looking into a second degree

[Ideas]

I think it makes sense to go right for a K-12 education degree with science as the subject.

I think the grad cert needs that 5th class as a prereq. Unless you happen to find the class elsewhere, but most schools would cost more, not less.

[pianostrings]

I've been researching and am very interested in the Excelsior BS in Natural Sciences.  It looks like I'd only have to take one or two classes there, the rest I could do with ACE and test credits.  It seems like a lot of people are choosing TESU and not Excelsior, so I'm wondering what I am missing?  Are there any issues I'll run into that I should know about ahead of time?

Thanks for the information, you have all really helped me

[SolarKat]

SolarKat can you explain this further?  I don't keep up with TESU pricing and would like to know how you get 12 Grad level credits at $1846....

"You could get the TESU grad cert for less - I just tossed the 4 classes in the cart to see...with TESU affiliation and a multi-registration discount (both applied!), the total today is $1,846.  The catch with the grad cert is that one of the classes only runs once a year, in June.  You can register now (to take advantage of the combined discounts), but you'll be twiddling thumbs waiting.  On the plus side, each class is only 4 (very busy) weeks long.  The classes map into TESU under the DSA-xxx prefix, so it's unlikely that they'd count for math credits."

Sure.  TESU has this random grad cert for which they offer ZERO of the classes in-house.  (Crazy, but...)  The 4 classes are at Statistics.com, and you register/pay tuition directly to Statistics.com.  (Then you'd request ACE credit, then xfer that to TESU.)  With Statistics.com, they offer many discounts, some time-limited, some not.  Today, I added the 4 classes for the cert into the cart, then added "Educational Affiliate?" = TESU, and the cart pricing adjusted automatically...showing the total of $1,846...which included a discount for the education affiliation, AND a discount for registering for more than 1 class at a time.  (Each class retails for $589ish, otherwise.)

TESU does not charge a graduation fee for certificates.  Also, I don't see how they could charge a residency fee, when they don't offer any of the classes in-house.  (Though this *is* TESU we're talking about, so anything is possible.)  So if there's no residency fee, then the total cost of the cert is $1,846, plus a couple of books, plus the ACE transcript fee.  And with 4-week classes, we're talking a max of 16 weeks of class time, maximum. Pretty sweet.

Of course, there's one snag. One of the 4 classes is only offered once annually, in June. So now you'll have a wait until next year before you could finish the certificate. The other 3 classes are offered slightly more frequently (though none would be called "often").

As Ideas mentioned, there's a class that would be considered a prerequisite, though Statistics.com does not require it.  That would be "Optimization".  The same teacher (from VA Tech) teaches Optimization, Integer-Nonlinear Programming, and Risk/Sim/Queue...which are a sequence he runs @ VT as well.  If you aren't familiar with optimization, then integer-nonlin & risk/sim could be quite challenging.  However, all 3 of these are taught from the same textbook, so I'd suggest just getting the book early and familiarizing yourself with the optimization stuff ahead of time.  The prof is highly responsive, so if you run into any snags, he's great to work with.

(And the usual caveat - TESU offers the MBA with a Data Analytics concentration.  However, NONE of these certificate courses will map onto the MBA.  The MBA data classes are *all* in-house TESU offerings.)

Here's the cert:  http://www.tesu.edu/heavin/grad-certific...lytics.cfm

[dfrecore]

I've been researching and am very interested in the Excelsior BS in Natural Sciences.  It looks like I'd only have to take one or two classes there, the rest I could do with ACE and test credits.  It seems like a lot of people are choosing TESU and not Excelsior, so I'm wondering what I am missing?  Are there any issues I'll run into that I should know about ahead of time?

Thanks for the information, you have all really helped me

There are multiple reasons people have chosen TESU over EC/COSC, and I'll try to name a few of them.  None of the reasons, though, are NOT that it's a better school, or a better degree, or anything like that.

