TESU BSBA Accounting, CPA in Texas Questions, and my Degree Plan.

[airricklee]

Thank you guys for all the help I've already received. Due several difficulties in the history degree (historical methods minimum cost 600 and being semester based, Capstone cost and lack of general options for UL) I am exploring a few other degree plans too weigh my options, pro and cons, and salaries/difficulties of each.

Firstly here is my degree plan for the BSBA in Accounting1:

General Education Requirements

Written Communications (6)
English Comp I: Straighterline
English Comp 2: Straighterline

Oral Communication (3)
Straighterline-Intro to communications

Quantitative Literacy (3)
Aleks-College Algebra

Information Literacy (3)
Straighterline- Intro to religion

Diversity (3)
Straighterline- Intro to sociology

Ethics (2)
The Institutes-Ethics

Civic Engagement (3)
Straighterline- American Government

Knowledge of Human Cultures (12)
Straighterline-Psychology
Saylor-Introduction to western political thought
Straighterline- Organizational Behavior
Straighterline- Introduction to philosphy

Understanding the Physical and Natural world (6)
Straighterline-Environmental science
Straighterline- Introduction to nutrion

General Electives (18)
Saylor- Corporate communications
Saylor-Introduction to Computer Science
Straighterline- Anthropology
Straighterline-sociology
Straighterline- Biology I
Aleks-Statistics


Accounting

Quantitative literacy
Aleks-statistics (3) Filled in General Education requirements (not double counted)

Mathmatics
(3) Filled in General Education requirements Aleks-algebra (not double counted)
Aleks-Intermediate Algebra

Business Core 36
Financial Accounting: Straighterline (Accounting I) (UL)
Managerial Accounting: Straighterline (Accounting II) (UL)
Principles of Finance: DSST
Business Law: Saylor (Business Law and Ethics)
Business in Society or International Management: TECEP
Strategic Management (or Business Policy): TECEP
Computer Concepts and Applications/Introduction to Computers/CIS: Saylor (Introduction to Computer Science I)
Introduction to Marketing: Saylor
Principles of Management: Saylor
Microeconomics: Saylor
Macroeconomics: Saylor
Business/Managerial Communications: Saylor (Corporate Communication)

Electives 18 hours (15UL 3LL)
Intermediate Accounting I- Straighterline Financial Accounting
Intermediate Accounting II- Penn Foster (UL)
Straighterline- Managerial Accounting (Cost Accounting) (UL)
Association for Hebraic Studies Institute -Basic Taxation
Association for Hebraic Studies Institute -Advanced Taxation I (UL)
Association for Hebraic Studies Institute -Advanced Taxation II (UL)

General Electives (6 hours)
Shmoop- Holocaust Literature
Shmoop- The bible as literature

Straighterline- (18 courses, 45 LL, 9UL) 900.00 + 3 months’ membership = 1200.00
Saylor- (10 courses, 30 LL) 250.00
Aleks- (3 courses, 9LL) 40.00
DSST-(1 exam, 3LL) 80.00
Tecep- (2 exams, 6LL) 220
Association for Hebraic Studies- (3 courses, 6 UL, 3 LL) 450.00
Penn Foster- (1 Course, 3 UL) 300.00
Shmoop- (2 courses, 6LL) 89.00
TESU- 75.00 Application, 2000 residency waiver, graduation 323.
Total Estimated Cost: 5027


Has anyone become a CPA in Texas after completing their degree at Tesu?
It states that Ethics and at least 12 hours have to be face to face courses, how would they be able to tell from my transcripts?
Has anyone had difficulties getting into an Accounting Masters program without a lettergrade? (Does anyone have reccomendation on universities with programs that are lenient on this?) (Also note Texas requires 150 hours, if you have all ready completed your bachelors than all courses must by UL)

Any other advice or input would be helpfull as well, thanks again,
Airrick

[Synicaal]

A few notes on you post.

