My Technical Studies Degree Plan

[SRES]

My goal is to complete the TESU BS in Technical Studies as quickly as possible (no later than 12/31/18 if possible). I have had my transcripts evaluated and attached a degree plan that I've pieced together with help from these amazing forums. I would love for someone to look it over and let me know if it looks correct and like it's the fastest/easiest route. Any suggestions/substitutions are much appreciated!

I also have some specific questions:

1. Any recommendations on where I can take Chemistry 1&2 with Lab or Physics 1&2 with Lab (fastest/easiest)?
2. I've read you can get a waiver for the cornerstone if you take a class with study.com. Is that still correct?
3. Will the "Information Systems and Computer Applications" CLEP satisfy the Computer Concepts degree requirement?
4. Does my completion goal of 12/31/18 look realistic?
5. Should I sign up for the capstone ASAP? 
6. TESU website says taking a September class makes me eligible for graduation no sooner than March. Is there any way around that, or is it set in stone?

Thank you all again for your amazing input and support!

[MNomadic]

1) fastest would probably be SL for physics 1+lab or ed4credit for chem 1 + lab. Fastest physics 2 lab or chem 2 lab may be TESU @ 6 weeks.
2) study.com waiver for cornerstone is no longer available
3)not sure
4) realistic? No. The capstone is 3 months Long and we're 4 months away from your completion goal but it is possible.
5) yes, you would have to sign up asap.
6) I'm not aware of a way around that.

[allvia]

You'd be looking at a March graduation at the earliest, the last capstone class for December graduation has already started (August). https://www.tesu.edu/current-students/gr...nformation

Although I do not have personal knowledge of them, often recommended here is Rio Salado College. They do offer both Chem I w/lab and Chem II w/lab and would likely be the quickest because they offer (near) monthly starts and 8 week programs. They offer Physics I & II but no labs (which are required so they do not work for the Physics option) http://www.riosalado.edu

You will need to have TESU do an official evaluation for you. You do have many credits that fall into your AOS, but they all appear to be LL (100/200).  You won't know what you're truly missing until the official evaluation is complete and that can take weeks (have heard up to 6 weeks in some cases, although within 4 is normal), so don't delay in applying and sending them all your transcripts.

The cornerstone can no longer be waived (at all, now required)

Since you have a few months before the last capstone course starts for your earlisst graduation option I would wait until you have the official TESU evaluation - you may rethink your BS Tech Studies plan depending on what you'll need and switch to another program - which would require a completely difference Capstone course (it happens here all the time, people start with the BS Tech Studies and switch to a different degree path due to needing expensive UL courses to back fill and getting those specific science with labs)

[quigongene]

Did I miss the 12 UL credits you need in the AOS? (18 total, minus 6 for Capstone and Project Management).

[SRES]

1) fastest would probably be SL for physics 1+lab or ed4credit for chem 1 + lab. Fastest physics 2 lab or chem 2 lab may be TESU @ 6 weeks.
2) study.com waiver for cornerstone is no longer available
3)not sure
4) realistic? No. The capstone is 3 months Long and we're 4 months away from your completion goal but it is possible.
5) yes, you would have to sign up asap.
6) I'm not aware of a way around that.

Thanks! I'll look into those the SL physics+lab and ed4credit  chem1+lab courses. It looks like there is an APS-401 capstone class starting this Monday that would finish up November 18th. Thanks for your help!

---

You'd be looking at a March graduation at the earliest, the last capstone class for December graduation has already started (August). https://www.tesu.edu/current-students/gr...nformation

Although I do not have personal knowledge of them, often recommended here is Rio Salado College. They do offer both Chem I w/lab and Chem II w/lab and would likely be the quickest because they offer (near) monthly starts and 8 week programs. They offer Physics I & II but no labs (which are required so they do not work for the Physics option) http://www.riosalado.edu

You will need to have TESU do an official evaluation for you. You do have many credits that fall into your AOS, but they all appear to be LL (100/200).  You won't know what you're truly missing until the official evaluation is complete and that can take weeks (have heard up to 6 weeks in some cases, although within 4 is normal), so don't delay in applying and sending them all your transcripts.

The cornerstone can no longer be waived (at all, now required)

Since you have a few months before the last capstone course starts for your earlisst graduation option I would wait until you have the official TESU evaluation - you may rethink your BS Tech Studies plan depending on what you'll need and switch to another program - which would require a completely difference Capstone course (it happens here all the time, people start with the BS Tech Studies and switch to a different degree path due to needing expensive UL courses to back fill and getting those specific science with labs)

Thanks for the info on Rio Salado! I'll definitely check it out. TESU has done an official evaluation of my community college credits, but it was for a degree in biomedical electronics.  When I logon to look at my evaluation, there is a box that says, "What if I change my program of study?". When I select the "technical studies" degree, it says my AOS is complete except for project management and my capstone. 

