Request help with self assessment for TESC!!!

I have taken 24 CLEP and DANTES tests and I'm trying to figure out which area
(Humanities OR Soc Sci/History OR Nat Sci/Math OR Free Electives) each test would fit into. I'm aiming for the BA in Liberal Studies with no concentration required (option C in TESC catalog).

If you got the time, please give your impression or experience of where each test would go. I know I will have to pay TESC to do the same thing but I want a rough idea of where I stand before I start paying them money. My goal is to submit all my credits from ALL sources and basically be an instant grad since I have more than 120 credits. My big hurdle is figuring out which ones will apply to which area in the TESC degree mentioned above. By the way, I realize I have some duplicate credits.

Well, here's my list:

CLEP

English Comp 6
English Comp w/essay 6
Freshman English 6
College Com 6
Math (General) 6
Spanish 12
Analyzing and Interpreting Lit 6
Intro Sociology 3
Principles of Management 3

DSST

Principles of Supervision 3
Fundamentals of Counseling 3
Criminal Justice 3
Intro to Law Enforcement 3
Technical Writing 3
Drug and Alcohol Abuse 3
Organizational Behavior 3
Intro to Business
Personal Finance 3
Human Resource Management 3
Principles of Management 3
Management Information Systems 3
Here's to Your Health 3
Intro to Computing 3
Lifespan Developmental Psychology 3

Appreciate any constructive comments. This board is awesome.

4Q

 

Okay, take good notes . . . there will be a quiz at the end of this post.

First, create a blank outline matrix of the areas in which you need credit for the degree. Use the outline on TESC's B.A. page at: http://www.tesc.edu/prospective/undergraduate/degree/ba.php

(The page will also tell you what subject areas are included in each of the three liberal arts or general education categories.)

Then simply enter the credits you have under each individual category, keeping a running total. Here are the classifications for your credits:

ENGLISH COMPOSITION - 6 Credits Required
English Comp 6

You have fulfilled this area requirement.

HUMANITIES - 12 Credits Required
Freshman English 6
Spanish 6

You have 12 credits here in two subject areas, so you have fulfilled this area requirement. Since you only need 12 credits here, half of the 12 credits you have in Spanish can be applied to the General Education Electives area.

SOCIAL SCIENCES - 12 Credits Required
Intro Sociology 3
Fundamentals of Counseling 3
Intro to Law Enforcement 3
Organizational Behavior 3

You have 12 credits with at least two areas represented, so you have fulfilled this area requirement.

NATURAL SCIENCES & MATH - 12 Credits Required
Math (General) 6
Intro to Computing 3

You have 9 credits and need another 3 credits if the Intro. to Computing course is applied here. This depends on whether the credits have a "significant math (or programming) component." If not, the course would become a free elective and you would need another 3 credits in the NS&M area. If you want an easy option, try the DANTES exam in Astronomy.

OTHER GENERAL EDUCATION - 18 Credits Required
Criminal Justice 3
Lifespan Developmental Psychology 3
Analyzing & Interpreting Lit 6
Spanish 6 (the 6 that were not applied to the Humanities requirement)

You have 18 credits and have fulfilled this requirement.

CONCENTRATION - 33 Credits Required
Drug and Alcohol Abuse 3

You have only 3 credits here. Do the math, and look at portfolios as an option to fill in some of the blanks.

FREE ELECTIVES - 27 Credits Required
Principles of Management 3
Principles of Supervision 3
Technical Writing 3
Intro to Business Personal Finance 3
Human Resource Management 3
Principles of Management 3
Management Information Systems 3
Here's to Your Health 3

You have 24 credits and need another 3 credits. (Since your degree program will be in liberal arts, all of your business credits will go under Free Electives.

English Comp w/essay (6) and College Com (6) appear to duplicate otehr credits, so you may not be able to apply them.

 

Oh, man...what a response! Very much appreciated! Thank you.

I only listed my examination credits in my original post. I'm in the Air Force and have an AAS through the Community College of the Air Force(CCAF). I was hoping to apply 27 credits from the CCAF technical courses to the TESC free electives area. In turn I was thinking everything you listed in the free electives areas would be applied under the concentration, keeping in mind that I'm choosing "option C" of the Liberal Arts degree. Option C doesn't really require a concentration. Instead, it allows you to apply 33 credits from any of the GER areas.

I guess I should've told you that up front. Was I way off? Anyway, I have a much clearer idea of where I might stand was I enroll in TESC. Thanks again for the time and great effort! Really exceeded expectations!!

 

A-ha, he says, stroking his beard (if I had one) . . .

The problem is that business credits do not qualify for the General Education area. In fact, I was surprised to see that TESC is now using the term general education; they used to call these liberal arts. Even then, you'll notice that on their required-credits page, the General Education area is limited to liberal arts courses: those that fall in the English Composition, Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Science/Math areas. Even though we might consider business credits to be general in nature, TESC does not consider them as liberal arts, so they must go into the free electives area. (I did the B.A. in Humanities - the one that, I believe, is now listed as Option A - and have 18 credits in business, all of which went under Free Electives.)

Your military education and experience will certainly qualify for credits, as will your AAS, but most of these may also have to go under Free Electives due to their nature.

(Incidentally, TESC does not limit you to 90 transfer credits. You can, in fact, transfer in al 120 credits. The limitation is 90 junior or community college transfer credits.)

Therefore, what you have is a fairly typical situation. All together, with your exam credits, previous degree, and military experience, you probably have way more than 120 credits, but they are heavily weighed toward the Free Elective area. You could, in theory, consider another major or degree title, but then you will likely find that you have to make up more specific requirements under the Social Sciences area.

In the meantime, your best bet is to take all of your AAS credits (and any others you can calculate based on your training and experience) and factor them into the chart we have already established.

As a general rule, two things to remember: In any liberal arts program, business credits go under Free Electives; and when it comes to computer courses, anything that is "practical" (word processing, MS prorams, dBase, etc.) goes under Free Electives, while anything with a significant math component (BASIC, PASCAL, COBOL, etc.) goes under the Natural Science/Math, General Education Electives, or Liberal Studies concentration areas. (That's why I made the comment about your Intro to Computing exam. If it's computer programming, it's a liberal arts course. If it's computer processing or an applications course for a specific program, it's a free elective. I wouldn't worry about it; you'll be able to pop it into one area or the other.)

Finally, remember that if you have too many credits, you can still pop them in somewhere. The bachelor's degree requires 120 credits, but even if you have more they can still be included on your transcript. Also, when you review your CCAF technical courses, you might find some that can be considered liberal arts (such as general science or math courses), so they may not all have to go into Free Electives. (For example, if you did a physics course, you've got liberal arts. If you did a course on jet engine repairs, that's a free elective.)

One way or the other, you have a sound plan in terms of trying to classify your courses now, determining where you have empty spaces to fill in, and then matriculating into TESC. It should cut your time greatly and save you some bucks if you don't have to do a second year of enrollment.

 

Thank you. Very grateful for the insight.