Degree Plan from scratch

[busdriver32]

Hi everyone!! I am a pilot who went into flying after high school....I need a degree to use to apply to bigger airlines, as some of them have a college degree requirement...It's been suggested that I look at the Degree programs that offer credit for the flying i've done...but I'm interested in getting a degree in a field that isn't in aviation, so that it can serve as some sort of backup in a worst case scenario. So I'm looking for a degree in either of these two fields...Computers or Business. I like computers and figured that I would probably enjoy doing a degree related to computers. I've also come to understand that its not possible to test out of an engineering degree in Computers, without taking any extra expensive college courses for UL credits/Lab requirements.

I need a degree that is 100% Test-out-able or as close to 100% test-out-able as possible. My priority is to get a degree as quickly (6 months to 1year) and as cheaply as possible...finances being of higher importance.

I have narrowed it down to two degrees from whatever I was able to scour on the forum and on the websites of the Big3 - BSBA CIS as TESU, and BS in Business at Excelsior....since I guess these are supposedly the ones you can fully test out of, and don't require additional expensive courses for UL credits etc.

I have looked at multiple degree plans, but they are all tailored in the posts for the people who posted them...and all those who posted them have some previous credits or Certifications, etc. So I need a degree plan for BSBA CIS at TESU..and for BS in Business at Excelsior, so that I can figure out which one would be the best for me to pursue so that I can successfully complete the degree as quickly as possible, and as cheaply as possible.

I do not have any prior college education and need to start from fresh...If you guys could help me out, I would really really appreciate it, and start working on the degree right away....

[bsimi]

You could also consider doing the BSAST Technical Studies at TESU. That way you can count all your flight certificates for many of the UL courses in the area of study. The only downside is that you will still need to take 2 courses of physics or chemistry, statistics, plus college algebra and pre-calc.

The BSBA CIS degree will require college algebra, statistics, and a bunch of finance and accounting classes. On the flip side, Study.com is mapping their courses to 100% complete a BSBA Gen Mgmt degree, so you could do most if not all the degree with them

[busdriver32]

You could also consider doing the BSAST Technical Studies at TESU. That way you can count all your flight certificates for many of the UL courses in the area of study. The only downside is that you will still need to take 2 courses of physics or chemistry, statistics, plus college algebra and pre-calc.

The BSBA CIS degree will require college algebra, statistics, and a bunch of finance and accounting classes. On the flip side, Study.com is mapping their courses to 100% complete a BSBA Gen Mgmt degree, so you could do most if not all the degree with them

Hi Bsimi, thanks for the reply!

My flight certificates from the US are not current (active), as I have not flown in the US in the last 8 years...I fly abroad, and use the certificates of those countries. Also, I would prefer to do something non-flying, so that it serves as a backup, and I can also add to my own diversity.

Study.com is mapping their courses to 100% complete a BSBA management degree? Is there anywhere I can read about this?

[jsd]

Assuming Study.com actually managed to get all 120 credits available through them, it'd take you almost 2 years to do since they only allow 2 exams a month.

[swalke321]

Study.com is adding a lot of business courses but can't be used 100% for TESU. TESU is requiring students to take the capstone course Strategic Management through TESU as a course or TECEP exam. For ACE and NCCRS recommended courses TESU limits the number of credits transferred from a single source to 90. The most credits that can be transferred from study.com is 90. I don't think Excelsior would accept 100% from study.com either. For a business degree I think TESU is cheaper then Excelsior and requires fewer UL courses. TESU tends to be more flexible in transfer credit, then Excelsior.

[busdriver32]

Wow, I didnt know there's a limit on the number of credits from a particular source! I guess there are more things I need to look into, before jumping into this...!

I've found a thread where Sanantone and Dfrecore were trying to come up with the cheapest plan for BSBA if you start from scratch - but it was in Gen Management;

I guess I will work on the common credits for BSBA from that plan...and then review it when I have some clarity on how to proceed..

[ajs1976]

Busdriver -

Make a spreadsheet of your degree plan and start filling in options. Try to figure out what works best for your style of learning and goals. Find some place to start. If you keep trying to plan out every last detail, you will never start. People work on two or three options at once or a bunch one after another, but no one tries to do all 40 classes at once.

Research your aviation credentials to see if they are accepted by TESU for credit. You don't have to go for an aviation degree and I understand you are flying outside of the country, but they may fill general electives or even specific gen ed requirements. Could save you some time and money.

Since you are flying outside of the country, are you in a place where you can have access to CLEP or DSST testing centers? DSST MIS and Cybersecurity are two common options to fill the UL requirement for the CIS concentration. Not being able to take one or both of those, could make the CIS concentration more difficult and expansive.

Research CSU Global CBE for the System Analysis and design option. Other courses there too.

you will need to take Eng Comp I and II. look for those options and see what will work best for you. Whatever you do, I would suggest you immediately follow it up with Tech Writing TECEP to fill the Info Literacy requirement.

