Need help deciding which path to take

[Txcell]

A few years ago, I was extremely motivated to finish my degree. I was taking two exams a week, and working hard. I eventually found a job and my educational pursuits began loosing steam. I am now, due to circumstances, trying to get back into the swing of things. I know some of the policies have changed and there are new programs available. I'm just trying to find a program that will work best with the credits I have already completed.


Here is a list of the CLEP and DSST exams I have completed:

Introductory Sociology - CLEP
Organizational Behavior - DSST
Principles of Supervision - DSST
Principles of Management - CLEP
Principles of Marketing - CLEP
Fundamentals of Counseling - DSST
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature - CLEP
U.S. History 1 - CLEP
Western Civilization 1 - CLEP
Introduction to Business - DSST
Social Sciences & History - CLEP
U.S. History 2 - CLEP
Introduction to Computing - DSST
Introductory Psychology - CLEP
Human Resource Management - CLEP
Lifespan Developmental Psychology - DSST
General Anthropology - DSST
College Composition(Modular) - CLEP
Here’s to Your Health - DSST
Substance Abuse - DSST
Introduction to World Religions - DSST
Business Ethics and Society - DSST


I was originally aiming for a degree in business, but now I lean more toward something in IT. However, that being said, if continuing down the road toward a business degree would be quicker, I'm all for that. I'm trying to finish my degree as quickly as possible, and move on with my life.
If it means anything, I know some of the DSSTs I have taken can qualify for a letter grade at Excelsior or COSC, and I would prefer one of those two. I have looked it up, and all of them would be considered an 'A'.

I was hoping for some guidance as to what degree plan I should commit to, and what sorts of resources I should utilize next. I am hesitant to take a mathematics exam, and would prefer to take that in a course type setting. I've tried ALEKS and found it to be extremely frustrating.

Thank you very much!

[ajs1976]

With your business credits and interest in IT, you may want to look at the BSBA:CIS at TESC.

[ajs1976]

Some of this is from personal experience, while some is from what I have read on this board.

The BA in Liberal Studies or Social Science from TESC may be the fastest choice. They will allow you to use a lot if not all of you existing credits while taking easier exams that you can get through more quickly. It will require a capstone course and depending on enrollment option, you may need to meet a residency requirement. TECEP exams can be used to meet the residency requirement.

The BSBA: General Management at TESC is considered the easier business program for testing out. There are a number of exams that will fill upper level requirements and the capstone requirement can be satisfied by a TECEP exam or a Penn Foster course. The TECEP exam is considered to be very challenging, while the Penn Foster is the easier option.

The BSBA: CIS at TESC requires a lot of the same courses, but the electives will be different. Depending on your experience, the electives may be harder but it is also harder to find options for testing out.

TESC also offers a BA in CS. The CS degree may be considered more desirable then other computer related degrees but it does not have many options for testing out and depending on your experiences in programming, some of the classes may be difficult.

The IS and Business Admin concentration at COSC are also options and COSC will be offering a Business Admin major soon. COSC requires two courses that are taken through the school: Cornerstone and Capstone. The capstone course for IS requires a 20 page research paper.

I don't know much about the programs at Excelsior.

I'm biased towards the BSBA: CIS at TESC, but you may want to look at that program and the IS concentration at COSC. They would offer a good balance between quickest, using your existing courses, and something IT related. I'm not sure if COSC still offers letter grades for DSST exams. I thought it was going away as the exams were being revised.

BSBA:CIS at TESC - PROs: A lot of your business courses will fill in requirements or business electives. Gives you something IT related. Options for testing out. CONs: You are missing Accounting and Economics courses.

IS Concentration at COSC - PROs: IT program. Options for testing out. CONs: You will have to take at least two courses and possibly more to fulfill some of the UL requirements both in and out of the concentration.