Now that I look closer, I see it says they need to be 300/400 level courses, so is it a mistake that these classes got placed there? I attached a screenshot for your reference.

Thank you for your help. Any other feedback is greatly appreciated!

---

Did I miss the 12 UL credits you need in the AOS? (18 total, minus 6 for Capstone and Project Management).

I got an official evaluation done for a degree in biomedical electronics, but I was looking for something that would accept more of my credits. When I logon to look at my evaluation, there is a box that says, "What if I change my program of study?". When I select the "technical studies" degree, it says my AOS is complete except for project management and my capstone. Did these classes get put in there by mistake? I have attached a sceenshot. Thank you.

[allvia]

1) fastest would probably be SL for physics 1+lab or ed4credit for chem 1 + lab. Fastest physics 2 lab or chem 2 lab may be TESU @ 6 weeks.
2) study.com waiver for cornerstone is no longer available
3)not sure
4) realistic? No. The capstone is 3 months Long and we're 4 months away from your completion goal but it is possible.
5) yes, you would have to sign up asap.
6) I'm not aware of a way around that.

Thanks! I'll look into those the SL physics+lab and ed4credit  chem1+lab courses. It looks like there is an APS-401 capstone class starting this Monday that would finish up November 18th. Thanks for your help!

---

You'd be looking at a March graduation at the earliest, the last capstone class for December graduation has already started (August). https://www.tesu.edu/current-students/gr...nformation

Although I do not have personal knowledge of them, often recommended here is Rio Salado College. They do offer both Chem I w/lab and Chem II w/lab and would likely be the quickest because they offer (near) monthly starts and 8 week programs. They offer Physics I & II but no labs (which are required so they do not work for the Physics option) http://www.riosalado.edu

You will need to have TESU do an official evaluation for you. You do have many credits that fall into your AOS, but they all appear to be LL (100/200).  You won't know what you're truly missing until the official evaluation is complete and that can take weeks (have heard up to 6 weeks in some cases, although within 4 is normal), so don't delay in applying and sending them all your transcripts.

The cornerstone can no longer be waived (at all, now required)

Since you have a few months before the last capstone course starts for your earlisst graduation option I would wait until you have the official TESU evaluation - you may rethink your BS Tech Studies plan depending on what you'll need and switch to another program - which would require a completely difference Capstone course (it happens here all the time, people start with the BS Tech Studies and switch to a different degree path due to needing expensive UL courses to back fill and getting those specific science with labs)

Thanks for the info on Rio Salado! I'll definitely check it out. TESU has done an official evaluation of my community college credits, but it was for a degree in biomedical electronics.  When I logon to look at my evaluation, there is a box that says, "What if I change my program of study?". When I select the "technical studies" degree, it says my AOS is complete except for project management and my capstone. 

Now that I look closer, I see it says they need to be 300/400 level courses, so is it a mistake that these classes got placed there? I attached a screenshot for your reference.

Thank you for your help. Any other feedback is greatly appreciated!

---

Did I miss the 12 UL credits you need in the AOS? (18 total, minus 6 for Capstone and Project Management).

I got an official evaluation done for a degree in biomedical electronics, but I was looking for something that would accept more of my credits. When I logon to look at my evaluation, there is a box that says, "What if I change my program of study?". When I select the "technical studies" degree, it says my AOS is complete except for project management and my capstone. Did these classes get put in there by mistake? I have attached a sceenshot. Thank you.

Not exactly a mistake, but not helpful at all either. The automated system place them there because they do work there as LL, but they won't actually meet the UL requirements.  The BS Tech Studies is one degree were a person must do the evaluation - the tool just doesn't work properly.  Email them and they will add the degree evaluation for you, generally in a day or two max.

As I said earlier the earliest you can graduate is March, the capstone that is starting Aug. 27, 2018 is the Septemeber Term not August. https://www.tesu.edu/academics/undergrad-calendar.  Before you spend all that money on the Capstone course make sure you'll be taking the correct one (as you may find out those UL BS Tech Studies you're missing may not be affordable &/or able to complete quickly)

If your objective is to use up as many of your credits as possible, and you're not concerned what the degree is in then you may want to have them add the BALS as well, you may be much closer to that than the BS Tech Studies, especially if you're looking to be done ASAP. Again the BALS is a differnct capstone, so don't rush to spend the money on a course (that you still have two more terms to take for the next possible TESU graduation date - which again is March at earliest) until you are truly sure which capstone course it really is that you need.   Plus you're missing enough Gen Eds that you'll likely want to take at least a few courses with Study.com first so you can get the tuition rate discount through affiliation as it is a $400 savings (unless you're in NJ, then it is the same tuition rate).

