Biology Degree from TESU - Is Lumerit helpful?

[Silly_Me]

Hey, guys! I'm wondering if anyone here has experience pursuing a biology degree from TESU (or a similar school). Specifically, how hard is it to find upper level science courses? I'm worried that I might be getting in over my head trying to go this route.

This year, I'm CLEP'ing out of several classes & taking a handful of community college courses for pretty cheap. But, there is only so far CLEP tests & CC classes will take me before I reach the ceiling & I need to start looking for upper level science courses.

I know most people frown upon Lumerit around here, but I'm wondering if they might actually be helpful in a situation where I'm trying to pursue a more "complicated" biology degree.

Anyways... Thanks for any insights you guys can offer!

[bjcheung77]

They'll be just providing you the same Biology or other science related courses / options for you as most members here does it for FREE.
I still am amazed how individuals here just volunteer their time helping others complete their courses and provide awesome recommendations.
My suggestion is to see what advice is provided here first and use Lumerit as a final step if there are no other options available to use.

[cookderosa]

Hey, guys! I'm wondering if anyone here has experience pursuing a biology degree from TESU (or a similar school). Specifically, how hard is it to find upper level science courses? I'm worried that I might be getting in over my head trying to go this route.

This year, I'm CLEP'ing out of several classes & taking a handful of community college courses for pretty cheap. But, there is only so far CLEP tests & CC classes will take me before I reach the ceiling & I need to start looking for upper level science courses.

I know most people frown upon Lumerit around here, but I'm wondering if they might actually be helpful in a situation where I'm trying to pursue a more "complicated" biology degree.

Anyways... Thanks for any insights you guys can offer!

What is it you want Lumerit to do for you? They don't offer biology courses, and you already know about CLEP. If you go to the upper right hand corner and type into the search box "biology" you'll get 13 pages of help finding biology courses. You might even look at the post from yesterday http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...asnsm.html

A lot of people contributed really great information. Just to copy/paste what I wrote is enough to complete every upper level bio class you need.
Biological Sciences
Fall Term 2016
BIOS E- 1A Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology (13096)
BIOS E- 10 Introduction to Biochemistry (14563)
BIOS E- 18 Evolution (14330)
BIOS E- 32 Packaging the Code: the Architecture and Dynamics of the Nucleus (15076)
BIOS E- 40 Introduction to Proteomics (13099)
BIOS E- 50 Neurobiology (13097)
BIOS E- 65C Human Anatomy and Physiology I (13387)
BIOS E- 100 Knowledge Acquisition in Medicine (15075)
BIOS E- 116 Principles of Marine Biology (14458)
BIOS E- 118 Deep Sea Biology (15167)
BIOS E- 123 Reproductive Biology: Physiological, Evolutionary, and Behavioral Aspects (15043)
BIOS E- 129 Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology (14001)
BIOS E- 157 Viruses and Immunity: A Molecular Arms Race (14263)
BIOS E- 162B Human Pathophysiology II (15038)
BIOS E- 163 Human Endocrine Physiology (15044)
BIOS E- 170 Introduction to Microscopy (14234)
BIOS E- 185 Gene Therapy and Gene Editing (15036)
BIOS E- 200 Proseminar: Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in the Biological Sciences (13092)
BIOS E- 204 Developmental and Regenerative Biology (14278)
BIOS E- 210 Neurobiology of Circadian Rhythms: Regulation of Physiological Systems and Involvement in Disease States (15073)
Spring Term 2017
BIOS E- 1B Introduction to Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (22957)
BIOS E- 10 Introduction to Biochemistry (24316)
BIOS E- 12 Principles and Techniques of Molecular Biology (22965)
BIOS E- 14 Principles of Genetics (22962)
BIOS E- 16 Cell Biology (22958)
BIOS E- 30 Epigenetics and Gene Regulation (24705)
BIOS E- 45 Introduction to Genomics (23605)
BIOS E- 55 Developmental Biology (22959)
BIOS E- 60 Immunology (23186)
BIOS E- 65D Human Anatomy and Physiology II (23232)
BIOS E- 66 Sports Physiology (24683)
BIOS E- 70 Introduction to Epidemiology (24809)
BIOS E- 102 Newsworthy Topics in the Life Sciences (23074)
BIOS E- 107 Introduction to Medical Neuroscience (24579)
BIOS E- 118 Deep Sea Biology (24171)
BIOS E- 150 The Biology of Cancer (24595)
BIOS E- 155 Medical Microbiology (24224)
BIOS E- 200 Proseminar: Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in the Biological Sciences (22950)
BIOS E- 232 Neurobiology of Emotion and Psychiatric Illnesses (23451)
BIOS E- 240 Biochemical and Physiological Adaptation of Microbes (23825)
January session
BIOS E- 175 Optical Imaging in Modern Biomedical Research: An Introduction to Principles and Techniques (23296)
BIOS E- 179 Gene Expression: A Hands-on Approach (24205)

I stopped 6 credits short of finishing my biology degree with TESU. Mainly because of the cost. I didn't find it complicated, but I did find it too expensive for *me* since I already had a BA in Social Science. That said, if you could explain what kind of help you need, people can tell you whether or not it's worth $14,000.

