Need advice for Natural Sciences degree plan

[bethanyneedsajob]

Hi All. I forgot where I'm supposed to post this, so if it's in the wrong spot please tell me (and my apologies!)

I'm helping my partner put together a plan to slowly complete what he started years ago... a degree! He's got some yuck on his transcript from withdrawing etc. So, I'd like to know what you guys think. Should he see if he can complete the Natural Sciences degree from TESU or Excelsior? And after that apply at the college of his choice? His end goal would be to go for a Masters at an online school in something like GeoPhysics. He can mentally handle it and it's what he's interested in, but he has a bunch of (old) low grades and W's on his transcript. He has a great job right now, but we'd like to have him prepare for a scientific career sometime down the road (mostly so we can relocate to the South and get some sunshine!). 

Priority for him is cheap (and must be self-paced, his work schedule can be whack) since he doesn't need the degree anytime soon, just something to work on while he has downtime. He's a veteran, if that makes any difference on college recommendations. We are not close enough to do DSSTs, but he can do CLEPs and any of the online stuff. 

I hope this shows up okay, I had to sit down at a real-life computer to put it all in a spreadsheet and copy it on here. Thank you ahead of time!

Here's what he has so far: 

  List of J's credits.xls (Size: 12 KB / Downloads: 7)


Year
Comp Credits
Need credits
School
Grade

MA 1130
Intermediate Algebra
2007
3

College 1
A
COM 140
Contemporary Bus Communication
2007
3

College 2
A
GEN 105
Skills Learning In An Info Age
2007
3

College 2
A
HCA 210
Intro to Health Care Rdng the
2007
3

College 2
A
COM 150
Effective Essay Writing
2007
3

College 2
A
CRT 205
Critical Thinking
2007
3

College 2
A
COM 220
Research Writing
2007
3

College 2
A
SCI 275
Environmental Science
2008
3

College 2
A
ETH 125
Cultural Diversity
2008
3

College 2
A
HCA 220
The Language of Health Care
2008
3

College 2
A
BEH 225
Intro to Behavioral Science
2008
3

College 2
A
MAT 116
Algebra
2008
3

College 2
A
HUM 130
Religions of the World
2008
3

College 2
A
ENC 1102
Writing/LIT
2008
3

College 3
B
AMH 2020
His FR 1877
2008
3

College 3
A
MAC 1105
Coll Algebra
2008
3

College 3
A
SPC 2600
Public Speaking
2008
3

College 3
A
BSC 2010
Core Bio 1
2009
3

College 3
A
BSC 2010
Core Bio 1 LB
2009
1

College 3
A
MAC 2233
Survey Calculus
2009
4

College 3
B
MAC 2233
Surv Calc Lab
2009
0

College 3
B
PHI 2010
Int Philosophy
2009
3

College 3
A
SPN 1120
Spanish 1
2009
4

College 3
B
BSC 2011
Core Bio 2
2009

0
College 3
W
BSC 2011
CR Bio 2 LB
2009

0
College 3
W
CHM 1025
Intro Chemistry
2009

0
College 3
W
CHM 1025
Intro Chem Lab
2009

0
College 3
W
SPN 1121
Spanish 2
2009

0
College 3
W
S CHEM 112
General Chemistry 1
2011

0
College 4
W
S CHEM 112L
General Chemistry 1 Lab
2011

0
College 4
W
D ECON 202
Principles of Macroeconomics
2011

0
College 4
W
S CHEM 112
General Chemistry 1
2011
3

College 4
B
S CHEM 112L
General Chemistry 1 Lab
2011
1

College 4
B
S CHEM 114
General Chemistry 2
2011
3

College 4
C
S CHEM 114L
General Chemistry 2 Lab
2011
1

College 4
C
D ECON 202
Principles of Macroeconomics
2011
3

College 4
C
S BIOL 221
Human Anatomy
2011
4

College 4
B
S BIOL 221L
Human Anatomy Lab
2011
0

College 4
LR
S CHEM 326
Organic Chemistry 1
2011

3
College 4
F
S CHEM 326L
Organic Chemistry 1 Lab
2011

1
College 4
F
S BIOL 153
General Biology 2
2012

4
College 4
W
S BIOL 153L
General Biology 2 Lab
2012

0
College 4
W
S BIOL 325
Physiology
2012

4
College 4
W
S BIOL 325L
Physiology Lab
2012

0
College 4
W
S PHYS 101
Survey of Physics
2012

4
College 4
W
S PHYS 101L
Survey of Physics Lab
2012
0
College 4
W


Total earned: 81

[bjcheung77]

He should get the ASNSM's for sure in the field he wants, he can choose two of the three. Biology, Comp Sci, Math. I would get him to do a BALS with an NSM concentration if it's OK with him as all the sciences are year 1/2. It's hard to find the year 3/4 courses for NSM concentrations...

