Excelsior? Rogers? Or COSC?? Hmmm...

I have been doing a lot of research into DL, and I have narrowed it down (I THINK!!) to three schools based on the following information.

I am looking to get my Bachelor's degree, and eventually use that to get a Teaching Certification in NJ in Elementary Education.

I am looking for a school based on reputation, cost and flexibility.

The schools are Rogers State College in OK, Excelsior in NY, and Charter Oak State College in CT.

Anyone have any experience or thoughts on this??

 

I am not familiar to Rogers but am particular to Excelsior. In the DL world Excelsior has been around for 30 years. You will need to check into NJ's certification requirements to make sure you pick up the right courses. Curious though, since you are in NJ why didn't you pick Thomas Edison State College which is located in NJ. http://www.tesc.edu

John

 

Well... I didn't go with TESC b/c it was quite expensive, and the customer service was quite rude and curt. I could not get any straight answers. It was an immediate turnoff.

Rogers was one that I found through a Yahoo search.. It is rsuonline.edu. Anyone want to go to the site and check it out??

Bonni

 

Rogers University is RA (NCA). Only recently started offering 4-year degrees. Formerly Rogers State College, formerly Claremore College, formerly Claremore Junior College, formerly Oklahoma Military Academy, formerly Eastern University Preparatory School. Must be some kind of a record for name changes.

 

It seems that if you're a New Jersey resident it really isn't expensive at all compared to COSC or Excelsior...

Your bad experience is a rarity as far as I know. Most of the staff, and all of the advisors, that I've dealt with have been very nice and helpful. You might want to try calling back again.

However, since you're interested in teaching I'd suggest looking at the many Bachelor of General Studies or Bachelor of Liberal Studies programs that are out there. There are some very good schools that offer these degrees externally without any enrollment fee (just course tuition/fees).

 

It isn't often discussed here, but Fort Hays State University in KS offers a Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) and a Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) at a very low cost.
http://www.fhsu.edu/virtual_college/


Bruce

 

Oops! Forgot to post MY reply. It seems that bonnialisa's experience with TESC is NOT a rarity. See http://www.epinions.com/educ-Colleges_and_Universities-All-Thomas_Edison_State_College/display_~reviews/listype_~opb

 

It still seems to be a rarity. A few problems out of many thousands of people doesn't seem to make it common. Some of the opinions/problems in those reviews directly contradict my own experience. I can especially vouch that TESC has been very helpful with my own double major, contrary to what one of the people wrote. They've even sent me degree evaluations for other degrees that I may want to pick up after this one. I don't know, maybe there have been policy changes since that was written.

 

I am going to try calling TESC again, and see if they are more helpful.

Did anyone get a chance to check out RSU?? I am really liking their service reps, and they seem pretty nice. Just wondering if anyone had any experience with them??

 

I don't have any experience with RSU, but it looks like they have some good programs. As long as it's affordable for you and works works for your situation (previous coursework, goals, etc.) then it seems like it would be a good option. If you don't have a lot of previous credit to apply, or if what you do have would fit their curriculum, and if they offer a degree that fits your needs, then definitely look into it. If you're looking for something that's like a traditional program, only with the classes online, then RSU sounds like a good fit.

If it's RSU's Ba in Liberal Arts that you're interested in, then a Bachelor of Liberal/General Studies would probably fit your goals just as well. If that's the case, and if you're paying for this yourself, then I think that there are more affordable good quality options out there.

The big advantage to schools like TESC, COSC, and Excelsior for some people is that they offer totally external degrees, with no requirements to take any courses from them at all. If you are planning to take a lot of courses anyway then you are likely to find a school like RSU, FHSU, etc. that would work better for you. I know that if I hadn't already been very close to finishing a degree I wouldn't have appreciated having to pay the enrollment fee at TESC.

 

Actually though since you're a NJ resident the overall cost would still be very competitive if you take a full time load of courses and/or would want to take very many TECEP exams in a year. TESC is a good value if you are working to get through something quickly.

 

I have no college credits and have been out of school since 1981, not sure what would transfer or even where I would place with testing. Probably would have to start at the very beginning, don't you think??

 

If you make efficient use of the CLEP General Exams (not particularly challenging in my book, even with my aversion to math)then "the very beginning" may be about 1/4 of the way through a BA program.. at a cost of around $300 in test fees.

Search for one of the "BA in 4 weeks" threads on this site. Ignore the debate about whether or not such a degree is legitimate and review Lawrie Miller's recommendations.

 

Some sites that will be of interest to you. The first is New Jersey's state teacher licensing office:
http://www.state.nj.us/njded/educators/license/index.html

The second one shows the requirements for NJ teacher certification:

http://www.state.nj.us/njded/educators/license/1136.htm

Several notes:
1. NJ requires a 2.75 GPA (based on a 4.0 scale)
2. You will need to take the Praxis II/NTE Programs Specialty Area test(s).
3. To get the elementary education endorsement, you need a major in liberal arts or pure science.


After you make your final choice, I would run it by either one of the credentialing people at the county office of education or with the state licensing folks. Definitely do not begin the program until they have assured you that the major/school/everything would be acceptable to them.

One thing to note is that TESC is not on their list of schools with programs in teacher education. It doesn mean that it wouldn't work, but you might also have to take additional tests (for example, the MSAT).


Tom Nixon
Bears' Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning



[Note: This message has been edited by tcnixon]

 

I'll put my vote in for TESC---not friendly! They pretty much let me know that i'll get everything i want and all my questions answered AFTER i enroll and my check clears. So as far as helpful and friendly, COSC won with me, even though i wasn't enrolling.

 

Rogers has been in around since 1909, under different names. They became Rogers Jr College in 1971. They were a leader in online education beginning with online associates degrees in 1992. Rogers finally was allowed to become a 4 year school in 1998. State politics kept it from becomeing one sooner. It is the only State 4 year school in northeastern Oklahoma and is highly respected in the community.