HELP!! Need Bachelors in 1 year!

[MrsHall]

So my husband is in the military and we're making a transition into the civilian world in exactly 1 year and I need to get my bachelors by then because it will be easier for us in so many ways anyway, I have read I can just take tests instead of actual courses? basically test myself out of a class? Is this true? I was going more for Thomas Edison State College from what I read but idk if one might be better than the other. I am currently attending a local university and I have 33 credits completed. I want to get my bachelors in Health Care Administration. Someone help!

My questions are?

Do these schools know about students testing themselves out of class to graduate early or is it a secret that you have to have a legitimate reason to do this?

Is it possible for me to complete my bachelors by next year with the credits I already have?

Are the credits easily transferred?

What are the requirements to get into this school? And is it fully online?

[bjcheung77]

You should be able to get the credits through CLEP and DSST exams, go for them since you get discounts in the military.
Do the best you can by preparing with Course Materials for those exams and you should be good.
Your best bet in making a smoothier transfer of credits, is to create a spreadsheet of requirements.
You can enter completed and needed courses in here for reference and tracking purposes.
Any ACE/NCCRS recommended, regionally accredited courses will transfer into the program as planned.

The Big 3 are online distance schools, you just need to take the Capstone and Cornerstone from them.
The rest are all transferred in, you apply when you have about 90 credits or more.
I would recommend transferring in your courses when you are on the last part, the AOS as those courses are the hardest to find.
You can finish in a year, admission is easy, graduating is the hardest part.

[MrsHall]

Thank you so much for the info! I'm sorry to be so naive about this but what are the CLEP and DSST exams and where do I take them? And where can I study the course matierials? Do I contact the TESC for that? How do I create a spreadsheet of requirements? And what are ACE/NCCRS ? And is the Capstone and Cornerstone like an entrance exam? And could I take those with any of those 3 schools? And how do I get those 90 credits? And what do you mean by waiting untill the last part to transfer credits? Sorry for all the questions!:ack:

[dfrecore]

Well, welcome to the forum. First, I want to say that the answers to most of your questions will be here on the forum, but you're going to need to do a bunch of research. I would recommend starting now, and reading through each new post from start to finish, to start to understand what is going on. The more you read over the next couple of weeks, the easier it will be to get your degree.

I will try to answer some of your questions here, and then just start reading (an hour a day maybe) to try to get the info you need.

There is no secret to testing out, and all of the Big 3 allow it. When you have 90+ credits between all of your transcripts, go ahead and apply and send in your transcripts, and see where they place all of your courses.

Yes, it's totally possible to go from 33-120 credits in less than a year (a lot less if you're really motivated).

Not sure what you mean about "are the credits easily transferred?" If you mean are the credits easily transferred INTO TESU, then yes.

There are no requirements except that you're a HS graduate and over 21, and even then, you can get a waiver.

If you post a list of courses you've taken already, including whether it was a CC or 4-year college, and the course number with the name, that would be helpful. I can create a spreadsheet for you so you can see which courses you need to take to finish your degree.

CLEP/DSST exams are not textbook specific, meaning that they are fairly general. Most of them an be studied for in a variety of ways; online through YouTube videos, with courses you can listen to on iTunes University, with a textbook, with InstantCert flashcards, etc. If you are military, you can take them for free. Right now, DSST is letting you take exams for free, and then if you don't pass, you can retake them for free after 30 days. This is not the norm - usually the military makes you pay for the 2nd time if you didn't pass the first time.

Here are the CLEP exams: https://clep.collegeboard.org/exam

Here are the DSST exams: Exam Fact Sheets | DSST | Get College Credit

You can also take Saylor courses for free, and then take the exams for $25: Earn College Credit | Saylor Academy (only look at course that are on the list of ACE or NCCRS approved courses).

You can take courses via Straighterline (a mix of quizzes and final exam) for $99/mo plus a course fee (business courses include the eTextbook): Online Business Courses for College Credit | StraighterLine

There's also study.com, make sure you pick ACE-approved courses as well: Online College Credit Courses - Online Classes with Videos | Study.com

There are more, but it would be too much to write here.

