Bachelor's degree via TESU/Excelsior Some simple questions

[cifwt3377]

First off, I apologize if these questions have been answered elsewhere on this forum, I haven't been able to find them.  I'll be as brief and to the point as possible. I've read/watched many articles/videos online claiming that it is possible to earn a Bachelor's from scratch at these colleges (TESU/Excelesior) in anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months via earning credit by examination as opposed to actually sitting through the courses for years on end. I found this idea very appealing, but upon contacting these schools I've found them to be remarkably unhelpful if not downright contradictory regarding whether or not this is actually possible. They seem to be very unclear regarding how many credits can be earned via examination and how long it will take to earn the remaining courses in the normal manner, they just won't seem to give me a straight answer and I'm finding it very frustrating. I don't want to spend my money and time embarking on this process only to find out later that I was mislead by the school and that earning the degree will be a much more long and drawn out process than they claimed, I simply don't have the time. I would very much appreciate it if someone who has actually earned a Bachelor's degree (from start to finish) with either of these schools (if anyone actually has that is) via examination in under a year could tell me how they went about it. I honestly don't care what degree program it is as long as it doesn't involve much math. Thanks a bunch.

[allvia]

The "BA in 4 weeks" is extremely outdated. The good news is there are more degree and credit options than ever before.  With the current options you're looking at 6 months to a year for the quickest starting from zero credits. Yes, there are many here who have completed degrees in this way (I know it sounds too good to be true - you still need to put work in, it just moves at your pace vs a traditional class schedule). However speed is not everyone's priority; for many it is cost or ease. What you already know and what degree you want impacts the timeline as well (some degrees can just be worked quicker than others).  None of the schools talked about here are going to help you plan out your alternative credit path - that is where we come in (& we're FREE!)

Here is the current Wiki page(s) - https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Degree_Forum_Wiki

Do you have any college credits already? Are you in the US or active US military (the answer can impact your school/credit options)?  You say you don't care what the degree is in, but do you have long term goal or years of work related experience in something (Business vs Social Services vs Technology for example)? If your goal truly is simply to have a degree to "check the box" required for many job applications that is also an option (but not always the quickest one)

[natshar]

These days 6 months would probably be the absolute minimum from start to finish and even that would be  difficult almost impossible. Basically you take self paced class for all but two classes. All three schools now require 2 courses (capstone and cornerstone) and only tesu allows you take both simultaneously. But tesu is 12 weeks compared to COSC and EC's 8. Plus Tesu takes forever to evaluate and you might have to wait for your degree to confer too. But COSC and EC also take time for the degree to confer.

Also there is a school called wgu which you have to do one-fourth of your degree with them but they not a normal school and you can speed though the classes. These days wgu may actually be quicker and cheaper than the big 3 and I believe the degree confers when you finish it.

It is possible to get a degree in 7 months but between 1 - 2 years is realistic with everything. While 1 year is definitely a quick degree it is not instant.

This way does require work. The difficulty of the work will depend on your prior knowledge, major, course selection, life/work experience, test taking ability and more. But the point is it will require some degree of work. You arent just snapping your fingers and getting a degree. Some people on this forum have had to forgo sleep, family time, social activities, reduce time a their job, etc to make time to work on their degree.

Yes this is an actual regionally accredited degree. It is a real degree and is valid.


I think the first thing you should think about is why do you want a degree? Like what is point? (Job promotion, career change, self improvement, just for fun etc.) Then think about what to do you value most speed, time, easiness, prestige, something else?? If you answer these questions it would be eaiser to help pick a school and specific degree.

Othr important questions. Do do you have any prior college credits at all?? Do you currently get tuition reimbursement at your job? Do you get pell grant (which is for low income people)? And finally do you plan on earning a masters in the near future and if so in what subject?

