Why is Sunshines and Sanantones Biology Degree plan so different?

[mcorye91]

I'm really confused about how to use the guidelines on Excelsiors website to make my own degree plan. I will post the requirements for the degree from Excelsior below how do I determine which courses are optional for each section? Why are these two degree plans below so different? One is like all science and one is science and then a bunch of random courses for applied professional. I'm sooo confused. Is Sanantones a 0-120 plan? I have no college credits and will need to start from scratch. The only reason I am going with Excelsior is for the major and not just a concentration but I am open to the other big 2.. I Really Would Like To do this fast, Within 2 years. Preferebly 1. Could I also get any advice that comes to mind? My career goals: Complete a Bachelor degree (preferebly Biology) apply for Drexel Universitys 11 month accelerated BSN program. Get some ICU experience then apply for the CRNA program at Rutgers Uni or SUNY Albany. The Bio degree will be the most appealing for this sort of program. (Organic chemistry and pathophysiology are part of the curriculum, some programs include physics. Some include Biochemistry as a prereq)

Excelsiors Bio Major Requirements:
120creditstotal-60inartsandsciences. 30upperlevelcredits-21AppliedProfessional,9intheartsandsciences. Generaleducationrequirement-33credits(minimum),with12creditsin eachofthetwodistributionareas,9creditsintheother. WrittenEnglishrequirement-3credits. Quantitativerequirement-2creditscollegelevelmathorstatistics. Humanitiesrequirement-3creditsinart,music,orotherhumanities. Informationliteracy-1credit. Depthrequirement-12creditsintwoareasintheartsandsciences,with3 creditsattheupperlevel. Major-30creditsinasingleartsandsciencedisciplinewith15atupperlevel. Majormaybeusedtosatisfyonedepthrequirement.

--------Sunshines BS Biology via Excelsior---------:

*GeneralEducation(36credits)
●WrittenEnglishRequirement(WER)(3) StraighterlineEnglishCompI(3)
●Humanities(12) CLEPHumanities(6) CLEPAnalyzingandInterpretingLit(6)
●SocialScience&History(12) CLEPIntotoSociology(3) CLEPAmericanGovernment(3) CLEPSocialScience&History(6) ●NaturalScience&Math(9)_(includingquantitativerequirement) CLEPNaturalScience(6) DSSTStatisticsQ(3) _____________________________________________________________ *MajorRequirement-Biology(31credits,18atUL) CLEPBiology(6) DSSTEnvironment&Humanity(3) Microbiology204w/LLLab(4)(CommunityCollegeofDenver) BIOL3104BehavioralGeneticsw/ULLab(3UL)(UCDenver) ECEHUMx310Bioethics(3UL) BIO412PlantAnatomy(3UL) BIO340Biodiversity(3UL) BIO404Ecology(3UL) BIO360DevelopmentalBiology(3UL) LA490(FilledusingresearchpaperwrittenforBIO412)
atUL)
*AppliedProfessionalorotherArts&SciencesCredits(55credits,12 atUL) InformationLiteracy(1) CLEPWesternCivilizationI(3) CLEPUSHistoryI(3) CLEPUSHistoryII(3) DSSTCivilWar&Reconstruction(3UL) DSSTRise&FalloftheSovietUnion(3UL) DSSTTechnicalWriting(3) DSSTAstronomy(3) DSSTHuman/culturalGeography(3) DSSTFoundationsofEducation(3) DSSTAnthropology(3) DSSTOrganizationalBehaviorA(3) ECEWorldPopulation(3UL) DSSTBusinessEthics(3UL) CLEPPrinciplesofManagement(3) CLEPPrinciplesofMarketing(3) DSSTIntrotoBusiness(3) DSSTHumanResourceMgmt(3) DSSTIntotoComputing(3) TotalCredits:122
..........................................
-------Sanantones BA Biology via TESC?-------:

General Education Requirements Specific to this Degree

Precalculus:*ALEKS Precalculus or Trigonometry, Straighterline, or CLEP

General Chemistry I:*CLEP (6 credits)

General Chemistry I Lab:*Straighterline or University of New England (self-paced)

General Chemistry II:**CLEP (6 credits)

General Chemistry II Lab:*University of New England (self-paced)

General Physics I with Lab:*Straighterline

General Physics II with Lab:*

Organic Chemistry I with Lab:*University of New England (self-paced) or Ocean County College

