TESU Degree Help Please

[bchart]

I want to pursue a BA (communications, history or english) from TESU and I've been reading this forum for a while and still really have no clue how to put together a plan. I know the basics, but there are just so many little nuances, that it is a little overwhelming. From what I can tell a BA degree from TESU should be the easiest (most resources and tests available) to tackle, but I don't know how to piece them together. Some of the things I don't fully understand are:

If there aren't enough CLEP/DSST courses for a degree, where do I get the other credits?
TESU doesn't give grades for test passes so will 1 online class from TESU be enough to obtain a GPA?
Is this something that's possible in 6 months?
How much test prep do people usually do?

There are many more questions. I'm just trying to figure this all out and there is so much info to sift through. I've seen tons of spreadsheets, but haven't found any specifically dealing with a similar path.

I'm really just trying to figure out which exams will transfer for which courses and how possible it is to test out of a whole BA degree from TESU. Any help would be really helpful.

[originalamyj]

There are a few of us that have degree paths for English. FlyBoy just posted his revised one today. So if you click for “today’s posts” you should see it.

Most of us use a combo of CLEP/DSST/TECEP and online credit sources like study.com, Straighterline, Saylor, etc. It just depends on what you need.

Do you plan to go to grad school? What reason do you have for needing a GPA?

Do you already have any credits? Are you looking for one of those specific degrees for a reason? Or would a Lib Studies degree with a concentration work for you?

[dfrecore]

I have a degree plans for Comm & History.  Each course lists a place where you can get the credits.  You should probably do more research on these forums for the next few weeks, so that you can start to get an idea of how the different sources of credit work.

As for GPA, any graded course you take at a school will get you a GPA.  So yes, 1 course at TESU will give you that GPA (whatever you earned in that course).  However, if you want to go to grad school, then you need to do research to see if you need more than that.  Always work backwards from your ultimate goal to make sure you check off all the boxes on your way to the degree you want.  But if you just want to get a BA, then 1 course with a GPA will be fine (and depending on the MA you would want, it might be fine for grad school admissions as well).

[SDO]

The requirements for a Communications degree have changed slightly since the excellent spreadsheet above was created. Just replace the "Interpersonal Communication" requirement with Mass Communications II and add the Communication Theory requirement. Also delete one AOS elective.

What is interesting is that the TESU website at https://www.tesu.edu/heavin/ba/Communications.cfm says that the degree requires 120 credits, but if you add it up, it totals 123. It says there are 36 required in the area of study, not 33. (Communication Theory, Mass Comm. I, Mass Comm II, and Capstone and then 24 AOS electives. But when I did the "What if" evaluation for a Communications degree in the 2017-2018 school year, there are really only 21 AOS electives, but Communication Theory, Mass Comm. I, Mass Comm II, and Capstone are still required.

[bchart]

There are a few of us that have degree paths for English. FlyBoy just posted his revised one today. So if you click for “today’s posts” you should see it.

Most of us use a combo of CLEP/DSST/TECEP and online credit sources like study.com, Straighterline, Saylor, etc. It just depends on what you need.

Do you plan to go to grad school? What reason do you have for needing a GPA?

Do you already have any credits? Are you looking for one of those specific degrees for a reason? Or would a Lib Studies degree with a concentration work for you?

I saw FlyBoy's post and didn't know if it applied since he was going to be transferring so many credits from another university.

I don't need the specific degree just thought it would help b/c I do want to go to grad school. However, a Lib Studies degree with a concentration (english or history) might work. Would a Lib Studies degree be easier to obtain through CLEP/DSST/TECEP?



Where do people find out which credits will apply to their specific degree? I've looked through the TESU catalog and see the degree requirements, but don't know which classes/tests will comply with the degree hour requirements.

[SDO]

Liberal studies degrees at TESU don't have an option for history or English concentrations.There is an option for a Communications concentration. https://www.tesu.edu/heavin/ba/Liberal-Studies.cfm

If you need to know what courses or tests fulfill each requirement, the following website will help. It is for a Liberal Studies degree with no concentration. https://www.tesu.edu/studycom/BA-Degree-...tudies.cfm

[davewill]

...
Where do people find out which credits will apply to their specific degree? I've looked through the TESU catalog and see the degree requirements, but don't know which classes/tests will comply with the degree hour requirements.

That's why this place exists, there is no easy way to tell how outside credits will come in. You can ask TESU one by one "will this test fulfill this req", but you can't get them to tell you everything that will fulfill a particular requirement.

It would help if you disclosed what grad degree you were seeking. If you have a particular program in mind you should also ask them about their GPA requirements.

[bchart]

It would help if you disclosed what grad degree you were seeking. If you have a particular program in mind you should also ask them about their GPA requirements.

After I finish my degree, I'll enroll in a Christian seminary for a Master of Arts, prob theology or philosophy, (figured the english would have made that easier) and here are the requirements that made me ask about GPA.

• The student must have earned at least a 2.5 GPA out of 4.0 in their academic preparation, preferably earned in on-site classes rather than through correspondence.
  
• The student must demonstrate potential for graduate academic work by scoring at least 143 on verbal and quantitative sections of the current GRE (350 on GRE taken prior to August 2011) and 3.5 on the writing section of the GRE. 
  

Also, I noticed about the GRE, but that is separate from the TESU stuff.

I've worked off of the spreadsheet dfrecore posted (thank you it is super helpful) and have attached it below. This is kind of what I've been shaping up. My only question, you mentioned is not easy knowledge davewill, is that I don't know if there are transferable credits for the courses on that spreadsheet. I just picked what I saw was interesting and met course requirements so I am up for any suggestions.

Since the grad program won't necessarily coincide my BA degree I figured the best course of action was to focus on ease of planning (and testing options) rather than what would help on the masters side since I'll be attending that brick and mortar and will be long and hard anyway.

I'm really thankful for all the help.

*I updated the spread sheet to version 2 after I had posted

[SDO]

As mentioned above, the requirements for a Communications degree have changed slightly since the spreadsheet you are using was created. Just replace the "Interpersonal Communication" requirement with Mass Communications II and add the Communication Theory course requirement. Also delete one AOS elective.

[bchart]

As mentioned above, the requirements for a Communications degree have changed slightly since the spreadsheet you are using was created. Just replace the "Interpersonal Communication" requirement with Mass Communications II and add the Communication Theory course requirement. Also delete one AOS elective.

Sorry SDO, I read your comment, but forgot to make the changes. I've uploaded the file again with even more changes according to this (TESU Liberal Arts ). Were you saying that the Interpersonal Communication is incorrect on that webpage and specifically when you click on the communications part?

The only thing I can't find is if there is a requirement on the free electives to not be of so many XXcr in the 100 range. If there is, then I might have too many level 100 classes in my free electives.

Anyone else have any advice? Thank you.