[cifwt3377]

The "BA in 4 weeks" is extremely outdated. The good news is there are more degree and credit options than ever before.  With the current options you're looking at 6 months to a year for the quickest starting from zero credits. Yes, there are many here who have completed degrees in this way (I know it sounds too good to be true - you still need to put work in, it just moves at your pace vs a traditional class schedule). However speed is not everyone's priority; for many it is cost or ease. What you already know and what degree you want impacts the timeline as well (some degrees can just be worked quicker than others).  None of the schools talked about here are going to help you plan out your alternative credit path - that is where we come in (& we're FREE!)

Here is the current Wiki page(s) - https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Degree_Forum_Wiki

Do you have any college credits already? Are you in the US or active US military (the answer can impact your school/credit options)?  You say you don't care what the degree is in, but do you have long term goal or years of work related experience in something (Business vs Social Services vs Technology for example)? If your goal truly is simply to have a degree to "check the box" required for many job applications that is also an option (but not always the quickest one)

 Thanks for your response, it's given me some hope again(although I still don't understand why the schools are so unhelpful in this regard, I am trying to give them money for a piece of paper after all). Basically my situation is this: I'm planning on teaching English abroad and whilst this is possible with a simple TEFL certificate, many countries require a Bachelor's degree (in any subject) in order to teach and even in those countries that don't require the degree it does ensure higher pay and better opportunities. So with that in mind, I really don't care what the degree is in, although I would prefer something that involves as little math as possible (haven't passed a math test since 6th grade). So I guess something like English or History or something with the phrase "liberal arts" in it would be best.  I don't have any college credits, so I'll be starting from square one. That being said the idea of earning the degree in 6 months is really exciting, but how exactly do I get any useful information out of these schools? I really just need to know which exams are required for which credits and how long the remaining credits will take to acquire but they seem reluctant to answer these questions before I give them money. I'd like to know what I'm buying before I buy it though.

[cifwt3377]

These days 6 months would probably be the absolute minimum from start to finish and even that would be  difficult almost impossible. Basically you take self paced class for all but two classes. All three schools now require 2 courses (capstone and cornerstone) and only tesu allows you take both simultaneously. But tesu is 12 weeks compared to COSC and EC's 8. Plus Tesu takes forever to evaluate and you might have to wait for your degree to confer too. But COSC and EC also take time for the degree to confer.

Also there is a school called wgu which you have to do one-fourth of your degree with them but they not a normal school and you can speed though the classes. These days wgu may actually be quicker and cheaper than the big 3 and I believe the degree confers when you finish it.

It is possible to get a degree in 7 months but between 1 - 2 years is realistic with everything. While 1 year is definitely a quick degree it is not instant.

This way does require work. The difficulty of the work will depend on your prior knowledge, major, course selection, life/work experience, test taking ability and more. But the point is it will require some degree of work. You arent just snapping your fingers and getting a degree. Some people on this forum have had to forgo sleep, family time, social activities, reduce time a their job, etc to make time to work on their degree.

Yes this is an actual regionally accredited degree. It is a real degree and is valid.


I think the first thing you should think about is why do you want a degree? Like what is point? (Job promotion, career change, self improvement, just for fun etc.) Then think about what to do you value most speed, time, easiness, prestige, something else?? If you answer these questions it would be eaiser to help pick a school and specific degree.

Othr important questions. Do do you have any prior college credits at all?? Do you currently get tuition reimbursement at your job? Do you get pell grant (which is for low income people)? And finally do you plan on earning a masters in the near future and if so in what subject?

Thanks for the response, I really just want the degree as I intend to teach English abroad and this would open up many more opportunities.  I certainly value speed more than anything here.  I'm not bringing any credits to the table and cost isn't a huge issue.  Not planning on acquiring a Master's.  I'm really just trying to figure out if it's possible to earn the degree in under a year, because otherwise it just isn't worth the time invested as it will probably be useless for anything else. I would really like to hear from anyone who has actually done this recently just to be able to have some guidance from someone knowledgeable on the subject who doesn't have a vested interest in keeping me in the school as long as possible to milk me for money(ie an academic adviser). thanks.