TESC or EC for Business Degree? Also, next steps for me to get started

[jkozlow3]

I know this is a similar thread to the other one I started, but I wanted to ask a few different/specific questions now that I've done more reading.

I have around 60 credit hours of general education (business focus) credits that I'll be transferring from 4 year schools. These include: calc, micro/macro, statistics, accounting I, etc. So I think I'm fairly well underway.

1. Which is generally the better option for business when it comes to doing it exclusively by testing out (or close to it) - TESC or EC? The 2 majors are Bachelors of Science in Business and Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, correct?

2. Should I apply to both schools, have my transcripts sent to both and then see where everything lands and then post back on this forum at that point and go from there? I'd be willing to spend the extra $75 + transcript fees to apply at a second school if there is a chance it will save me time/money in the long run by making better decisions. Should I do this or is one school likely to be easier to test out of for business without taking courses?

3. Then, I assume the school(s) will tell me what I need to graduate via an unofficial review? After that, I try and match up CLEP/DSST courses with what I need, post a rough draft of a plan here for assistance and start studying for and taking exams?

4. After I've completed all the exams, I then enroll at one of the schools and they perform an eval of everything I've done and then allow me to graduate?

Does this sound about right? I could really use any advice/tips if you have them. I've been reading a lot on this forum over the past couple of days, but this whole concept of testing out and finishing school quickly is new to me.

Last, I've read mixed things about GPA at the 2 schools. My grades for my previous 60 or so credits aren't particularly good, so I'm not concerned about counting those towards my GPA. I do want to graduate with SOME kind of GPA however. Is TESC better for this? Can I just get a GPA based off of a single course that I take from them that I make sure I get an A on? Or is Excelsior somehow better in this regard for my situation? Again, my goal is next to no courses for a business degree and testing out of almost everything if possible.

Thanks a ton!!

[rmroberts]

Sorry, I can only help you with one question here, but it sounds to me like you're going in the right direction.

Last, I've read mixed things about GPA at the 2 schools. My grades for my previous 60 or so credits aren't particularly good, so I'm not concerned about counting those towards my GPA. I do want to graduate with SOME kind of GPA however. Is TESC better for this? Can I just get a GPA based off of a single course that I take from them that I make sure I get an A on? Or is Excelsior somehow better in this regard for my situation? Again, my goal is next to no courses for a business degree and testing out of almost everything if possible.

Thanks a ton!!

You are correct with TESC. They do not calculate transferred credits into your GPA. The only thing that will count is the course(s) you take with them.

[TMW2010]

If you plan to go on to graduate school, it really doesn't matter, because they'll tally the actual gpa themselves from the credits listed on your transcript.

[jkozlow3]

Thanks. I don't plan to go to graduate school, so this isn't a big concern.

Any other feedback on my questions above or general guidance as to what my best options are in my situation would be much appreciated. I want to get started (and more importantly finished) ASAP!

Thanks again!

[NAP]

Welcome to the forum!

I don't know very much about these degrees, but here are some threads that look helpful:

Read this whole thread, but this post by Geezer is very detailed: http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...#post76793

Here is a degree plan for TESC (and read the rest of the thread): http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...#post78237

Barcotta has a lot of information about his business degree from EC: http://www.degreeforum.net/members/barcotta.html

[jkozlow3]

Thanks. At this point I'm thinking it might be in my best interest to apply to both TESC and EC to see how many credits each one will transfer from my prior coursework. I can then develop 2 different road maps and try to determine which one is a quicker/cheaper option (with the help of members here of course).

Sound like a plan? Does anyone have any better ideas at this point?

Thanks!

[skyfall123]

I think that it is smart to scope out both the TESC and Excelsior degree options. When I earned a BS Business from Excelsior a couple years back, you could completely test out of the degree (with exception of Managerial Acct which can be completed through Straighterline or Penn Foster in less than two weeks). Now the BS Business from Excelsior requires that you take the Business Policy course from them. I also recommended that you complete the Operations Management requirement as a course from CSU Pueblo (cost around $450, doable in about a month) instead of trying to test out (same time, same effort, same cost, difficult exam). Other than those two course requirements, you can test out of the remaining credits. If your goal is a General Business degree then Excelsior may be your best choice. Additional benefits of EC are lower enrollment fees, better customer service, more graduation dates per year.

I'm helping two sons with their BSBA Computer Information Systems degrees from TESC....the only reason we are going that route is because they both had lots of IT credits and they wanted the CIS concentration for their resumes.

Now the core of the TESC BSBA can be completed through testing out (with exception of Managerial Acct which can be completed through Straighterline or Penn Foster in less than two weeks), but they require a Managerial Communications course and their concentrations including General Business require 18 addt credits.

So I will make a sweeping generalization and say that Excelsior is the way to go for a General Business degree and TESC has more options if you want a BSBA with specific concentration that will fit your needs. Of course you need to dig deeper and decide which works best for you.

Good luck!

[cframe]

Geezer,
This is just the question I am pondering for my daughter ... General Business at TESC or EC. Any thoughts on TESC accepting 200-level courses as upper level? Have you posted a degree plan for a BSBA at EC that you can direct me to? Your insight is invaluable!

[jkozlow3]

Thanks Geezer. So can you major in just plain "business" (without a concentration) at both EC and TESC? I applied to both last night and I had to select a concentration. I'm going to see how the chips fall after they each evaluate my transcripts and then try to develop a road map for both and make a decision from there.

I don't want to spend a lot of extra time/money in a concentration if it's easier to do it without. I'm at the point in my career where what my major is in is of less importance than simply having one (which has seemingly become more important in the current economy than it was a couple of years back when I was applying for jobs).

Thanks again!