New User Looking For Bachelors Degree Advice

[jbaugh007]

Hello All,

     My name is Jason, and I am new to this forum.  I went to college 20 years ago and never finished my bachelors degree.  I have around 87 credits towards an applied mathematics degree.  I also have some credits over the last few years from my firefighter and paramedic schooling.  I have been looking into completing a degree over the last month or so. A few weeks ago, I discovered the DIY option for finishing a degree.  I have been researching it, and found a step by step guide.  To be completely transparent, I am really looking for the shortest path to a bachelors based on the classes I already have.  After that, I am thinking about completing a masters in the same way, if possible.  Can anybody out there tell me what degree I should look into based on the credits I already have?  Thank you in advance for you help.  I am attaching my spreadsheet of credit history and pasted below in the next post reply...

                                               
Experience                                        
10 years of sales and customer service                                  
5 years of sales and customer service management                                        
5 years as a firefighter                                  
3 years as a paramedic                                  
3 years as a home inspector                                       
1 year of tech support                                  
Leadership classes at Hilton and Holiday Inn (find certs)                                
Home inspection certs                                  
Fire department certs                                   
FEMA/NIMS Incident Command System Certs

---

Code                     Class Name                                         Credits
ENC 1101             Freshman Comp 1                           3
ENC 1102             Freshman Comp 2                           3
SPC 1025              Oral Communication                       3
PSC 1341              Physical Science                               3
HUM 1011           Philosophy and Religion                  3
ISS 1011                Social Science 1                                3
MAC 2311            Calculus 1                                           4
TPP 1110              Basic Acting                                       3
PHY 2053              General Physics                                4
MAC 1114            Trigonometry                                    3
THE 2000              Theatre Appreciation                      3
PEM 1131            Beginning Weight Lifting                 1
MAC 2313            Calculus 3                                           4
COP 1210             Pascal                                                  3
MAC 2312            Calculus 2                                           4
BSC 1010 +L        General Biology + Lab                       4
AMH 2020           US SNC 1865                                      3
MAP 2302            Differential Equations                      3
CGS 1670             Computer Applications 1                 3
AST 1002              Astronomy                                         2
MAP 4363            Applied Boundary Value 1              3
MAS 3105            Matrix Linear Algebra                      4
MHF 2300            Logic and Proof Math                      3
STA 2023              Statistical Methods                         3
COP 3502C          Computer Science 1                         3
ENC 3310             Magazien Writing                             3
MAP 4103            Math Modeling 1                             3

---

MAP 4364            Applied Boundary Value 2              3
EMS 1119             EMT                                                    7
EMS 1119L           EMT Lab                                             3
EMS 1431             EMT Clinical                                      1
EMS 2999             EMS Articulated Credit                   1
EMS 2603             Paramedic 1                                      4
EMS 2603L           PM1 Lab                                             3
EMS 2666             PM1 Clinical                                      5
EMS 2604             Paramedic 2                                      4
EMS 2604L           PM2 Lab                                             4
EMS 2667             PM2 Clinical                                       4
EMS 2647             Adv Airway Management               1
EMS 2605             Paramedic 3                                       3
EMS 2605L           PM3 Lab                                             3
EMS 2659             PM Field Internship                          5
EMS 2668             PM3 Clinical                                       2
BSC 1020              Human Biology                                  3
                                               
2011                                                                                    Hours
FFP0020               Firefighter I and II                               192
FFP0363               EVOC                                                     20

[dfrecore]

A BA in Math from TESU might be a good fit, in that you have all of the required/elective math credits - BUT that is only if at least 5 of the math courses are UL. If not, then you would have to figure out where to get UL math credits, and after 20 years, it might be difficult (and maybe you've forgotten a lot in 20 years!).

If you don't have enough UL credits, then I would suggest that you get the TESU BALS, and get 5 UL courses in whatever you want on the SocSci/Humanities areas - Psych, History, & Lit are the easiest/cheapest here.

So tell me which of these courses was considered UL (Junior/Senior level courses), and I can do a plan for you.

