New here - Looking to upgrade to a degree (Canadian resident)

[zzzz24]

Hello,

I have been reading a lot of this forum and the other degree forum (not sure which one is better?) but thought I would register here.

Hope I am posting this in the correct category. I am sure this has been posted over and over again, but was looking for some advice on where to start. 

I differ from most others here, I am Canadian, so would have to do this a little bit differently than others. 
I currently have a 2 year community college diploma and was interested in upgrading to a bachelors degree. My diploma is similar to a paralegal, so I would probably be interested in studying something either legal or english related. Math is a week point for me, so hopefully something without much or any of it. 



It seems like CLEP/DSST is mostly a U.S. thing and I don't really see many testing centers for this here. So it looks like I may have to use mostly the online websites like study, straighterline, etc? 
I am looking for literally the easiest/quickest bachelors degree I can obtain. Any suggestions on where to start? 
Probably get my transcripts and then get them evaluated for U.S. equivalency? Then pick a degree most suitable? 
Then basically start registering for online courses and once I have fulfilled everything, I basically register at my university of choice and pay any extra course/grad fees? 

Any help is appreciated. 

Thank you

[armstrongsubero]

Hi, I am from a similar situation as you international so no CLEP/DSST. Though you are in close-by in Canada so do some research to see if you can find a testing center there. The cheapest and fastest degree you can get is the BA in Liberal Studies degree from Thomas Edison State University.

You mind listing the credits you currently have? I am also not from the US and had my credits sent to TESU through World Education Services, as long as they are C or higher they send it to your transcript.

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And I think this degree forum is better for undergrads and the other for graduates.

[videogamesrock]

Many use the coursework through study.com and straighterline.com. No testing center needed.

[zzzz24]

I will try and type everything out or scan my transcripts to my pc so it's easier later.

Basically 2+ years, 26 courses 3 credits each, at comm college level (mostly legal related/english/humanities), but one is field placement (3 credits) and another just shows as passed (no credits/gpa for it).

Also taken some other courses here and there though work, certificate through a private college (just have a diploma, no transcript) etc but not sure if they would count or not.

Also did a volunteer position for a few years in which I had to go through training and take some courses for months and got a certificate from that too (not sure if that would do anything for me, don't have an actual transcript again, just a diploma).

Basically been out of school for a decade since college.

[dfrecore]

Actually, the cheapest and fastest is not necessarily TESU. Starting from scratch, the cheapest is COSC, then TESU and EC. Also, depending on what you already have, it might change. You might want to post what you already have, and see if you can't get an idea of what might be your best route. If we can't help you, at least you will know which one of the 3 might be the best option.

[armstrongsubero]

@zzzz24 I think TESU would be best. You don't need to do a lab course unlike COSC and there is a lot more information about what transfers as what into TESU. They are also more generous to grant UL credit, though this is changing recently.

If you want my advice you can take the route I did. You already have 26X3 = 78 credits. Send them to WES and after the evaluation get them sent to TESU. People complain about WES but since speed is your main agenda pay for rush everything and within a month you'll get the evaluation. In the mean time apply to TESU and take a TECEP or the Cornerstone, I recommend the cornerstone cause it can be done without studying in a few hours and in your case you may actually need it and it locks you in for a year (enrolls you).

While you are bored waiting for WES for about a month take the free TEEX courses and the free courses on Sophia Learning, those free 8 credits give you a great motivation boost! After I finished my first free course I really felt like I could do it.

TESU is very generous. I started with 46 credits (all in CJ) and of those 12 transcribed as UL courses, 9 of which are AOS and all were fit in somewhere so get those done ASAP. If you are looking for a "legal" based degree you can do the CJ concentration in the BALS, what you are missing propero-pearson will have, I could have done that but I don't like CJ anymore.

You also say you don't like math. The best platform for math I have used of all I evaluated (SL, Sophia, Aleks, Saylor, Study.com) is Sophia learning. Their college algebra course was fun, and the quizzes align well with the material. If you don't like the instructor there is a variety of instructors to choose from. It is more expensive than the rest but it was very good after your eval if you need a math course do the Sophia College Algebra. It is worth the cost trust me, it will save you a lot of headache what is taught it what is on the test.

Also any courses you want to do here is a thread I found helpful:

https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...technology

All the best!

[zzzz24]

Thanks for the info everyone.

Here are the courses I have taken at community colleges.

