My road to BALS

[vetvso]

I have been testing and stopping for many years due to working overseas. These days testing and other resources are very plentiful and my past issues would not happen now.

I have completed all the requirements for the BALS except English Comp II. 

My preparations have been to study recommended flash cards and I also took the Technical Writing DSST to prepare. I have paid for a TECEP this month and will take the DSST for Advanced English as a preparatory as well. Assuming I pass two of them I will have overlap but guarantee my June Graduation.

I'm now asking advising about adding the Associate of Arts Degree and the AAS in Environmental, Safety & Security Technologies unless I need another capstone.

Since I have extra credit in Social Sciences and Liberal Arts I'm asking if I can add more concentration like Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

I am a little concerned about my continued studies and testing since I have no plan to stop while waiting for my degree in June but I can always use extra credits at UAF if necessary for another degree there. I have applied to 3 Schools for Masters degrees and should begin getting feedback soon.

I have 145 Credits at TESU and 3 incoming from technical writing and 9 more ongoings at UAF.
Thank you, everyone, since 2007 until now since I accumulated a lot of credits with some being free over the years due to this forum.

[natshar]

You can easily change your concentration to social sciences, just email them. I know this because I had a BALS no-concentration and switched to a social science concentration. You can't do both though it's either no concentration OR social sciences concentration, not both. Maybe ask them to run it for you (since you can't do this in webadvisor) and see how close you are, before you commit to a social science concentration. It is really the same degree, still a BALS the diploma will look the same it will just have a concentration in social sciences now.

The associate requires a separate capstone and I don't think there is a way around it. It is a completely different course from the liberal arts capstone.

[vetvso]

You can easily change your concentration to social sciences, just email them. I know this because I had a BALS no-concentration and switched to a social science concentration. You can't do both though it's either no concentration OR social sciences concentration, not both.  Maybe ask them to run it for you (since you can't do this in webadvisor) and see how close you are, before you commit to a social science concentration. It is really the same degree, still a BALS the diploma will look the same it will just have a concentration in social sciences now.

The associate requires a separate capstone and I don't think there is a way around it. It is a completely different course from the liberal arts capstone.

Thanks, I have an email out to advising and am just waiting for feedback.

Technically I just finished with DSST for Advanced English DSST test since I just barely passed it. I will have my DSST transcript sent in ASAP next week. I have a paid for TECEP for English 2 that I have to take this month. I'm concerned it will be graded and lower my GPA for my degree. So I'm going to ask them to remove it and only use my DSST pass for English. 

My $2500 is already paid and I just need to pay the degree graduation application fee.

[allvia]

You can easily change your concentration to social sciences, just email them. I know this because I had a BALS no-concentration and switched to a social science concentration. You can't do both though it's either no concentration OR social sciences concentration, not both.  Maybe ask them to run it for you (since you can't do this in webadvisor) and see how close you are, before you commit to a social science concentration. It is really the same degree, still a BALS the diploma will look the same it will just have a concentration in social sciences now.

The associate requires a separate capstone and I don't think there is a way around it. It is a completely different course from the liberal arts capstone.

Thanks, I have an email out to advising and am just waiting for feedback.

Technically I just finished with DSST for Advanced English DSST test since I just barely passed it. I will have my DSST transcript sent in ASAP next week. I have a paid for TECEP for English 2 that I have to take this month. I'm concerned it will be graded and lower my GPA for my degree. So I'm going to ask them to remove it and only use my DSST pass for English. 

My $2500 is already paid and I just need to pay the degree graduation application fee.

Glad to hear you passed the DSST, a pass is a pass. No reason to take the TECEP since it duplicates.  I wouldn't recommend another capstone just to add an associates degree - how many computer/tech credits do you have? The ASNSM in Computer Science does not require a capstone https://www.tesu.edu/heavin/asnsm/computer-science.  I remember you posting on the topic of CS courses a ways back.

[vetvso]

You can easily change your concentration to social sciences, just email them. I know this because I had a BALS no-concentration and switched to a social science concentration. You can't do both though it's either no concentration OR social sciences concentration, not both.  Maybe ask them to run it for you (since you can't do this in webadvisor) and see how close you are, before you commit to a social science concentration. It is really the same degree, still a BALS the diploma will look the same it will just have a concentration in social sciences now.

The associate requires a separate capstone and I don't think there is a way around it. It is a completely different course from the liberal arts capstone.

Thanks, I have an email out to advising and am just waiting for feedback.

