Excelsior Bachelor of Science in Natural Science or not? Help me with my plan please

[toast iguana]

I am a single parent in my mid 30s. I have 140 credit hours from a university and a community college. I have no associates degree and no bachelors degree. I also have a license in practical nursing from a vocational tech program.

I have always wanted to be a medical technologist/clinical laboratory scientist but I lived in a very rural/remote area with no programs within driving distance and its a definitely a hands on degree.

I now live in a big city and am 100% committed to becoming a medical technologist/clinical laboratory scientist.

I have 2 routes I can go.

1) Go to the local community college and complete the medical lab technician program there. This is 2 years full time, and is built for a student with no college credit. This would earn me an associates and then I would go to a 4 yr college to complete my bachelors in medical lab technology/clinical lab science. This would take me another 18-24 months.

2) Go to Excelsior College and get a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science. I definitely think I could be done in less than a yr . Then apply to a 2nd degree program in clinical laboratory science locally. This program is 12 months and is for students with a previous bachelors degree already.

Anyone have any advice? I am kind of leaning towards option #2 now. I just need to figure out what exactly I'd have to take for Excelsior.

[cookderosa]

I am a single parent in my mid 30s. I have 140 credit hours from a university and a community college. I have no associates degree and no bachelors degree. I also have a license in practical nursing from a vocational tech program.

I have always wanted to be a medical technologist/clinical laboratory scientist but I lived in a very rural/remote area with no programs within driving distance and its a definitely a hands on degree.

I now live in a big city and am 100% committed to becoming a medical technologist/clinical laboratory scientist.

I have 2 routes I can go.

1) Go to the local community college and complete the medical lab technician program there. This is 2 years full time, and is built for a student with no college credit. This would earn me an associates and then I would go to a 4 yr college to complete my bachelors in medical lab technology/clinical lab science. This would take me another 18-24 months.

2) Go to Excelsior College and get a Bachelor of Science in Natural Science. I definitely think I could be done in less than a yr . Then apply to a 2nd degree program in clinical laboratory science locally. This program is 12 months and is for students with a previous bachelors degree already.

Anyone have any advice? I am kind of leaning towards option #2 now. I just need to figure out what exactly I'd have to take for Excelsior.

Though I'm unfamiliar with the degree you intend on earning, people use that same strategy for nursing degrees. For some people, getting into an aBSN that lasts 18 months on the ground is easier than getting wait-listed, into, and through an ADN, and then starting a BSN. (I would agree).

So, if you were pursuing that strategy for nursing, I'd say be sure to check your pre-reqs and science requirements that could be obstacles for your clinical lab science program. One thing to look for, is prereqs with GRADED credits vs pass/fail. For instance, if you need a grade of B in biology or a lab, a CLEP exam won't work. CLEP exams only award "credit" not a grade. Often the gen eds are a no-brainer, it's the sciences that make things tricky... which brings me to the next thing- labs. Distance learning lab science can be expensive when you factor in tuition, books, and lab supplies, so be ready for that. Also, even though 99.99% of the time a transcript doesn't say "online" for the science lab, you should check if doing an online science would exclude you from admissions. (ask via email, save their answer just incase you ever need proof).

Finally, good luck to you and so proud of you for going after your dreams!!

P.S. you have a ton of credit, have you applied to EC yet?

[toast iguana]

cookderosa, thank you for replying. I am so excited to finally start on the career path I've wanted for a long time.
I plan on taking as many sciences as I can at the local cc and transferring them into Excelsior if I go there.

As for science credits: So far I have Anatomy w/lab, Physiology w/lab, Microbiology w/lab all in a physical classroom. I plan on taking Chemistry w/lab soon at the local CC. (all less than 10 yrs old)

One thing I noted at Excelsior is that all sciences must be less than ten years old. My Gen BIO W/lab expired and my Geology w/lab expired.

I have not applied to Excelsior yet, but I know I need to see how my 140 credits would transfer according to them. I just still waffle back and forth a little between diving into Excelsior for a bachelors vs the med technician program. I just really want to get my bachelors now and move on. I don't really want to go to a CC for another two years, and still not have a bachelors.

What draws me back to the CC medical lab technician program, is that it would be 'working my way up' career wise in the lab. Then part of me asks if its all truly necessary since I'm already an LVN. Case in point, several years ago a co-worker LVN was crosstrained to be a lab assistant at an old job. Which makes me wonder is it even truly necessary for me to even go to the lab technician program to work at the level of an assistant/tech?

I've been looking at lab assistant jobs online and some only ask for a HS degree and 'prefer healthcare experience.'

Then it makes me think that at best,the CC Medical lab technician program would only provide me with the science credits needed towards a medical technologist/clinical laboratory scientist degree.

The thing that does have me worried about Excelsior is where to take the 3000 and 4000 level labs because,I agree they are quite expensive. And I'd want to take as many as possible locally.

[sanantone]

You might also want to apply at COSC and TESC. TESC has a natural science program that's a little more flexible than Excelsior's. COSC might give you a good chunk of credits for being an LVN.

[KayV]

You should also look at a BA in Natural Science and Mathematics and Thomas Edison State College, which only requires 18 hours of upper level credit. If you would like more specific help, just list the credits you have ("ENG-101 English Compostion I 3") and tell which ones are from the CC and which are from the university, so we can figure out where you credits would best fit.

[toast iguana]

I haven't listed all credits including the LVN ones,the university specific ones,and the ones from an overseas university (overseas uni would just be free electives and I already have enough of those)
Would TESC be the best fit?

