Excelsior gives a listing of all their course/credit requirements for this degree--but its not clear to me how I could "map" assessment exams to all the required credits. I have seen various notes here and there that indicate credit is given for various vendor certs, etc.--but I have never seen a complete, suggested "assessment route" mapping exams to the requirements. Does such a thing exist? Does one have to enroll to figure this out?
This is not quite a map but the Excelsior Tech Catalog and Credit By Examination catalog have info on ICCP, TIA and MCSE exams. Told is which exams qualify for lower and upper divisional credit.
I have never done the BSCIS at Excelsior, so I would ask Excelsior first (problem with that they may tell you you need to enroll first or something): Here are your core subjects: Intro to computers Computer architecture High level structured language Database concepts Data comms/telecom Operating systems System analysis 1. Intro to computers. most likely cover with CLEP's Information Systems exam. 2. Computer Architecture. I didn't see anything directly related to Comp Archecture or assembly language in ICCP (maybe microcomputing and networking, but it seemed like it didn't go into much into it), so I think there is an Ohio University exam for computer architecture (check that out). 3. High level structured language. Pick one C, C++, Cobol, etc. from ICCP. 4. Database Concepts. Data resource management looks like a match (your first upper level BTW). 5. Data communication/telecommunication/or data structures. Communications ICCP exam (second upper level). 6. Operating systems. Systems programming ICCP exam? I have never taken an OS course yet, so I am not entirely sure. I know the prereq for one of these coures is usually assembly language so it might satisfy this core subject. 7. Systems analysis. I am going to say the systems development ICCP exam. (3rd upper level) So, you have 21 credits (9 of them upper level). You need 24 more credits (6 of them being upper level). Software engineering ICCP exam (upper level last UL from ICCP btw you need one more UL course/exam/whatever in computer info systems field) Microcomputing and networks. This is 4 credits Systems security. Pascal and Cobol (6 credits total). You have 6 credits to go until your high level program language cap. Basic ICCP exam. This is not listed in the HL language cap and is listed under CIS electives. So, you have 5 credits left (3 of them being an upper level course). I think you exhausted all the ICCP exams that Excelsior takes (Maybe the Procedural programming exam will give you the last lower level credit) I would guess you can get an upper level exam from the MCSE exams (like designing an MS windows 2000 directory structure and then another MS exam for the final 2 credits), but they are very specific in nature and I am not sure if Excelsior would flag one of them as duplicate credit with one of your ICCP exams or what. You should really get a hold of Excelsior to development a plan for satisfying your core and CIS electives through examination. But, it seems like you would be able to do it, with little or no traditional course work. Hope this helps, Bill
Excelsior BS-CIS via exam I have been enrolled in Excelsior for a little over 2 years working towards my BS-CIS via exam only. When I started serious work toward my BS about 3 years ago, I had already completed an AAS in Engineering Science and had taken a number of courses beyond that. Using Excelsior's credit tracker utility, I found I needed about 45 credits to complete Excelsior's BS-CIS, all in computer science subjects. My first step was to complete my MCSE and a few additional MS exams to get my credit requirement below 30 credits to reduce my overall cost to enroll in Excelsior's BS-CIS exam only option (no longer offered). The info in the previous post is a close match to the exams I've taken since then to fulfill Excelsior's requirements. When I enrolled, Excelsior offered the ICCP exams via Prometric (this is also no longer an option, you have to take them thru ICCP). There seem to be few alternatives to the ICCP exams but the list is growing with time. Of course, if your a great self-learner you could take the GRE CS and probably knock out nearly all Excelsior's CS requirements (quite a daunting task IMHO). Another alternative is TESC's TECEP exams. I used TESC's COS-311 DB instead of ICCP Data Resource Mgmt. Also I used DANTES Intro to Computing rather than the CLEP exam mentioned above though Excelsior now gives credit for this requirement to some of the MS exams (in my case it would have been Win NT in the Enterprise). Since I enrolled, Excelsior has added requirements for Data Structures and Discrete Math which don't apply to me. Other students have said that there seem to be few exams that satisfy these requirments but according to posts at Excelsior's internal student web site, Athabasca offers students the option of taking an exam to any of their regular courses. I also got a few additional credits for Learning Tree courses I had taken that were approved for ACE credit and that were paid for by the firm I which I work as part of my job. At this time, I need 3.3 credits to graduate of which 3 must be UL. I'm preparing for the ICCP Software Engineering exam and have heard from my advisior that Excelsior waives anything below .5 credits for graduation. One problem I've run in to is that now I'm seriously considering earning an MS in CS at a local school. Their CS program requires Data Structures & Algorithms, Discrete Math, Formal Languages and Statistics in addition to the work I've done for my BS-CIS. In addition, the ICCP exams are P/F and this school does not accept P/F for core CS requirements (such as Data Commo, Systems Development, Programming Fundamentals, Software Engineering). One alternative for me is to take the GRE CS and do really well to show them I have the requsite knowledge. Also some of their graduate courses fulfill the prerequsites along with providing credit toward an MS. I think I can take up to 5 courses before applying to their MS program without losing credits and might do this in addition to taking the GRE CS.
