Squeezing in for March Graduation--is this realistic?

[Joeman200]

I have 3 propero/penn foster courses to complete
3 study.com courses
I'm going to try a PLA with learningcounts (which includes a saylor course)
and the capstone.

I think I can get the 6 courses done before Christmas. Then I'd have lots of free time for the capstone and PLA.  However, if I start the capstone in December/January, I won't graduate until June.   Also, I must enroll with TESU by November and was planning of taking a TECEP to fulfill this (even though I won't need the credits from the TECEP).

I was just looking into the graduation process and if I start the capstone in November, I'm eligible for March graduation.  That would also take care of getting myself enrolled.

I have two concerns though:

1)  I would be giving myself an overwhelming amount of work.  Is it possible to do the capstone and afterwards finish some courses?  I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to do everything at once.   The deadline to submit for graduation is January 1st...  Are there exceptions to this, as in having them expect a course be transferred in later? How much work a week is the capstone?

2)  The capstone course starts October 30th.   At that time, I probably won't have 5 area-of-study courses started/completed.  How vital are the AOS courses compared to what's required of the capstone?   If I were at a normal B&M institution, wouldn't I be taking the capstone at the same time I'd be taking my 400 level courses?



I have 7 days if I want to enroll in the November Capstone.    If I stick to my original plan of finishing all my courses (and being done in December) and then taking the capstone, I'll have to wait 6 months for my diploma.

[bjcheung77]

A formidable task, but do-able all in 3 months, seriously. It's time management, period.
I had someone complete a degree in 4 months following my plan. He started with 10 credits.

1) Do the 3 Penn Foster/Prospero courses in one month ($329x3) - at max, 2 months
2) Do 3 Study.com courses in one month - finish off PF/Prospero courses ($270 total)
3) Do the LearningCounts PLA - get everything done sent in one month

4) Do the Capstone at the same time as all 3 of the previous events - 12 weeks
5) Apply for Graduation last week of December, do not wait for Jan 1st deadline
6) Send in all transcripts/updates by the First week of February at the latest

Concern 1) Don't be concerned at all, there's "work" but how much is all irrelevant if you can plow through it fast.
The exception or lack of is that they would like everything sent in 1 month before your graduation date.
Example, apply Jan 1st, all transcripts by Feb 1 - but they will take it in a week or so later if you tell them.

Concern 2) Start the Capstone in November so you do graduate in March.
It's vital to take all of them and finish at the same time. You should be able to finish your capstone in 12 weeks.
During that time, you should also be able to finish the AOS/PLA and have the transcripts sent in on the same day.

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FYI, you may want to read this thread/post: The main difference is yours is the BA LIB Capstone
This is info mainly for the BSBA capstone: http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthre...?tid=27743
My post 1: http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthre...#pid242921
My post 2: http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthre...#pid243229
My post 3: http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthre...#pid243311

[davewill]

You don't need to take the TECEP, registering for capstone will take care of enrollment. Follow bjcheng77's plan. The worst that can happen is you don't complete everything and they push your graduation to June, but I think it's possible to complete.

[Joeman200]

6) Send in all transcripts/updates by the First week of February at the latest
Example, apply Jan 1st, all transcripts by Feb 1 - but they will take it in a week or so later if you tell them.

Okay, if I'm comprehending what you said correctly then this worst-case-scenario would work:
Lets say I didn't get two propero courses done by Jan 1st.   I finish them in mid Jan, get them on ACE, and send in that transcript by Feb 1st.  I'm still OK?

[davewill]

Okay, if I'm comprehending what you said correctly then this worst-case-scenario would work:
Lets say I didn't get two propero courses done by Jan 1st.   I finish them in mid Jan, get them on ACE, and send in that transcript by Feb 1st.  I'm still OK?

Yes. You might even be able to push that into mid Feb if you coordinate with the registrar's office.

[Joeman200]

Time for an update.

I got all the propero/penn foster courses done.
I got all the study.com courses done.
I registered for - and am halfway through - the capstone.  (It's been challenging but also fulfilling!)
I have submitted all my transcripts to TESU, and I've fulfilled all the requirements except AOJ-484 and LIB-495.


I also sent my transcripts to Three Rivers CC for the Emergency Management Certificate.  It turns out that I fulfilled all of the academic requirements (I wasn't sure what they would take for admin of justice and fire admin).  There are some new FEMA courses that I have to take, but I plan on doing those this holiday weekend.

Now, moving on to the course that been a thorn in my side...   (the one I've made multiple threads about in the past year)...
I self-studied for AOJ-484 Public Policy, Crime and Criminal Justice, wrote a 20-page PLA, and submitted it to learningcounts last week.  It is a good paper, but I have no clue if they will grant me credit for it.
I want to have backup plans (aside from taking the 3 month course for $1.5K, and delaying graduation).   I was able to get academic advising to tell me some other courses that fulfill the public policy requirement: American Public Policy (POS-305), Policy Studies (SOS-310), and Justice Planning (AOJ-471).
The only courses I can find that are similar are CSU-global's Public Policy and Strategy (last year TESU said it wouldn't fulfill the requirement), and Saylor's POLSC401: Ethics and Public Policy.  If anyone knows of any other public policy courses, please share and I'll ask advising about them!


There were/are three things that I was/am primarily worried about.
1) Registering for the capstone in time, and doing it while doing all my other courses before the Jan 1st deadline.
2) Having all my courses transfer over correctly (I don't trust schools, so I was worried some of the courses would come in as LL)
3) The PLA not panning out.

For #1, I completed all the courses and survived the literature review.  It was a lot of work and the deadline was stressful, but I got it all done.  I'm now enjoying the capstone, and I am moving on to chapter 5.   I plan registering for graduation this weekend.


Concerning all the courses transferring over,  we've all heard of the horror stories of a kid doing a lot of work at a community college just to find out that the 4-year won't take half the courses.   All of my propero/penn foster courses transferred in as they were supposed to (and as I was told), EXCEPT for Victimology.  It used to transfer in as AOJ-380, but now transfers in as LL "intro to victimology."   In my opinion, there is no need to change it... it is definitely an in-depth course.   I refuted it to advising, but in my original email they said "must be transferred in by 4/30/17"  (However, I know that's when its ACE accreditation was set to expire, which it didn't... propero bumped it up.)  TESU used that date as an excuse though.   This could have potentially screwed me over because I would only have 15 UL courses (including the capstone).  I was lucky because I took advantage of DSST's buy 2 get 1 free and took substance abuse.  I wasn't originally planning on taking it, but it transferred in as an UL CJ elective.   I guess I dodged a bullet.

Finally, for #3... that's still something that's up in the air...  so there is still one thing that could throw my plans off course.



Thanks everyone for your help and support, and merry Christmas!

[Joeman200]

Bumping this to specifically ask: Does anyone know of any public policy courses?

[eriehiker]

I looked at Coopersmith. It has Comparing Political Systems. That is probably just polisci, but it does mention discussion of issues .

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Nothing at Davar.

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https://www.uccs.edu/lases/diversity/cou...urses.html

These are $600 bucks, but might work.

[eriehiker]

Nothing at Ed4Credit.

[dfrecore]

Nothing on my entire list of courses. Even the more expensive stuff from IS and Self-paced. Only the CSU-global course.

I might go to TESU and ask again. Can't hurt.