brick and mortar schools with online options similar to TESC and COSC

[clep3705]

What brick and mortar schools offer online degrees with flexibility similar to TESC and COSC? I've talked to several people who insist on a recognizable brick and mortar name such as, for example, Colorado State or Ohio University. Personally I think their problem is more with the name than the fully online nature of the school. In other words, if TESC was New Jersey State College, they'd probably go for it.

The only brick and mortar online programs I'm aware all require the last 30 hours to be taken with them. Is that the norm? I doubt any brick and mortar online programs are as liberal in CBE as the Big Three are.

Can we please restrict the discussion to the question at hand without getting into a discussion about why people should be okay with TESC and COSC? I already tried that with the people in question and it wasn't productive. They want any degree from any not for profit, recognizable brick and mortar the fastest way possible.

[smf6824]

Tesc and Cosc. They are brick and mortar.... technically

[bawhitsett]

That has always been the thing about the big 3 that set them apart, little to no residency requirement. The 25%+ requirement is pretty much everywhere else that I'm familiar with. Don't know about COSC but TESC does offer some classes in-person, at least tied to their nursing program. They do in-person testing as well.

[defscarlett]

CSU - Pueblo has independent study and accept most CLEP/DSST exams at the minimum ACE recommended scoring, however they only accept 30 CBE credits and have a 30 cr hr residency

[Yonks]

I am currently enrolled with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). They do have a 30 credit hour institutional requirement. I have devised a plan to obtain my BSBA with concentration in Organizational Leadership with taking 33 credit hours from SNHU. If two courses were taken per 9-week term, that will take 6 terms and just slightly over one year. At $320/credit hour, puts the total for the SNHU portion at $9,600 (plus book costs for the 11 courses).

I choose the Organizational Leadership concentration because that degree concentration appeared to have the most UL (Upper Level) CLEP/DSST exams on the SNHU lists that would translate to credit at their university.

[sanantone]

I don't think there is any school in the U.S. that is like the Big 3. You can skip any school accredited by SACS because they require that 25% of the degree be completed in residence. Obviously, the Middle States Association and the New England Association don't have this requirement because they accredited the Big 3. Ashford University (for-profit, but brick and mortar) used to accept up to 99 transfer credits under the North Central Association, but now only accepts up to 90 under the Western Association.

Athabasca University, which is a Canadian university with regional accreditation, allows for 100% credit transfer for their bachelor's in general studies. However, they do not accept CLEP and DSST. I thought you brought this up, CLEP3705, or maybe it was someone else. K-State counts graded CLEPs toward their residency requirement.

Like others have said, TESC is not 100% online. They offer nursing courses on ground and even built a state-of-the-art training facility. Does COSC offer courses on campus? I only know that they offer testing. I can tell you that 100% only schools with regional accreditation are exceptionally rare. Not even the University of Phoenix and Devry are "online colleges." Sorry, but the well-known schools are the least likely to be the most innovative and open-minded when it comes to alternative forms of earning credit. Your friends need to pick one or the other.

[cookderosa]

What brick and mortar schools offer online degrees with flexibility similar to TESC and COSC? I've talked to several people who insist on a recognizable brick and mortar name such as, for example, Colorado State or Ohio University. Personally I think their problem is more with the name than the fully online nature of the school. In other words, if TESC was New Jersey State College, they'd probably go for it.

The only brick and mortar online programs I'm aware all require the last 30 hours to be taken with them. Is that the norm? I doubt any brick and mortar online programs are as liberal in CBE as the Big Three are.

Can we please restrict the discussion to the question at hand without getting into a discussion about why people should be okay with TESC and COSC? I already tried that with the people in question and it wasn't productive. They want any degree from any not for profit, recognizable brick and mortar the fastest way possible.

I think you're going to see 30 as the norm. That said, something like 98% of all state universities offer online degrees. If I wanted to be as traditionally looking as possible, without being traditional, I'd enroll at my CC using their CLEP policy to the fullest while taking my classes via distance learning. They'll all appear on one transcript. It's possible that your CC might not have EVERYTHING necessary to do the full AA/AS online, but it will be close. Again, using CLEP to fill in the gaps, I think greater than 75% of any CC degree can be completed this way now.

Then, simply attend your state's university. Online options are abundant. You can go through an entire "traditional university degree program without spending more than a class or two face to face. Same with grad school.

Now, I know your question was more about fastest possible, and I answered the issue of brand first, because obviously that's important to the question. So, fast is relative. Faster than 4 years? 4 years isn't even the norm, it's 5 now. Faster than people here? No way. People here rocket through 4 year degrees in 1 year. BUT, if my community college allowed me to test out of 45 credits (it does) then that timeframe is set by me (can 45 credits be earned in 1 semester? Probably.) The remaining time, also somewhat set by me. If I take 18 credits instead of 12 each term, that makes a difference. I think it's also important to point out that making sure all the classes are required (no wasted steps) and social life would be zero. I think you could do it in 5 semesters years if you hustled. I would spend an obsessive amount of time planning this ahead of time of course, because all schools operate just a bit differently, and I'm not a fan of surprises.

It's always a question of what you need. Some people need fast, some need cheap, some need self-paced, some need a brand. There is nothing wrong with getting what you want, if they want brand, then they want brand. It's all about knowing the rules so you can play the game. And I never, ever, accept the idea that you can't do something to. You can always find a better solution.

[clep3705]

Wanting something quickly is understandable, but can be very counterproductive. I know a busy woman in her 40s and another in her 50s. They want the degree now. But if they had taken one course per semester many years ago, they could have finished by now. Both have been stuck at one year short of a degree for decades.

[sanantone]

Northern Arizona University has a traditional-sounding name. They offer self-paced, competency-based programs that accept transfer credits. I think the limit is 64. If there is an employer sponsor, Southern New Hampshire University's competency-based programs are very cheap. I think that's the closest you're going to get to completely "testing out" of a degree at a traditional school. The more you know, the faster you can complete a competency-based program.

[Prloko]

What brick and mortar schools offer online degrees with flexibility similar to TESC and COSC? I've talked to several people who insist on a recognizable brick and mortar name such as, for example, Colorado State or Ohio University. Personally I think their problem is more with the name than the fully online nature of the school. In other words, if TESC was New Jersey State College, they'd probably go for it.

The only brick and mortar online programs I'm aware all require the last 30 hours to be taken with them. Is that the norm? I doubt any brick and mortar online programs are as liberal in CBE as the Big Three are.

Can we please restrict the discussion to the question at hand without getting into a discussion about why people should be okay with TESC and COSC? I already tried that with the people in question and it wasn't productive. They want any degree from any not for profit, recognizable brick and mortar the fastest way possible.

Regis University is very flexible in the credits they accept; they are a respected school in Colorado. There is also Empire State College which is part of the SUNY system.