[sanantone]

A BA in Math at TESU (Thomas Edison) or the health studies concentration at COSC (charter oak). You might also get a lot of credits in Excelsior's health science program, but COSC will be more flexible. I can't remember what's required for COSC's public safety program, but you might also want to check that out. I do not believe you will have to settle for a liberal studies degree.

At TESU, it doesn't really matter if your credits were upper level or lower level at the original school. What matters is whether or not they were taken at a community college. Community college courses always transfer as LL at TESU, but TESU often upgrades LL courses from 4-year colleges if they are similar to UL courses in TESU's course offerings or PLA database.

It also appears that your school uses traditional course codes with 3000 and 4000-level courses being UL. If that's the case, then you don't need to bother with labeling them.

[ajs1976]

Looks like TESU has a Math History course that is UL. If you end up needing more that might be one you could get through even it if has been a long time.

[jbaugh007]

A BA in Math from TESU might be a good fit, in that you have all of the required/elective math credits - BUT that is only if at least 5 of the math courses are UL.  If not, then you would have to figure out where to get UL math credits, and after 20 years, it might be difficult (and maybe you've forgotten a lot in 20 years!).

If you don't have enough UL credits, then I would suggest that you get the TESU BALS, and get 5 UL courses in whatever you want on the SocSci/Humanities areas - Psych, History, & Lit are the easiest/cheapest here.

So tell me which of these courses was considered UL (Junior/Senior level courses), and I can do a plan for you.

Yeah, I originally thought math was the best bet too.  I have forgotten a whole lot in the last 20 years.  Dementia coupled with senility have already started to set in.  What were we talking about? Oh yeah...

I am not sure completely what UL classes are, but based on one of the other replies, I expect it means classes taken at UCF.  All of the other classes are from Florida Gateway College (Lake City Community College when I went there), MidFlorida Tech, and Seminole State College.  The ones I took at UCF are as follows (to the far right is the grade, assuming a D may have an effect on the transfer of credits. The rest are somewhere between A and C):

MAP 4363            Applied Boundary Value 1                            3             
MAS 3105            Matrix Linear Algebra                                     4              D
MHF 2300            Logic and Proof Math                                     3             
STA 2023              Statistical Methods                                         3             
COP 3502C          Computer Science 1                                        3              D
ENC 3310             Magazine Writing                                             3             
MAP 4103            Math Modeling 1                                             3             
MAP 4364            Applied Boundary Value 2                            3             

Thanks again.  This is a huge help!!!

[sanantone]

A BA in Math from TESU might be a good fit, in that you have all of the required/elective math credits - BUT that is only if at least 5 of the math courses are UL.  If not, then you would have to figure out where to get UL math credits, and after 20 years, it might be difficult (and maybe you've forgotten a lot in 20 years!).

If you don't have enough UL credits, then I would suggest that you get the TESU BALS, and get 5 UL courses in whatever you want on the SocSci/Humanities areas - Psych, History, & Lit are the easiest/cheapest here.

So tell me which of these courses was considered UL (Junior/Senior level courses), and I can do a plan for you.

Yeah, I originally thought math was the best bet too.  I have forgotten a whole lot in the last 20 years.  Dementia coupled with senility have already started to set in.  What were we talking about? Oh yeah...

I am not sure completely what UL classes are, but based on one of the other replies, I expect it means classes taken at UCF.  All of the other classes are from Florida Gateway College (Lake City Community College when I went there), MidFlorida Tech, and Seminole State College.  The ones I took at UCF are as follows (to the far right is the grade, assuming a D may have an effect on the transfer of credits. The rest are somewhere between A and C):

MAP 4363            Applied Boundary Value 1                            3             
MAS 3105            Matrix Linear Algebra                                     4              D
MHF 2300            Logic and Proof Math                                     3             
STA 2023              Statistical Methods                                         3             
COP 3502C          Computer Science 1                                        3              D
ENC 3310             Magazine Writing                                             3             
MAP 4103            Math Modeling 1                                             3             
MAP 4364            Applied Boundary Value 2                            3             

Thanks again.  This is a huge help!!!

