Questions about TESC credit evaluation

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Michelle, Sep 14, 2008.

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  1. Michelle

    Michelle Member

    I am finally enrolling at Thomas Edison, and I have a few questions about transfer credits.

    I am planning to get dual bachelor degrees in communication and social sciences. I should have all the communication classes knocked out but am concerned that not many of the social science classes will transfer into the program because they are 100 level.

    Does anyone know what type of credit is usually offered for a 4 on the AP American History exam?

    Do classes always transfer in at the same level as they were at the original college? I ask because I took a very challenging Russian History class at Johns Hopkins that was numbered 128, but a different college accepted it as a 300 level transfer class.

    I have attached a txt file of the classes I've taken in case you want to look at it.

    Thanks,
    Michelle
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

    You have a lot of units that normally might count as electives - however if you are planning to pursue a BA then TESC only accepts 27 units as electives. (and only 18 for the BSHS).
    To make better use of your elective type courses perhaps you should also check out Excelsior and COSC. The Exelsior BS allows up to 60 units as electives.
     
  3. sentinel

    sentinel New Member

    Thomas Edison State College has a limit of 90 semester hours (total) from 2-year colleges and universities. The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies would allow you to transfer in enough credit hours for a dual "major" in communications and social science. Thomas Edison State College degrees do not have majors but rather areas of study but the outcome is negligibly different.
     
  4. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    >>


    Your score of 4 on your AP exam will probably give you 6 credits as HIS101 and HIS102. If your evaluation should say for sure.

    No, classes do not transfer in with the same number. I had 30 credits evaluated, all ended up with different alphanumerics. Some higher, some lower, one was moved into a different department!

    I calculate that you have almost 150 credits. I think you should pay for the evaluation ($75) and see where these fall. I disagree that you have too many free electives, I think the bulk of your credits will be classified by TESC as liberal arts. If I could make one suggestion? I think you'll get more mileage out of a dual humanities / social sciences concentration than narrowing it down to communication / social sciences.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 15, 2008
  5. a mom

    a mom New Member

    Actually, they only allow 80 credits from a CC. http://www.tesc.edu/668.php

    "If you studied at a regionally accredited community college, you may transfer up to 80 credits. If you studied at a regionally accredited four-year institution, you may transfer up to 120 credits. If you have studied at more than one institution, we can accept your credits, provided the institutions are regionally accredited."

    However, I was told they would count any credits received at a 4 year college as upper level regardless of whether it's a 100, 200, 300, or 400 level class. Here's part of a recent correspondence:

    "Saint Petersburg used to be a community/junior college but is now a baccalaureate institution and as such, any courses completed there from the time they became a baccalaureate school would be considered baccalaureate credits, NOT "community/junior college" credits.

    This has nothing to do with the course number or "level" of the course (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior). Any and all credits earned at St Petersburg would transfer here as bachelor's level credits whether they carried a course number at the 100, 200, 300 or 400 level. "
     
  6. Michelle

    Michelle Member

    Thanks for the feedback.

    I have 49 credit hours from four year colleges, so I should be ok not going over the 90 hour limit for two year colleges.

    I had actually been working toward getting the credits for the communication concentration from Charter Oaks but am now wanting to take some psychology and counseling prerequisites for a new training program for treating behavioral issues using a combination of holistic wellness and German New Medicine. After I finish the training, I may want to earn a masters in human services from Liberty followed by a psychology PhD with a specialization in either health psychology/behavioral medicine or gender studies from Northcentral, but that's down the road about a year.

    Most of the electives I have are art related since that's what my AAS is in, and I realize that I am very close to having enough credits to get a bachelors in art (I think a second art history and a painting class are all that I'm lacking), but I was thinking social sciences would give me the flexibility to take the psychology courses I need. I also think that a degree in communication and social sciences is much more likely to get me into the training program than communication and art. Later this week I am planning to make sure the degree would qualify me for the training.

    When I was comparing my credits to the TESC requirements, I thought it looked like I had everything for communication and would just need to take 6-8 social science classes. Did it look like I'd need more classes than that to you?

    One other question, do any of the FEMA classes count toward upper level social sciences credits?

    Thanks,
    Michelle
     
  7. Michelle

    Michelle Member

    Thank you again for all of the useful information.

    Oh, ok, it's 80 credit hours. I think I'll still be ok since I've taken a lot of classes at four year colleges.

    Jennifer, I noticed that you have an AA and BA in Social Sciences from TESC. Have you found the degrees to be useful? I had focused on art and communication for so long that I'm having to re-think a lot of things now.

    When you were getting your degrees, how did it work that you could only have two 100 level courses within the major? Is it two classes all together or two classes in each of the disciplines within social sciences (like two 100 level classes each for history, economics, and psychology)?

