Bachelor's degree plan

[blablyeah]

Hello, I previously posted on this board back in March or so (not sure) and at the time I was looking into getting my two year degree through TESC. However, since then, I've taken a couple semesters at my local community college (Rowan College at Gloucester County) here in New Jersey and I'm set to graduate with my associate degree in the next week or so. The two year degree is in history and I'm hoping to obtain a four year degree in any subject (it's required for promotion at my work, but the major doesn't matter). These are all of the courses I've taken.


As part of the two year degree:

Art Appreciation - 3
General Biology I - 4
English Composition - 3
History of United States I - 3
Oral Communication - 3
Century American Authors - 3
Cultural Geography - 3
First Aid, Safety & CPR - 2
Introduction to Philosophy I - 3
American Federal Government - 3
History of Western Civilization I - 3
History of United States II - 3
Intro to Political Science - 3
Principles of Sociology - 3
History of Western Civ II -3
Ethics - 3
Earth Science: Air and Space - 4
Society, Ethics and Technology - 3
Beginning Algebra - 3
Intermediate Algebra - 3
English Composition II - 3
General Psychology - 3

Outside of this community college, I've also completed two credits worth of the fire study courses from NFA ( I think that's what it's called), the TEEX courses, Business Communication for three credits, abnormal psych for 3 credits, educational psych for three credits, and developmental psych for three credits.

Anyway, I would like to earn a degree through TESC using these credits and the two year degree. I have to register for another semester at the community college soon (if that's what I choose to do), so I was wondering if anyone could give me a little guidance on which courses might be best to take, and which degree plans from TESC may fit my needs best. I am willing to do any combination of community college classes with CLEP, Straighterline, etc. so all suggestions are appreciated.

[blablyeah]

No that I'm looking at the plans more closely, it appears as though history and humanities may be my best bets. Any thoughts or recommendations for a degree plan?

[sanantone]

I think Liberal Studies or Social Science would be easier options using what you have. It's easier to test out of upper level requirements for those degree programs, and they'll use the psych tests and history courses you've completed.

[KayV]

You have completed the General Education requirements and some of the free electives as well. This is for a degree in Social Science, using at least 24 hours of TECEPs/ Capstone so you get the Pay Per Credit enrollment fee waiver. Obviously, there are many other ways you could complete a degree.

TESC BA Social Science
I. General Education Requirements
1. English Composition – 3
2. English Composition II – 3
3. Intermediate Algebra – 3
4. Oral Communication – 3
5. Business Communication COM-300- 3
6. Art Appreciation – 3
7. History of Western Civilization I - 3
8. General Biology I – 4
9. Earth Science: Air and Space – 4
10. Century American Authors – 3
11. Introduction to Philosophy I – 3
12. Ethics – 3
13. Society, Ethics and Technology – 3
14. Principles of Sociology – 3
15. History of United States I – 3
16. History of United States II – 3
17. Cultural Geography – 3
18. American Federal Government – 3
19. Intro to Political Science – 3
20. General Psychology- 3
II. Area of Study: Social Science (33 hours, 15 upper level)
A. Psychology 18, 9UL
1. Need DSST/SL Organizational Behavior PSY-361 3UL
2. Need DSST Fundamentals of Counseling PSY-331 3UL
3. Need TECEP Abnormal Psychology PSY-350– 3UL
4. Educational Psychology PSY-230- 3
5. Developmental Psychology PSY-211- 3
6. Need TECEP Psychology of Women PSY-270 3
B. Social Science 3UL
1. DSST Substance Abuse SOS-305 3UL
C. History 6, 3UL
1. Pick a DSST: Modern Middle East, Soviet Union, Vietnam War 3UL
2. History of Western Civ II -3
D. Sociology 3
1. Need TECEP Marriage and the Family 3
E. Need TESC Capstone LIB-495 3UL
III. Free Electives 27
1. Overage of 2 hours from general education hours
2. First Aid, Safety & CPR – 2
3. NFA-3
4. TEEX Cybersecurity- 6
5. Need any 4 TECEPs- 12
6. Need Kaplan PLA- 3

[blablyeah]

I think Liberal Studies or Social Science would be easier options using what you have. It's easier to test out of upper level requirements for those degree programs, and they'll use the psych tests and history courses you've completed.

That's very helpful, thank you. I don't want to suck this forum dry of all its information, but would you or anyone else have any suggestions on which courses I should register for this upcoming semester, if any? Or which courses I should be trying to test out of? Any additional help would be appreciated... I'm having difficulty seeing where and how different courses transfer into TESC. I've contacted the school, but their evaluation would take longer than I have to plan for the upcoming semester... Again, any help would be greatly appreciated :-)

[blablyeah]

Just saw this post. This is very helpful, thank you

[blablyeah]

One last question... I noticed that many of my credits won't apply to the concentrations in liberal arts and social sciences as only two 100-level courses are approved. Wouldn't this make a degree such as history more viable, as I already need to obtain most of the concentration credits as it is?

[rebel100]

TESC does a great job of letting you know whats required for a degree: Thomas Edison State College: Bachelor of Arts

I've long thought that while it would add some cost, several of these history courses from the Unicersity of Idaho Independent studies program would make an excellent core of study History-Independent Study in Idaho-University of Idaho DSST has several upper level history courses as well DANTES (Middle East, Civil War, and Soviet Union).

Thomas Edison State College: History

[sanantone]

The only 100-level credits you'll be able to use are World Civilization I and II or World History I and II AND American History I and II. The rest of your 18 credits will be the liberal arts capstone and 15 credits of upper level courses. That means all of your other lower level history courses will end up in gen ed or free electives. TESC will not award upper level credit for any community college courses. You would also have to take an upper level history course because there are not enough tests. It's cheaper, faster, and easier to just take a test or Straighterline course.

By choosing history you'll be able to use six more 100-level credits, but you will spend hundreds of more dollars getting those last three UL history credits. Honestly, your psych tests more than make up for those six credits being pushed to free electives. If you choose history, you will have your upper level psychology course pushed to gen ed or free electives. I think that is much more of a waste. The other two psych tests are 200-level and can be used in a liberal studies or social science area of study. It makes much more sense to let the 100-level history courses end up as gen ed or free electives. If you didn't complete business communication at a CC, that's another three upper level credits that can be used in the liberal studies degree.

[KayV]

I heartily agree with Sanantone above. Since you mentioned Humanities, here's an Area of Study plan for Humanities. I was going to say that I think Social Science is a much more useful degree; then I realized that the most useful degree is a completed one, so if you think you would be more likely to finish Humanities than Social Studies, go for it!

II. Area of Study: Humanities (33 credits, 18UL)
A. Literature (6)
1. LIT-291/292-CE Analyzing and Interpreting Literature 6
B. Communications (12, 9UL)
2. TECEP Public Relations Thought & Practice (COM-210-TE) 3
3. SL Business Communications (COM-300) 3UL (replace with TECEP Technical Writing ENG-201 in IPS)
4. Saylor Managerial Communications (COM-373) 3UL
5. Penn Foster Interpersonal Communication (COM-330) 3UL
C. Philosophy (6, 3UL)
6. SL PHI-384 Business Ethics 3UL
7. TECEP Environmental Ethics ETH-210 3
D. Religion (3UL)
8. SL or DSST REL-405 Intro to World Religions 3UL
E. Journalism (3)
9. TECEP Intro to News Reporting JOU-110 3
F. Liberal Arts Capstone LIB-495 3UL