I'm new and could use some advice and help.

[Attie]

Oh okay, I see what you're saying. I'm not really reluctant to switch schools at this point because I've just begun. I think I might feel differently if I had already completed several classes at AMU and/or was closer to being done with my degree. If testing out was something I had spent more time researching before I signed up at APUS, I may have picked a different school to begin with (or maybe not).

From looking at COSC, it looks like I may be able to test out of everything except 2 or 4 classes, depending on whether they accept all of my transfer credits and how they allocate them (and I could probably satisfy those classes at BYU like rebel100 mentioned) plus the cornerstone and the capstone. I don't see anything about upper or lower level credit mentioned though, just class names (Shakespeare, Literary Theory, etc.). I'm just not sure. Do you know anything about that? :confused:

Thanks for your help!

[rebel100]

At charter oak tou will have to have 30 upper level courses to graduate 300 or 400 level....only a handful of exams are offered as ul. You will need a minimum of 15 ul credits in english. This is where your gonna likely have to take some classes.....everything else had an exam.....FEMA are free to use at charter oak and can save you up to a year's worth of classes....the cost factor here is significant!

[Attie]

Thank you! I am not sure why I didn't see that information anywhere on the COSC website, but I must have been overlooking it somehow. So, I need 30 upper level credits and 15 of those must be English. That's 10 3-credit classes, 5 of any upper level subject and 5 upper level English classes. And 300 and 400 level classes are considered upper level. Okay, that makes sense.

Are any of the FEMAs good for upper level credit? I have heard that they are tests or something but I don't really know anything about them. I'll try to do a search on here, but maybe not until later or tomorrow (I'm starting to get blurry-eyed :p). And it looks like there are plenty more than 5 BYU English Classes that are upper level. So I will have to sit down and go over all of this to see if it works out cheaper than APUS (I'm already sure it would be faster). I'll post again later or tomorrow with what I can figure out.

Thanks again so much!

[Jonathan Whatley]

I don't think any FEMAs are UL at Charter Oak, though I'm not certain.

Your English Capstone would count for 3 sh toward the upper-level requirements both in your concentration and overall. Another source of affordable and flexible English courses, many UL, is Louisiana State University.

[sanantone]

Are you sure you would need a proctored test for English courses? Forget about the GRE unless you need LL credit. The literature test only comes with 3 UL credits. I was told that the GREs mostly count as concentration electives; they either cover one or two of the required courses or none at all.

[burresjm]

Hello everyone! I have been lurking here for quite some time, trying my best to work out a college plan for myself. I feel overwhelmed, so I thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and join. Maybe you guys can help me out a little bit, if you don’t mind.

I would really like to get a Bachelor’s degree in English or something related (like Literature or Creative Writing). I completed an AA in English at a local state college before I knew much about alternate ways to get credit, though I did do college algebra through Straighterline back when it was partnered with Fort Hays.

After I graduated from my state college (I would have stayed there, but they don’t offer a BA in English), I enrolled at American Military University. I took one course there. I like the school a lot so far, but I can only take one class at a time because of the cost (I don’t qualify for aid), so it will take me a long time to graduate! I would prefer something a bit faster and cheaper if possible. I looked over the tests that APUS accepts for credit and was/am planning to take some CLEPs and a DSST, but I haven’t started studying for them yet. I am not sure if I would still benefit from those particular tests (listed below) if I do change schools.

I guess I am just hoping someone could recommend me one of the Big 3 (if any would be a better option than APUS), and maybe some CLEPs or other exams to take. Or just give me some kind of direction on how to complete my degree.

COSC looks like it might be my best option, but there are some class requirements that I’m not sure I would be able to fill since there aren’t tests for everything and COSC doesn’t offer all of the classes needed for their English degree (Shakespeare, for example). I was interested to see that they have a GRE option, but I wish they gave more information about it. Would that be a better way for me to go?

Excelsior looks good, but I am not sure about the degree actually being Humanities--Literature rather than just Literature or English--Literature.

TESC is out because I absolutely can’t/won’t do online proctoring, and it looks like they require ProctorU. I don’t really want to go into my reasons, but I strongly prefer in-person proctors. I would have no problem with either finding my own proctor or going back to my state college and paying a small fee to use their testing center, but I don’t think those are options at TESC.

You absolutely do not have to use ProctorU!! I just finished my last course with TESC, I've completed my BA in English. None of my English/Literature have had to have any proctoring at all. I used ProctorU for one class and absolutely hated it, they were rude and talked the entire time through my test! I know it was a mistake, they forgot to turn their microphones off, but even after I said something they still didn't do anything about it. Anyway, so after that, I chose to use my local library. It worked out really well. TESC was really great, I have had a few issues with them, but nothing compared to the community college I went to. They have really helped, for instance I had one test to take and knew I wouldn't get it done before the April 1st graduation deadline, so I called them and they gave me an extra month. Good luck!

[rebel100]

Im not 100% on the "english" concentration.....but the 30 UL hours is certain, note three of those would be from the required Capstone course...and that would count in your major (charter Oak calls majors concentrations...they are essencially the same thing, though people argue about what that means).

For credit by exam there are DSST (a few) that are UL, some TECEP exams are UL, and a few EC exams are UL. The master list of exams is here: http://www.charteroak.edu/Current/Academ...r-list.pdf Problem for you is that they show nothing at the UL except the GRE....the GRE is only given at certain times, and how mwny credits and at what level determines the credit award....I believe only 6-12 UL credits are even possible via the GRE....I think it's simpler to just find other sources.

You will see that there are a lot of test options in History....you might consider a dual concentration that would be 18 (including capstone) UL in English and 12 UL in History. Done that way you would need only 5 english courses, 4 history exams at the UL and the Capstone.

None of the FEMA are UL.....they would just be free elective filler in your case. COSC and TESC both accept up to 30 credits that way.....thats a whole year! at least a $1000 savings from the cost of testing out of thoses....thousands more if you took those credits as an actual class somewhere.

this is the cost effective, quick way to an accredited degree.

[cookderosa]

The TESC courses I took used an in-person proctor (Strighterline requires an online proctor for any school, even APUS schools) but I have always liked the APUS system. In fact, we are about 99% sure my husband's MBA will come from there. As you're learning, more tests exist for 100/200 level, fewer for 300/400 so you'll have to choose carefully from here on out. Good luck, and for what it's worth, I think paying cash is ALWAYS the way to go!

[sanantone]

Problem for you is that they show nothing at the UL except the GRE....the GRE is only given at certain times, and how mwny credits and at what level determines the credit award....I believe only 6-12 UL credits are even possible via the GRE....I think it's simpler to just find other sources.

The psychology and literature GREs are only worth 3 UL credits. That's why I'm glad my psychology GRE test was cancelled even though I was furious at first. If it was worth it to take it, I would have had to wait all the way until October because I was scheduled to take it in April.

http://www.charteroak.edu/prospective/pr...rature.cfm

[Attie]

I don't think any FEMAs are UL at Charter Oak, though I'm not certain.

Your English Capstone would count for 3 sh toward the upper-level requirements both in your concentration and overall. Another source of affordable and flexible English courses, many UL, is Louisiana State University.

Thank you!