You will need a Speech class. People here seem to like the Straighterline option.

Look at the math requirements and then research ALEKS. Don't start with Stats, but throw $20 at it to see if it works for you and knock out the general ed math requirement.

Look for sequences of courses that work together and build off of each other. Eng Comp I, II, and Tech Writing. Micro and Macro econ. Fin Acct and Man Acct. the Business classes. Intro to computers, then MIS DSST.

Research TEEX cybersecurity. With these being 2 credits, i'm not sure how they work into CIS concentration, but others have used them. Make sure to find current info on these.

[busdriver32]

  Less than 1 minute ago">TESU BSBA CIS Degree.pdf (Size: 88.88 KB / Downloads: 9)
  Less than 1 minute ago">TESC BSBA Gen Management 2017 cheap.xlsx (Size: 58.35 KB / Downloads: 6)
  Less than 1 minute ago">TESU BSBA CIS Degree.pdf (Size: 88.88 KB / Downloads: 9)
  Less than 1 minute ago">TESC BSBA Gen Management 2017 cheap.xlsx (Size: 58.35 KB / Downloads: 6)

Busdriver -

Make a spreadsheet of your degree plan and start filling in options. Try to figure out what works best for your style of learning and goals. Find some place to start. If you keep trying to plan out every last detail, you will never start. People work on two or three options at once or a bunch one after another, but no one tries to do all 40 classes at once.

Research your aviation credentials to see if they are accepted by TESU for credit. You don't have to go for an aviation degree and I understand you are flying outside of the country, but they may fill general electives or even specific gen ed requirements. Could save you some time and money.

Since you are flying outside of the country, are you in a place where you can have access to CLEP or DSST testing centers? DSST MIS and Cybersecurity are two common options to fill the UL requirement for the CIS concentration. Not being able to take one or both of those, could make the CIS concentration more difficult and expansive.

Research CSU Global CBE for the System Analysis and design option. Other courses there too.

you will need to take Eng Comp I and II. look for those options and see what will work best for you. Whatever you do, I would suggest you immediately follow it up with Tech Writing TECEP to fill the Info Literacy requirement.

You will need a Speech class. People here seem to like the Straighterline option.

Look at the math requirements and then research ALEKS. Don't start with Stats, but throw $20 at it to see if it works for you and knock out the general ed math requirement.

Look for sequences of courses that work together and build off of each other. Eng Comp I, II, and Tech Writing. Micro and Macro econ. Fin Acct and Man Acct. the Business classes. Intro to computers, then MIS DSST.

Research TEEX cybersecurity. With these being 2 credits, i'm not sure how they work into CIS concentration, but others have used them. Make sure to find current info on these.

Andy, Thanks so much for the kind and detailed reply.

I have emailed TESU about my flying credentials after looking at your post, and will post an update as soon as I receive a reply. I found an older thread by Sanantone and Dfrecore with some sample BSBA plans, and have saved them. As you also suggested, I thought I could finish all the General Ed requirements first, and then work on the Area of study later. Luckily, after that I found a BSBA - CIS plan too...so I'm using those 2 plans as a reference. I'm attaching the plans I have...I've done some research and found that the cheapest courses have been put up in the plan by Dfrecore and Sanantone. So I am planning to stick to that.

At the moment, I'm trying to figure out how to prepare for English Composition 1 and 2...let me hunt around a little bit.

I keep coming back to the US every 2-3 months, so i will be able to access the testing centers when I'm back home from my work trips. I'll try to work on all the stuff I can test online for, and leave the CIS stuff for the end when I'm at home.

I can see in your signature that you're also pursuing a BSBA CIS. Would you be willing to share your degree plan?

[ajs1976]

I don't think my plan would help you much because most of my credits are from traditional and online courses. What i have listed in my signature are the requirements I needed when I started at TESU. Other then those my other alternative credits are Chemistry AP (from 20+ yrs ago), SL Business Ethics, and my MCSE. I dont think I even sent the AP to TESU and the MCSE ended up not fighting into my evaluation.

I thought Eng Comp I and Tech Writing as TECEPs were very easy. I had Adv Freshman writing and TESU evaluated it as a duplicate of Eng Comp II from my community college. I had also taken the COSC Cornerstone course so that served as a writing review prior to those exams.

[busdriver32]

Has anyone also looked into the programs at NAU and WGU, in view of finishing a degree in a fast and cheap way? 1 year at NAU should be around 5500$...

I looked into the program at WGU, but the IT degree seems restricted to people who are working in IT fields only for the last 3-4 years. So that leaves only a Business Degree from NAU...please correct me if I'm wrong.

Can someone throw some light on whether NAU Business degree/Any other degree from WGU would be a more sensible idea financially..(for someone starting a degree from scratch).? Any other pro's or con's compared to a BSBA at TESU?

Thanks in advance!

Ajs1976, thanks for the reply...!