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Advice please: pre-reqs and how to fit them into a degree
#1
If my goal is grad school (PA), and I need both the Bachelors and a number of pre-req science classes for admission, should I: 


A) Just get the bachelors done as fast as possible through CLEP, etc and work on the pre-reqs after?
or 
B) Work on the pre-reqs now and integrate them into my degree?

The pre-reqs are all science- micro, A&P etc, I have done some of them before (over 10 years ago).  The required pre-reqs would be worth 15cr minimum and CANNOT be tested out of.  They will accept online classes.  Several other classes are recommended as well like org chem, genetics, etc.  So it could end up being a significant portion of credits.

Grad school is several years away at this point and may not actually happen.  My life right now does not allow me to invest a ton of time in classes.  

I have not applied at any college yet, but I am thinking TESU-BALS.  My main concern is how often do they change general ed and degree requirements?  I really don't have anything to transfer in.  I have my free electives taken care of, but all the generals need to be done or re-done.  All of them, lol.  So that's like 93cr.  I have started with Modern States and I'm going to try to clep a few generals and see how it goes.

Any advice is welcome.
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#2
I guess it depends on how much time you have, how much prior knowledge you have, how your study skills are, etc. You said you don't have a lot of time, but some people say that and still knock out 2-4 credits a month Smile

If it were me, I'd take 3-4 credits per semester of the pre-reqs. Many have labs so they will be 4. And then do as much of the other credits as possible. BALS is flexible so it's faster.

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#3
They basically change once a year, however, we've seen changes at seemingly random times, like the recent changes to the BACS degree requirements. There's no reason not to go ahead and apply and lock in your catalog as soon as you can decide which degree you want to pursue. There's no requirement to transfer any credit in immediately. You do have to take at least one course within a year of applying to become enrolled, but there are plenty of TECEPs that will fit into whatever degree you want.
NanoDegree: Intro to Self-Driving Cars (2019)
Coursera: Stanford Machine Learning (2019)
TESU: BA in Comp Sci (2016)
TECEP:Env Ethics (2015); TESU PLA:Software Eng, Computer Arch, C++, Advanced C++, Data Struct (2015); TESU Courses:Capstone, Database Mngmnt Sys, Op Sys, Artificial Intel, Discrete Math, Intro to Portfolio Dev, Intro PLA (2014-16); DSST:Anthro, Pers Fin, Astronomy (2014); CLEP:Intro to Soc (2014); Saylor.org:Intro to Computers (2014); CC: 69 units (1980-88)

PLA Tips Thread - TESU: What is in a Portfolio?
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#4
(02-09-2018, 12:08 PM)hmiller Wrote: If my goal is grad school (PA), and I need both the Bachelors and a number of pre-req science classes for admission, should I: 


A) Just get the bachelors done as fast as possible through CLEP, etc and work on the pre-reqs after?
or 
B) Work on the pre-reqs now and integrate them into my degree?

The pre-reqs are all science- micro, A&P etc, I have done some of them before (over 10 years ago).  The required pre-reqs would be worth 15cr minimum and CANNOT be tested out of.  They will accept online classes.  Several other classes are recommended as well like org chem, genetics, etc.  So it could end up being a significant portion of credits.

Grad school is several years away at this point and may not actually happen.  My life right now does not allow me to invest a ton of time in classes.  

I have not applied at any college yet, but I am thinking TESU-BALS.  My main concern is how often do they change general ed and degree requirements?  I really don't have anything to transfer in.  I have my free electives taken care of, but all the generals need to be done or re-done.  All of them, lol.  So that's like 93cr.  I have started with Modern States and I'm going to try to clep a few generals and see how it goes.

Any advice is welcome.

I choose a combo of both, but with a focus on B) Work on the pre-reqs now and integrate them into my degree.

Work on taking the courses you cannot test out of, with a test out or two mixed in during class breaks (or at the same time, depending on your schedule.). It sounds like the sort of pre-regs you've mentioned would easily fall into a TESU-BALS.   Do you have a list of the specific pre-regs that you cannot test out of, and also a list of any credits you have already earned (by class or test)? With this information we can probably guide you better in what would fit or fill in the degree with testing.
Amberton University
- MS Human Relations and Business - 2022
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- ASNSM Computer Science -2018

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#5
If there are any sudden factors that come up like a job or a promotion, requiring a degree, keep in mind that you can always rush the degree through testing and then take the pre-reqs separately. Granted, this isn't ideal because you'll end up with extra undergrad credits that you'll never use, but I just wanted to mention this in case the situation changes.

Also, I would suggest that you do take the time needed and spend as much effort on grad school as possible. Based on my experience, with my very specific graduate degree, I've really gotten "bang for the buck."

However, there is always the thought to shop around and see what else is out there for grad school. Again, I don't really recommend changing course if you have the perfect option, but it is good to see what else could be available that might not be so strict in the pre-req department.
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Spanish 80 | Humanities 67 | A & I Lit 72 | Sub Abuse 452 | Bus Ethics 445 | Tech Writ 62 | Math 53 | HTYH 454 | Am. Govt 65 | Env & Humanity 64 | Marketing 65 | Micro 61| Mgmt 63| Org Behavior 65| MIS 446|Computing 432 | BL II 61 | M&B 50 | Finance 411 | Supervision 437| Intro Bus. 439| Law Enforcement 63|  SL: Accounting I B | Accounting II C+| Macro A | ECE: Labor Relations A | Capstone: A| FEMA PDS Cert 
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#6
Thanks everyone!  I really appreciate (and needed) the advice to slow it down and integrate the pre-reqs.  I have a tendency to try and finish things and get them out of the way and that is perhaps the wrong approach to a degree.  I like to check things off my list lol.  I like the idea to try one pre-req a semester and attempt to test out classes around that.  

