Brand New - BA in 4 Weeks still valid?

Discussion in 'CLEP, DANTES, and Other Exams for Credit' started by daddytristan, Jun 21, 2013.

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  1. daddytristan

    daddytristan New Member

    Greetings all,

    I've been lurking for quite some time as I've been searching for a way to earn a Bachelor's as soon as possible. I am a rank newbie and have zero credits in anything. Laws have changed in my state that require a BA (in anything) for Certification in my career path. I essentially need to earn a BA through testing out by October 2014 - I think I can do it.

    I found the roadmap BA in 4 Weeks via this site, but all of the threads are 2011 and older. Is this still a valid way to attempt to test out for a BA? How much should I expect to spend?

    Thank you for your help!
     
  2. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    You can almost complete a BA through testing through any of the Big 3 (Thomas Edison, Charter Oak, Excelsior.) However, all of the Big 3 require a capstone course, and Charter Oak requires a cornerstone course.

    Does the degree need to be in a specific area, or will a Liberal Studies degree work. If the Liberal Studies degree works, the BSLS from Excelsior is a very attractive option.

    https://my.excelsior.edu/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=f9efcdb6-2dad-4c83-b2e0-43725d335e94&groupId=78666

    Good luck!
     
  3. daddytristan

    daddytristan New Member

    It can be any degree, so I imagine a Liberal Studies degree will work. I am very new to this, can you describe to me the difference between a capstone and a cornerstone course?

    Thanks for your help!
     
  4. daddytristan

    daddytristan New Member

    Also, I've read about "life experience" as credit? How can I make this work for me?
     
  5. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    TESC's BSBA does not have a capstone.
     
  6. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    Which school are you looking at? One of the first decisions should be: do you want an accreditied or unaccreditied degree.
     
  7. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    PM me, sanantone, or rebel if you want more information. Sometimes I get bored with typing long responses so if you would like to give me a call I can talk you through the process.
    There is a LOT of information online so do some searching.
    But BA in 4 weeks inspired me as it should inspire you. However the plan doesn't work exactly like you read it anymore. I would recommend you go toward this degree BSBA General Management at Thomas Edison State College. As an adult learner this is one of the best paths you can take due to the high number of courses you can test out of and the quality of the degree. TESC is a regionally accredited public institution.
     
  8. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    We used to reference Lawrie's site a lot but then we started our own CLEP/testing forum and it became unnecessary. Also, I don't know how frequently he updates his site. In any case, I believe that the general concept behind the site is still valid.
     
  9. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    To quibble, calling a thread "Brand New" is a mistake, since two years from now when someone in a similar situation to yours wants similar information it will be way out of date.
     
  10. Tireman 44444

    Tireman 44444 Well-Known Member

  11. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    A cornerstone course is typically a class taken at the beginning of an academic program; while the capstone course is taken at the end of the academic career. The capstone integrates knowledge learned throughout the academic career; the cornerstone typically focuses on student success factors.
     
  12. daddytristan

    daddytristan New Member

    Sorry I wasn't trying to say the thread was brand new, just that ~I~ am brand new to all of this.

    Yes, it does need to be an accredited degree for my industry.
     
  13. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    Daddytristan, yes and no. Yes, you can test out of your degree using totally legit means at accredited colleges. No, you can't use his plan exactly anymore since you can no longer use GRE exams for your major (though Charter Oak does still award credit in some amount as I understand it) but you might need a class or two.

    You can use CLEP and DSST exams for all of your gen eds (1/2 the degree). These are accepted in various amounts by more than half the colleges in the country. The "big 3" is actually a pet term for Thomas Edison State College, Charter Oak State College, and Excelsior College because they all accept unlimited CLEP/DSST credit as long as it fits in your degree program. The other half of your degree will consist of electives and your major. At Thomas Edison (TESC) you can use a free ($0) source of credit to fill all of the slots through FEMA indy study. A lot of people do this because, well, it's free. That counts for 27 credits. Now, the remaining third is your major. If you accept the fact that you can test out of 1/2 the degree at your own pace, 1/4 using FEMA, then the remaining 1/4 is really where you have to decide "how" and "what" to do.

    There are some other exam options (more in psychology, history, business than others) which allow you to test out of most of your major credits. This includes exams through Thomas Edison and Excelsior. They all accept each other's exams, so this is a win if you're going to attend one of these 3 schools.
    First step? What industry are you in? Narrowing down to 1-2 degree options will help people here direct you to the most straight forward degree path. Keep in mind, that it they are all "fast" in that you control your testing speed as well as how you'll complete your major.

    Prior learning credit- this is a carrot. You can bite, but it's expensive (a lot more then testing) and requires a lot of documentation. In reality it's almost always easier just to test out of the class if the option exists. If the PLA credit is not going to fill a requirement in your major, I vote to skip it.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 23, 2013
  14. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    COSC also accepts FEMAs for free. I don't have any degree plans for Excelsior and Charter Oak, but I do have a few test out/Straighterline plans for TESC. I didn't do the general education requirements because there are so many options. TESC is changing them on July 1st anyway.

    Sanantone's BSBA General Management - Degree Forum Wiki
    Sanantone's BA in Psychology - Degree Forum Wiki
    Sanantone's BA in Social Science - Degree Forum Wiki
    Sanantone's BA in Natural Sciences and Mathematics - Degree Forum Wiki
    Sanantone's BA in Humanities - Degree Forum Wiki
    Sanantone's BA in History - Degree Forum Wiki

    If you want to do a liberal studies degree, just pick and choose tests from the humanities, natural science, and social science plans.
     
  15. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    Sanatone- you're right about COSC, I keep forgetting they take FEMA now! Might even be cheaper.
     
  16. dseminario

    dseminario New Member

    Hello All,

    I recently joined and I am trying to go over all posts before I create a new one and drive everyone crazy because I didn't read previous or similar posts lol.
    This post in particular stands out because I am jumping on this wagon to get my BA in 4 months (not 4 weeks)...With that said, I went over the BA in 4 weeks website and although it seems promising, I feel it is outdated.
    Just enrolled in Excelsior and I am planning to start my journey through CLEPS and all other test needed to get my degree...I'm going for Bachelor of Science degree in Business, so when it comes to studying for all lower and higher up test, any promising textbooks that will aid in my studying? although I have a lot of websites for clep, any ones in particular that help a lot? Instantcert has too many mixed reviews so not sure I will go that route...anyways, if anyone is interested to shed some light will be create.
    Thanks.
     

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