1. You can save money by taking the College Comp CLEP exam. 50+ is 6 credits and runs about 100$ with test center fee. Better then the SL courses and all the work you have to do. Also don't know if you already took the Tax courses but you can take the Tax TECEP for about $114 and that does count for ACC credits for my CPA anyways.
2. You may want to mix up you Accounting Credits, All that Taxation coursework I'm not sure if that will work for the degree and it most certainly wont work for your CPA sit requirements.
3. I cannot stress enough the importance of talking directly to whoever gives the CPA test for Texas and explain to them in detail your plan and if it will work. For New York my plan will work for the CPA exam but I am taking a lot of Accounting credits outside of testing out. New York wont take my Penn Foster class or the SL, Study.com credits as Accounting. They do count them towards the 150 though. Really all I have to do outside of my TESU degree is 2 Accounting classes outside of my degree plan, Auditing and anything else I haven't taken. States are very picky when it comes to the CPA.
4. For your masters degree question, If I do go on to get my Masters in Accounting I will be enrolling at UAlbany here in New York. They have NO GPA requirements. Then have a GMAT and Recommendation requirements and that is all.

Side Note: There is plenty of people who get into good masters degree programs after earning a Bachelors from TESU. However, the suggestion that is made all the time on this forum is find out what you need to qualify for the Masters degree you want / and or CPA exam, and then work backwards from that. Don't work from A - Z but Z-A so know what you will need to do and how to get there first. Then do it.

[jsd]

You have a few ALEKS options in there... Have you already completed those courses? Because their ACE approval expires 11/30 and doesn't appear to be coming back anytime soon.

[airricklee]

Synicaal to give a little information that may be helpful. My degree searching is for one of two basic plans, move into an education related field, or move into a more administrative position at my current job. The CPA certification would not be a necessity for advancement in my current job, the degree would suffice. I was mostly just thinking on possible paths down the road since I am still relatively young. I am working at a Casino that is pretty new, and doing well, with plenty of plans to expand. I'm hoping to be involved in the finance and accounting department when this expansion begins if I do not move into education.


As for the board the requirements in Texas are as follows-
Be of good moral character.
Hold a baccalaureate or higher degree from a board-recognized United States college or university, or an equivalent degree as determined by board rule from an institution of higher education in another country.
Complete150 semester hours or quarter-hour equivalents of college credit.
Complete 30 semester hours or quarter-hour equivalents of upper levelaccounting courses from a board-recognized college or university, of which 15 semester hours or quarter-hour equivalents must be in traditional face-to-face courses. Within the coursework two-semester hours of accounting or tax research and analysis are required .
Complete 24 semester hours or quarter-hour equivalents of upper level relatedbusiness courses. Within the coursework two-semester hours of accounting or business communications are required .
Complete a 3-semester-hourBoard-approved ethics course.

So even after completing my degree I would still have to earn 30 credits in order to even consider a CPA cert. Also, I do not know how SL or other courses would work for sure, but this "Non-traditionally-delivered accounting courses may be considered to meet the accounting course requirements provided courses have been reviewed and approved through a formal, institutional faculty review process that evaluates the course and its learning outcomes and determines that the course does, in fact, have equivalent learning outcomes to an equivalent, traditionally delivered (face-to-face) course" Leads me to believe that alternative credit options would work in Texas if they were used for my degree.

Also, I believe the Tax courses should work for both the degree and sitting requirements. I may be wrong however.

"Accounting courses that are recognized by the Board.
(1) financial accounting and reporting for business organizations that may include:
(A) intermediate accounting (not to exceed 9 semester hours)
(B) advanced accounting
© accounting theory
(2) managerial or cost accounting (excluding introductory level courses)
(3) auditing and attestation services
(4) internal accounting control and risk assessment
(5) financial statement analysis
(6) accounting research and analysis
(7) up to 12 semester hours of taxation, (including tax research and analysis)
(8) financial accounting and reporting for governmental and/or other nonprofit entities
(9) up to 12 semester hours of accounting information systems, including management information systems ("MIS"), provided the MIS courses are listed or cross-listed as accounting courses, and the college or university accepts these courses as satisfying the accounting course requirements for graduation with a degree in accounting
(10) fraud examination
(11) international accounting and financial reporting
(12) an accounting internship program (not to exceed 3 semester hours)"

As for Tesu under Recommended Subjects
"Federal Income Taxation I
Federal Income Taxation II OR Tax Accounting II" All three Tax courses are recommended by NCCRS. With the basic being 3 lower and the two advanced both being 3 UL. Since a large percentage of the work of the finance and accounting departments is dealing with Taxes (Federal, Tribal, State, and local taxes) on the gambling winnings, gift drawing winnings, and other related expenses to the gaming facility I figured they would be handy courses if I could manage to make them work for both.

