Excelsior & Study.com

[carebear_007]

I'm not sure if this is new information or if it's been available for awhile.

After diving into the abyss of which school to go for (TESU was my first interest), I started looking into other places based on the feedback that I've received. I'm checking out Excelsior and on their website it says "Students who have completed at least two Study.com courses are eligible for partnership benefits at Excelsior College." It also says that you can transfer up to 113 college credits for even more time and cost savings.

Out of interest, is it possible to get all 113 college credits from Study.com? If not, can this be achieved using a combination of Study.com and Sophia.org?

[rachel83az]

Similar partnerships exist between Sophia, CSM Learn, and I forget who else. They've got a bunch of partners: https://www.excelsior.edu/partners/

Of note, most of the partnership benefits do NOT kick in until you take at least 12 credits at Excelsior. You must take 7 credits with them. If you take 6 more credits, it only costs a couple hundred dollars extra. This is great for something like a history degree where it can be difficult to find classes that will meet specific Excelsior requirements.

You can get a BALS entirely through SDC and Sophia, IIRC. I don't think it's possible to get any other degree without using things like Coopersmith or UExcel/TECEP exams.

[dfrecore]

I think you can get an entire BALA/BSLA from EC using only Study.com. I probably would not, as it would be more expensive than using Sophia for part of it.

The only benefit you get for using a partner is no application fee, unless you take 12 (actually 13) credits directly with EC. BUT, they have a great deal once that happens.

EC Costs - transfer in 113cr
Application Fee Using SL or Study.com affiliation $-
Enrollment Fee (Multi-Source Option) Paid for 1st year $1,095
Information Literacy (1cr) $510
- Technology Fee Per course credit $20
Cornerstone (3cr) $1,530
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Capstone (3cr) $1,530
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Graduation Fee $495
TOTAL $5,300

EC Costs - transfer in 106cr
Application Fee Using SL or Study.com affiliation $-
Information Literacy (1cr) $410
- Technology Fee Per course credit $20
Cornerstone (3cr) $1,230
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Course #2 (3cr) $1,230
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Course #3 (3cr) $1,230
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Capstone (3cr) $1,230
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Graduation Fee $260
TOTAL $5,850

So if you found 2 interesting (UL) courses, you could take those for $275 each - a steal!

[carebear_007]

I think you can get an entire BALA/BSLA from EC using only Study.com.  I probably would not, as it would be more expensive than using Sophia for part of it.

The only benefit you get for using a partner is no application fee, unless you take 12 (actually 13) credits directly with EC.  BUT, they have a great deal once that happens.

EC Costs - transfer in 113cr
Application Fee Using SL or Study.com affiliation $-  
Enrollment Fee (Multi-Source Option) Paid for 1st year $1,095
Information Literacy (1cr) $510
- Technology Fee Per course credit $20
Cornerstone (3cr) $1,530
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Capstone (3cr) $1,530
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Graduation Fee $495
TOTAL $5,300

EC Costs - transfer in 106cr
Application Fee Using SL or Study.com affiliation $-  
Information Literacy (1cr) $410
- Technology Fee Per course credit $20
Cornerstone (3cr) $1,230
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Course #2 (3cr) $1,230
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Course #3 (3cr) $1,230
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Capstone (3cr) $1,230
- Technology Fee Per course credit $60
Graduation Fee $260
TOTAL $5,850

So if you found 2 interesting (UL) courses, you could take those for $275 each - a steal!

Thank you for the breakdown!

[carebear_007]

This week has been really draining as far as trying to figure out which college is best and what the requirements are. On top of that learning about all of the resources and what courses would be acceptable. I originally thought I was going to stick with TESU but after everything that I've been learning from here, it seems like Excelsior would be best for me as far as quickest, easiest, and what not. I'm still trying to get a hold of someone from the school that bought out the defunct trade school that I went to so that I could find out if any of the 13 modules for the Graphic Design Specialist Certificate that I took had any credits.

As for now, this is what I'm thinking of doing. Take all of the UL requirements first through Study.com, then apply at Excelsior to transfer those credits and take the Cornerstone and Liberal Arts Capstone courses. Then use Sophia to crank out the rest of my Gen Eds.

Here are the courses that I found that at Study.com that (I think) would satisfy the 24 of the 30 UL requirements for BALS at Excelsior.

"Business 313: Organizational Communication (Humanities)"
"Business 324: Managerial Communication (Humanities)"
"Sociology 305: Sociology of Work (Social Sciences)"
"Health 301: Ethical & Legal Issues in Healthcare (Ethics (Humanities))"
"Psychology 311: Physiological Psychology (Social Sciences)"
"Psychology 316: Advanced Social Psychology (Social Sciences)"
Business 306: Strategic Human Resources Management (Business Core)

Would these 2 classes meet the 6 UL or would I need to find 2 more Arts & Science UL?