1) Excelsior and COSC charge per-term fees, meaning that you can't sign up ahead of time and lock in a catalog.  So, with the ability to do that at TESU, it seemed like the easier option.  You KNOW what you're getting ahead of time.

2) EC and COSC require 30cr of UL throughout the degree, including a specific number within the Major/Concentration.  These UL credits are harder to find, or more expensive on average (like using UExcel exams at $170 each rather than DSST or Study.com at $100 each).  TESU only requires 12-18cr of UL, and is more liberal in letting some courses come in at UL even if they aren't ACE-approved to do so.

3) Because TESU was the preferred choice for a long time, especially for business majors who could test out of the capstone until recently, a LOT of people used them.  Which meant a lot of feedback on what courses were coming in as.  So I (and others) were able to create a list of courses and the TESU course number for them.  Which meant that it got easier in time to determine exactly which courses you would need to plug into the degree plans.

I'm sure there are other reasons, but these are the main ones in my estimation.  It could easily swing the other way, or to another school entirely over time.  I personally have been recommending to friends (especially ones with zero credits) WGU if they want business or IT degrees.  It just seems like the better option for a lot of people I know right now.  Prior to this, I was recommending TESU.  I had a friend who has a LOT of credit (147cr, including a lot of UL), and she fit very well with a EC degree, so I pointed her in that direction.

[pianostrings]

I've been researching and am very interested in the Excelsior BS in Natural Sciences.  It looks like I'd only have to take one or two classes there, the rest I could do with ACE and test credits.  It seems like a lot of people are choosing TESU and not Excelsior, so I'm wondering what I am missing?  Are there any issues I'll run into that I should know about ahead of time?

Thanks for the information, you have all really helped me

There are multiple reasons people have chosen TESU over EC/COSC, and I'll try to name a few of them.  None of the reasons, though, are NOT that it's a better school, or a better degree, or anything like that.

1) Excelsior and COSC charge per-term fees, meaning that you can't sign up ahead of time and lock in a catalog.  So, with the ability to do that at TESU, it seemed like the easier option.  You KNOW what you're getting ahead of time.

2) EC and COSC require 30cr of UL throughout the degree, including a specific number within the Major/Concentration.  These UL credits are harder to find, or more expensive on average (like using UExcel exams at $170 each rather than DSST or Study.com at $100 each).  TESU only requires 12-18cr of UL, and is more liberal in letting some courses come in at UL even if they aren't ACE-approved to do so.

3) Because TESU was the preferred choice for a long time, especially for business majors who could test out of the capstone until recently, a LOT of people used them.  Which meant a lot of feedback on what courses were coming in as.  So I (and others) were able to create a list of courses and the TESU course number for them.  Which meant that it got easier in time to determine exactly which courses you would need to plug into the degree plans.

I'm sure there are other reasons, but these are the main ones in my estimation.  It could easily swing the other way, or to another school entirely over time.  I personally have been recommending to friends (especially ones with zero credits) WGU if they want business or IT degrees.  It just seems like the better option for a lot of people I know right now.  Prior to this, I was recommending TESU.  I had a friend who has a LOT of credit (147cr, including a lot of UL), and she fit very well with a EC degree, so I pointed her in that direction.

Thank you that helps, I have lots of UL credit in Business, Economics, Statistics etc since I have a bachelors in business.  Looking through records I even have some graduate MBA courses.  Do you know if they would help with the UL credits needed even though I'm looking for a degree in a different direction?  I "think" only 18 need to be in the major area from what I'm reading.

Still trying to figure all of this out, Thanks

[eriehiker]

Whoo Hoo! Graduate classes. That's finding money in your pocket.

[dfrecore]

Thank you that helps, I have lots of UL credit in Business, Economics, Statistics etc since I have a bachelors in business.  Looking through records I even have some graduate MBA courses.  Do you know if they would help with the UL credits needed even though I'm looking for a degree in a different direction?  I "think" only 18 need to be in the major area from what I'm reading.

Still trying to figure all of this out, Thanks

With a second bachelor's degree, that's not how it works (at least, at TESU). You can't use the credits you already used for your old degree towards your new degree's AOS. So it would have to be credits you earned after your previous degree.

