Fastest not cheapest way to a bachelors degree?

[madhornet]

I just came across this site today and have been reading non stop. It is the answer i have been looking for. I am 48 years old and financially independent so cost isn't the issue. I have all the free time I need (4-5 hours a day) to get it done. I am needing the BA so that I can coach at a public school. I coach now at private schools because it is my passion but it would open up a whole new level of opportunity if I had a degree.

My question is what is the fastest and easiest way to get a degree using methods on this site? It looks to me like the Charter Oak Bus Administration may be it and I have extensive knowledge and experience in finance and economics from being a stock broker and long time business owner.

Are the tests done online or do you have to go somewhere to take them for the online classes?

Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

[bjcheung77]

I just came across this site today and have been reading non stop. It is the answer i have been looking for. I am 48 years old and financially independent so cost isn't the issue. I have all the free time I need (4-5 hours a day) to get it done. I am needing the BA so that I can coach at a public school. I coach now at private schools because it is my passion but it would open up a whole new level of opportunity if I had a degree.

My question is what is the fastest and easiest way to get a degree using methods on this site? It looks to me like the Charter Oak Bus Administration may be it and I have extensive knowledge and experience in finance and economics from being a stock broker and long time business owner.

Are the tests done online or do you have to go somewhere to take them for the online classes?

Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

Hello,

You first need to know how many credits you have and where these credits play in the degree.
Could you tell us or create a spreadsheet and enter in what you currently have, so we can critique what is required. If you are looking into COSC BSBA, you might be better off with a TESU BSBA due to the new changes that make it more desirable and easier, cheaper too...

The main thing right now is to get your general education, professional business requirements and free electives. The AOS or Area of Study concentration, is the main difference in each of these degrees.
For the most part, I would recommend ALEKS for Math, Straighterline and/or Saylor for general education.

If you are close to a CLEP or DSST Center, it maybe better to go for these exams instead. For me, I live an hour and a half away, so, that's my least desirable option. I rather take exams at home with an online proctor.

Thanks,

[dfrecore]

There are so many options to get a BSBA, it's almost mind-boggling. The fastest way is to test out, and for some people it's a great option. For others, they may prefer to take self-paced online courses. It's hard to tell you the exact fastest way to get all of your courses if you're not yet sure which way you want to do it.

You need to look at the degree requirements, and then look at the options you have for getting the requirements done. I'm not sure at COSC, but I know there are 2 good ways to get this info: 1) TESU's website Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree Program and choose an option. General Management is the most popular on this forum. And 2) go to Sanantone's wiki page to see what the options are for both the General Education (top section) of the degree Sanantone's TESC General Education Options After July 1, 2015 - Degree Forum Wiki - Wikia and the General Management (lower section) of the degree: Sanantone's TESC BSBA in General Management After July 1, 2015 - Degree Forum Wiki - Wikia

If you want to see what a degree plan looks like, I have a generic one for TESU General Management, and you could replace all of the Saylor courses (if you wanted) with some other options from Sanantone's list instead. I think most people here will agree that Saylor is not normally the fastest way to get a course done, unless you chose to just take the exams without going through the course (it's only $25 per exam, so not the worst idea in the world).

You also need to familiarize yourself with the different options:
CLEP - exams, accepted by the most schools

DSST - exams, accepted by fewer schools, but has more options than CLEP for UL credit

Saylor - MOOC, 22 courses accepted by ACE, format is that the course is free, but you have to have an online proctored final exam to get credit (coursework doesn't count towards the "grade"), $25 per proctored exam

Straighterline (SL) - offers online courses, online proctored final, quizzes, midterms & final exam (for most courses), all count towards "grade"; $99/mo membership fee + course fee (varies), so the more courses you can take in a month, the less you pay per credit

ALEKS - online math courses, non-proctored, print-based (as opposed to video-based); you can take 4 courses as quickly as you can for credit at TESU, $20/mo

Kaplan Open PLA - free online course, 3cr of Gen Ed - no need to take course, just take 7 end-of-module quizzes, score 70% and you're done

The Institutes Insurance Ethics course - free online course, 2cr towards Ethics, no need to take course, just take quiz, score 70% and you're done

UExcel - exams that are taken at Pearson VUE testing centers, get credit through Excelsior U, $145 and up each

TECEP - online proctored exams from TESU, $114 each

CSU-Global - online proctored exams, course material to study included in cost, lost of UL exams, credit comes through the college on their transcript, $250 each

There are more options, but it would take too long to list them all.

[kalishakti]

You also need to familiarize yourself with the different options:
CLEP - exams, accepted by the most schools

DSST - exams, accepted by fewer schools, but has more options than CLEP for UL credit

Saylor - MOOC, 22 courses accepted by ACE, format is that the course is free, but you have to have an online proctored final exam to get credit (coursework doesn't count towards the "grade"), $25 per proctored exam

Straighterline (SL) - offers online courses, online proctored final, quizzes, midterms & final exam (for most courses), all count towards "grade"; $99/mo membership fee + course fee (varies), so the more courses you can take in a month, the less you pay per credit

ALEKS - online math courses, non-proctored, print-based (as opposed to video-based); you can take 4 courses as quickly as you can for credit at TESU, $20/mo

Kaplan Open PLA - free online course, 3cr of Gen Ed - no need to take course, just take 7 end-of-module quizzes, score 70% and you're done

The Institutes Insurance Ethics course - free online course, 2cr towards Ethics, no need to take course, just take quiz, score 70% and you're done

UExcel - exams that are taken at Pearson VUE testing centers, get credit through Excelsior U, $145 and up each

TECEP - online proctored exams from TESU, $114 each

CSU-Global - online proctored exams, course material to study included in cost, lost of UL exams, credit comes through the college on their transcript, $250 each

There are more options, but it would take too long to list them all.

