BS or BA in Liberal Studies at TESC Gameplan... I think I have it figured out?

[TheMentor]

I'm 30 years old and have never attended college (zero credits). I went into business for myself right out of high school and currently own a successful company. Recently I've made the decision to serve my country and want to enter military service as an officer... in order to do this I must have any BS or BA degree (technically I need 90 credits towards a degree but I do need the completed degree to make Captain). I'm a pretty smart guy and a very fast learner, and I excel at self-study, so my plan is to test out of nearly the entire course of study using CLEP and DSST (and FEMA). Since the type of degree doesn't matter, my goal is simply to get any degree as QUICKLY as possible, so it seems to me that Liberal Studies is the way to go, after I get that degree I might get another in something more specific (Organization Leadership, for example). That all being said, here's my degree plan based on the research I've been doing on this website and others, I'd love for some of you folks to look it over for errors, duplications, or offer any suggestions you might have. Thanks all for your help!

(BTW, I chose TESC because they directly accepted FEMA credits, I see that COSC now does as well so I'm open to COSC if there's a good reason to go that route.)

1. Gen Ed (60 Credits)
CLEP College Composition (6cr)
CLEP College Math (6cr)
CLEP Macroeconomics
CLEP Microeconomics
CLEP History of the US 1
CLEP Introduction to Psychology
CLEP Introduction to Sociology
CLEP Introduction to Educational Psychology
Saylor Introduction to Western Political Thought
Saylor Corporate Communications
CLEP A&I Literature (6cr)
CLEP American Literature (6cr)
CLEP Humanities (6cr)
DSST Organizational Behavior
DSST General Anthropology

2. Free Electives (27cr)
FEMA Courses (24cr)
DSST Principles of supervision

3. Area of Study (33cr, 18 must be ul)
CLEP Natural Sciences
CLEP Human Growth and Development
DSST Technical Writing
DSST Public Speaking
DSST Business Ethics and Society (ul)
DSST Substance Abuse (ul)
DSST Management Information Systems (ul)
DSST Introduction to World Religions (ul)
CLEP Principles of Management (ul)
CLEP Principles of Marketing (ul)
Liberal Arts Capstone

[UptonSinclair]

Here is a spreadsheet you might find helpful. Just create a copy for yourself and plug in your classes. The TESC equivalencies spreadsheet in my signature might help as well.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?...sp=sharing

[sanantone]

Business courses can't be used in the area of study for this degree. Pick and choose tests from natural science/mathematics, social science, and humanities and plug them into UptonSinclair's spreadsheet.
Sanantone's BA in Social Science - Degree Forum Wiki
Sanantone's BA in Humanities - Degree Forum Wiki
Sanantone's BA in Natural Sciences and Mathematics - Degree Forum Wiki

Your plan for the general education requirements looks like it's following old plans. TESC changed the requirements last year. Take a look at the liberal studies webpage (or UptonSinclair's spreadsheet) and choose which tests you want to take based on my link to general education options. I do have to warn that not all of the cultural diversity/global literacy tests have been confirmed as acceptable.
Sanantone's General Education Options - Degree Forum Wiki
BA in Liberal Studies Degree at Thomas Edison State College

[TheMentor]

You guys! Those links and words of advice were incredibly helpful! Here is my revised plan using your files, can you have a quick look for any errors or duplications?

I. General Education Requirements
A. Intellectual and Practical Skills
English Comp I
English Comp II
CLEP College Comp General 6cr

College-Level Math Course
CLEP College Math 6cr

Electives in Intellectual and Practical Skills
DSST Technical Writing 3cr

Total 15cr

B. Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World
Humanities
CLEP Humanities 6cr

Social Sciences
DSST Fundamentals of Counseling 3cr

Natural Sciences
DSST Intro to Computing 3cr

Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences or Inter
CLEP Natural Sciences 6cr

Total 18cr

C. Personal and Social Responsibility
Diversity/Global Literacy
DSST General Anthropology 3cr

Responsible Ethical Leadership
DSST Business Ethics and Society 3cr

Other Ethics or Diversity
CLEP Introduction to Sociology 3cr

Total 9cr

D. General Education Electives
CLEP A&I Literature 6cr
Introduction to Law Enforcement 3cr
Saylor Western Political Thought 3cr
DSST Public Speaking 3cr
CLEP Introduction to Psychology 3cr