Technically I just finished with DSST for Advanced English DSST test since I just barely passed it. I will have my DSST transcript sent in ASAP next week. I have a paid for TECEP for English 2 that I have to take this month. I'm concerned it will be graded and lower my GPA for my degree. So I'm going to ask them to remove it and only use my DSST pass for English. 

My $2500 is already paid and I just need to pay the degree graduation application fee.

Glad to hear you passed the DSST, a pass is a pass. No reason to take the TECEP since it duplicates.  I wouldn't recommend another capstone just to add an associates degree - how many computer/tech credits do you have? The ASNSM in Computer Science does not require a capstone https://www.tesu.edu/heavin/asnsm/computer-science.  I remember you posting on the topic of CS courses a ways back.

The VA paid for the TECEP so I will have to take it or maybe I can get a credit for another TECEP.

I only have 3 CS credits but I may be able to test out of a few more. I have a technical background so I might be able to do it.
Other than English what other BA AOS could I just test out of using DSST/CLEP/Straighterline? I was considering International Studies since it's a social science strong degree and I have experience.

[vetvso]

The more I look at this I'm thinking other than the ASNSM I may have done all I can with TESU. I am dual enrolled at my University here and will see how my TESU degree transfers in and what I need to do here for an additional BA. They accept DSST and CLEP so I'm good with those and some of the others transfer in as departmental electives.

[mysonx3]

Other than English what other BA AOS could I just test out of using DSST/CLEP/Straighterline?

Assuming that by "DSST/CLEP/StraighterLine" you just mean alternative credits more broadly, then Psychology is fully test-friendly. History & Sociology are each one class away from being so. Not sure what others are possible.

I'd be interested in seeing what an International Studies degree plan would look like. Eyeballing the credit distribution, it seems like the main issues are going to be a) UL credits (though there are a handful I can think of that might work), b) The IR and Conflict in IR requirements, and c) the 6-credit maximum at the 100-level, which will be taken up by Western Civ 1 & 2, preventing you from using any of the CLEPs for your Foreign Language requirement.

[vetvso]

Other than English what other BA AOS could I just test out of using DSST/CLEP/Straighterline?

Assuming that by "DSST/CLEP/StraighterLine" you just mean alternative credits more broadly, then Psychology is fully test-friendly. History & Sociology are each one class away from being so. Not sure what others are possible.

I'd be interested in seeing what an International Studies degree plan would look like. Eyeballing the credit distribution, it seems like the main issues are going to be a) UL credits (though there are a handful I can think of that might work), b) The IR and Conflict in IR requirements, and c) the 6-credit maximum at the 100-level, which will be taken up by Western Civ 1 & 2, preventing you from using any of the CLEPs for your Foreign Language requirement.

I currently have a lot of History credits and several in anthropology. 

This week I tested out of DSST Advanced English and Technical Writing. 
Plan Moving forward: 
CLEP Social Sciences
DSST General Anthropology
DSST A History of the Vietnam War
DSST Western Europe since 1945
DSST The Civil War and Reconstruction
DSST Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union 
StraighterLine World History

I would need some additional UL History and only 9 I think transfer over. I have already taken US and CIV series so the Social Sciences CLEP should free up six to transfer over. Anthro should also free up another 3 given me 12 from the Social Sciences and 9 of overlap. I might just add this as an additional AOS since I may try to test out of another degree end of 2019/2020.

[vetvso]

I spoke with my TESU advisor today and basically, I won't be able to have another 2nd AOS because all of my credits are social science related. So I will get the basic BALS or the BALS social science if I get the 9 additional credits in time.

[vetvso]

I have had several email exchanges with TESU and after I found credits for social sciences in electives I emailed them. Here are my email and their response back to me. In short, they moved credits around and I now have the social sciences BALS.

Good afternoon.

Thank you for your help.

"I have been taking a look at the evaluation and noticed several classes in general electives and electives that are at 200 level or above. I have extra credits unused for electives and also have the Technical writing DSST that will transfer in. Would any of these credits be able to be re-assigned in order to fulfill some of the AOS requirements and thus giving me some additional leeway on testing options?"

General Electives:

GEOG205 Elements Physical Geog 3cr
HIST261 Russian History 3cr

Electives:
ANTH250 The Rise of Civilization 3cr
GEOG205L Elem Physical Geog Lab 1cr

"I moved the anthropology and physical geography courses into your social sciences area of study. The only course needed to complete the degree is English Composition II. Since you will not have completed at least 16 credits with us, you'll need to pay the $2,500 residency waiver fee at the time you apply for graduation."