TESU - need 1 more UL elective for BA Communication. What are my test-out options?

[sung1contrarian]

Hello,

I am almost done with a BA in Communication from Thomas Edison State University and need one more upper level communication elective to graduate. The Capstone drained me and I am only interested in testing-out. The adviser is saying that my only options are the following two TECEPs:
[URL="http://www2.tesu.edu/tecep.php?CourseCode=MAN-373"]
MAN-373-TE Managerial Communications[/URL] (which I am told is fairly new, and seems so due to the lack of information about this test on a general online search)
or
MAR-321-TE Marketing Communications

My preference is to take a DSST or CLEP, since I heard TECEPs are harder and also the availability of study material. Seems like TECEPs usually require a reading of the text book(s).

Am I missing any other test-out options?

There are a bunch of electives listed on the Communications degree page but doesn't quite specify the exact courses.

Much appreciate any input!


***Here's the back story:

I just finished my Capstone and thought I was all done and was about to apply for graduation in June. My academic evaluation stated all requirements were met. Even still, I asked academic advising one last time to verify that I have met all the requirements for graduation since I didn't want to waste the application fee in case there was some issue. Low and behold, they noticed that the evaluation was wrong and I needed one more UL course in Communication. So now I am looking for a fast way to meet this requirement and graduate already!

I'm wondering if I had just applied for graduation, if this issue would have even been found since the original evaluation said I met all the requirement. Or is there a final in-depth evaluation that would have caught it anyways...In any case, below are the screen grabs from the original eval versus the newly update:
Original:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1707[/ATTACH]

Updated:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]1708[/ATTACH]

[dfrecore]

CLEP has no UL courses, DSST has no UL Comm courses.

Saylor has Corporate Communication, so does SL. I think they come in as COM-300.

CSU-Global has a bunch of UL Comm courses.

[KayV]

Saylor BUS210 Corporate Communication counts as TESU COM-373 Managerial Communications.
Credit Transfer Partner Schools | Saylor Academy

Straighterline BUS105 Business Communication counts as TESU COM-300 Business Communications.
Thomas Edison State University & StraighterLine - Degree Savings Partnership | StraighterLine

CSU Credit by Exam has Interpersonal Communication COM310EX (3 credits), which appears to count as TESU COM-330 Interpersonal Communication.
https://csuglobal.edu/undergraduate/prog...tions/cbes

They also have Intercultural Communication COM315EX (3 credits), which TESU should count as COM-335 Elements of Intercultural Communication.

CSU has several others, as dfrecore said, but those are the most straightforward options according to the PLA database.

[KayV]

Frankly, for the cost I would try taking the Saylor practice quizzes and tests (for free). If I did well on the practice final, I would arrange to take the ProctorU final.

[sung1contrarian]

Thank you for those recommendations. I will be looking into those options.

BTW. have any of you taken Saylor courses? I understand it will be course dependent, but I am curious to find out the general difficulty level compared to TESU coursework or CLEP/DSST exams.

Thanks!

[SweetSecret]

Based on what you've already taken it might be worth it to just attempt the marketing communications TECEP, and if you don't pass try the Saylor option.

Also, just a heads up because I had to call the Bursar's office about this yesterday, the fee for graduation rolls over. In other words, if you pay for the june graduation and they do your course audit but find it's incomplete, they will move your to the September graduation automatically and you won't have to pay the graduation fee a second time. Now, here's the thing I also asked about. Technically the students starting in the April term shouldn't be able to graduate until September. I spoke to the office in charge of graduation though, and they told me that if I register for the April term with just TECEPS and have them completed before the audits happen (early to mid May) then I could graduate in June if I applied now. That means you should also still be able to graduate in June. Take the TECEP, and if it doesn't work out try the Saylor course, but get it done!

[sung1contrarian]

Ah! Maybe I should have just applied for graduation instead of asking for a final academic review!

In any case, I asked TESU and they approved the following:
BUS105 Business Communication StraighterLine - equivalent to COM-300
BUS210 Corporate Communication Saylor - equivalent to COM-373

They are saying there are no CLEP or DSST options but after looking through the degree page, there seems to be quite a bit of elective options to meet this UL requirement. I reached out to academic advising again and asked about the following CLEP/DSSTs as possibilities. Currently waiting for a response.

CLEP - Principles of Management - equivalent to MAN-301
CLEP - Principles of Marketing - equivalent to MAR-301
DSST - Organizational Behavior - equivalent to MAN-311
DSST - Human Resources Management - equivalent to MAN-331
DSST - Business Ethics and Society - equivalent to BUS-302

I read some posts complaining about the quality of support from academic advising, and that it really was up to the student to do the due diligence and not to just accept their word. I did encounter that some advisers were just quick to give a response but then upon double checking myself, found they were wrong, and they admitted they were wrong upon bringing it up to them. So I am combing through all options and making sure I am aware of ALL options and not just accepting what they tell me.

[sanantone]

Ah! Maybe I should have just applied for graduation instead of asking for a final academic review!

In any case, I asked TESU and they approved the following:
BUS105 Business Communication StraighterLine - equivalent to COM-300
BUS210 Corporate Communication Saylor - equivalent to COM-373

They are saying there are no CLEP or DSST options but after looking through the degree page, there seems to be quite a bit of elective options to meet this UL requirement. I reached out to academic advising again and asked about the following CLEP/DSSTs as possibilities. Currently waiting for a response.

CLEP - Principles of Management - equivalent to MAN-301
CLEP - Principles of Marketing - equivalent to MAR-301
DSST - Organizational Behavior - equivalent to MAN-311
DSST - Human Resources Management - equivalent to MAN-331
DSST - Business Ethics and Society - equivalent to BUS-302

I read some posts complaining about the quality of support from academic advising, and that it really was up to the student to do the due diligence and not to just accept their word. I did encounter that some advisers were just quick to give a response but then upon double checking myself, found they were wrong, and they admitted they were wrong upon bringing it up to them. So I am combing through all options and making sure I am aware of ALL options and not just accepting what they tell me.

The upper level credits need to be in communications. The communications electives are in the communications area of study (major). Free electives can be anything, and you need 27 credits of them, but those do not count toward the UL communications electives you need. The CLEPs and DSSTs you asked about will count as free electives (or gen ed for a couple) and won't help you meet the UL requirements.

[sung1contrarian]

The upper level credits need to be in communications. The communications electives are in the communications area of study (major). Free electives can be anything, and you need 27 credits of them, but those do not count toward the UL communications electives you need. The CLEPs and DSSTs you asked about will count as free electives (or gen ed for a couple) and won't help you meet the UL requirements.

Darn! But thanks for the info!

[dfrecore]

I agree with Sanantone, the courses you specifically asked about were COMM courses, and none of the CLEP/DSST exams count for that.

If I were you, I would do the SL or Saylor course, they will be faster and easier than a TECEP. A TECEP would require you signing up today for the April term, and then taking the TECEP on the first day, to make it in time for June graduation. he other 2 courses could be completed in a few days, and you would have plenty of time to get it sent over by the April 1 deadline.

For Saylor, take the unproctored final, see how you do, and if it's good enough, just take the proctored final for $25. If you pass, you're done. If you don't you can either retake it a couple weeks later, or sign up for the SL course and take that instead.