There are 2 pieces of good news for you at TESU; , the BSBA with a concentration in Hospital Healthcare Administration can be taken without taking the Capstone course at TESU - you can take the Strategic Management TECEP exam instead, for $114. That will save you a bundle. And, CSU-Global has 9 Healthcare Admin courses/exams available the will fit into your Area of Study (you need 6) and all 9 of them are UL courses. So you are totally set for being able to get the courses you need! They are $250 each, and you enroll as a non-degree seeking student, and each course/exam comes with the online study materials you need to take the test.

So, post your completed (or in process) coursework, and we will help you figure out the rest.

[bjcheung77]

+1 , dfrecore is our resident spreadsheet superwoman. (The one who created many that I copied from)
I don't have much to add, just don't rush into everything. Here's the 5 top threads that will help you clear the mind.
You can see a sample of each of dfrecore's work as well, if you have the time, go through these threads...

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...-plan.html
http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...egree.html
http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...tions.html
http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...ement.html
http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...egree.html

[TrailRunr]

You can take courses via Straighterline (a mix of quizzes and final exam) for $99/mo plus a course fee (business courses include the eTextbook): Online Business Courses for College Credit | StraighterLine

It's not always true that the e-textbook comes free with business courses. They will sometimes offer the no e-textbook version $20 cheaper. That's beneficial for those who choose not to buy the e-textbook from SL. A few SL courses have a ridiculous grading scheme consisting of many quizzes and two finals, which will slow you down a lot such as the two economics courses. But most are friendly to quick and easy completion.

[MrsHall]

Wow thank you so much for willing to help!
-ok and just so im not confused when you say "Big 3" does that mean the 3 schools that are the title of this discussion?
-ok so Im understanding that the CLEP/DSST are exams that I take first to get my credits and once i reach 90 credits i can apply to TESU? and after i do will i be taking regular courses or exams? to add up to 120 credits
-when you say the requirement is over 21 does that mean they will accept someone who is 21 because I am 21, and is this the requirement for the other 2 schools as well?
-As far as the CLEP/DSST exams....do they state the material that needs to be learn? how will i know what to study
-And if i understand correctly the exams are free since im military? and I only have to pay for the second time i take it?
-And i could take exams at Saylor Academy only if they have the cources i need that are ACE OR NCCRS approved?
-Is Straightline and Study.com just courses? or can i take exams there as well?
-What is CSU-Global? and UL courses?
-What is $250?.......to take the exams at TESU?
-If i read correctly, i enroll as a non-degree student at TESU?
-And just to reasure myself, I will be taking these exams just so i can get into TESU and then graduate with a bachelors diploma from them right?

***Here are my completed and in process coursework all from the same local university

Course
BM 101 (D-22) Business Math for social sciences 101 (4.5 units)
EDUC 121 (D-21) College Studies 121 (4.5 units)
ENGL 133 (D-1) Reading Comprehension (3 units)
ALG 110 (D-22) Algebra 101 (3 units)
AP 145 (D-1) Anatomy & Physiology (3 units)
ENGL 145 (D-3) Technical Writing (3 units)
ACCT 110 (D-21) Introduction to Accounting (4.5 units)
CIS 110 (D-1) Spreadsheets (4.5 units)
HC 115 (D-3) Healthcare Vocabulary (3 units)
*IN PROCESS* ALG 121 (D-22) Algebra 102 (3 units)
*IN PROCESS* BIO 101 (D-3) Human Biology 101 (3 units)
*IN PROCESS* HC 265 (D-1) Medical Insurance Forms (4.5 units)

THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!

[MrsHall]

Thank you so much!

[MrsHall]

+1 , dfrecore is our resident spreadsheet superwoman. (The one who created many that I copied from)
I don't have much to add, just don't rush into everything. Here's the 5 top threads that will help you clear the mind.
You can see a sample of each of dfrecore's work as well, if you have the time, go through these threads...

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...-plan.html
http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...egree.html
http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...tions.html
http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...ement.html
http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...egree.html

Thank you so much!

[davewill]

You don't have to wait until you have 90 credits to apply... In fact, unlike dfrecore, I usually recommend people who have any significant number of units, as you do, go ahead and apply immediately. If they aren't sure which school they want to go to, then they can apply to all three.

That way you get an academic evaluation showing exactly how the courses you have now fit into your degree, which is handy if you aren't sure about some courses. I also just think it's a big shot in the arm to see the academic evaluation fill in as you send in test and course transcripts. These kinds of things can be very important. It's a long road, and we need all the motivators and pick-me-ups we can get.