    I had not thought of going with humanities and social sciences. What would the advantages be? Did you suggest it because it would be easier to meet the degree requirements or because you thought the degree would be more useful for my future?

    Thanks,
    Michelle
     
  8. sentinel

    sentinel New Member

    Until TESC evaluates your transcripts and applies those credit hours to a degree plan you will not know how many of your 100-level courses might map to 200-level courses according to their own catalog of courses. The limitation of 2 100-level courses in your major/concentration/area of study means what it says - only 2 100-level courses can be used to fulfill that part of the degree plan. As I mentioned many 100-level courses from other schools map to 200-level courses at Thomas Edison State College. I would apply and get an evaluation completed so you know better where you stand. Afterwards, you can decide whether to enroll at Thomas Edison State College.
     
  9. Michelle

    Michelle Member

    I applied last week and have my transcript requests ready to go in the mail today. Hopefully the acceptance process won't take too long. I'd really like to start taking classes in November.

    Michelle
     
  10. sentinel

    sentinel New Member

    The evaluation process takes approximately 4 weeks after all the transcripts arrive. Sometimes the evaluation starts as soon as the first transcript arrives, however, it is possible the evaluation will take a bit longer due to scheduling and staffing issues on both ends of the process. November is a reasonable start date if the transcript requests are mailed today.
     
  11. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

     
  12. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    Jennifer, I noticed that you have an AA and BA in Social Sciences from TESC. Have you found the degrees to be useful? I had focused on art and communication for so long that I'm having to re-think a lot of things now.
    >>


    Michelle,
    I am in a field that only requires associate degrees, so my AA and BA have nothing to do with the utility in my field. I started down the path because I wanted to earn a master's degree in gastronomy. My AA/BA were just simply "checking the box." My goals have now somewhat changed, but I have no regrets.


    <<I had not thought of going with humanities and social sciences. What would the advantages be? Did you suggest it because it would be easier to meet the degree requirements or because you thought the degree would be more useful for my future? >>

    Meeting the degree requirements will be much easier. You have a lot of humanities credit (a lot of credit in general) and the communications major is going to require you to take a lot of classes that you can't test out of- I think your looking at a minimum of 1 year longer going with communications. If it were me (and it's not) I would say go for the BA Liberal Arts, be done next month and get a master's degree in _________ if that's your goal. You won't need to take ANY classes if you take the BA Liberal Arts- you already have enough credit. But, that's just me. I wouldn't dump any more money into an entry level degree than I have to. (I have 185 under grad credits)A masters would absolutely do more for you than a bachelor's or a double - major for that matter. Just my two cents.
     
  13. Michelle

    Michelle Member

    I believe I already have 35 credit hours that will count as communication credits. These are the communication classes I've taken:

    Fundamentals of Speech
    Interpersonal Communication (but 2 credit hours instead of 3)

    Business Communication
    Technical Communication
    Presentation Design
    International Communication
    Fundamentals of Info Design
    User Documentation
    Online Documentation
    Research In Technical Communication
    Small Group Communication
    Rhetoric, History, and Pratice
     
  14. justinstrick

    justinstrick New Member

    transcripts?

    For a TESC credit eval, do I have to have every college I have attended send official transcripts? or can I just send the most recent that lists all my prior transfer credit? I know, I probably have to send them all, but if I can save on the fees I'd like to. Transcripts at $10 a pop get expensive when you are researching.
     
  15. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member


    Yes. Always send each and every transcript from every school. I have the sealed transcripts mailed to me, and then I mail them all together to the school.

    Abner
     
  16. Mark A. Sykes

    Mark A. Sykes Member

    I had them mailed directly from each school to TESC; they sent a letter confirming receipt once they arrived.

    Six of one, half a dozen of the other...
     
  17. Michelle

    Michelle Member

    It really can be a pain when you've attended a lot of colleges! TESC has received three of my college transcripts but is still waiting on the 4th to arrive.

    But now that I've decided to become a certified therapeutic massage therapist also, I need to have all of my transcripts sent to a state technical college as well, plus they say they need my high school transcript from 20 years ago too! It would have been easier if I had decided on the massage therapy route at the same time I finalized my plans to finish my bachelors at TESC because I could have had transcripts sent to both schools at the same time, but now I have to go through the whole process again.

    I think the tech college should admit me based on my associates degree from another tech college in the same system, which has the exact same admissions requirements, and from which I graduated with "highest honors" but they said they need all the transcripts. I was actually considering enrolling in a private massage therapy school instead until my sister pointed out that the additional cost and time ordering the stupid transcripts was significantly less than the extra tuition and time it would take to earn the certificate from the private school. It's a pain but it will be worth it in the end!
     

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