Degree finish time estimate?

I am graduating from my Electronics tech program tomorrow. I want to transfer my credits to Thomas Edison state college for my AAS degree in Electrical/mechanical systems and maintenance. Anyway with credits from my ET program plus some other credits I think they will take, I may only need 24 credits for my AAS. Is there a way to estimate how long it would take to complete? How long do you think it would take to complete? I'd like to complete it in like 5 or 6 months or shorter if possible, is it possible? Thanks for the help, appreciate any info you may have.

 

depends on what you need, how motivated you are, and...to a lesser degree...how smart you are. There are folks that have gone from zero credits to a bachelors degree in well under 1 year.

Which 24 credits do you lack? Are you planning to test out via CLEP/DSST/Straighterline/ALEKS, or take classes? Classes at TESC are expensive and your likely better off getting the credit elsewhere (except for anything you HAVE to take at TESC like a capstone).

 

Sure, a generic scenario can be drawn up by any one of a dozen people here- list what you have and let's see what it looks like.

 

I have no idea how to calculate what I need? How do i even figure that out?

 

I CELPed 50 credits in 6 weeks. It can be done. What credits do you have?

 

CELPing sounds new and exciting, how do I get in on that?

 

Bet it tastes good with some tuna, rice and a nice seaweed wrap!

 

Study a little, pay about $100, take a test (pass with a 50 or better), voila, you have 3-6 credits.

OP....plug the credits you have into the degree program your seeking....whatever is left blank is what you need to fill. If you've taken the tech portion of an electronics degree I'm guessing you need english, math, social science, etc... likely around 20-30 credits worth...in specific areas. This is all available on TESC's website. While your on their website looking at the degree plan do a site search for "clep" and another for "dantes" that will bring up pages detailing what each clep/dsst is good for and what a passing score is.

 

rebel100, thanks I will look on TESC's website but I find their website kinda tough to navigate. What am I exactly looking for on the TESC website? I'm gonna actually call them tomorrow and see what they say. I took the Penn Foster Electronics technician career diploma program. Thanks again for the help.

 

Oh also I have 18 credits from the ET program, I should have the elective credits too which is 18 I think? That is 36 of the 60, right so far? That leaves 24 credits no? Am I missing something?

 

What you should list, is what you HAVE already. Assuming you attended a regionally accredited program, they will plug in nicely and what's left will remain blank. Here is an example of what you need to list:

English 101, 3 credits
English 102, 3 credits
Basket Weaving 101, 3 credits
Basket Weaving 102, 3 credits
Underwater Basket Weaving 201, 3 credits

Total: 15 credits


The credit number is important, however the DISTRIBUTION of credits is important too. If the degree requires some number of credit in a certain subject, you need to complete that specific subject- it's not enough to only have a number. For instance, in the above sample, if there was such a thing as a Basket Weaving certificate that required 6 credits of English, 6 credits of Basket Weaving, and 3 credits of Math, the fact that you EXCEED the Basket Weaving is not relevant. The 3 credit math deficiency is what you would need to do in order to complete the certificate. I hope that makes sense.

 

Oh I have never seen it listed that way to be honest, it may be somewhere. all i know is I have 18 total credits from the ET program, I can't remember seeing it broken down in the way you mentioned.

 

Look here to get an idea of what you would need - Computer & Information Technology
or here
Thomas Edison State College: Electronics Engineering Technology
or here
Thomas Edison State College: Electrical Technology
to see what has the best match.

You can also look at Excelsior -
Excelsior College | Program Details
https://my.excelsior.edu/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=4724d921-111a-429f-90e9-c3a5d16e685e&groupId=78666

Excelsior College | Program Details
https://my.excelsior.edu/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=4724d921-111a-429f-90e9-c3a5d16e685e&groupId=78666

and Charter Oak - Charter Oak State College - Completing Your Degree

 

Here is some CLEP info - CLEP - College Level Examination Program (CLEP) -Save Time. Save Money. Take CLEP | College Board CLEP Site

 

Here is the issue, I can match up a lot of what I learned already on those programs you listed, but for the one I am going for they don't list the full program list. If you go on there look up under "what you can study", under E, Electrical/mechanical systems and maintenance. You will see they don't list the program in detail the way those other programs do. I don't want to go into engineering because the math will just annoy me.

 

Seriously? Only IrishJohn got it.

 

Here is a link to the ACE National Guide to Credit, Penn Foster page ACE CREDIT | The National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training Whatever you took for the certificate will likely have to be on the ACE list to count as credit at TESC. I'm reasonably sure that TESC doesn't take just any credit from PF.

Once you have a list of what you believe will transfer cross reference it with the degree plans Randell list for you.

Take a look at these two lists:
CLEP - College-Level Exam Program
DANTES
These are the CLEP/DSST that you can plug into the TESC degree program...how fast you can finish is up to you there is a good guide to credit (CLEP/DSST in particular) here, Free Clep Prep.com

Straighterline, FEMA, TECEPS, Excelsior Exams, other colleges are all viable sources of credit.

 

Yeah my course was ACE reviewed so I am nearly 100% sure they will accept all my credits. Also i emailed TESC once and they said they do accept PF credits. Thanks for the help, I will try and plug my info in and see what comes up. Again thanks for the help.

 

This is not hard, there is a lot of suggesting for a problem that hasn't been identified. The fact is, you don't know what you need because you don't know what you have. Step 1: find out. Wherever your training came from must issue you a transcript. If you don't have on laying around, you need to request 2. One for you and one for TESC. You *can* go ahead and fill out a TESC application for $75 and they will do a transcript evaluation for you (step 2). That eval is good for 6 months, so within that time you can CLEP while you wait to enroll. There is no reason to enroll until you have your credit-earning underway.

Call where your credits are, see if you can get an unofficial "student transcript" emailed to you. For an official, you'll have to submit your request in writing and likely pay a few dollars. But, an unofficial is for you so you can start planning.

You don't need to start poking around websites looking for this or that- you're just spinning wheels.

 

I just talked to TESC and the lady on the phone was very nice, very informative but one thing I didn't understand still. First thing i have to do is fill out the app, pay 75 bucks then have my transcripts sent over for evaluation. That is all pretty straight forward. I think she said then student counselor would suggest or tell me what I need to finish my degree off.
What i didn't understand was the "free electives" deal. I thought you just submit like those FEMA credits or I would try and submit the OSHA courses I took and they wipe away the 18 electives or what ever it is. It sounded like you need to take tests or something to have those electives wiped off? Was i hearing that correctly or was I mistaken?