Organic Chemistry II with Lab:*University of New England (self-paced) or Ocean County College

Area of Study Required Courses (18 upper level credits, no more than six 100-level credits)

General Biology I:*CLEP (6 credits)

General Biology I Lab:*Straighterline or University of New England

General Biology II:*CLEP (6 credits)

General Biology II Lab:*University of New England

Cell Biology (UL):*UC Berkeley Extension (self-paced)?, Empire State College, or UC San Diego Extension

Genetics (UL):*Uexcel (transcribed as LL Human Biology, so verify acceptance for this requirement)

Microbiology (UL):*Uexcel or Straighterline (Straighterline also has a separate Microbiology Lab course to add and extra credit)

Liberal Arts Capstone:*Has to be taken with TESC as an online or guided study course.

13 Credits in Biology Electives:*Uexcel Pathophysiology (UL), Uexcel Bioethics, Uexcel Anatomy and Physiology (8 credits), Straighterline Anatomy and Physiology I, Straighterline Anatomy and Physiology I Lab (1 credit) Straighterline Anatomy and Physiology II, Straighterline Anatomy and Physiology II Lab (1 credit), TECEP Science of Nutrition, Straighterline Introduction to Nutrition (equivalent of Science of Nutrition), and/or Uexcel Science of Nutrition.

[laughter]

Sunshines' degree plan is for Excelsior College; whereas Sanantone's plan is for Thomas Edison State College, hence, the difference.

[mcorye91]

Which do you think is faster?

[Yanji]

COSC is the fastest route to a BS in Biology because you can get 24 credits for the Biology GRE. Empire State gives anywhere from 6-36 credits for the Biology GRE, depending on your score, but the threshold for getting 24 credits is the 60th percentile, where as it's only the 40th at COSC. Does the BSN program you're interested in require only that your degree was in a certain major or have specific prereqs like Bio I/II stream, Chem I/II stream, etc? If your time horizon is 2 years and you're starting from no credits, you may be best suited by checking out a local/nearby state school that accepts CLEP/DSST. Most only accept 30 test credits, but many accept more, which would allow you to chop about 2 years off the degree and have access to their on-campus science courses, which will generally be a much better selection than you can get online.

[mcorye91]

Hi the accelerated bsn program doesn't require a specific major it can be in anything as long as it's a Bachelor degree. The reason I want a Biology degree is because CRNA programs are VERY competitive. They look at gpa but also sciences. Sciences are the most appealing. I have not taken any science courses before so I don't know how long it will take me to prepare for a Bio GRE. The idea is appealing though. Do you know if COSC awards Biology majors or will it show as liberal arts like TESC?

I do plan to take some science courses for the major requirement thru a local community college and some through maybe Ocean Or Clovis online. Thank you for your advice! !

[mcorye91]

Also the prereqs for Drexels accelerated BSN include Chem w/ lab, A&P and Micro

[sanantone]

Do you know if COSC awards Biology majors or will it show as liberal arts like TESC?
!

I don't understand the question. TESC awards a BA in Biology. Some misinformed people would make a big fuss about this not being a BS, but several institutions only award BAs in the liberal arts. The natural sciences ARE liberal arts. Harvard only awards A.B. (Latin for BA) degrees in the liberal arts, and that includes the sciences. Many schools award BAs and BSs in the natural sciences and social sciences. The differences between them vary by school. At some schools, the only difference is that the BA has a foreign language requirement.

COSC awards a BA or BS in General Studies with a concentration in biology.

[Yanji]

The natural sciences ARE liberal arts.

Exactly.

There's little practical difference between COSC's concentrations and a major, particularly when the program you're interested in only has course prereqs, not major prereqs. Most Biology programs require Chem I/II and Micro, and I've never seen one that doesn't require A&P. With that being said, if the quality of your coursework is most important to you, I believe that using the Biology GRE to get a COSC BA/BS Biology would be a bad idea because you'd be replacing 24 credit hours of concentration coursework with a standardized exam.

[mcorye91]

Thanks for your answer. Is your plan 0-120? For TESC are Gen eds like humanities not required? My confusion wasn't BS vs BA but rather why your degree looks like science courses only

I looked at TESCs site and I see that some colleges can just have very different requirements I guess?

[mcorye91]

Thank you I really appreciate your answer. Maybe the GRE isn't the best idea for me.