Now obviously, you get to bring in the degree, and use the credits towards your Gen Ed's and Core (if there is one). But you need 24 new credits in your AOS. 15cr (+ the Capstone) would need to be UL.

If I were you, I would give serious consideration to a teaching degree at WGU. And I would maybe satisfy all the prereq's that you don't already have through ACE/NCCRS. But then, leave everything else for when you're ready to get your degree.

WGU brings in your previous BA/BS as a block transfer, and requires that all of your science coursework be 7 years or newer, so I would leave those until you are closer to wanting to enroll to take them.

https://partners.wgu.edu/TransferGuideli...ences).pdf

[sanantone]

I've been researching and am very interested in the Excelsior BS in Natural Sciences.  It looks like I'd only have to take one or two classes there, the rest I could do with ACE and test credits.  It seems like a lot of people are choosing TESU and not Excelsior, so I'm wondering what I am missing?  Are there any issues I'll run into that I should know about ahead of time?

Thanks for the information, you have all really helped me

There are multiple reasons people have chosen TESU over EC/COSC, and I'll try to name a few of them.  None of the reasons, though, are NOT that it's a better school, or a better degree, or anything like that.

1) Excelsior and COSC charge per-term fees, meaning that you can't sign up ahead of time and lock in a catalog.  So, with the ability to do that at TESU, it seemed like the easier option.  You KNOW what you're getting ahead of time.

2) EC and COSC require 30cr of UL throughout the degree, including a specific number within the Major/Concentration.  These UL credits are harder to find, or more expensive on average (like using UExcel exams at $170 each rather than DSST or Study.com at $100 each).  TESU only requires 12-18cr of UL, and is more liberal in letting some courses come in at UL even if they aren't ACE-approved to do so.

3) Because TESU was the preferred choice for a long time, especially for business majors who could test out of the capstone until recently, a LOT of people used them.  Which meant a lot of feedback on what courses were coming in as.  So I (and others) were able to create a list of courses and the TESU course number for them.  Which meant that it got easier in time to determine exactly which courses you would need to plug into the degree plans.

I'm sure there are other reasons, but these are the main ones in my estimation.  It could easily swing the other way, or to another school entirely over time.  I personally have been recommending to friends (especially ones with zero credits) WGU if they want business or IT degrees.  It just seems like the better option for a lot of people I know right now.  Prior to this, I was recommending TESU.  I had a friend who has a LOT of credit (147cr, including a lot of UL), and she fit very well with a EC degree, so I pointed her in that direction.

Thank you that helps, I have lots of UL credit in Business, Economics, Statistics etc since I have a bachelors in business.  Looking through records I even have some graduate MBA courses.  Do you know if they would help with the UL credits needed even though I'm looking for a degree in a different direction?  I "think" only 18 need to be in the major area from what I'm reading.

Still trying to figure all of this out, Thanks

Those will count toward the UL credits you'll need outside of the major. You'll need more UL credits in the natural sciences for the major. TESU and Excelsior are different in what they'll count as natural sciences. Excelsior only counts actual natural science courses such as physics, chemistry, and biology. TESU throws mathematics and computer science into the mix. It's unfortunate that TESU got rid of it's natural science and mathematics major.

[Silly_Me]

I've been researching and am very interested in the Excelsior BS in Natural Sciences.  It looks like I'd only have to take one or two classes there, the rest I could do with ACE and test credits.  It seems like a lot of people are choosing TESU and not Excelsior, so I'm wondering what I am missing?  Are there any issues I'll run into that I should know about ahead of time?

Thanks for the information, you have all really helped me

@pianostrings, let me know how it goes for you.  I've decided to do the BS in Natural Sciences at Excelsior, too.  I'm still trying to figure out how to fulfill 18 upper-level credits in the sciences (and 30 upper-level credits overall).  If you've got some great leads on upper-level science credits, let me know!  And, good luck to you!