Specific pre-reqs needed:  A&P 1&2 w/lab, Micro w/lab, Stats.  
Additionally, depending on the grad school:  med term, biochem, org chem, genetics, precalc, and there are a ton that are "recommended if time".

All I have for transfer is vo tech stuff (nursing, nremt-p, etc, which should cover all the free electives) and a dev psych class.  I have to retake A&P and Micro. The only other credit I have is The Institutes Ethics class for 2cr which should be going on my ACE transcript.

Given all the science classes I will be taking, is BALS a good choice?  Or should I think about the Biology degree?  Grad school doesn't need a science degree, just a Bachelors.
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#7
(02-09-2018, 12:08 PM)hmiller Wrote: If my goal is grad school (PA), and I need both the Bachelors and a number of pre-req science classes for admission, should I: 


A) Just get the bachelors done as fast as possible through CLEP, etc and work on the pre-reqs after?
or 
B) Work on the pre-reqs now and integrate them into my degree?

The pre-reqs are all science- micro, A&P etc, I have done some of them before (over 10 years ago).  The required pre-reqs would be worth 15cr minimum and CANNOT be tested out of.  They will accept online classes.  Several other classes are recommended as well like org chem, genetics, etc.  So it could end up being a significant portion of credits.

Grad school is several years away at this point and may not actually happen.  My life right now does not allow me to invest a ton of time in classes.  

I have not applied at any college yet, but I am thinking TESU-BALS.  My main concern is how often do they change general ed and degree requirements?  I really don't have anything to transfer in.  I have my free electives taken care of, but all the generals need to be done or re-done.  All of them, lol.  So that's like 93cr.  I have started with Modern States and I'm going to try to clep a few generals and see how it goes.

Any advice is welcome.

I had this exact situation. I did the pre-nursing and pre-med science sequences AFTER my BA (online not tested out) and it was VERY expensive. (I spent almost $10,000) Doing it over, I would have put them INSIDE my BA - it takes longer but you're not paying for other credits to serve as placeholders while you work on your degree. It also makes your transcript a single easy piece of paper with everything in one place. You may have to *provide* transcripts from your sciences for official admission, but at least the credit will all be on your degree and easy for them to see.

PS the prereqs will be 100/200 level, so you have to plan them from the start because they will overflow your science requirement and fill your general education electives.
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#8
(02-10-2018, 10:38 AM)cookderosa Wrote:
(02-09-2018, 12:08 PM)hmiller Wrote: If my goal is grad school (PA), and I need both the Bachelors and a number of pre-req science classes for admission, should I: 


A) Just get the bachelors done as fast as possible through CLEP, etc and work on the pre-reqs after?
or 
B) Work on the pre-reqs now and integrate them into my degree?

The pre-reqs are all science- micro, A&P etc, I have done some of them before (over 10 years ago).  The required pre-reqs would be worth 15cr minimum and CANNOT be tested out of.  They will accept online classes.  Several other classes are recommended as well like org chem, genetics, etc.  So it could end up being a significant portion of credits.

Grad school is several years away at this point and may not actually happen.  My life right now does not allow me to invest a ton of time in classes.  

I have not applied at any college yet, but I am thinking TESU-BALS.  My main concern is how often do they change general ed and degree requirements?  I really don't have anything to transfer in.  I have my free electives taken care of, but all the generals need to be done or re-done.  All of them, lol.  So that's like 93cr.  I have started with Modern States and I'm going to try to clep a few generals and see how it goes.

Any advice is welcome.

I had this exact situation.  I did the pre-nursing and pre-med science sequences AFTER my BA (online not tested out) and it was VERY expensive. (I spent almost $10,000) Doing it over, I would have put them INSIDE my BA - it takes longer but you're not paying for other credits to serve as placeholders while you work on your degree.  It also makes your transcript a single easy piece of paper with everything in one place.  You may have to *provide* transcripts from your sciences for official admission, but at least the credit will all be on your degree and easy for them to see.

PS the prereqs will be 100/200 level, so you have to plan them from the start because they will overflow your science requirement and fill your general education electives.

cookderosa, Thanks for that advice, I really am thinking it's the way to go.  

I'm not sure what you have on your transcript, but did you have any problems getting into grad school with online classes or cleps on your transcript?  One of the grad programs I'm thinking about told me they prefer B&M classes over online and online over cleps etc.  So, just wondering what your experience was.
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#9
(02-14-2018, 08:19 AM)hmiller Wrote: cookderosa, Thanks for that advice, I really am thinking it's the way to go.  

I'm not sure what you have on your transcript, but did you have any problems getting into grad school with online classes or cleps on your transcript?  One of the grad programs I'm thinking about told me they prefer B&M classes over online and online over cleps etc.  So, just wondering what your experience was.

You have to look at your whole application. If your test scores are good and you have relevant work experience, then I wouldn't worry too much about where your prereqs come from. If the other stuff is weak, then it might pay to toe the line on the getting the prereqs from butt-in-seat classes.
NanoDegree: Intro to Self-Driving Cars (2019)
Coursera: Stanford Machine Learning (2019)
TESU: BA in Comp Sci (2016)
TECEP:Env Ethics (2015); TESU PLA:Software Eng, Computer Arch, C++, Advanced C++, Data Struct (2015); TESU Courses:Capstone, Database Mngmnt Sys, Op Sys, Artificial Intel, Discrete Math, Intro to Portfolio Dev, Intro PLA (2014-16); DSST:Anthro, Pers Fin, Astronomy (2014); CLEP:Intro to Soc (2014); Saylor.org:Intro to Computers (2014); CC: 69 units (1980-88)

PLA Tips Thread - TESU: What is in a Portfolio?
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