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Hey eStudents!
Last few days, I've been "forum surfing" to find out what is the cheapest possible cost to earn a bachelor degree in computer science via online and the school needs to be RA accreditated...so far I understood the answer was Big3 + ACE approved exams. If that is the case, what is 2011 "roadmap" (which ACE approved exams for which TESC courses) if I decided to enroll TESC's BA in Computer Science? I do see TESC's website showing TESC course list for BA degree program. That's clear enough. However, the ACE exams listed in TESC's website seems not a complete list? For example, I don't see info on Penn Foster ACE courses or which exams would meet upper-level courses...etc. Also, I understand that nowadays it is harder to do 100% test out to earn a degree. I am flexible with a "roadmap" as long as it is cheapest possible cost to earn an online BS CS degree. Any suggestion?
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Do you plan on pursuing an advanced CS degree following the completion of the BA at TESC or will it be your terminal degree? The reason I ask is if you're going further with your education you may want to confirm that ACE reviewed credits will be acceptable at your grad school of choice. There's a fellow on the DI boards that was rejected from the UIS MS CS program due to having received credit for technical certs, some of which were ACE reviewed but were still deemed to be from non-RA sources. The thread is here:
Certs credit and Master degree
I m edumakated thanx to distunce lerning.
MEd, Texas A&M University, 2018
MBA, University of North Dakota, 2014
MS, University of Illinois Springfield, 2010
BSBA, Thomas Edison State University, 2008
AS / AAS, Tidewater Community College, 2004
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I plan to end at BA degree. Thanks for the heads up!
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With CS, I'd recommend starting with the MIS and Intro to Computing DSST exams for an easy 6 credits. If you don't already have certs, I'd also suggest considering whether or not taking the remaining 9 courses from TESC would make sense (they have an enrollment option for people who want to take a large number of courses from them).
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Okay...after bit of digging and number crunching...here's what I got so far...feel free to offer a critique or two!
I am assuming clep & dsst *rough* average cost $33.33 per credit based on:
$80 exam (rough average equals to 3 credits per exam?)
$20 school/institute fee
=> $100 / 3 credits => $33.33 per credit
Cost..........Credits
----...........-------
$7190......36 Comprehensive Tuition Plan (includes up to 36 credits)
$0..............27 FEMA for free electives (dunno if possible to grab all 27 free credit)
$1900......57 Clep & DSST exams ($33.33/credit * 57 credits)
====......==
$9090......120 => Total cost to earn a BA Degree
If I want to try avoid Comprehensive Tuition Plan, then the only option is Enrolled Options Plan with about $3,182 total fees and it doesn't includes with any credits. Therefore (after doing a bit of math), I would need to find another institute that offers 36 credits of upper level courses and charges less than $111.33 per credit.
So far I found two insitutes that might offer matching computer-related upper level courses:
ICCP = roughly $95 per credit
PF = roughly $91.33 per credit
Any Thoughts?
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PF is nice, they send you the books, you do the material, some of the tests have no proctored exam and you are in and out quickly.
Do a search on the ICCP exams. I might do one of these too but from what I heard they are sort of old fashioned and customer service is poor but who cares.
You can also get credit 7 credits for an MCSD. I got 3 visual basic credits and 4 business programming for mine.
CAP-191... Visual BASIC............. 3.00 CR CAP-191 *NE
CAP-206... Business Oriented Prog'g 4.00 CR CAP-206 *NE
BSBA CIS from TESC, BA Natural Science/Math from TESC
MBA Applied Computer Science from NCU
Enrolled at NCU in the PhD Applied Computer Science
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BrainHungry Wrote:Okay...after bit of digging and number crunching...here's what I got so far...feel free to offer a critique or two!
I am assuming clep & dsst *rough* average cost $33.33 per credit based on:
$80 exam (rough average equals to 3 credits per exam?)
$20 school/institute fee
=> $100 / 3 credits => $33.33 per credit
Cost..........Credits
----...........-------
$7190......36 Comprehensive Tuition Plan (includes up to 36 credits)
$0..............27 FEMA for free electives (dunno if possible to grab all 27 free credit)
$1900......57 Clep & DSST exams ($33.33/credit * 57 credits)
====......==
$9090......120 => Total cost to earn a BA Degree
If I want to try avoid Comprehensive Tuition Plan, then the only option is Enrolled Options Plan with about $3,182 total fees and it doesn't includes with any credits. Therefore (after doing a bit of math), I would need to find another institute that offers 36 credits of upper level courses and charges less than $111.33 per credit.
So far I found two insitutes that might offer matching computer-related upper level courses:
ICCP = roughly $95 per credit
PF = roughly $91.33 per credit
Any Thoughts?
I think the premium for TESC credits is worth it because they are RA, plus you could use them for not-area of study courses if you want to do the entire 36 credits (the only marginal costs would be books and testing fees) Furthermore, you would have at least one less transcript to request in can an employer wants to see them. Another thing to consider is the tax deductibility of the TESC option or PF.
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