Also, I have considered possibly using some CLEPs, but my nearest testing center brings the total too almost 120 a sitting. While it may take a bit longer, I am okay with using straighter line for a majority because then cost is almost the same. As long as I do not use several months of membership. I do not think that will be an issue however, since a friend completed a lot of the courses I am planning on taking, and has the books and study guides for the courses he is going to give me. So I also save money on books I would otherwise need to take the other exams. He also managed to pass 8 SL courses in a month, because he ordered the books prior to registering, then skimmed them all, so when it was time to go the course work, he could go through it quickly. Plus I like knowing that for most the SL courses If I work diligently my passing or failing will not matter based solely on the last exam. There are one or two courses I am considering Clepping, but SL just seems more my style.

Jsd, I do not currently have the Aleks credits, However I am planning on refreshing my math skills (to score higher on the initial test, and save time during the course) and knocking out most of my other credits before I do them. If they are not renewed by then I will obviously have to find something else. From my searching, it seems that there has been a few times there were gaps in the renewal each time lasting a few months. Hopefully, that will be the case again.

[airricklee]

Also, Synicaal how many months did it take you too complete the three history courses from shmoop? I am considering possibly using them for some electives, and my BA history that I am weighing against this plan I plan on taking all three.

[Synicaal]

Also, Synicaal how many months did it take you too complete the three history courses from shmoop? I am considering possibly using them for some electives, and my BA history that I am weighing against this plan I plan on taking all three.

3 weeks to complete all of them. Mind you that was also taking 5classes at my CC during this time. If you put the work in you can finish each course in a couple days.

As for you other post, you requirements are much more relaxed then mine. I need 3 credit hours in about 5 or 6 different category's that have to be all earned traditionally. The SL and Study should count for your total Accounting but obviously not the Face-to-Face Upper Level courses.

[dfrecore]

If I were you, I would look at 2 options:

1) Getting the Accounting BSBA through TESU, but switch out the courses you need to get the face-to-face requirements met, and then get an inexpensive MS program like WGU; and

2) Getting the Accounting BSBA through TESU with no face-to-face requirements, and then get all of your face-to-face requirements met through the MS program.

One of the things to keep in mind is that if you opted for the BSBA with 150cr instead of an MS, it starts to get much more expensive to get those remaining 30cr. So it may be more cost-effective (and faster) to go the WGU MS in Accounting or something like that, and get those more expensive (and slower) face-to-face accounting courses in with the BSBA.

Just a thought. It's a hard one to figure out, and every state is different in their requirements.

[airricklee]

If I were you, I would look at 2 options:

1) Getting the Accounting BSBA through TESU, but switch out the courses you need to get the face-to-face requirements met, and then get an inexpensive MS program like WGU; and

2) Getting the Accounting BSBA through TESU with no face-to-face requirements, and then get all of your face-to-face requirements met through the MS program.

One of the things to keep in mind is that if you opted for the BSBA with 150cr instead of an MS, it starts to get much more expensive to get those remaining 30cr. So it may be more cost-effective (and faster) to go the WGU MS in Accounting or something like that, and get those more expensive (and slower) face-to-face accounting courses in with the BSBA.

Just a thought. It's a hard one to figure out, and every state is different in their requirements.

Thats pretty much the way i was thinking about it,if i decided to persue the cpa certification. I plan on emailing the state and getting some info, but it seems like you can take distant courses if they are recommended for credit and are the same materials as the in person course.

[KayV]

If you are interested in possibly teaching, you could also do a BA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Social Sciences instead of a History major. MUCH easier to complete than a Hostory degree.

[KayV]

Also, in the Accounting plan you have above, you are still one hour short (119 hours). TESU will expect you to make up the missing hour of Ethics with a general ed elective- you still need 120 hours to graduate.

Just take take one of the free NFA credits and it will count as a free elective, moving one of those Shmoop literature hours into the GenEd section.