Need help deciding (TESC or COSC) - counseling/addiction studies/psych, etc

[CM1999]

Hi

I have spent a couple weeks reading and reading and reading and have decided to apply at either TESC or COSC. I am hoping someone can help steer me in the right direction. I only have the money to apply and have transcripts sent to ONE of them right now and I dont understand either of them well enough to know which would be better.
I am wondering about the Individualized Studies or Learner Designed degrees.....I'm *thinking* that my credits might fit best into one of those because I dont know that they would tie very directly to something like Psychology or Human Services (but those would be OK too)

Once I have my bachelors I am planning to enroll in an Addiction Studies grad school program and eventually be a licensed therapist. --I am currently a Chemical Dependency Professional (trainee, working on a million required hours!) I found a workable grad school program in addiction studies and one of their advisors told me to look into The Big 3 to see if I can complete the bachelors degree faster than what I'm doing now (psychology at Patten University, 26 classes left to take).

Does anyone have a sense of which one would be more likely to allow me to use the most of my already-earned credits and 'create' a program of study that is specific to Counseling and Addiction Studies....or Human Services and Addiction?


Here is what I have:
Patten University (semester credits)

PSS 100 3cr Academic Strategies (basically a study skills class)
CIS101 3cr Computer Literacy
ENG101B 3cr Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing
ART220 3cr Introduction to Film
LDR364 3 cr Organizational Behavior
BIO151 3cr Intro to Biology (in process)


Community College: -quarter credit system
(SHS=Social and Human Services, ACD=Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Counseling)

SHS117 2cr Crisis Intervention
SHS115 4cr Interpersonal/Groupwork
SHS170 1cr HIV/AIDS for Healthcare providers
SHS100 1cr Orientation in Human Services (pass grade only)
SHS107 2cr Time and Stress Management
SHS121 3cr Case Management and Community Resources
SHS116 3cr Coginitive Behavioral Therapies
SHS210 2cr Prepracticum Seminar (pass grade only)
SHS260 2cr Managing Difficult Behaviors
SHS103 5cr Intro to Human Services
SHS114 5cr Interviewing and Counseling
SHS218 5cr Management of Adult Mental Illness
SHS211 4cr Field Practicum
ACD140 5cr Survey of Alcohol and Chemical Dependency
ACD251 3cr Youth Assessment and Treatment
ACD245 3cr Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Counseling


Community College (20 years ago) -quarter credit system --not sure if this is too old to transfer?
ENGL131 3cr Intro to Short Fiction

[sanantone]

Your addictions credits will probably count as psychology, human services, and/or social science credits. At TESC (don't know about COSC), some of those might even work toward a criminal justice degree, but that is less test-friendly. It would make sense to get one of those degrees instead of designing a degree when you don't have to. You don't want to give HR another reason to be confused just in case you look for employment before completing graduate school or change your mind about attending. Substance abuse, addictions, and chemical dependency counseling are not common 4-year degrees, so don't worry about earning one.

Other than your organizational behavior course, you have no upper level credits. I don't know how test-friendly COSC's psychology concentration is, but it requires a lot more upper level credits than TESC's. Even if you take the GRE Subject Test, you will only get 3 upper level credits at COSC. The rest will be lower level credits, and you don't need any more of those.

Note: I'm a registered licensed chemical dependency counselor intern and plan to test in a year or two.