What's P/F (proficieny)? Wow! So, they won't accept your BSCIS from Excelsior as prerequisite for an MSCS because of the ICCP exams? I am sure that is not common (atleast from other schools). I don't think it is atleast. Is that what you meant? The school you want to goto for the MSCS will have you take Data Commo, Systems Development, Programming Fundamentals, Software Engineering, etc. undergrad courses BECAUSE the coursework used to cover this in your BSCIS is, infact, not course work (its ICCP examinations)? Best Regards, Bill
Calidris, A little off topic, Why is your engineering science degree an AAS and not an AS? Aren't 2 year engineering science degree designed for transferring to bachelors in engineering? I know different schools do different things, I just don't understand the concept behind an "applied" degree in engineering science (unless it is an engineering technology degree). Best Regards, Bill
I don't think that any undergraduate Information Systems degree prepares for any graduate Computer Science degree worthy of the name. IMO, a Computer Science degree should be roughly equivalent to an engineering degree and an Information Systems degree roughly equivalent to a technology degree. If you're bent on an MSCS degree then check first on the undergraduate requirements.
In terms of an analogy, I would think the Computer Science degree would be equivlant to the Engineering degree and an Information Technology degree, would be equal to the Engineering Technology degree. The CIS degree would be somewhere in between the two I guess (having a little more math and theory than the IT degree, but, stilling being more "applied" than the CS degree). Of course, these programs aren't as regulated as the engineering/technology degrees (through ABET), so it is really unfair to judge what any of these degrees are until a transcript is seen (especially, Excelsior's CIS degree because of its individualized curriculum). Best Regards, Bill
Addressing the previous posts in reverse order: decimon: I agree that a CIS degree and CS degree are two different things albeit related. (Whether a CS degree is roughly equivalent to Computer Engineering or an EE with an emphasis in Computer Engineering degree is another discussion). When I started on my BS I didn't have any intention of going on for an advanced degree so didn't consider the prerequsites for the MSCS when I selected Excelsior's BS-CIS exam-only program. Back then I was considering pursuing additional industry certifications after earning my BS as IMHO the certs carry more weight than an advanced degree for the work that I do. As I've progressed, I've found that I am more interested in the CS side than in the IS side of things so am willing to switch majors, so to speak. So I have no problem taking additional courses to meet the prerequsites for the MSCS program in which I'm interested. I looked in to a couple of graduate MIS and CIS programs and found I wouldn't have had to take any additional courses to apply for them, but, at the moment I don't find those programs as interesting. wfready: I am pretty sure my Associate's Degree is in Arts and Sciences hence the AAS designation but I earned it about 30 years ago had haven't looked at it for quite some time. I've always referred to it as an AAS (perhaps incorrectly). The program was designed as a transfer program but I had no money to go on and was one of the lucky winners in the draft lottery so had other things to worry about at the time. wfready: By P/F I meant Pass/Fail. Sorry for the confusion about this. I suspect that most schools might question core courses in your major that were taken as Pass/Fail rather than for a letter grade. Unfortunately, Excelsior doesn't offer letter grades for ICCP exams or certification exams. As I mentioned I have several options to overcome this problem but it's something other students might want to be aware of before they commit to a program.
