Need 4 classes for AA in Gen, help with degree plan

[Staceys88]

I am 4 classes away from finishing my AA in Gen and just found this site and about the all the different options (SDC, SL, etc.).  Sure wish I found it sooner! I recently lost my job due to not having a degree so I'm super motivated to get it done fast.  I will need a 4 yr degree but since i'm so close to finishing the AA, I don't want to switch over.

I'm enrolled in TESU and have taken several online and TECEP classes.  I added my current courses. 

Would someone be willing to help me plan my last 4 credits for the AA, and then give me an idea to the fastest way to finish the bachelors? My career is in pharmaecutical marketing but it doesn't matter what my degree is in. 

Thank you so very much!!!!

Stacey

[dfrecore]

Honestly, TESU is about the most expensive way to go to get an AA, I never recommend it.  I also never recommend taking courses there, since they are so expensive (capstone excepted obviously).

Also, if you have to pay the residency waiver, then you had better be getting the BA quick, because it's good for 1 year.  So if you pay it now, and then don't get your BA in a year, you'd have to pay it again.  No thanks.

Here is a degree plan for a BALS, and one for a BSBA in Marketing.

If you go with Marketing, I'd sign up for Study.com and do Intro to Marketing, and all of your UL Marketing courses through them.  That's the easiest way to go, since there will be some overlap between courses that will make life easier.

[allvia]

It looks like some of your existing credits maybe be from an RA school (community college?).  If your goal is to get an associate degree to put on your resume (as cheaply as possible) while you're working towards your bachelor degree then you may want to look into getting the Pierpont BOG AAS (https://www.pierpont.edu/ac/programs/board-governors); there are numerous threads here on the forum about it - and it's pretty close to free.

[Staceys88]

Honestly, TESU is about the most expensive way to go to get an AA, I never recommend it.  I also never recommend taking courses there, since they are so expensive (capstone excepted obviously).

Also, if you have to pay the residency waiver, then you had better be getting the BA quick, because it's good for 1 year.  So if you pay it now, and then don't get your BA in a year, you'd have to pay it again.  No thanks.

Here is a degree plan for a BALS, and one for a BSBA in Marketing.

If you go with Marketing, I'd sign up for Study.com and do Intro to Marketing, and all of your UL Marketing courses through them.  That's the easiest way to go, since there will be some overlap between courses that will make life easier.

Thank you so much!!!!  This is very, very helpful!  I'm not sure what the residency waiver is and I know I haven't paid for it yet.

[davewill]

Thank you so much!!!!  This is very, very helpful!  I'm not sure what the residency waiver is and I know I haven't paid for it yet.

If you don't earn at least 16 credits directly from TESU using online or guided study courses, you have to pay a $2500 residency waiver fee ($2200 with SDC discount) when you apply for graduation. TESU charges the same fee for both associates and bachelor's degrees which is why we almost never recommend associate's degrees at TESU. In your shoes, I would pick a degree (probably BSBA Marketing), and have advising add that to your student record right away. That will get you a second academic eval that shows your progress on that degree. It won't have any effect on your associate's. You can then begin to fill in the courses needed for that degree. I would recommend either skipping the associate's, or scheduling it within a year of your bachelor's being awarded as @dfrecore mentioned.

EDIT: I just realized that you already have 11 credits at TESU that count towards residency. Since you have to take the 3 credit capstone to get a bachelors anyway, (which which would make 14 credits) you only need two more resident credits to fulfill the 16 credit residency. It would actually be cheaper for you to go ahead and take one more course so you don't have to pay the waiver. The only sticking point is that you can't take the capstone until the bachelor's is almost done, therefore it won't help you with residency for the associate's unless you are willing to wait and get them at the same time.

[cookderosa]

I am 4 classes away from finishing my AA in Gen

Stacey

Where? Where are you 4 classes away? Perhaps there are quick and painless ways to do that at your current school instead of transferring to TESU where you will certainly pay a lot more money.

[mysonx3]

Given that she's taken TECEP and TESU classes, I'm operating under the assumption that most of her credits are from TESU.

[Staceys88]

Thank you so much!!!!  This is very, very helpful!  I'm not sure what the residency waiver is and I know I haven't paid for it yet.

If you don't earn at least 16 credits directly from TESU using online or guided study courses, you have to pay a $2500 residency waiver fee ($2200 with SDC discount) when you apply for graduation. TESU charges the same fee for both associates and bachelor's degrees which is why we almost never recommend associate's degrees at TESU. In your shoes, I would pick a degree (probably BSBA Marketing), and have advising add that to your student record right away. That will get you a second academic eval that shows your progress on that degree. It won't have any effect on your associate's. You can then begin to fill in the courses needed for that degree. I would recommend either skipping the associate's, or scheduling it within a year of your bachelor's being awarded as @dfrecore mentioned.

EDIT: I just realized that you already have 11 credits at TESU that count towards residency. Since you have to take the 3 credit capstone to get a bachelors anyway, (which which would make 14 credits) you only need two more resident credits to fulfill the 16 credit residency. It would actually be cheaper for you to go ahead and take one more course so you don't have to pay the waiver. The only sticking point is that you can't take the capstone until the bachelor's is almost done, therefore it won't help you with residency for the associate's unless you are willing to wait and get them at the same time.

There is a lot fo me to learn. Thanks for explaining the residency thing to me.  I'm going to have to think about what to do! My primary reason for the associates degree to have something on my resume ASAP but that's a steep price to pay!

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Given that she's taken TECEP and TESU classes, I'm operating under the assumption that most of her credits are from TESU.

Yes, you are correct. I am currently enrolled at TESU and started this journey without any knowledge of other sources for credit.  I'm kicking myself a bit but I'm hopeful that I can do this after years and years and years of starting and stopping.

[cookderosa]

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Given that she's taken TECEP and TESU classes, I'm operating under the assumption that most of her credits are from TESU.

Yes, you are correct. I am currently enrolled at TESU and started this journey without any knowledge of other sources for credit.  I'm kicking myself a bit but I'm hopeful that I can do this after years and years and years of starting and stopping.

Hey, no looking back- you know now and that's the important thing!! When I took classes at TESU, my experience was that 99% of my classmates had no clue about CLEP or alternative credits despite TESU being so flexible. It's not like they advise you on how to save money!
Yours is a good reminder to people who come here and make the assumption that everyone who attends the big 3 are testing out, it's simply not true. Most students there are taking classes the long way.

[davewill]

There is a lot for me to learn. Thanks for explaining the residency thing to me.  I'm going to have to think about what to do! My primary reason for the associates degree to have something on my resume ASAP but that's a steep price to pay!

If you just want an associate's on your resume while you finish the bachelor's, you might be a candidate for the WV Board of Governors (BOG) AAS at Pierpont (https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...AAS-thread). You can transfer in 100% of the credits needed for the degree, they accept alternative credit and there are no fees to pay. You have to have at least 15 credit from an RA school, but with your TESU courses and TECEPs, I think you're fine on that. It's not as popular here as it once was for a couple of reasons. The first being that Pierpont won't issue a transcript if you take no courses there, however that's not a problem just for putting it on your resume. The second issue is that Pierpont moves very slowly and doesn't give much feedback. Everything seems to funnel through one woman, and you have to keep on things to get it done.