^^ excellent overview, should be made a sticky

[TrailRunr]

Saylor is too slow if you don't intend to skip the studying and head straight to the exam.

There are exams that require little or no studying like CLEP A&I and TECEP Applied lib arts math. Take advantage of those. CLEP/TECEP/UE/CSU Global CBE are the preferred form of credit since they're most portable. Many exams do require a lot of studying such as cramming a whole textbook from end-to-end, but it's still way less time consumed than a real course.

If you have to study more than 2 hours to pass a CLEP/DSST/TECEP/CSU Global CBE, SL (Straighterline) with open book exams is likely fastest (around 6 hours) for most, but not all courses. Exceptions to that rule include economics and math. The disadvantage of SL is that these credits aren't very portable outside of the few schools we like on this forum.

If your math is solid (meaning you don't need to review to pass an exam), ALEKS is a quick way to get 12 credits from home in intermediate algebra, trig/precalc, college algebra, and statistics by getting 70% or better on the initial assessment. Otherwise, ALEKS is a very slow (but non stressful) way to learn math. Getting 70% is good enough for credit, but it's inadequate in preparing you for future math courses. Like SL, ALEKS credits aren't very portable outside of the colleges favored here. If you have time, take the CLEP version of math instead so you can use it at more places.

I know I'm probably missing other forms of fast credit. Others can fill-in-the-blanks.

[bluebooger]

maybe this too
https://study.com/

[madhornet]

Thank you all for your help and advice. I have about 20-22 credits from UT but I have to check to find out exactly how many it is. I would prefer to take classes where I can test at anytime. I am a pretty good test taker and good memorization. I would like to avoid as much upper level math as possible. I can breeze through any type of business, finance or economics tests. I am not trying to learn anything....just trying to get a piece of paper that says I have BA that is legit so I can coach basketball at public schools.

How do people get this done in 4-9 months? I will review all of the information you have given me so far and come back with any other questions.

Thanks again!

[KayV]

TESU might be a better option if you enroll before May 25, 2016. I say this because their BSBA Capstone course, Strategic Management, can be completed with a TECEP exam instead of a class, and the new Cornerstone requirement goes into effect May 25.

Look at Sanantone's BSBA plans on the wiki to get more of an idea.

And is that Hook'em UT or Rocky Top UT? Either way, welcome to the forum!

[TrailRunr]

Per-credit enrollment starts after being enrolled the 10th day of the May term. April 16 (today) is the last day of regular registration for May. April 21 is the official last day of late registration. I'm not sure if it's possible to enroll in an easy TECEP after April 21st. I would not automatically assume the answer is "no". In any case, the time has almost run out for avoiding the cornerstone.

[cookderosa]

Thank you all for your help and advice. I have about 20-22 credits from UT but I have to check to find out exactly how many it is. I would prefer to take classes where I can test at anytime. I am a pretty good test taker and good memorization. I would like to avoid as much upper level math as possible. I can breeze through any type of business, finance or economics tests. I am not trying to learn anything....just trying to get a piece of paper that says I have BA that is legit so I can coach basketball at public schools.

How do people get this done in 4-9 months? I will review all of the information you have given me so far and come back with any other questions.

Thanks again!

Are there any public school requirements besides "a degree" that you need? Licensure, or anything else? That's really the first question. Then, you can work backwards.

Coaches and Scouts : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

From the Department of Labor site- which is general, not specific by state:

How to Become a Coach or Scout About this section
Coaches and scouts
Coaches and scouts must have overall knowledge of the game or sport.
Coaches and scouts typically need a bachelor’s degree. They must also have extensive knowledge of the sport. Coaches typically gain this knowledge through their own experiences playing the sport at some level. Although previous playing experience may be beneficial, it is not required for most scouting jobs.

Education
College and professional coaches must usually have a bachelor’s degree. This degree can typically be in any subject. However, some coaches may decide to study exercise and sports science, physiology, kinesiology, nutrition and fitness, physical education, and sports medicine.

High schools typically hire teachers or administrators at the school for most coaching jobs. If no suitable teacher is found, schools hire a qualified candidate from outside the school. For more information on education requirements for teachers, see the profile on high school teachers.

Scouts must also typically have a bachelor’s degree. Some scouts decide to get a degree in business, marketing, sales, or sports management.

Other Experience
College and professional coaching jobs also typically require experience playing the sport at some level.

Scouting jobs typically do not require experience playing a sport at the college or professional level, but it can be beneficial. Employers look for applicants with a passion for sports and an ability to spot young players who have exceptional athletic ability and skills.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Most state high school athletic associations require coaches to be certified or at least complete mandatory education courses.

Certification often requires coaches to be a minimum age (at least 18 years old) and be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid. Some states also require coaches to attend classes related to sports safety and coaching fundamentals prior to becoming certified. For information of specific state coaching requirements, contact the state’s high school athletic association or visit the National Association of State Boards of Education.

Although most public high school coaches need to meet these state requirements in order to become a coach, certification may not be required for coaching and sports instructor jobs in private schools.

Some schools may require coaches to have a teaching license and complete a background check.

Certification requirements for college coaching positions also vary.

Additional certification may be highly desirable or even required in order to become an instructor in scuba diving, tennis, golf, karate, or other individual sports. There are many certifying organizations specific to the various sports, and their requirements vary.

Part-time workers and those in smaller facilities or youth leagues are less likely to need formal education or training and may not need certification.