Thinking of switching from TESC to PennFoster

[sanantone]

Macroeconomics and microeconomics are required for the BSBA, but those can be taken through Straighterline. Principles of Supervision counts as a business elective.

[sanantone]

If you have any management or business experience, consider doing PLAs (prior learning assessments) through Learning Counts. They are going through a transition period, though, because they're dropping ACE in favor of direct partnerships with colleges and NCCRS approval. ACE evaluation must be expensive.

[IrishJohn]

Hi again,
Thank you all for your help in this.
For the ASBA from TESC, I don't really have much just yet. I failed the Clep for Principles of Management. and I have been trying to study for the American Literature Clep.

What I have so far is 6 credits, that will be for my Free Electives, from taking FEMA courses. I need 54 more credits. I did take a look at the Straighterline website, and it looks like I can use them as well. Which looks pretty good, they have a Principles of Management course, I can take instead of waiting 6 months.

Since you're going for the ASBA instead of a full BSBA, I personally would say that Straighterline is definitely your best (but not only) option. Just about every course you need for the ASBA can be completed through them. First, take a look at this page which will tells how SL's courses transfer to TESC: EquivalencySearchResults

Now let's plug some of these in to your degree plan to get a better look:

English Composition-- need (6)
ENC-101/102-CE (6) College Composition CLEP

Online English Course - Take English Composition for College Credit - StraighterLine

English Composition II - StraighterLine

Humanities-- need (6)
LIT-111/112-CE (6) American Literature CLEP

I'd strongly recommend taking the Analyzing & Interpreting Literature CLEP exam. I know it's a CLEP, but this has a very high passing rate with little study time needed. However, if you prefer not to take the CLEP than the only other option I know of for this would be to take a course through TESC or another school like Clovis Community College.

Social Science-- need (9)
ECO-112-CE (3) Principles of Microeconomics CLEP
SOC-101-CE (3) Introductory Sociology CLEP
PSY-101-CE (3) Introductory Psychology CLEP

Online Economics Course - Take Macroeconomics Online - StraighterLine (take this course instead of Sociology OR Psychology since it'll help to pass Microeconomics and is required if you ever go for the BSBA later)

Microeconomics Online Course - Take an Economics Course Online - StraighterLine

Choose only 1 of the following:

Online Sociology Course - Take Introduction to Sociology and Earn Sociology 101 Course Credit for College - StraighterLine

Introduction to Psychology - Online Psychology Course For College Credit in Intro to Psychology - StraighterLine

Natural Sciences and Mathematics-- need (6)
MAT-129-CE (3) Pre-Calculus (3) CLEP
BIO-111/112-CE (6) Biology (nonlab) CLEP

For math, I'd recommend Trigonometry through ALEKS.com. TESC will accept this in place of Pre-Calc, which is a much harder course. The cost is only $20/month!

For science: Online Biology Course - College Biology Online Class - StraighterLine

General Education Electives-- need (3)
BIO-111/112-CE (6) Biology (nonlab) CLEP

Since SL's biology (nonlab) is only worth 3 credits, you'll need to pick something else for this. There are plenty of options to choose from at SL. Better though IMO would be to take POLSC201 through Saylor to fill these 3 credits.

Management Core--Have to have these--
ACC-101-DE (3) Principles of Financial Accounting DSST
ACC-102-TE (3) Introduction to Managerial Accounting TECEP --not sure if that is the right one---I need (Principles of Managerial Accounting)

Online Accounting Course - College Accounting Course for Credit - StraighterLine

Online Advanced Accounting - Corporate Accounting - Accounting Class - StraighterLine

??? Legal Environment for Business----I need to call the college and find out where this one is??

THis should be Business Law. You can take this through SL: Online Business Law Course - Business Law Class - StraighterLine

OR

Consider taking BUS205 through Saylor.

MAN-301-CE (3) Principles of Management CLEP--failed

Principles of Management-Online Course-Principles of Management Class - StraighterLine

MAR-301-CE (3) Principles of Marketing CLEP

Propero Principles of Marketing (Propero/Pearson Learning)

OR

BAS282 through KCTCS.

COS-101-DE (3) Introduction to Computers/CIS DSST

See if one of the free TEEX courses will work here.

OR

Take CIS100 through KCTCS.

Business Electives- need (6)

Pick any 2 of these:

Business Ethics Course Online - Ethics in Marketing - StraighterLine

Online Introduction to Business Course - Intro to Business - StraighterLine

Online Managerial Accounting Course - Learn about Managerial and Business Accounting - StraighterLine

Online Business Communication Course - Business Communication Course - StraighterLine

Organizational Behavior Course Online - Business Classes Online - StraighterLine

Take any CLEPs or DSSTs you think you can handle in place of these courses (give Education Portal and these study links a try) or just stick with SL and these other options. Don't forget that there are even more options for the courses you need that are listed at DF Wiki: Sources of Credit - Degree Forum Wiki

Remember that this is YOUR degree plan so make whatever changes you think are necessary and choose whatever other options out there which will work best for YOU! You CAN do this!!!

A couple of more things, if you do decide to take a lot of courses through SL don't forget about these "bundle" options to save money: http://www.straighterline.com/discounted-course-bundles

Also, buy USED textbooks for the SL courses through Amazon, Half.com, eBay, etc. You can get them for much less than going through SL's recommended sellers.

[sanantone]

Something else just popped up in my head. I forgot about the ACE-approved Propero courses. These are ACE-approved too.

Propero

[IrishJohn]

I just thought of something, you don't necessarily need to take a literature course or CLEP to satisfy the Humanities requirement for the ASBA. If you prefer Straighterline courses you can take 2 of any of these:

Online Humanities Courses - Take College Humanities Courses Online - StraighterLine

[Yanji]

The OP should also look into Central Texas College. They offer many courses online and have some campuses at military bases. Several of their courses are self-paced within 8/12/16 week terms. They specialize in working with the military and their spouses. They also have a very liberal CBE policy (AP, CLEP, DSST, and ECE) if you're interested in an associates degree along the way. They'll even consider ACE-approved credits.

This is a great suggestion. I think UMUC and K-State both have 2+2 transfer arrangements with Central Texas College so you can upgrade to a 4-year degree relatively painlessly after getting the AA/AS.

[sanantone]

This is a great suggestion. I think UMUC and K-State both have 2+2 transfer arrangements with Central Texas College so you can upgrade to a 4-year degree relatively painlessly after getting the AA/AS.

That's interesting and I never knew that K-State counts graded CLEPs toward their residency requirement until you brought it up.

[Prloko]

That's interesting and I never knew that K-State counts graded CLEPs toward their residency requirement until you brought it up.

Uh-oh, I think this thread will spawn a whole new generation of credit laundering schemes (a la FHSU).

[ryoder]

Kat - how did you study for management? There is no reason to fail that class if you read the entire REA management book, take all the practice tests and focus on learning the answers to the practice test questions you get wrong. The book is around 200 pages so it should take you about 5-6 hours to read the entire thing. Once you read it fully, then begin "studying" and taking practice tests.

Kids who take college courses and who never read the textbook are putting themselves at a great disadvantage hoping that the teacher covers everything in class. It is even worse for CLEP tests since there is no teacher.

[Yanji]

Uh-oh, I think this thread will spawn a whole new generation of credit laundering schemes (a la FHSU).

Well, there are plenty of schools which offer grades for CLEP/DSST out there, (including EC) most of them just require enrollment before they will transcript anything. Plus, just because the CLEPs count towards residency doesn't mean that they're not listed on the transcript as CLEP. (which they are)