How do I pick a school?

[sergeantstokes]

I am looking to consolidate my credits and finish a degree. I plan to use the degree for advancement in the business world, and possibly as a stepping stone for post-secondary education. How do I pick which of these "big three" would suit me best? They all seem fairly similar, I guess it depends on who transfers in the most credits for me. My credits break down like this:

Brick and Mortar - total of 23 credits (higher than C) in mostly general education.

Military - anywhere from 30 to 58 credits. My ACE recommendations total 58 credits, but there are a few duplicates. This is all mostly in leadership, safety, and technology (electronics and math) credits.

CLEP/DSST - total of 30 credits. See the list I've taken below.

Any assistance from someone who either knows more than me, or who has already completed a degree, would be very helpful. By my estimates I have anywhere from 83 to 111 credits, and can definitely take more CLEP/DSST tests to gain the additional credits needed to graduate. I don't want to waste credits, however, taking tests that won't benefit my degree.

Advice?? THANKS!

[skyfall123]

Welcome to the forum. All of the big three will require additional business credits including Fin Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intro to Computers, Principles of Finance, Business Law, Business Policy and additional prerequisites Macroeconomics, Microeconomics and Statistics. These are all in addition to the Management and Marketing that you have already taken.

Now if you go with TESC you will also need to take Business Communications and International Business.

If you go with Excelsior you will need to also take Operations Management, Ethics and Organizational Behavior. You will also have to take the Business Policy as a course...they will not allow you to test out of that.

You may consider quickly banging out a Bachelor Liberal Arts through TESC then applying to an MBA or a Masters in Business Management program.

Now here is the other thing to consider. Many MBA's do not require a business degree for admission. A top 20 program Indiana University requires Accounting and Statistics. MBA Online through Kelley Direct

A new Masters program from CUNY requires no business background. SPS - The CUNY School of Professional Studies at the Graduate Center

I am not discouraging you from getting a business degree from the Big 3. If you have little intention of going to get a Masters, then buckle down and go for it.

If however you have education funds available and are either current or ex-military, then I would definitely set my sights on one of the many excellent MBA programs out there...and the point is that they do not all require business degrees as an entry requirement.

[Old Rusty Pipe]

Charter Oak has a Business Administration concentration that can be completed almost entirely through testing. The only course you may have trouble with is the Strategic Process capston course or equivalent, and you might be able to find a test for that.

[entwive]

Not sure you can test out of the Charter Oak BBA. The Managerial Accounting is a problem (along with the Capstone). They have been exceptionally difficult with my desire to test out and they are not offering the courses I need to finish this summer. I expect they would take other courses in place of the managerial accounting but I have been unable to get this information

[ShotoJuku]

Sample/typical CLEP and/or DSST question:

1. Which school should I select that will be affordable, credible, accredited, and accept many, if not most of all of my previously earned credits?


[COLOR="Purple"]a. Excelsior College

b. EC

c. Excelsior.edu

d. EC-USNY

e. All of the above[/COLOR]

[sergeantstokes]

Thanks for the input from everyone. I feel like TESC might be my best bet right now, but I'm going to apply to all three and transfer my credits, then see what happens from there. I'm hoping to be able to finish my degree solely from testing, whichever University can make that easiest on me is the one I'll choose.

Thanks again!