It's been confusing, but I think I finally have this degree plan for TESC figured out

[jeffp87]

Hi everybody! I'm fairly new to the forum, actually I've been snooping around for a while now doing research but this is my first post. I have to say that this forum is just outstanding with so much information and great people willing to offer such great advice!

As far as college goes, I already have an Associates of Science degree from a B&M community college, however I'm a complete newbie when it comes to this testing out of courses thing. I'm in the military and had always heard about it from the education center here on the base, but I guess I never believed you could really do it and have it count for anything. After finding this forum and reading the degree plans in the wiki area, it got me thinking that maybe I'm not as far away from finishing my degree as I thought I was. So please forgive me if I have this all wrong(it's my first attempt at making a degree plan...lol), but this is what I came up with after using some of the degree plans on here as a template.

CC= Community College courses already completed
CLEP, DSST, ESE= Courses I still have to test out of.
UL= Upper level (to fulfill the 18 credit requirement.

BA in Psychology (TESC)

Gen Ed. Requirements (60)
English Composition (6)
1. English Composition 1 (3) (CC)
2. Composition & Analysis (3) (CC)

Humanities (12) (Must have at least 2 subject areas)
1. Understanding Art (3) (CC)
2. Intro. to Philosophy (3) (CC)
3. Intro to Literature (3) (CC)
4. Fundamentals of Effective Speaking (3) (CC)

Social Sciences (12) (Must have at least 2 subject areas)
1. Cultural Anthropology (3) (CC)
2. Human Growth & Development (3) (CC)
3. Principles of Sociology (3) (CC)
4. U.S. History to 1877 (3) (CC)

Natural Science & Math (12) (Must have at least 2 subject areas)
1. College Algebra (3) (CC)
2. General Biology 1 (3) (CC)
3. General Chemistry 1(3) (CC)
4. Intro. to Computing (3) (DSST)

General Education Electives (18)
1. Environment & Humanity (3) (DSST)
2. Intro. to Astronomy (3) (CC)
3. American Government (3) (CLEP)
4. Intro. to World Religion (3) (DSST)(UL)
5. Here's to your Health (3) (DSST)
6. Ethics in America (3) (ESE) (UL)

Area of Study: Psychology (33)
Required Courses (9)
1. Intro. to Psychology (3) (CC)
2. Statistics (3) (DSST)
3. Experimental Psychology (3) (ESE- Research Methods in Psychology can be used here) (UL)

Psychology Electives (21)
1. Organizational Behavior (3) (DSST) (UL)
2. Fundamentals of Counseling (3) (DSST)
3. Social Psychology (3) (ESE) (UL)
4. Abnormal Psychology (3) (ESE) (UL)
5. Substance Abuse (3) (DSST) (UL)
6. Psychology of Adulthood & Aging (3) (ESE) (UL)
7. Intro. to Educational Psychology (3) (CLEP)

Required Liberal Arts Capstone (3) (UL) (I know that I can't test out of this and have to take the actual class.

Free Electives (27)
1. Liberal Arts Math (3) (CC)
2. Human Anatomy & Physiology (4) (CC)
3. General Zoology (3) (CC)
4. Intro to Medical Terminology (1) (CC)
5. Intro to Physical Geography (3) (CC)
6. Foundations of Education (3) (DSST)
7. World Population (3) (ESE)
8. The Civil War & Reconstruction (3) (DSST)
9. A History of the Vietnam War (3) (DSST)
10. Criminal Justice (3) (DSST)

So what do you think? Any advise or comments are welcome! Hopefully I didn't mess it up too bad. Thank you again for all the time and knowledge that all of you give to helping those of us just starting on this path.

[sanantone]

It looks good. You can use ALEKS for statistics and it would be cheaper, but some people find it to be more tedious than studying for the DSST. I'm not sure if the Psychology of Adulthood and Aging ECE is UL. TESC doesn't follow other colleges and organizations' suggestions in this regard. Maybe someone else who has taken the test will know for sure or maybe you saw it in someone's wiki plan. Fundamentals of Counseling has been counted for many as an UL psychology course. Things can change, though. Remember that TESC also offers TECEPs for $99.

Here's to Your Health will more than likely not go in general education electives. It has been counted as a free elective for most. I didn't calculate how many CC credits you're transferring, but you're limited to 80. Also, you have to apply before July 1st in order to lock in the current general education requirements. I suggest enrolling before that date to lock them in, but a few people on this forum got it in writing that all they have to do is apply. The new general education requirements might change your degree plan a bit.

[jeffp87]

Sanantone,

Thanks so much for taking the time to look over my plan! As you pointed out, I might have a class or two here and there to tweek which is fine. I just wanted to make sure from people way more experienced at this than me, like yourself, that I was at least in the ball park with this plan. Yes, I am definitely going to apply before the July 1st deadline that I've heard so much about.

The number of credits I'll be transfering in is like 72 I believe, so I should be in good shape as far as coming in under the 80. You mentioned the ALEKS for Statistics was cheaper. One question I have about that and maybe you would know or have talked with someone in my situation, but I'm being told that because I'm military all CLEP and DSST test are free of charge. Thats the only reason I was gonna go the DSST route on Statistics. I might even be able to use my military Tuition Assistance to pay for the enrollment fee, so I could really keep my overall cost down significantly if thats true about the tests being free for military.

Thanks again for your help. I really do appreciate it!

[sanantone]

As far as I know, the tests are free for military. In that case, I say take the test. If you happen to fail, there are other options.

[michaelfrye1970]

The DSST and CLEP are free to military for the first attempt, if you fail and have to take it again its on you. It used to be you could retake for no cost, so people would go in a take a bunch of tests just to see what they were like and retake the ones they thought were easier.
I would also recommend using the FEMA courses for the Free Electives since they are Free and fairly easy. But being military you will probably get a few Free Electives from your military transcript depending on what service you are in. I gained just about all of them through my military schools.

[sanantone]

It looks like the OP's free electives are filled up with the CC courses he already took.