Using Penn Foster courses towards an RA Degree

[meyek]

Hi I'm meyek (pronounced mike) from Australia. I've just joined IC today. I've been reading (more like trawling) the forum for some time now, and almost feel some of you are like old buddies: sanantone, cookderosa, bricabrac, to name just a few. I salute you all for your achievements!

I joined IC as much for your forum as for your flashcards, because I would like to earn a bachelors degree, and earn it quickly. I live on the east coast of Australia, and, unfortunately, the nearest CLEP/DSST Testing Centre is in Perth, on the west coast. Travel and accommodation would cost me a minimum of $800 for a 2 to 4 day stay. This would only be economical if I could successfully earn 12 to 15 credit hours each time I travelled there; I'm sure you'll agree, however, that it is preferable to complete CLEPs/DSSTs one at a time. As well, I would like my transcript to show my grades for most courses,

I am therefore considering undertaking a BS in Business Management from Penn Foster College. Yes, I know it's NA, but nearly all of its courses are ACE-approved (at least for the moment); and both RA and NA U.S. bachelors degrees are regarded by our government authorities as being equivalent to Australian bachelors degrees. As well, Patten accepts an NA degree for admission into their MBA. On the other hand, I would still like to earn an RA bachelors, eventually.

I'm not sure how transfer credit works in the U.S. I hope someone can help me. From what I've read, it seems as though you can't transfer all, or nearly all, of the credits from a completed RA degree to another RA degree program; the best you can hope for is to get a second bachelors, by earning about 30 new credits.

If I completed the PF bachelors, since it is not an RA degree, would I be able to transfer all of the ACE-approved credit towards a degree at one of the big three, or could I only do this before I completed the PF degree or if I did not finish the PF degree?

My other questions are:
Since the July 1 changes to TESC degree requirements, is a cornerstone required for the BSBA?
Is the capstone for the TESC BSBA still Strategic Management, and can this capstone still be earned by completing the PF Strategic Management course?

I thank you in advance for your help.

[mednat]

Hi I'm meyek (pronounced mike) from Australia. I've just joined IC today. I've been reading (more like trawling) the forum for some time now, and almost feel some of you are like old buddies: sanantone, cookderosa, bricabrac, to name just a few. I salute you all for your achievements!

I joined IC as much for your forum as for your flashcards, because I would like to earn a bachelors degree, and earn it quickly. I live on the east coast of Australia, and, unfortunately, the nearest CLEP/DSST Testing Centre is in Perth, on the west coast. Travel and accommodation would cost me a minimum of $800 for a 2 to 4 day stay. This would only be economical if I could successfully earn 12 to 15 credit hours each time I travelled there; I'm sure you'll agree, however, that it is preferable to complete CLEPs/DSSTs one at a time. As well, I would like my transcript to show my grades for most courses,

I am therefore considering undertaking a BS in Business Management from Penn Foster College. Yes, I know it's NA, but nearly all of its courses are ACE-approved (at least for the moment); and both RA and NA U.S. bachelors degrees are regarded by our government authorities as being equivalent to Australian bachelors degrees. As well, Patten accepts an NA degree for admission into their MBA. On the other hand, I would still like to earn an RA bachelors, eventually.

I'm not sure how transfer credit works in the U.S. I hope someone can help me. From what I've read, it seems as though you can't transfer all, or nearly all, of the credits from a completed RA degree to another RA degree program; the best you can hope for is to get a second bachelors, by earning about 30 new credits.

If I completed the PF bachelors, since it is not an RA degree, would I be able to transfer all of the ACE-approved credit towards a degree at one of the big three, or could I only do this before I completed the PF degree or if I did not finish the PF degree?

My other questions are:
Since the July 1 changes to TESC degree requirements, is a cornerstone required for the BSBA?
Is the capstone for the TESC BSBA still Strategic Management, and can this capstone still be earned by completing the PF Strategic Management course?

I thank you in advance for your help.

Instead of PF, I would recommend suggest looking at Straighterline and/or online based classes/indpendendent study. There are tons of cheap/fast/good options out there for this that are regionally accredited.

[bricabrac]

Welcome to the forum and thank you for the kind mention.

I agree with Mednat. Instead of enrolling in a degree at Penn Foster (NA) you can use Penn Foster and Straighterline courses at a transfer friendly RA school such as TESC, Excelsior, or COSC. Consider also TECEP exams that are taken either online through ProctorU or a paper test using a local proctor. Not sure about ECE facilities in Australia. You have options outside of CLEP/DSST.

TESC does not require a cornerstone. Strategic Management can be completed through the TECEP exam or the Penn Foster course.

Glad you have decided to pursue your degree!

[dfrecore]

If testing is a major problem for you, then I would definitely think about all the other ACE-approved ways to get credits that are much easier: TEEX, Kaplan PLA, ALEKS math, Sophia.org, Straighterline, Saylor, TECEP, etc. Possibly even DreamDegree.org (others on this site are checking it out, they allow up to 30 credits for free). All of these are online, and the tests if there are any are taken at home. It looks like you can also add UExcel courses, they have testing centers in Brisbane and Sydney, not sure exactly where you live.

Anyway, between all of those options, you should be able to find enough courses/exams to get your BSBA.

[msganti]

In case you decide to go with Pennfoster, they have agreements with some colleges for credit transfer:
Transferring Credits into and from | Penn Foster College

[meyek]

A belated thank you for all your replies. UExcels and TECEPs are definitely doable in Australia. As well as these and SL, I am considering Study.com, some PF courses, and perhaps some KCTCS courses.