No degree to MBA-HR in 20 months - Nodaclu's Progress Thread

[dfrecore]

After looking at those options, I think I'm going to have to weigh just how important that HR/HRM concentration is to me vs. a bigger, better supported school/program, with a stronger reputation.

Here's what I know right now:

1. Patten's MBA program has prerequisite undergrad courses of College Algebra, and Microeconomics. These must have a letter grade.
2. WGU's MBA program only requires an undergrad degree and 3 years of work experience. No problem there.
3. Study.com does not confer a grade to ACE when a course is completed. It appears to be strictly CR/NC

Since I've effectively paid in advance to complete 36 units through Study.com, and my choice of MBA program is still somewhat up in the air, I believe it makes sense for me to push out the Econ and Algebra classes until I'm further down the line and my path forward is clearer. Otherwise I'm tackling two difficult (for me) classes, for possibly no real gain.

I'm also having some frustrations with TESU. It appears that they're using some sort of automated system for assigning credits. I had a GE class move to the AOS seemingly on its own when I changed majors, and just this morning, after that course was put back into GE, the transcript showed two *different* classes that were moved out of GE and into the AOS.

So I'm playing transcript "whack-a-mole" with TESU at the moment. Hopefully we can get it all sorted out, but it's making it difficult to know what classes I should take from Study.com right now.

First, I would definitely weigh the concentration issue, before choosing.  I too would give serious thought to Patten for the MBA, since I'm an HR major as well.  It may or may not be important to you.

Second, ALL Ace courses are P/F.  You either get the passing score and it gets reported on your ACE transcript, or you fail the course, and it doesn't go on your ACE transcript.  CLEP is no different from any other ACE course/exam in that way.

Third, any time you change your major, courses are going to get moved around.  So yes, you're going to play whack-a-mole when you do that.  I would make sure you have your major kind of set in stone before you have them move things around.  After that, you should be fine.  Although, when you transfer in a bunch of courses, it may be an issue then as well (happened to me).  So, choose your major, have them move your courses to where you want them, and then pay so a screen print.  Then, after you transfer in courses, pay attention to what they do and have them move things if you need to.

[Nodaclu]

First, I would definitely weigh the concentration issue, before choosing.  I too would give serious thought to Patten for the MBA, since I'm an HR major as well.  It may or may not be important to you.

Second, ALL Ace courses are P/F.  You either get the passing score and it gets reported on your ACE transcript, or you fail the course, and it doesn't go on your ACE transcript.  CLEP is no different from any other ACE course/exam in that way.

Third, any time you change your major, courses are going to get moved around.  So yes, you're going to play whack-a-mole when you do that.  I would make sure you have your major kind of set in stone before you have them move things around.  After that, you should be fine.  Although, when you transfer in a bunch of courses, it may be an issue then as well (happened to me).

So, choose your major, have them move your courses to where you want them, and then pay so a screen print.  Then, after you transfer in courses, pay attention to what they do and have them move things if you need to.

Thank you so much for that! I really think the HR concentration should be at the top of the list for me, and combined with needing to keep my costs as low as possible, makes Patten pretty much the only choice.

I think I'll take the Algebra and Econ classes right at the very end. That way, on the off chance that they don't accept them, and force me to take them again as prereq's before beginning the actual MBA program, everything will be fresh in my mind, and I should be able to complete them in a matter of days, so that very little time is wasted.

I'm settled on the BALS at this point. Now it's just a matter of getting those credits back where they were when I was a Psych major. 

So at this point, it looks like the UL LS course issue through Study.com is my biggest immediate challenge.

[dfrecore]

Thank you so much for that! I really think the HR concentration should be at the top of the list for me, and combined with needing to keep my costs as low as possible, makes Patten pretty much the only choice. I agree.

I think I'll take the Algebra and Econ classes right at the very end. That way, on the off chance that they don't accept them, and force me to take them again as prereq's before beginning the actual MBA program, everything will be fresh in my mind, and I should be able to complete them in a matter of days, so that very little time is wasted.  I agree.

I'm settled on the BALS at this point. Now it's just a matter of getting those credits back where they were when I was a Psych major.     I agree.

So at this point, it looks like the UL LS course issue through Study.com is my biggest immediate challenge. Definitely.  This should be your priority right now.

[Nodaclu]

Thank you as always!  

Do you (or anyone else) know of at least two UL Liberal Studies-based Study.com courses that aren't going to be affected by the 1/1/18 changes?

