TESU BACS degree plan

[Violet91]

I did a BALS in 2021 (and stupidly paid for a residency waiver instead of taking 15 credits there) and would like to go back for a BACS.
I tried to upload an image of my evaluation, but it didn't work. Here's a link https://ibb.co/D9v27QS

Your Location: New Jersey
Your Age: 32
Currently hold any degree : TESU BALS
What kind of degree do you want? : undergrad CS, I'd consider a different school if a good option exists

Any certifications or military experience?
none

Budget: I'd like to keep it under $5k, but I'd consider more. 

Commitments:  I currently work full time and volunteer one afternoon a week.

Dedicated time to study: I can study 3 - 4 hours 3 - 4  nights per week and 6 hours on weekends.

Timeline: 6 months would be great. I figure that's 3 months for non-TESU work and 3 months for a semester.

Tuition assistance/reimbursement: $5250/year

I got my BALS by lurking and reading the degree plans but I could use some help with this one. Thanks so much for everything!

[bjcheung77]

Hi Violet91, You can't do too much now in regards to the Residency Fee as you graduated in 2021.  You should do the 15 credit residency for this BACS and add an additional Associates if you wanted (such as an AS Math).  You need to follow WIKI to get the required courses for the BACS here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ience_Plan  

An option for you is to do the two flat rate terms at TESU to use the tuition assistance/reimbursement for this year and also for next year.  This way, you get graded credits and also you have the 15+ credits for residency completed.  You can do the AS Math plus the BACS as well.  BTW, do you already have an associates?

[Violet91]

Hi Violet91, You can't do too much now in regards to the Residency Fee as you graduated in 2021.  You should do the 15 credit residency for this BACS and add an additional Associates if you wanted (such as an AS Math).  You need to follow WIKI to get the required courses for the BACS here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...ience_Plan  

An option for you is to do the two flat rate terms at TESU to use the tuition assistance/reimbursement for this year and also for next year.  This way, you get graded credits and also you have the 15+ credits for residency completed.  You can do the AS Math plus the BACS as well.  BTW, do you already have an associates?

Thanks so much for your help and the wiki link!

I don't have an associates. An AS in Math would be good, if it doesn't require much more math work beyond the BACS. I found the TESU associate wiki and it looks like I could do a AS in Business Administration with classes just from Sophia.

I'm not sure if I get credit towards the residency requirements for the two classes I took at TESU. I'll call tomorrow and find out.

[bjcheung77]

You have 6 credits already for residency, it's going to be interesting how they count your BACS Capstone towards residency as well, technically, it's the same course but you're taking it twice.  It should be yielding 9 residency credits already when you have the capstone complete... Thus, you just need 6 more credits for residency purposes, you can either take two very easy courses recommended on the TESU WIKI page, or two E-Packs, or if you prefer, take the Associates Capstone for the AAS in Applied Computer Studies and the AAS Environmental, Safety, and Security Technologies (you should have all the requirements completed except for the associates capstone), plus the SOS-2040 Academic Community Impact - Theory, Methods, and Practice, this course allows an easier applied Liberal Arts Capstone...

Courses vs Residency Waiver #1: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...ng-Courses
16 Credits vs Residency Waiver #2: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...Waiver-Fee
ACTFL/Foreign Credits: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...r-to-Big-3
Transfer Policy: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...-Explained

[rachel83az]

Interesting! You have UL PSY courses already in your Additional AOS electives. This should mean that you need 6 fewer UL credits than the standard CS student. Instead of 15 UL credits + capstone, you only need 9 UL credits + capstone. 3 of those UL credits come from Computer Architecture.

I would suggest:
Computer Science 303: Database Management at Study.com
Software Engineering @ TESU as part of a 15-credit flat-rate term.

For the flat-rate term, I'd do:
Software Engineering
Capstone
CIS-1070 ePack
Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics (MAT-1050) - for ASNSM Math
Maybe COS-1110 Intro to Programming

Complete everything else at SDC or Sophia.

[Violet91]

Thank you both for all the help!

I got TESU to update the CS program to the second degree. It looks like it's giving me credit for the capstone. Do I still need to retake it? I assume so, but I've gotten three different answers from TESU lol

I don't think it changed anything, but I have a new eval that excluded all the geneds and stuff for the second degree. Link is here, if it matters https://ibb.co/pLBVf4g

I really appreciate all the guidance. Thanks again!

[rachel83az]

It's possible that because the Capstone was so recent, you don't have to retake it? Maybe? I would suggest making an advising appointment with Don Stoltz and Mr. Stoltz ONLY. He should be able to give you a definitive answer and confirm that you do(n't) need to take the Capstone. Anyone else is likely to be making up stuff. If he's already answered you, go with whatever he said and ignore the others.

[bjcheung77]

Everything should have been excluded for you as this is a second degree.  The only thing you need to complete is the courses required for the major.  If you need to contact TESU for something... There are 3 main people I use that provide "valid" answers that I always email when I want to verify things.  Patricia Certo, Don Stoltz,  are my main "go to" and Chrystal Guadarrama is my "backup" when they're not available.  They will follow up with you accordingly.

[Violet91]

I really appreciate ya'll's help. I'll call tomorrow and schedule an advising appointment with Don.

Somewhat unrelated, I looked at the eval for an AS in math and it says I need a quantitative literacy class and suggests MAT-121. I have MAT-121 but they put it in an elective spot. Will discrete math fill the quantitative literacy requirement?

Also, how many associate degrees can I get? I found I have all the credits except the capstone for the AAS Health Studies and (like bj mentioned) the AAS Environmental, Safety, and Security Technologies. I'm also only one extra class (and the capstone) away from an AA in Human Services. I certainly don't need 4 associate degrees, I like free stuff.

[bjcheung77]

For TESU, you can get 2 associates, 2 bachelors and any number of certificates you want here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...cate_Plans  Most of the time you want to only go for the Associate degrees that do not have capstones, such as the ones listed here: https://degreeforum.miraheze.org/wiki/Sa...gree_Plans  It really depends what you need/want and the outcome of your advising meeting...

Because you already have so many credits, plus, you have tuition assistance, I wanted you to go for another Associate that does require the capstone, you need it to go towards the 15 residency credits anyways.  AA Human Services has a different capstone than the AAS I mentioned, you can get the AAS Applied Computer Studies and the Environmental, Safety, and Security Technologies as one degree, but if you get the AA Human Services, you would not be able to get the AS Math.

I would suggest you take the two associates capstones along with the SOS-204: Academic Community Impact – Theory, Methods, and Practice course for your first flat rate (you can add an e-pack or course to max the classes).  For your second flat rate, you can do a different LIBCE-495: Liberal Arts Capstone – Community Engagement instead with another set of course to max the flat rate.  ACI Courses Link: https://www.tesu.edu/aci/courses