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+--- Thread: Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! (/Thread-Need-a-Bachelor-s-need-some-guidance-please)
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - Big Jimbo_46 - 12-05-2009
Hi, All...
I'm new here (obviously) and need some advice from all of you "Pros"...
I am a mid 40's guy needing a change of profession. I've always been more than interested in Teaching. I have 20 years of engineering and design experience, some computer (hardware & software) knowledge, desktop publishing experience... with no degree. Here's my rap sheet...
Diploma in Mechanical Drafting (1983) from I.C.S. (now Penn Foster).. CEU's
4 FEMA courses
3 credits from a local CC (1984)
4 classes through Simpson Strong-tie (construction)... CEU's
That's about it... many, many years of volunteer work with the Boy Scouts, Cub, Scouts, local Youth Leagues and local PTO.
How can a guy like me turn all of this into a Bachelor's degree... efficiently, inexpensively and (hopefully) quickly. Any and all help and info is greatly appreciated!
Thanks for the help....
Thanks for the fast info.
I have already looked into the "big 3"... for alternative certification in my 2 possible states (PA and NY) I don't need a specific degree... just a Bachelor's. I was trying to find one that I could do some testing, some PLA... any way to make up credits relatively quickly.
I was investigating CLEP... is there a CLEP to take that would fulfill the Gen Ed requirements in one test?
Thanks again... all info is great!
Jimbo
I only found one (out of 17) classes on the ACE site... does that mean my prior work with Penn Foster is no good?
That will REALLY suck............
Very specific classes....
GOING METRIC
GEOMETRICAL DRAWING (PARTS 1-6)
ELEMENTS OF PROJECTION DRAWING (PARTS 1-5)
MACHINE SKETCHING
FORMULAS
PRACTICAL GEOMETRY & TRIGONOMETRY
DRAFTING AS A LANGUAGE
These all totaled 9.0 CEU's (with a final average of 90)
Liberal Studies may be the way to go...
like I said I just need a degree. I just wanted to take the most painless way to get there. Not that I expect something for nothing, but I would like to take advantage of whatever credits I can.
Do you have any insight on which of the Big 3 I should consider more than the others?
Thanks, Guys...
Will contact Penn Foster Monday AM to check on ACE credits. Hopefully I can get some credit for the work I did.
Thanks again for the info... will update this post on Monday evening.
peace123 Wrote:So Big Jimbo_ 46 ,
What areas of study interest you ?
History
math
Science
Psycology
etc....
Knowing this can help in planning your Roadmap and in helping you find the cheapest and fastest avenues to a degree.
Am looking at TESC right now... I have done drawing, painting, music composition, performing and recording, photography, coaching... many things I have done to use towards courses.
I was looking at 4 TECEP...
ENG COMP (1&2)
TECHNICAL WRITING
THE SCIENCE OF NUTRITION
Will also go to other RA schools catalogs to search for PLA challenge courses. I should be able to find some that will be quite simple for me to acquire.
Will also do a few more FEMA courses... for the credits, and I think they're rather interesting.
Will be putting a roadmap together this week.
Anybody with any info on how to finance this whole thing? Money may be the determining factor on how quickly I can get started.
peace123 Wrote:If you are interested in teaching in NY it requires more then just a Bachelors degree.
go to this link Search New York's State Certification Requirements for Educators. to find out the requirements for your are of interest.
You might want to tailor your Bachelors degree toward the requirements.
... am investigating the alternative routes in both NY and PA. I have a friend who is an administrator... hopefully he can help me out with some "insider information"
Just found out from Penn Foster, TESC and ACE that my 1983 CEU's will not transfer for any credits... Penn Foster was not ACE approved before 1985.
So I basically start from scratch with some FEMA credits.....
I'm very dissappointed that I can't resurrect something out of the work I did. I see a long road ahead.
Once I have decided on a degree program (probably BSAST in Engineering Graphics @ TESC) would it be to my advantage to start taking CLEP and DSST to bank some credits before I apply / enroll to bank some credits for a head start?
:confused:
Or should I get an evaluation done first... I have very few (7 -10) credits to transfer... and get some more information on PLA and the other credit options that may be more applicable to the degree?
Thanks in advance for the help!
Jimbo
Lindagerr Wrote:But I wouldn't enroll yet if you have a way to go. If you can make up your own degree plan with the help of this forum and the college website you will save money. If you are planning on doing mostly testing then the college's tuition of about $1300 a year for instate students does nothing for you except give you an advisor.
Take all your exams and then have the transcripts sent to TESC and enroll when you are within a year of graduation. Saves money unless you want to take courses.
So it would be best for me to send for an evaluation from TESC first, but don't enroll until I have done my testing? But I would have to be enrolled to do any further credit attempts...PLA, TECEP, etc?
(BTW... I knocked out 2 FEMA courses yesterday in about an hour. I guess my knowledge from all of those Boy Scout merit badges paid off!
)Jimbo
Pardon the ignorance of a newbie... how are credits transfered from one institution to another? Are they compared apples-to-apples for classes or are they lumped together in LL and UL designations?
My question is not if they are accepted but how they are applied... if I have 20 LL credits I want to transfer do they need to match course for course to the school I am transfering them to?:confused:
In order to be eligible for an emergency teaching certificate for next school year I need a Bachelor's degree ASAP... it can be in anything (underwater basket weaving, maybe
) as long as it's RA...I hope all of you experts can give me some good advice...