UL means upper level. These are usually classes taken in the junior or senior year. At most schools, they are coded as 3XX and 4XX or 3XXX and 4XXX. There are other numbering systems, but it does not look like the schools you attended used those.

It looks like you have six UL courses, but two of them are definitely not in math. Computer Science might be downgraded to lower level, but you couldn't use it toward the math major anyway.

[jbaugh007]

(3)sanantone

A BA in Math from TESU might be a good fit, in that you have all of the required/elective math credits - BUT that is only if at least 5 of the math courses are UL.  If not, then you would have to figure out where to get UL math credits, and after 20 years, it might be difficult (and maybe you've forgotten a lot in 20 years!).

If you don't have enough UL credits, then I would suggest that you get the TESU BALS, and get 5 UL courses in whatever you want on the SocSci/Humanities areas - Psych, History, & Lit are the easiest/cheapest here.

So tell me which of these courses was considered UL (Junior/Senior level courses), and I can do a plan for you.

Yeah, I originally thought math was the best bet too.  I have forgotten a whole lot in the last 20 years.  Dementia coupled with senility have already started to set in.  What were we talking about? Oh yeah...

I am not sure completely what UL classes are, but based on one of the other replies, I expect it means classes taken at UCF.  All of the other classes are from Florida Gateway College (Lake City Community College when I went there), MidFlorida Tech, and Seminole State College.  The ones I took at UCF are as follows (to the far right is the grade, assuming a D may have an effect on the transfer of credits. The rest are somewhere between A and C):

MAP 4363            Applied Boundary Value 1                            3             
MAS 3105            Matrix Linear Algebra                                     4              D
MHF 2300            Logic and Proof Math                                     3             
STA 2023              Statistical Methods                                         3             
COP 3502C          Computer Science 1                                        3              D
ENC 3310             Magazine Writing                                             3             
MAP 4103            Math Modeling 1                                             3             
MAP 4364            Applied Boundary Value 2                            3             

Thanks again.  This is a huge help!!!

UL means upper level. These are usually classes taken in the junior or senior year. At most schools, they are coded as 3XX and 4XX or 3XXX and 4XXX. There are other numbering systems, but it does not look like the schools you attended used those.

It looks like you have six UL courses, but two of them are definitely not in math. Computer Science might be downgraded to lower level, but you couldn't use it toward the math major anyway.

Got it.  Will they take classes that I got a D in? And since I took Calc 1, 2, 3, and Differential Equations at a community college, they wont count towards my degree? The TESU list of required courses for the degree are exactly what I already have.  In fact, depending on how they translate the electives, it looks like I might have all but one or two classes to complete my degree (if they were to accept these comm coll courses for credit towards the required bachelors courses). 

II. Area of Study: Mathematics
33
A. Required Courses
15

• Calculus I (Differential Calculus)
  

(3)

• Calculus II (Integral Calculus)
  

(3)

• Calculus III (Multivariate Calculus)
  

(3)

• Linear Algebra (calculus-based) (prerequisite of calculus in description)
  

(3)

• Probability/Statistics
  

[sanantone]

(3)sanantone

A BA in Math from TESU might be a good fit, in that you have all of the required/elective math credits - BUT that is only if at least 5 of the math courses are UL.  If not, then you would have to figure out where to get UL math credits, and after 20 years, it might be difficult (and maybe you've forgotten a lot in 20 years!).

If you don't have enough UL credits, then I would suggest that you get the TESU BALS, and get 5 UL courses in whatever you want on the SocSci/Humanities areas - Psych, History, & Lit are the easiest/cheapest here.

So tell me which of these courses was considered UL (Junior/Senior level courses), and I can do a plan for you.

Yeah, I originally thought math was the best bet too.  I have forgotten a whole lot in the last 20 years.  Dementia coupled with senility have already started to set in.  What were we talking about? Oh yeah...