[MNomadic]

To summarize/clarify:
-both bsts and bals would require some UL courses
-im not aware of any self paced bsts UL courses so they would be 12 weeks at tesu or 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, etc weeks from another source. This would be on a fixed schedule that may not allow flexible start dates. They may also have prerequisites, require registration ahead of time, maybe full classes so you have to wait for the next semester/cycle, plus ordering books/labkits/other supplies that may take time to arrive at your place. I don't see a way of completing them fast. Even if you did phy/chem lab 2 courses at TESU or RIO, they want to see that you've already done the corresponding prerequisite courses before you can even register. This adds more time and again, you may not be able to start them in the next 1-2 months.
-bals is far more flexible. You may not have as many courses in your AOS starting but you can complete virtually all of the AOS courses(including UL) through self paced alternative means(TECEP, clep, DSST, ECE, Study.com, etc.) At that point, you can potentially finish them in time to graduate in March.

[shadowgem]

To summarize/clarify:
-both bsts and bals would require some UL courses
-im not aware of any self paced bsts UL courses so they would be 12 weeks at tesu or 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, etc weeks from another source. This would be on a fixed schedule that may not allow flexible start dates. They may also have prerequisites, require registration ahead of time, maybe full classes so you have to wait for the next semester/cycle, plus ordering books/labkits/other supplies that may take time to arrive at your place. I don't see a way of completing them fast. Even if you did phy/chem lab 2 courses at TESU or RIO, they want to see that you've already done the corresponding prerequisite courses before you can even register. This adds more time and again, you may not be able to start them in the next 1-2 months.
-bals is far more flexible. You may not have as many courses in your AOS starting but you can complete virtually all of the AOS courses(including UL) through self paced alternative means(TECEP, clep, DSST, ECE, Study.com, etc.) At that point, you can potentially finish them in time to graduate in March.

I'm not sure if it's possible but there may be enough self paced options if he could get preapproval to use the self paced UL computer courses to meet the UL requirements in the BSTS Degree II. AOS category? 

It says 

• 18 credits from other applied science and technology disciplines and Computers are listed as one of the subsections of the BSTS.
  

For example, the DSST Fundamentals of Cybersecurity, Study.com's CS 302/CS 303, TESU's Network Technology TECEP seem like they may be worth asking about? If so, that would be 12 UL plus the capstone and project management would give him the 18UL required maybe.

[allvia]

To summarize/clarify:
-both bsts and bals would require some UL courses
-im not aware of any self paced bsts UL courses so they would be 12 weeks at tesu or 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, etc weeks from another source. This would be on a fixed schedule that may not allow flexible start dates. They may also have prerequisites, require registration ahead of time, maybe full classes so you have to wait for the next semester/cycle, plus ordering books/labkits/other supplies that may take time to arrive at your place. I don't see a way of completing them fast. Even if you did phy/chem lab 2 courses at TESU or RIO, they want to see that you've already done the corresponding prerequisite courses before you can even register. This adds more time and again, you may not be able to start them in the next 1-2 months.
-bals is far more flexible. You may not have as many courses in your AOS starting but you can complete virtually all of the AOS courses(including UL) through self paced alternative means(TECEP, clep, DSST, ECE, Study.com, etc.) At that point, you can potentially finish them in time to graduate in March.

I'm not sure if it's possible but there may be enough self paced options if he could get preapproval to use the self paced UL computer courses to meet the UL requirements in the BSTS Degree II. AOS category? 

It says 

• 18 credits from other applied science and technology disciplines and Computers are listed as one of the subsections of the BSTS.
  

For example, the DSST Fundamentals of Cybersecurity, Study.com's CS 302/CS 303, TESU's Network Technology TECEP seem like they may be worth asking about? If so, that would be 12 UL plus the capstone and project management would give him the 18UL required maybe.

Agreed this may be possible, all the more reason to add the official evaluation. The more precise the knowledge of missing credit is, the more targeted (& quicker) a plan of action can be made.  One thing is for sure, no matter what option those Chem I w/lab & Chem II w/lab credits will not be wasted or lost no matter the degree choice.  If they are not used for the BSTS then they will fall into the Gen Eds (& you are missing plenty) so getting those would be more 'urgent' than signing up for a Capstone that you still have a few months left before you must sign up in order to graduate in March.

[SRES]

Official Evaluations are in! They are attached. I really appreciate all of your thoughts and advice on this. It sounds like although I have more credits that transfer to the Technical Studies degree, a BALS degree may be easier and faster to obtain. Do you all agree?

I should add that I have the following CLEPs and DSST that haven't been evaluated by TESU yet:
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature - 6 ACE recommended credits
Information Systems and Computer Applications - 3 ACE Recommended Credits
Personal Finance - 3 ACE Recommended Credits