need some help planning a TESC history degree, please

[clep3705]

I'm trying to help someone with a TESC history degree and it is outside of what I really understand. Here is the course and exam tally to date:

I used Westerner's post as a starting point and came up with this degree plan:

1. GENERAL EDUCATION (60 required)

A. College Composition (6 required)
-CLEP College Composition (6)

B. Humanities (12 required)
-CLEP Analyzing & Interpreting Literature (6)
-CLEP English Composition (6)

C. Social Sciences (12 required)
-Criminal Justice courses (6)
-CLEP Introductory Sociology (3)
-Government 1 course (3)

D. Math (3 required)
-Statistics course

E. Natural Sciences (9 required)
-Astronomy courses with labs (8)
-Nutrition course (3)

F. General Education Electives (18 required)
- DSST Business Ethics (3)
- Government 2 course (3)
- CLEP Introductory Psychology (3)
- Lifespan psychology course (3)
- Literature course (3)
- CLEP Introduction to Computing (3)


2. MAJOR—HISTORY (33 required)

A. Western History (6 required)
-CLEP Western Civilization 1 (3)
-CLEP Western Civilization 2 (3)

B. American History (6 required)
-CLEP US History 1 (3)
-CLEP US History 2 (3)

C. Non-Western History (3 required)
- UL DSST Modern Middle East (3) to be taken

D. History Electives (15 required)
- LL DSST Civil War & Reconstruction (3) to be taken
- UL DSST Rise & Fall of the Soviet Union (3) to be taken
- UL DSST History of the Vietnam War (3) to be taken
- LL DSST Western Europe Since 1945 (3) to be taken
- TECEP World History from 1600 or ECE World Conflicts Since 1900 ??? (3) to be taken

E. UL TESC course Liberal Arts Capstone (required)

3. FREE ELECTIVES (27 required)
- DSST Public Speaking (3)
- DSST Ethics in America (3)
- DSST Introduction to World Religions (3) to be taken
- DSST Technical Writing (3)
- Physical activity course (1)

6 upper level DSST tests will have been passed by the end of this summer.

Questions

1. Will the two extra hours of natural science carry over to free electives? If so, only 12 more hours of electives are needed.

2. Will either TECEP World History from 1600 or ECE World Conflicts Since 1900 be allowed? In other words, is there an overlap from the CLEP and DSST history tests that would make the TECEP or ECE a duplication?

3. Must everything else be complete before starting the TESC liberal arts capstone course? In other words, can it be taken with, for example, a history course and an elective not yet complete?

The goal is to graduate in December. If that's not possible, the secondary goal is to have everything else completed this year and start the capstone in January.

[Jonathan Whatley]

You need a minimum of 18 sh of UL within the History area of study. The Liberal Arts Capstone will count toward this total. TESC codes Western Europe… and Civil War & Reconstruction as LL.

So towards UL history credit, you'll have Capstone, Modern Middle East, Soviet Union, and Vietnam War. You can include World Conflicts Since 1900 which I think TESC takes as is UL… but you'll need 3 sh more of UL history. There isn't another UL history option from the major providers. One popular option is TESC's 6 sh UL History course War and American Society – then you could drop one of the exams above; this might be time-efficient.

[cathgrl]

If the goal is time over cost, this isn't bad. But with this plan your friend will need to pay the $3,000+ enrollment fee.

If cost is more of a factor, your friend will need 24 hours of TESC credit. The most cost efficient would be 21 credits of TECEPs (the capstone would be another 3 credits).

[sanantone]

That degree plan is outdated. TESC's general education requirements have changed. That's the danger of searching for old degree plans on this forum or going off of the ones that are on the Wiki. That's why I have generic test out plans that are updated once I find out about changes. Honestly, I think all of the outdated degree plans should be taken off the Wiki.
Thomas Edison State College: History
Sanantone's General Education Options - Degree Forum Wiki
Sanantone's BA in History - Degree Forum Wiki

[corpsole2]

Glad to meet another history major. I would love to help, but I haven't been keeping up to date on the new history degree requirements. They weren't required when I earned my degree.

I would say that if you could add War & American Society to your UL credits in the History Concentration, you can't go wrong. You will get so much out of this course that I would highly recommend it. For the Capstone, see if you can get my old mentor - Dr. Nina Rosenbaum-Haydel. She is outstanding.

As for your two extra science credits, they should fit into the Free Electives section. I was told by and advisor that this section was for any course you wished to take that wasn't really required for the major. And yes, they can fit extra credits in there.

Does TESC still allow students to use FEMA courses for credit? Seems to me I heard they were in a time out on FEMA.

You should do fine. Once you get over the initial hurdles and you get used to the pace and expectations of college course work, you get into a rhythm. History is one of the easier majors you can do, but still gives you satisfaction nonetheless.

[sanantone]

TESC no longer accepts FEMA. You can earn 9 free credits from TEEX and NFA. Saylor's NCCRS-approved courses will only cost $25 each for the proctored exams.

[Westerner]

That degree plan is outdated.

Only the Gen Ed part

1. Will the two extra hours of natural science carry over to free electives? If so, only 12 more hours of electives are needed.

2. Will either TECEP World History from 1600 or ECE World Conflicts Since 1900 be allowed? In other words, is there an overlap from the CLEP and DSST history tests that would make the TECEP or ECE a duplication?

3. Must everything else be complete before starting the TESC liberal arts capstone course? In other words, can it be taken with, for example, a history course and an elective not yet complete?

1. Yes, extra credit goes in Gen Ed Electives or Free Electives.

2. I used ECE World Conflicts with no problem.

3. The Capstone doesn't have to be the last thing, and you can definitely take it with other things. I took it with another history course and then did elective courses after that.

You need a minimum of 18 sh of UL within the History area of study. The Liberal Arts Capstone will count toward this total. TESC codes Western Europe… and Civil War & Reconstruction as LL.

So towards UL history credit, you'll have Capstone, Modern Middle East, Soviet Union, and Vietnam War. You can include World Conflicts Since 1900 which I think TESC takes as is UL… but you'll need 3 sh more of UL history. There isn't another UL history option from the major providers. One popular option is TESC's 6 sh UL History course War and American Society – then you could drop one of the exams above; this might be time-efficient.

For upper level credit, I used (and each of these is 3 credits):

DSST Modern Middle East
DSST Soviet Union
DSST Vietnam War
ECE World Conflicts
TESC course Capstone
TESC course Leaders in History

I highly recommend that last course, btw. Just writing papers and discussion posts. Try to get Professor Donald Redden - he's great!

[clep3705]

What about a history or general studies degree from COSC instead of TESC?

[sanantone]

A history degree at COSC won't be as flexible. The liberal studies degree at COSC could turn out to be a better deal since they accept FEMA. If you're not going to use FEMA, then I'd just go with the liberal studies degree at TESC. You could save a lot of money with their Per Credit Tuition Plan.

Here are some plans I made for TESC's liberal studies degree.
http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...udies.html
Sanantone's BA in Liberal Studies - Degree Forum Wiki