Roadmap for New Excelsior College Students

[irnbru]

Hi Zelenn,

Good effort on making a start with your degree plan. As NAP stated, EC's requirements have changed quite a bit since this thread first started. There are some key requirements which will affect newer students. In particular is this news extract outlining upcoming general requirements:

General Education requirements will be changing for those enrolling on or after October 1, 2011.

Distribution requirements for general education ensure that all students develop basic competence (at least 100-level courses/examinations) in the areas of arts and sciences (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics), as well as specific abilities in written English and information literacy.
Minimum Requirements

The minimum requirements for meeting the general education requirements will remain at the 100-level. Since this is a minimum requirement, appropriate advanced-level courses and examinations at the 200-level or higher may be substituted for 100-level courses.

A student enrolled in an associate degree program must earn at least 22 credit hours in the arts and sciences and information literacy to meet the College general education distribution requirements, including:

6 credits in the humanities
6 credits in social sciences and/or history
6 credits in natural sciences and/or mathematics
3 credits in written English
1 credit in information literacy

A student enrolled in a bachelor degree program must earn at least 34 credit hours in the arts and sciences and information literacy to meet the College general education distribution requirements, including:

9 credits in the humanities
9 credits in social sciences and/or history
9 credits in natural sciences and/or mathematics
6 credits in written English
1 credit in information literacy

The final summary list highlights the requirement for 6 credits in written English. This could probably best be satisfied using Straighterline English Composition I & II.

In addition to the 1 credit in information literacy (EC-only course) there is also the 3 credit capstone course. The capstone course is a 15 week upper level course which is taken through EC.

There is also a change to the 'research and writing in the major' requirement which I was ambushed with by EC. This is currently offered by EC as an 8 week, 2 credit, upper level course culminating in an 8 page research paper. Previously, this requirement could be completed by submitting any equivalent research paper from an upper level course. The advising team recently informed me that this requirement can only be satisfied by taking the course as of 1st July 2011.

For the BSLS, probably the most general option would be to look at completing a depth in psychology and one in business. ALEKS' statistics courses are evaluated as upper level so feasibly a depth in maths. Using the stats for psychology or business is also possible.