Total 18cr

II. Area of Study: Liberal Studies
A. Requirements (Max 6 credits 100 level, Min 18 Upper Level)
Area 1 (Min 12 Credits, Max 18 Credits) - Social Sciences
DSST Organizational Behavior 3ULcr
DSST Substance Abuse 3ULcr
DSST Intro to the Modern Middle East 3ULcr
DSST History of the Vietnam War 3ULcr
Straighterline Business Communications 3ULcr
DSST Macroeconomics 3cr
DSST Human/Cultural Geography 3cr
CLEP Educational Psychology 3cr

Area 2 - Humanities
Introduction to world religions 3ULcr
CLEP Human growth and development 3cr

B. Capstone 3cr

Total 33cr, 18UL

III. Free Electives
FEMA 24cr
DSST Principles of Supervision 3cr

Total 27cr

TOTAL 120cr, 18 are UL.

[Jonathan Whatley]

II. Area of Study: Liberal Studies
A. Requirements (Max 6 credits 100 level, Min 18 Upper Level)
Area 1 (Min 12 Credits, Max 18 Credits) - Social Sciences
DSST Organizational Behavior 3ULcr
DSST Substance Abuse 3ULcr
DSST Intro to the Modern Middle East 3ULcr
DSST History of the Vietnam War 3ULcr
Straighterline Business Communications 3ULcr
DSST Macroeconomics 3cr
DSST Human/Cultural Geography 3cr
CLEP Educational Psychology 3cr

Area 2 - Humanities
Introduction to world religions 3ULcr
CLEP Human growth and development 3cr

B. Capstone 3cr

Total 33cr, 18UL

Business Communications won't be Social Sciences at TESC. TESC puts Communication under Humanities. Meanwhile, Human Growth and Development won't be Humanities but will be Social Sciences, via Psychology (PSY-210). For TESC's basic definitions of each area, see the footnotes on the bottom of this page for Social Sciences, this page for Humanities, and this page for Natural Sciences (and Mathematics).

[sanantone]

You also have too many social science credits. The maximum for any area (natural science/mathematics, humanities, and social science) is 18 credits or 6 courses. If you're looking to avoid natural science/mathematics, you can switch out some of the social science courses with humanities.

I'm not 100% positive about the DSST for Business Ethics and Society counting for responsible ethical leadership. You would have to verify with TESC. I am positive that the Ethics in America DSST does count.

[UptonSinclair]

If you prefer to just have Social Sciences, there is a BA in Social Science that is pretty flexible.

[TheMentor]

Thanks for those tips, I've made the necessary adjustments!

You also have too many social science credits. The maximum for any area (natural science/mathematics, humanities, and social science) is 18 credits or 6 courses. If you're looking to avoid natural science/mathematics, you can switch out some of the social science courses with humanities.

Actually, I think that's an error on UptonSinclair's otherwise excellent template, the BA in Social Sciences does indeed state that "A maximum of 18 credits can be earned in any one subject area in order to have a balanced interdisciplinary concentration.", however the requirements for Liberal Studies are as follows:

1. Students complete 30 credits in the liberal studies concentration

2. At least two or more different subjects must be included to provide breadth of knowledge in the liberal studies concentration.

3. Courses transferred to Thomas Edison State College are equated to the following levels: 100, 200, 300 or 400. A maximum of two college-level courses equating to the 100 level can be applied toward the liberal studies area of study. A minimum of 18 credits equating to 300 or 400 Thomas Edison State College are required.

In fact, one of the examples provided (Example III) lists 24cr in Humanities and 6cr in Social Sciences. Ref: BA in Liberal Studies Degree at Thomas Edison State College

Unless I'm missing something?

TheMentor

[ironheadjack]

I have a completely unrelated question, for my own curiosity.

What nations military are you joining as a captain with a BA from a US school?

[TheMentor]

The US Army. I won't go in directly as a Captain, I'll go into Officer Candidate School and graduate a 2nd LT. (You MUST have 90 credit hours towards a degree to go to OCS). I can be promoted to 1st LT in 2-3 years without completing my degree but I must complete it in order to be promoted to Captain (4-5 years in). So really, the big rush is getting those 90 credits so that I can get into OCS, after that I can casually get the remaining 30.