Taken at 4 yr college

ENGL 1020 Composition I 3
MCOM 3000 Film Appreciation 3
ANTH 1810 Human Prehistory 3
ENGL 1030 Composition II 3
LIS 1600 Info Resources 2
PSY 1100 General Psychology 3
THEA 2400 Theater of Western Civilization 3
Univ 1000 Student Development Sem 1
ANTH 1820 Cultural Anthropology 3
ENGL 2205 American Lit 1865/present 3
MUS 1225 Music of World Cultures 3
PHIL 2300 Ethics 3
PSY 1320 Psy of Personal Adjustment 3
SPCM 1000 Public Speaking 3
EASC 1004 Intro to Geology w/lab 4 (older than 10 yrs)
EDCI Foundations of Education 3
LIS 4200 Lib and Librnshp 2
PSY 2240 Educ Psych 3
EDSP 2100 Education of the Exceptional Child 2
ENGL 2200 World Masterpieces 3
ENGL 2290 Sci Fi and Fantasy 2
ENGL 3120 Hist of the Engl Lang 2
PSY 4230 Psy of Adolescents 3
ENGL 4710 Mod American Fiction 3
ANTH 4850 North American Indian 3
ENGL 2215 British Literature 1798/Present 3
ENGL 3000 Critical Studies 1
ENGL 4680 African American Lit 3
ENGL 4360 Shakespeare 3
AE 1450 Valuing Differences 1
ENGL 4310 Chaucer 3

Community College:

HIST 101 US History Before 1877 3
BIO 112 Gen Bio w/lab 5 (older than 10 yrs)
SPAN 101 Elem Spanish 3
BIO 207 Human Anatomy w/lab 4
MATH 112 Intermediate Algebra 3
BIO 208 Human Physiology w/lab 4
BIO 121 Microbiology/Allied Health w/lab 4

** College Algebra soon to be in progress

[KayV]

Would you be okay with any major? You would need quite a bit for a science major, but you have pretty much everything you need (except the Capstone) for an English major, it appears. Just a bit and I will show you what that would look like.

[Puttlesbridge]

COSC will give you 16 credits for you LPN/LVN license.

[toast iguana]

Kay V-I would be interested in seeing what the English major plan would look like. But also I think I would have a better chance at getting in to the 2nd bachelor/Clinical lab science program with a science related degree. I have to take a lot of science pre reqs for that program anyhow.

Also,I just found some information that makes me even less inclined to take the CC medical lab technician program http://work.chron.com/lab-technician-vs-...-5227.html

It says an LVN or LPN can work as a lab technician in 39 states without further training or testing .I live in Texas which is one of those 39 states.

[KayV]

You have almost everything you need for a BA Liberal Studies at TESC, except for the Capstone, and IPS elective (although they might count your LIS credits for that), and 5 hours of free electives.

Thomas Edison State College
BA in Natural Science and Mathematics

I. General Education Requirements
A. Intellectual and Practical Skills
1. ENGL 1020 Composition I 3
2. ENGL 1030 Composition II 3
3. CC MATH 112 Intermediate Algebra 3
4. SPCM 1000 Public Speaking 3
5. Need no-cost Kaplan PLA 100/200 3
B. Human Cultures and the Physical World
1. CC SPAN 101 Elem Spanish 3
2. CC HIST 101 US History Before 1877 3
3. CC BIO 112 Gen Bio w/lab 5 (older than 10 yrs)
4. CC BIO 121 Microbiology/Allied Health w/lab 4
5. MCOM 3000 Film Appreciation 3
C. Personal and Social Responsibility
1. PHIL 2300 Ethics 3
2. ANTH 1820 Cultural Anthropology 3
3. ENGL 2200 World Masterpieces 3
D. General Education Electives
1. ANTH 1810 Human Prehistory 3
2. PSY 1100 General Psychology 3
3. THEA 2400 Theater of Western Civilization 3
4. MUS 1225 Music of World Cultures 3
5. PSY 1320 Psy of Personal Adjustment 3
6. PSY 2240 Educ Psych 3
II. Area of Study: Liberal Studies
A. Humanities 19 UL
1. ENGL 3120 Hist of the Engl Lang 2 (TESC ENG-401) 2UL
2. ENGL 4710 Mod American Fiction 3 (TESC ENG-387) 3UL
3. ENGL 2290 Sci Fi and Fantasy 2 (TESC ENG-331) 2UL
4. ENGL 4680 African American Lit 3 (TESC LIT-399) 3UL
5. ENGL 4360 Shakespeare 3 (TESC LIT-320) 3UL
6. ENGL 4310 Chaucer 3 (TESC ENG-462) 3UL
7. Capstone: Need LIB-495 Liberal Arts Capstone 3UL
B. Social Science 6 UL
8. ANTH 4850 North American Indian 3 (TESC ANT-310) 3UL
9. PSY 4230 Psy of Adolescents 3 (TESC PSY-342) 3UL
C. Natural Science and Mathematics 8
10. CC BIO 207 Human Anatomy w/lab 4 (TESC BIO-210)
11. CC BIO 208 Human Physiology w/lab 4 (TESC BIO-211)
III. Free Electives
1. LIS 1600 Info Resources 2
2. Univ 1000 Student Development Sem 1
3. EASC 1004 Intro to Geology w/lab 4 (older than 10 yrs)
4. EDCI Foundations of Education 3
5. LIS 4200 Lib and Librnshp 2
6. EDSP 2100 Education of the Exceptional Child 2
7. AE 1450 Valuing Differences 1
8. ENGL 3000 Critical Studies 1
9. ENGL 2205 American Lit 1865/present 3 (TESC LIT-206) 3
10. ENGL 2215 British Literature 1798/Present 3 (TESC LIT-209) 3
11. Need 5 hours of Anything (science classes with labs, no-cost TEEX Cybersecurity series, etc.)