[bethanyneedsajob]

He should get the ASNSM's for sure in the field he wants, he can choose two of the three.  Biology, Comp Sci, Math.  I would get him to do a BALS with an NSM concentration if it's OK with him as all the sciences are year 1/2.  It's hard to find the year 3/4 courses for NSM concentrations...

Thanks. Do you know if Tesu would be the best college option? He’s not a computer guy, so Comp Sci is out. The bachelors would need to be a Biology, natural science, physics, geology focus for the Masters, I think.

[MNomadic]

I think an important consideration would be if/where/how he will get upper level science courses? Even if he doesn't need them for a BALS with a science concentration, a masters program in a science field will probably want to see that.

[bjcheung77]

He should get the ASNSM's for sure in the field he wants, he can choose two of the three.  Biology, Comp Sci, Math.  I would get him to do a BALS with an NSM concentration if it's OK with him as all the sciences are year 1/2.  It's hard to find the year 3/4 courses for NSM concentrations...

Thanks. Do you know if Tesu would be the best college option? He’s not a computer guy, so Comp Sci is out. The bachelors would need to be a Biology, natural science, physics, geology focus for the Masters, I think.

Nope TESU won't do, neither Excelsior or COSC will either. Your best bet for your friend is the Logan University Human Biology degree. It's a Bachelors for pre-professional programs, so it should also work for getting entry into a Masters. Basically the degree is all sciences, predominantly in Biology/Chem/Physics.

Again, he should start off with all the TESU ASNSM's such as Bio/Math, at Logan he should take courses that are NOT offered through alternative means, namely the science courses. They allow a max of 90 credits transferred in, I would take the bulk of them through ACE/NCCRS, CLEP/MS and through the NM CC's such as Clovis, Luna, and NMJC.

On a side note, even though this is a Bachelors degree at Logan University, they seem to offer a degree by using all first/second and third year courses, there doesn't seem to be any sciences higher than that... but these are graded and from an RA institution.
Review this link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...an-Biology
And wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_University

[davewill]

...Again, he should start off with all the TESU ASNSM's such as Bio/Math, at Logan he should take courses that are NOT offered through alternative means, namely the science courses.  They allow a max of 90 credits transferred in, I would take the bulk of them through ACE/NCCRS, CLEP/MS and through the NM CC's such as Clovis, Luna, and NMJC.

On a side note, even though this is a Bachelors degree at Logan University, they seem to offer a degree by using all first/second and third year courses, there doesn't seem to be any sciences higher than that... but these are graded and from an RA institution.  
Review this link:  https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...an-Biology
And wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan_University

It doesn't appear that Logan accepts ACE/NCCRS so he should probably not use them in the ASNSM.

Edit: Here's a link to the actual program: https://www.logan.edu/academics/bachelor...an-biology

[sanantone]

TESU and Excelsior should be fine. TESU has a BA in Biology, and Excelsior has a BS in Natural Science with a concentration in Biology and without a concentration. COSC's BS in General Studies with a concentration in Biology might work. The title might throw people off, but the curriculum is more traditional and demanding than Excelsior's program.

Logan University is a good place to earn transfer credits, but they're not all that flexible with accepting transfer credits. I think I have almost 300 credits now, and Logan told me that only about 54 would apply to the degree. On the other hand, I would only need to complete about 30 credits at COSC and Excelsior.

I did get into a medical microbiology and a medical sciences program without having a bachelor's degree in a science, so I am sure that a science degree from one of the Big 3 will work as long as he has the physical science prerequisites. I wouldn't really recommend TESU's BA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Natural Science, but it might allow for some more flexibility.

Too bad COSC no longer offers its physics concentration. Biology is not related to what he wants to get his master's in. COSC has a concentration in chemistry that would be a tad more related since it's a physical science. I think it might be best to do the natural science degree at Excelsior without the concentration and pile up on the physical science courses.

Self-paced is not an option unless he spends a lot more money on taking courses through University of New England, but they mostly offer lower level courses he already has. He will have to take courses that are offered in terms. At the masters level, there will absolutely not be any self-paced courses. He also wouldn't find that kind of masters at an online school. It will be a brick and mortar school with an online program.

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American Military University is a good place to earn Earth science and environmental science courses to transfer to the Big 3. They're not a good place to earn a degree at, though, if he wants to use a lot of ACE credits.

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Do NOT attend Luna Community College. They're on probation, and their accreditation was almost revoked last year.

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I just checked Luna's online offerings for Spring 2019, and they didn't have any science courses. Their online offerings were never good, so you aren't missing anything by avoiding them.