I have also taken some other courses here and there as I have mentioned, but I am assuming they would not be accepted because they aren't from an actual community college and wouldn't be able to send any actual transcripts to WES for evaluation to send to TESU? I just have certificates from those. I also have a decade of work experience in various positions, not sure if that would count for anything?

COURSE COURSE NAME CREDITS GRADE
COMM 214 COLLEGE WRTG SKILLS-LAW CLERK 3 60
HUMA 024 HUMANITIES 3 71
LAWS 150 PROCEDURES & PRO CONDUCT 3 77
LAWS 155 LEGAL DOCUMENT APPLICATIONS 3 91
LAWS 160 BUSINESS LAW (TORT & CONTRACT) 3 78
LAWS 170 CRIMINAL LAW 3 83
COMM 314 BUSINESS WRTG SKLS-LAW CLERK 3 60
LAWS 250 LITIGATION 1 3 68
LAWS 260 REAL ESTATE LAW 3 68
LAWS 265 REAL ESTATE PROCEDURES 3 73
LAWS 270 TRANSCRBNG LEGAL TAPED DICTATN 3 71
LAWS 280 LEGAL RESEARCH 3 80
LAWS 355 LITIGATION PROCEDURES 3 80
LAWS 360 TITLE SEARCHING 3 74
LAWS 370 LEGAL DOCKETS AND RECORDS 3 70
LAWS 380 CORPORATE LAW 4 91
LAWS 390 LITIGATION 2 3 77
POLS 023 WAR AND TERRORISM 3 66
LAWS 450 DEBTOR OR CREDITOR 3 79
LAWS 460 FAMILY LAW 3 78
LAWS 465 FAMILY LAW PROCEDURES 3 80
LAWS 470 ESTATES 4 82
LAWS 488 FIELD PRACTICUM 3 SAT (SATISFIED)
PHIL 027 BUSINESS ETHICS 3 91
COMM 1007 COLLEGE ENGLISH 3 A-
COMP 1082 COMPUTER SKILLS & APPLICATIONS 0 P (PASSED)

[armstrongsubero]

You have some good courses. As long as they are from an accredited college WES will evaluate them exaclty as they are written with the same level and grade.

Get them sent to WES asap. The others if they are not from a CC then are they like certificates of completion?

For those decades of work experience you can do a Prior Learning Assesment PLA, wait for your eval then you can do that.

In the meantime you will need a math course, so you can do the Sophia course if you like then do the free courses and you need sciences courses as well for sure. Nutrition and Environmental Science from SL are two cheap options or you can do study.com.

[eriehiker]

There are a couple of Canadian colleges/universities that do interesting things in terms of transfer credit, Athabasca and Thompson Rivers. I would definitely give their websites a tour:

https://www.tru.ca/
http://www.athabascau.ca/

[zzzz24]

You have some good courses. As long as they are from an accredited college WES will evaluate them exaclty as they are written with the same level and grade.

Get them sent to WES asap. The others if they are not from a CC then are they like certificates of completion?

For those decades of work experience you can do a Prior Learning Assesment PLA, wait for your eval then you can do that.

In the meantime you will need a math course, so you can do the Sophia course if you like then do the free courses and you need sciences courses as well for sure. Nutrition and Environmental Science from SL are two cheap options or you can do study.com.

Is WES the best option or is there any cheaper evaluation companies anyone would recommend? $245 CAD definitely isn't cheap. 

Yes, the other courses are certificates. WES on the website says transcripts need to be in sealed envelopes from the school, so it seems like it might not work for those? 

You need a math course even for BALS? Is that because of Quantitative Literacy course? From reading it seems like ALEKS was the easiest but now it's not accepted at the moment??

What is the general consensus on which online provider is the easiest? I was looking at them all and other than price, I am not understanding all of the differences. Do some have assignments? Just online quizzes? Some are proctored and some are not? 

I read through all of the wiki stuff but still confused. People apply to the school of choice at the last minute, right? But how do you know what you will get credit for first? Do they send something back to you in the mail? 

Thanks

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There are a couple of Canadian colleges/universities that do interesting things in terms of transfer credit, Athabasca and Thompson Rivers.  I would definitely give their websites a tour:

https://www.tru.ca/
http://www.athabascau.ca/

I have looked into Athabasca previously. I would qualify for a block transfer credit of 60 I believe towards 120 credit degree, but their courses are pretty expensive and I have heard they take quite a bit of work to get through. Many assignments, quizzes, etc. You have to register for exams in advance too.

Even with the exchange rate, these U.S. schools seem cheaper and more convenient based on the easier way course credit can be obtained.