Beginner Assistance

[Taliesin]

So I posted a similar question on this forum in the past but due to some unexpected life circumstances I was forced to delay my plans and in the meantime I imagine there may have been changes in policy or the process itself since I asked my last question. To be honest trying to understand all of this on my own through reading threads and the beginners guide feels a bit overwhelming, so I was hoping by describing my specific circumstances and goals someone could help point me in the right direction.

In brief, I am looking to get a BA for the purpose of legally teaching English abroad. As such, what subject my degree is in doesn't matter to me so much as the relative ease of the tests, cost efficiency, and time required. I live in New Jersey and have some previous college credits (only about 2 semesters.) If it matters I enjoy topics such as history, philosophy, religious studies, and art.

So my question is as of 2019, is it possible to mostly test out of a BA degree? Which of the "Big 3" and their degrees would be best for me given the above mentioned criteria, i.e. no need for any specific degree so much as a cost and time efficient means of acquiring a degree primarily through CLEP/the least amount of actual in class course work?

Thanks in advance for any assistance or pointers, I appreciate any input.

[davewill]

Post your existing credits so we know what you have. I would think the TESU would be the best for you, given that you are a NJ resident. Plus there's more knowledge here for TESU than for the others. The most flexible degree is the BA in Liberal Studies (BALS). The BSBA is also well understood and would make the most sense if you either already have business credits, or have business experience to help you with the courses. In either case, you can earn all but 116 credits using alternative sources (so called "test out", although many are actual online courses).

[Taliesin]

Thanks for the reply. To be honest I am not sure what my exact credits are since its been quite a few years since I last attended college. I do recall that the courses were English, History, Philosophy, and other general courses aside from one or two which may be related to court reporting as I had once considered attempting to get a degree in the field. I will have to contact the two colleges I attended and obtain the specifics to post here later. I realize the need to build a specific degree plan but for now I am mostly just trying to take the baby steps into getting the process started.

The BALS or similar sounds like it would be more suitable for my purposes as I do not have any business credits or experience.

I figured TESU might be more appropriate as a NJ resident but I suppose what's more important to me is the ability to test out or do the minimum amount of coursework than anything else. I am fairly good at studying and passing tests but I dislike classroom attendance (always been more of an autodidact) and the need to commute, which were reasons among others I dropped out in the past. Of course again reducing costs and time is also an important consideration for me as mentioned.

[mysonx3]

BALS is your way to go, in that case. TESU only requires two courses through them: a Capstone, and a Cornerstone. The latter is currently a 1-credit class that can be finished in well under a day, but on July 1 it will be switched to a full 3-credit course (which will cost approx. $800 more), so you will want to hurry and get that one done. Everything else can be tested out of.

My recommendation is to apply to TESU ASAP and send transcripts from your previous school to get them evaluated and see where you stand. While waiting for them to do the evaluation, if you can get a list of courses you took and post them, some people here can give an (extremely) educated guess as to how they will count towards a BALS. We can also look and see if you're close to being able to do a different major instead.

If you're looking for a test to work towards in the meantime, I recommend the Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP. It's free if you do the Modern States prep class, it's one of the easier ones, it's six credits and can fit in several spots in the BALS

[davewill]

Since you have to contact the schools anyway, to find your courses, I'd go ahead and spend the $75 to apply to TESU, then when you contact the schools, have a transcript sent you both to yourself AND TESU. That way, you'll know what you already have, have a copy of your transcripts to refer to, and TESU can do your initial evaluation. It would have to be done at some point, anyway. Even if you decide against TESU, you're only out the $75 fee and whatever the transcript fees are at your old schools.

[mednat]

TESU is going to be the best for you, not just because of location, but because it's easier to get UL credits. As stated apply ASAP to lock in to the catalog (the requirements never get easier...only harder as time goes on)