Gen Ed Capstone (must be taken an Excelsior) LA498 Liberal Arts Capstone
IND 101 Cornerstone A: Foundations or IND 301 Cornerstone B: Pathways

Also, do you guys think that this is a doable plan?

I appreciate this group so much. This group has give me (much needed) faith that I can actually achieve my dream of obtaining a degree.

[rachel83az]

Business courses generally do not count as BALS. 313 and 324 might, since they are listed as humanities, but Business 306 is definitely not liberal arts. If you want to take so that many business courses, getting a BALS or a BSBA at UMPI might be a better option for you. It'd be much more straightforward.

But if you swap out Business 306 for something that is actually liberal arts then that should work. Yes, the capstone counts towards your UL credits and you can request to have the UL cornerstone as well.

[carebear_007]

Business courses generally do not count as BALS. 313 and 324 might, since they are listed as humanities, but Business 306 is definitely not liberal arts. If you want to take so that many business courses, getting a BALS or a BSBA at UMPI might be a better option for you. It'd be much more straightforward.

But if you swap out Business 306 for something that is actually liberal arts then that should work. Yes, the capstone counts towards your UL credits and you can request to have the UL cornerstone as well.

I actually didn't mean to take so many business courses. Study.com has slim pickings on arts & science UL for Excelsior. I was trying to make Study.com and Sophia be a "one stop shop" so to speak since they seem to be in line with how I retain information and my attention span (small little snack bites of information provided via videos). I really wanted more humanities and social science but those were the only ones available as far as UL.

Here's another business class that's also listed as social science that I could swap out:
Business 307: Leadership & Organizational Behavior (Organizational Behavior (Social Sciences))

[rachel83az]

Not a fan of history? History is a liberal arts category.

Yes, that one should work. That's assuming that Excelsior actually brings all of those in as UL credits. Having a 300-number at SDC doesn't necessarily mean that it's considered to be UL. Usually, but not always.

Another option would be to take the UExcel Psychology of Adulthood & Aging with https://study.com/academy/course/uexcel-...-prep.html to study. Plus pay for the additional study guide/exam. It would cost a bit more but it's good to have options in case something doesn't come in as UL level.

There is also an UL UExcel "Social Psychology" with the code PSYx325. If the SDC Advanced Social Psychology comes in as something besides PSY325 then that UExcel might be another good option.

[dfrecore]

All UL, all work in BALS (you only have 7, so you need 1 more)
Business 313: Organizational Communication (Humanities)
Business 324: Managerial Communication (Humanities)
Sociology 305: Sociology of Work (Social Sciences)
Health 301: Ethical & Legal Issues in Healthcare (Ethics (Humanities))
Psychology 311: Physiological Psychology (Social Sciences)
Psychology 316: Advanced Social Psychology (Social Sciences)
Business 307: Leadership & Organizational Behavior (Organizational Behavior (Social Sciences))

Capstone is UL
Cornerstone - you will be required to take the LL cornerstone if you bring in less than 60cr, and UL if you bring in more. So, I would do 24cr of UL from Study.com, and then 36cr from Sophia or Study.com before you apply. For sure do things you know you didn't do for your Graphic Design Cert - things like English 101, Math, Science, etc.

[carebear_007]

Not a fan of history? History is a liberal arts category.

Yes, that one should work. That's assuming that Excelsior actually brings all of those in as UL credits. Having a 300-number at SDC doesn't necessarily mean that it's considered to be UL. Usually, but not always.

Another option would be to take the UExcel Psychology of Adulthood & Aging with https://study.com/academy/course/uexcel-...-prep.html to study. Plus pay for the additional study guide/exam. It would cost a bit more but it's good to have options in case something doesn't come in as UL level.

There is also an UL UExcel "Social Psychology" with the code PSYx325. If the SDC Advanced Social Psychology comes in as something besides PSY325 then that UExcel might be another good option.

Study.com 's history are all LL...:/

---

All UL, all work in BALS (you only have 7, so you need 1 more)
Business 313: Organizational Communication (Humanities)
Business 324: Managerial Communication (Humanities)
Sociology 305: Sociology of Work (Social Sciences)
Health 301: Ethical & Legal Issues in Healthcare (Ethics (Humanities))
Psychology 311: Physiological Psychology (Social Sciences)
Psychology 316: Advanced Social Psychology (Social Sciences)
Business 307: Leadership & Organizational Behavior (Organizational Behavior (Social Sciences))

Capstone is UL
Cornerstone - you will be required to take the LL cornerstone if you bring in less than 60cr, and UL if you bring in more.  So, I would do 24cr of UL from Study.com, and then 36cr from Sophia or Study.com before you apply.  For sure do things you know you didn't do for your Graphic Design Cert - things like English 101, Math, Science, etc.

Really? I really hope so. Because the way I read it was on their catalog was 90 credits must be in the arts & science. The remaining 30 must be UL in arts & science. If all UL will work in BALS then that would make things a tad bit easier.