TESU's own program sample lists BUS-113 as an option, but the other 4 courses shown will all (I think) be affected by the downgrade.

The only other UL courses I see are business-related.

If there are no other options, I'll complete two of the affected courses as quickly as possible, and hope that I can get them in before the deadline.

[quigongene]

For a test out, graded Microecon and Pre Calc (not College Algebra), there's UExcels:

http://www.excelsior.edu/exams/choose-your-exam

[dfrecore]

Thank you as always!  

Do you (or anyone else) know of at least two UL Liberal Studies-based Study.com courses that aren't going to be affected by the 1/1/18 changes?

TESU's own program sample lists BUS-113 as an option, but the other 4 courses shown will all (I think) be affected by the downgrade.

The only other UL courses I see are business-related.

If there are no other options, I'll complete two of the affected courses as quickly as possible, and hope that I can get them in before the deadline.

They specifically mentioned the Psych courses, so I would focus on those first, if those are what you want to get.  

Here are the courses that are UL through ACE (so not affected):
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HIS 308: Causes & Effects of the Vietnam War (HIS-351)

PSY 312: History & Systems of Psychology (PSY-400)

BUS 310: Advanced Business Ethics (guessing it's PHI-384)


Here are the courses that are ACE or NCCRS UL courses, but that TESU brings in as LL now (so who knows what the heck they'll do after 12/31)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HIS 306: The American Civil War Era

ENGL 305: Advanced Technical Writing



All the rest of the UL courses are either business or EDU or Nursing, so don't apply to the BALS AOS.

[Nodaclu]

They specifically mentioned the Psych courses, so I would focus on those first, if those are what you want to get.  

Here are the courses that are UL through ACE (so not affected):
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HIS 308: Causes & Effects of the Vietnam War (HIS-351)

PSY 312: History & Systems of Psychology (PSY-400)

BUS 310: Advanced Business Ethics (guessing it's PHI-384)

You're a lifesaver! 

Since I've taken the 2 unit Ethics class from The Institutes, (which they've transferred in as PHI-384), I'm guessing I probably can't get credit for BUS-310.

That leaves HIS-308 and PSY-312.

My concern is that, based on this page, PSY-312 isn't listed, and HIS-308 is showing as a LL class. Am I looking in the wrong place? I really hope so.

I'm going to reach out to Study.com as well, to see if they can give me any insight into the coming changes yet.

[dfrecore]

Since I've taken the 2 unit Ethics class from The Institutes, (which they've transferred in as PHI-384), I'm guessing I probably can't get credit for BUS-310. You are correct.

That leaves HIS-308 and PSY-312.

My concern is that, based on this page, PSY-312 isn't listed, and HIS-308 is showing as a LL class. Am I looking in the wrong place? I really hope so.

I'm going to reach out to Study.com as well, to see if they can give me any insight into the coming changes yet.

PSY-312 is not ACE-approved, it's NCCRS-approved instead.  http://www.nationalccrs.org/organization...ycom#n8485

Yes, HIS-308 is listed by ACE as LL, however TESU brings it in as HIS-351.  I would work on this one and try to finish by 12/31, but I don't think it was one of the ones that was going to be downgraded.

But it certainly can't hurt to contact Study.com directly.

[bjcheung77]

If you're going for a BALS without a concentration, then you can add Shmoop courses to the mix. If you're going for a BALS with an English Lit minor, that's the best option - to use the Shmoop Eng Lit courses. For a BALS with a Psych Minor, the courses at Study.com should do just nicely.

Decide on the concentration or minor, if there isn't any, just take anything that will come in as UL such as the Shmoop Eng Lit courses (they're not proctored, but weird). You can take SL Organizational Behavior, Saylor Corporate Communications... etc, they come in as UL and should work as well.

[Nodaclu]

Thank you both!

I'm trying to stay within the Study.com walls if I can. Since I paid a discounted rate for 6 months, I have 36 units available to complete there. Combined with two TEEX classes and my Capstone, that puts me at exactly 120 units.

Clean, simple and streamlined - just the way I like things.

Anything taken outside of that plan will cost me extra money. Don't get me wrong, I'll do it if I have to. I'd just like to avoid it if possible.

So I appreciate the additional options! At this point, I'll be completing the BALS without an "official" concentration, though I'd like to fill up my allotment of free electives with HR-based courses, since that's the direction I'm ultimately heading.

I contacted Study.com, but they passed the buck over to TESU. I now have a query into TESU. I'll report back when they respond.