I am not sure completely what UL classes are, but based on one of the other replies, I expect it means classes taken at UCF.  All of the other classes are from Florida Gateway College (Lake City Community College when I went there), MidFlorida Tech, and Seminole State College.  The ones I took at UCF are as follows (to the far right is the grade, assuming a D may have an effect on the transfer of credits. The rest are somewhere between A and C):

MAP 4363            Applied Boundary Value 1                            3             
MAS 3105            Matrix Linear Algebra                                     4              D
MHF 2300            Logic and Proof Math                                     3             
STA 2023              Statistical Methods                                         3             
COP 3502C          Computer Science 1                                        3              D
ENC 3310             Magazine Writing                                             3             
MAP 4103            Math Modeling 1                                             3             
MAP 4364            Applied Boundary Value 2                            3             

Thanks again.  This is a huge help!!!

UL means upper level. These are usually classes taken in the junior or senior year. At most schools, they are coded as 3XX and 4XX or 3XXX and 4XXX. There are other numbering systems, but it does not look like the schools you attended used those.

It looks like you have six UL courses, but two of them are definitely not in math. Computer Science might be downgraded to lower level, but you couldn't use it toward the math major anyway.

Got it.  Will they take classes that I got a D in? And since I took Calc 1, 2, 3, and Differential Equations at a community college, they wont count towards my degree? The TESU list of required courses for the degree are exactly what I already have.  In fact, depending on how they translate the electives, it looks like I might have all but one or two classes to complete my degree (if they were to accept these comm coll courses for credit towards the required bachelors courses). 

II. Area of Study: Mathematics
33
A. Required Courses
15

• Calculus I (Differential Calculus)
  

(3)

• Calculus II (Integral Calculus)
  

(3)

• Calculus III (Multivariate Calculus)
  

(3)

• Linear Algebra (calculus-based) (prerequisite of calculus in description)
  

(3)

• Probability/Statistics
  

Community College courses will count toward your degree (up to 80 credits), but they won't count as UL credit. You need 18 UL credits in the area of study, but the capstone will cover three of those credits. Ds are not allowed in the area of study or for English Comp.

[txnicole]

If you decide to not go the TESU route with the Math degree, I'd definitely look into Charter Oaks individualized studies option.

You could probably dump all your credits into an individualized studies degree and have little (if anything) left to do other than the capstone / cornerstone. It would probably be a combo Health Science / Public Safety or even Math / Health Science / Public Safety

https://www.charteroak.edu/catalog/curre...tudies.cfm

Your basic courses look pretty good, and the upper-level maths you have should round out the remainder of the upper levels needed for the degree after the fire science / EMT / paramedic things come in. 

I don't claim to understand a lot about how fire academy or EMT school work, so I'm not entirely sure of which would come across as which. However, I do know that COSC does give credit for Fire Academy and EMT/Paramedic training. I'm assuming the paramedic 1,2,3 are different grades/levels you moved up? Charter Oak has some posted equivalencies they've offered in the past to give people an idea of how their credits might come over. The paramedic one they have only shows what they provide for a single Paramedic credential, so I would imagine that if yours are multiple creds within paramedic levels you would get more. You would understand it more than I do. Similarly for the EMT and Fire Academy. I'm linking their pages for other equivalencies they've done in the past below to give you an idea of what they might offer you.

https://www.charteroak.edu/prior-learnin...t-cred.cfm
https://www.charteroak.edu/prior-learnin...cticut.cfm
https://www.charteroak.edu/prior-learnin...emy-ct.cfm

Best of luck wherever you go.

[bjcheung77]

There are a few recommendations already, I'll add mine, I would recommend applying to more than one school and getting an evaluation (Big 3+WGU). Find which school gives you the most credit in the program of your choice. You may also want a TESU BALS with a concentration in Natural Science/Math, or a Comp Sci concentration. Another option is the TESU BSPS since you have Fire Academy/Paramedic Training.

Heck, if you want a degree that sounds more "scientific or technical", see what they would give you for credit in a TESU BSAST Technical Studies program... after you get your evaluation, use the tool to see which program is more interesting to you OR cheaper/easier/faster to complete and you can decide then. Good luck, apply to them anyway, make sure to apply to WGU since they have a free application waiver.