Which non-SDC/SL/etc. courses make it?

[pws]

I'm currently building my degree plan to study at TESU, however, there is one aspect which I am having a bit of difficulty fully understanding.

Do courses have to have an exact equivalency to TESU courses, or TESU does accept some courses that don't have a direct equivalency? Is it possible to transfer credits from any course, from any RA school, as long as the course is ACE-evaluated? How does this work?

Also, is there more chance that you can transfer a course if it is as a Free Elective vs. an Area of Study course?

[jsd]

They do not need to be direct equivalencies but they do need to fulfill the objectives that TESU is looking for for each category. Have you already determined a degree program? It might be good to start building spreadsheet and start asking about specific courses you need fulfilled instead of asking these more general questions that are harder to answer without knowing your situation.

[pws]

They do not need to be direct equivalencies but they do need to fulfill the objectives that TESU is looking for for each category. Have you already determined a degree program? It might be good to start building spreadsheet and start asking about specific courses you need fulfilled instead of asking these more general questions that are harder to answer without knowing your situation.

Yes, I'm mostly finished building it. I've gotten the important part that you need to look at the TESU-Study.com/SL/Saylor equivalency lists to know which courses will be accepted, and so far I've been selecting from those courses, but from reading the forum, it feels as though it's possible to transfer many other courses.

[davewill]

Credits from RA schools don't have to be ACE evaluated, TESU will, in general, transfer them. The only RA courses I've heard of them rejecting are ones that they label developmental (think remedial for us old-timers). Think of courses like "Prep for College English". As far as the equivalency, it's up to TESU. If they have any question, or if you disagree with an equivalency they assign, they will request a course description or syllabus to help them decide, but usually the course title will tell the tale.

ACE credits will also generally transfer (except for Shmoop at the moment), but TESU can choose to reject any provider or course they wish. That's why it's good to get them planned into your academic eval before taking them, if possible. If they haven't established an equivalency for a particular course, it's possible they will wait until you actually try to transfer it before establishing one...hard on the student.

[dfrecore]

Short answer - they will take all kinds of courses, and most would not have a direct equivalency. There are thousands of RA schools in the US, each with it's own list of courses, and TESU will take almost everything. If they don't have a good equivalency for the course, they will either give it one, or fall on the old standby -X99 (so FEL-199 or ENG-399, etc.).