Thomas Edison and Excelsior colleges -- I don't get it

A lot of people seem to be attending these colleges and yet these colleges have very few classes. I don't understand how these work and why they would good.

Please explain.

 

Both colleges have many classes. Excelsior recently began offering courses, while Thomas Edison has always done so. However, the schools are unique in that you can transfer in all the credits required for a degree, and you are not required to take any classes from either school. The same is true for Charter Oak State College. There are also no limits to the number of examination credits you can apply to a degree.

 

Xarick,

go to bain4weeks.com

I will give you a lot of good info. These schools are good because you can transfer most if not all of your credits from CLEP test, DANTES tests, etc. This save a lot of time and money. These schools are referred to as "the big three" and are regionally accredited, the best accreditation you can get.

Take care, Abner

 

Xarick,

go to bain4weeks.com

I will give you a lot of good info. These schools are good because you can transfer most if not all of your credits from CLEP test, DANTES tests, etc. This save a lot of time and money. These schools are referred to as "the big three" and are regionally accredited, the best accreditation you can get.

Take care, Abner

 

Xarick,

go to bain4weeks.com

I will give you a lot of good info. These schools are good because you can transfer most if not all of your credits from CLEP test, DANTES tests, etc. This save a lot of time and money. These schools are referred to as "the big three" and are regionally accredited, the best accreditation you can get.

Take care, Abner

 

Okay that website makes sense.

 

Okay.. now it makes sense.. current competencies is the key.. so for those of us who are looking to change careers and want to learn stuff from the school it sounds like these methods are not for us.

 

They can be. In a sense they allow you to create your own university. You are free to take your required courses and electives at any RA college or university. While those with prior knowledge can save time and money "testing out", someone in your position has the advantage of selecting where you take your courses without the restrictions of time. This eliminates the down- time of waiting for courses to be available, it gives you the option of taking courses that fit into the format you choose (ie. highly structured, self-paced, online, paper based, etc.), and to a large degree, it allows you to specialize your degree by the large number of electives you can choose.

On the other hand, one has to be very self motivated to take this option.

Good luck.

 

The Excelsior degree model is great for people who move work locations frequently.

 

One key point to understanding the advantage of the Big Three is understanding that most colleges and universities (even DL programs) require that the student complete a certain percentage of the program in their university after enrollment.

Example: If you wish to get a degree from the University of South Carolina, you will be required to complete 30 semester hours of credit at the University of South Carolina and could be required to complete the last 30 hours of the program there as well.

Also, many colleges and universities have limits on the number of credits that you may apply to the degree based on testing or experience (CLEP and military credit).

Coastal Carolina University (RA B&M SC State School) limits the amount of credit from military and testing to no more than 30 semester hours.

Excelsior College has no such limit on source of credit nor do they require any credit be earned after enrolling there.

Someone like me with 60+ hours of ACE evaluated military credit and 60+ hours of CLEP/DANTES scores -- and 90+ hours of B&M undergraduate courses can benefit greatly by a program such as Excelsior by simply applying all of the courses already complete to a degree program which is already complete before enrolling.

for the person with much existing college credit; the assessment universities are the way to go......

 

.... for the student without much existing credit, the Big Three may still be a good option.

A well motivated student with good testing skills can complete a degree program much quicker through these (ie: BA in 4 weeks model) than in a traditional setting.

You are also free to follow a degree plan more to your own design than that of the local B&M. You could for example major in a subject not offered at your local U by taking DL courses from a number of schools and applying that credit to a degree at Excelsior.

Someone restricted by location or time can create a program of study that works in a completely DL/assessment university model that won't work in a traditional sense. These include those in the military (who move often), those who only have graveyard hours free, those who have responsibilities in the home that don't allow them to leave for classes....

For some people though, a traditional B&M is the best way to go. It's a matter of considering the options available.

 

Originally posted by Coach Turner...

My daughter is a perfect example. She will be earning a B.S. from COSC in 2.5 years instead of four by utilizing a combination of CLEP testing and credits she is currently earning at an RA B&M and a local community college. She has her eye on law school and wants to finish her B.S. and move onto her J.D. as quickly as she can. This is a perfect option for someone like her.

 

Not necessarily . . . they key question may be what you already know. If you have the knowledge base that would earn you the degree already (in other words, if you spent your formative years reading non-fiction instead of comic books), you might want to use that knowledge to earn a bachelor's degree in order to gain admission to a graduate program.

When I went through Edison, for example, I decided as I pursued the process that there was not much for me to learn at the B.A. level, and that most of my "new learning" wouldn't start until I enrolled in a graduate program. (This is why I did my TESC program by earning 98 credits by portfolio and 16 credits by exam, having carried in only six credits at the beginning.) When I realized how much I already knew, my purpose became earning a bachelor's degree so I could be admitted to a master's degree program, where my active learning would really start.

There is, however, another question when you use the phrase "current competencies." Let's say that a program requires credit in an area in which you already have "current competencies." To gain credit, you have the choice of documenting your knowledge by portfolio or prior learning experience, taking an exam, or sitting through a 15-week course for which you already know the material. Given those opportunities, most people would pass up wasting 15 weeks if they can document their competencies another way, and that's where Edison, Excelsior, Charter Oak, etc. come in.

The one thing you don't discuss is the field in which you would want to major. If that field requires a bachelor's degree as a primary credential, so be it. But so many fields require, at minimum, a master's degree - so if merely getting the bachelor's will do the trick in terms of getting into a graduate program, TESC, et al. work great.

 

Stepping stone or hard charger.....

I agree almost totally with this post. The 'stepping stone' concept of completing the 'BA in 4 weeks' using the big 3 schools is certainly popular among those that are hungry to get a masters, but know they need a BA first (and quickly). I actually never thought I'd be where I am now (enrolled in a MA). Originally it was just to finish school before I went on deployment. But I figured 'what the heck' and went ahead and enrolled in a MA. Would only help if I get picked up for officer or become a civilian again.

Also what Marylars said about her daughter is a good example of just what the motivated student can acheive. Age is nothing but a number. I have a friend that will graduate (high school) when she is 16 (skipped 2 grades) and I'm trying to motivate her towards the clep route. Even if she does not enroll in the 'big three', she may be able to finish her BA a lot faster from any of the thousands of schools that accept them. I'm trying to see if she'll be able to get an associates out of high school.