Systems - DSST or Study.com
Organizational Behavior - Study.com, SL, DSST
Social Psychology - Study.com, UExcel, Coopersmith
Counseling - DSST
White Collar Crime - PF
Victimology - PF, Propero
Interpersonal Comm - Study.com, UExcel, PF, CSU-Global

For TESU, you might want to create a plan using the cheapest methods, and then alternate, and see what it's going to cost.  You might consider this:

3 courses at TESU for $1098 each (using Study.com discount) = $3294
Residency Waiver (using Study.com discount) = $1800
Total fees at TESU $5094

INSTEAD

Enroll in the Comprehensive Tuition Plan (using Study.com discount) for $6350.  This entitles you to a year of courses (up to 36cr), and that will get you all of the UL courses you need in the AOS.  You can supplement the remaining cost of the courses you'll need using the free resources here, and you can probably do the rest of your degree for just that $6350 (ModernState.org vouchers for CLEP exams, Study.com/Guardian scholarship for 6 free Study.com courses, and free courses using TEEX, The Institutes, Sophia, and NFA).

Thank you!!!

I am thinking the best way to move forward right now is to get the general education classes out of way (via CLEP exams and the free courses).  Once they are done, apply to TESU and have my evaluation completed to ensure that everything transfers in correctly and finally work on the core classes to complete.  Does this sound like a good plan or is there a better way to do it all?

Also, thank you for the info on ModernState.org.  Only having to pay the testing center fee for CLEP exams is great.  I have already begun one class to prepare for an exam.  Is there a limit on how many they will voucher for you?

[ajs1976a]

With TESU, you will need to maintain enrollment using TECEPs or TESU courses. If you loose enrollment status, then they may switch you to a different catalog which could lead to some problems. So when you do apply, make sure to plan accordingly.

CSU-Global has some CJ, Emergency Management, and other CBEs that may fit it program if more ULs are needed.

[dfrecore]

Thank you!!!

I am thinking the best way to move forward right now is to get the general education classes out of way (via CLEP exams and the free courses).  Once they are done, apply to TESU and have my evaluation completed to ensure that everything transfers in correctly and finally work on the core classes to complete.  Does this sound like a good plan or is there a better way to do it all?

Also, thank you for the info on ModernState.org.  Only having to pay the testing center fee for CLEP exams is great.  I have already begun one class to prepare for an exam.  Is there a limit on how many they will voucher for you?

ModernStates will reimburse you for testing center fees as well!! Just email them your receipt, and they'll send you a check!

I have not heard that there's a limit on tests for MS, so I'd do as many as you think you can.

Also, unfortunately, the TESU/Study.com affiliate membership will change on 6/30/18.  The fees WILL go up, just not sure how much.  If you want to lock in the current membership discounts, then you have to do it before then.  If not, then there will still be a discount, but I'm guessing it will be 10% off current prices (which will probably also go up on 7/1).