[Silly_Me]

Jennifer,

I guess I just want someone to find the Biology classes for me. But, it looks like you already did that. lol Of course, I do understand that Lumerit has some advantages. For instance, TESU gives Lumerit students the in-state tuition price for their classes. I don't know if that makes up for all the fees that Lumerit charges. I wonder if they waive the residency fee, too, for Lumerit students. I do have lots of questions. Of course, I would only consider Lumerit if the amount of waived fees covered the cost of Lumerit's services. But, I'm guessing that isn't likely.

[dfrecore]

Jennifer,

I guess I just want someone to find the Biology classes for me. But, it looks like you already did that. lol Of course, I do understand that Lumerit has some advantages. For instance, TESU gives Lumerit students the in-state tuition price for their classes. I don't know if that makes up for all the fees that Lumerit charges. I wonder if they waive the residency fee, too, for Lumerit students. I do have lots of questions. Of course, I would only consider Lumerit if the amount of waived fees covered the cost of Lumerit's services. But, I'm guessing that isn't likely.

Stay far, far away from Lumerit. They will not do anything for you that you can't do for yourself with some helpful tips on here.

You don't want in-state pricing from TESU, because you don't want to take courses from TESU!! If you want a Bio degree for another reason (like grad school or med school), the TESU online courses aren't going to cut it - they want butt-in-seat classes. So you need to go somewhere near you for them.

If you don't want to go further, and just want the AA in Bio, then you don't need to do any TESU classes either - you can get them from sources here for much cheaper.

If I was going to get a Bio degree, I would probably not get it from TESU. I would find a good state school to get it from, that would accept lots of CLEP/DSST exams instead.

[sanantone]

The one reason why in-state tuition at TESU will not be helpful is that TESU does not offer many biology courses. TESU does not come close to offering the needed courses for the biology degree. Basically, you would mostly be taking general education and free elective courses at TESU. There are much cheaper ways to complete those.

If you don't care about butt-in-seat classes, then I recommend Clovis and NMJC for lower level courses with lab. What they don't have can be found at University of New England. For upper level biology courses, there are a few options for Microbiology, a Pathophysiology Uexcel, and several upper level courses at University of California, Berkeley Extension.

Another option would be to complete a BS in Natural Science with a concentration in Biology at Excelsior. You can test out of most of the credits and take the rest online with Excelsior, but this is not the equivalent of a traditional, biology degree. It's an interdisciplinary degree with a focus on biology.

[Silly_Me]

I see a few upper level science courses offered by UExcel. The tests are only $110, but surely there's a catch. How do you actually study for these exams? Is there a separate course you have to pay for? I'd love to know how UExcel works.

Thanks for any clarification you guys can offer!

[Ideas]

I see a few upper level science courses offered by UExcel. The tests are only $110, but surely there's a catch. How do you actually study for these exams? Is there a separate course you have to pay for? I'd love to know how UExcel works.

Thanks for any clarification you guys can offer!

They are a great deal. Some of the UExcel exams cost much more.

On the exam pages, there are two links

"Find recommended books and study materials."

"View, download, or print the Content Guide."

So that will give you a better idea of what to study.

[sanantone]

I see a few upper level science courses offered by UExcel. The tests are only $110, but surely there's a catch. How do you actually study for these exams? Is there a separate course you have to pay for? I'd love to know how UExcel works.

Thanks for any clarification you guys can offer!

There are only two UL science tests at Uexcel: Pathophysiology and Microbiology (it's technically LL at Excelsior, but UL at TESU). Microbiology is cheaper at Straighterline. The Microbiology Uexcel is $335. It is still up in the air whether or not TESU will count Bioethics as a science course. They told me that it wouldn't a couple of years ago, but they now have their own bioethics course that they count as a science.

For Uexcels, it might be best to study the recommended textbooks or other course materials they list. When I took the A&P Uexcel, I studied a textbook I already had. A&P is A&P. Really, any textbook should do. If I ever take Pathophysiology, I plan on watching a series of lectures I have.

[Silly_Me]

Sanantone,

Do you know if the Straighterline microbiology course is considered UL at TESU? It's listed as a lower level course on Straighterline.

I'll need 18 credit hours worth of 300-400 level science courses for the biology degree.

Thanks so much for all the great insights! I really do appreciate it.