I will have LOTS of FEMA credits (25) to use for free electives and I have 3 credits from a past CC course I took........
I have 20 years of computer hardware experience and design / engineering / architectural experience under my belt.
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - peace123 - 12-05-2009
1. check the ACE Transcript site to see if any course work you previously completed was approved by ACE for college credit and if you registered by the schools directly.
https://www.acenet.edu/transcripts/
from the ACE website :Note: Since your organization may have submitted information to create your record, please attempt to login as a Returning User BEFORE attempting to register as a new user.
Then check here (search organizational name : Penn Foster College ) and see if any of the courses you completed are listed. I quickly reviewed it an some stuff listed under Penn Foster has Version starting dates in the late 70's . (eg: Basic Surveying I)
ACE | National Guide Online | Search the Guide
2. If you want to teach, check with your state ed dept for alternative pathways to teaching and what courses/degrees are needed
3. Review clep , dantes/dsst, UExcel, Excelsior,TESC websites for tests each offers to see which you have experience in and start planning the order to take them in. Try to lump ones that over lap , that cuts down on the prep time needed.
4. Investigate the BIG 3 (COSC/Exclesior/TESC) to see which offers the best option for your circumstances.
5. If you need gen ed credits consider, Straighterline or Aleks courses (that are ACE approved) as they offer a cheaper alternative to taking them directly from a college.
6. If you chose TESC , then consider more FEMA courses as they accept them directly on a FEMA transcript.
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - alleycat - 12-05-2009
Just do it Jimbo
First off try to think of what you might want your degree in. Then look at what classes or tests are required for the degree. Look at what school you might want to get your degree from. Then just start picking away at it. Please remember we all at one point had no credits. You do not inherit credits, you earn them.
I have received most of my credits from a classroom setting for my concentration. I have choosen degrees that cannot be easily tested out on. I have done some testing though, and I wish I could have done more. But approx 35% of my BA will be gained alternatively.
Also remember there are many Over 40 and Fabulous people on the board doing the exact same thing you are thinking about.
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - alleycat - 12-05-2009
Big Jimbo_46 Wrote:Thanks for the fast info.
I have already looked into the "big 3"... for alternative certification in my 2 possible states (PA and NY) I don't need a specific degree... just a Bachelor's. I was trying to find one that I could do some testing, some PLA... any way to make up credits relatively quickly.
I was investigating CLEP... is there a CLEP to take that would fulfill the Gen Ed requirements in one test?
Thanks again... all info is great!
Jimbo
No fulfilling Gen Ed with one test big test Jimbo. It take several tests to get that done. As far as PLA's go from what people have posted it takes alot of time and energy to get credit for them. Testing is probably faster. Are you looking for a BA in Liberal Studies? All three schools make that fairly easy to obtain.
Also Peace posted many great ways to get your credits done. Lets not forget about Aleks also math.
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - peace123 - 12-05-2009
What courses made up your mechanical drafting diploma ?
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - alleycat - 12-05-2009
peace123 Wrote:What courses made up your mechanical drafting diploma ?
Peace, I had several Architecture Drafting class and they all went under free electives.
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - peace123 - 12-05-2009
Big Jimbo_46 Wrote:I only found one (out of 17) classes on the ACE site... does that mean my prior work with Penn Foster is no good?
That will REALLY suck............
More then likely yes, as colleges will not accept CEU's for credit, but many will accept the same courses that are ACE reviewed for college credit.
Below is from the ACE FAQ's section : if you think you may have credits from org's not listed it might be worth the $5 to get the previous edition.
Why do some organizations previously listed no longer appear in the National Guide?
Organizations that no longer wish to participate in CREDIT or to adhere to the requirements and procedures of the program are not listed in the National Guide. However, information about the courses formerly evaluated for these organizations is available in previous editions of the National Guide and from the CREDIT National Program Advisory Service for a $5.00 processing fee. E-mail CREDIT at [email protected] or call (202) 939-9434. More information is also available online at http://www.acenet.edu/nationalguide.
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - alleycat - 12-05-2009
Big Jimbo_46 Wrote:Liberal Studies may be the way to go...
like I said I just need a degree. I just wanted to take the most painless way to get there. Not that I expect something for nothing, but I would like to take advantage of whatever credits I can.
I can appreciate you wanting to get the most credits that you can. BA in LS is very doable goal.
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - peace123 - 12-05-2009
Big Jimbo_46 Wrote:Very specific classes....
GOING METRIC
GEOMETRICAL DRAWING (PARTS 1-6)
ELEMENTS OF PROJECTION DRAWING (PARTS 1-5)
MACHINE SKETCHING
FORMULAS
PRACTICAL GEOMETRY & TRIGONOMETRY
DRAFTING AS A LANGUAGE
These all totaled 9.0 CEU's (with a final average of 90)
One thought, you could contact Penn Foster to see if any of the courses you took under their previous business name, may have had its title changed by Penn Foster, or if they show any of your diploma courses as being ACE reviewed for College Credit.
Need a Bachelor's... need some guidance, please! - alleycat - 12-05-2009
peace123 Wrote:One thought, you could contact Penn Foster to see if any of the courses you took under their previous business name, may have had its title changed by Penn Foster, or if they show any of your diploma courses as being ACE reviewed for College Credit.
Great point Peace. Maybe they changed the names of them.