Possible to test out of a TESC cert in Public Administration?

[dcan]

Is it possible to 100% test out of the following credits?

Thomas Edison State College | Undergraduate Certificate in Public Administration

Code:

[u]Required courses[/u]
Budgeting or Financial Management (3)
Public Administration (3)
Students select 12 credits from the following:

    Business In Society (3)      
       (Bus Ethics & Society DSST already in my plan)
    Principles of Management (3)  
       (DSST already in my plan)
    Public Administration II (3)
    Public Personnel Management (3)
    Public Policy (3)

Total     18 credits

I'm going for a BSBA CIS. I have all of the CIS and free electives filled and plan to test out of almost all of the remaining, with just 6 TESC courses. If possible I'd like to pick this cert up on the way and replace some of my free electives, and if it comes down to taking an extra course I may be open to it.

Alternately, are there any other TESC certs that would easily be picked up on the way to a BSBA CIS?

Thanks!

[cbosdell]

I'm pretty positive the answer is no. I was going to go for a BSBA in Public Administration but as far as I can tell none of the courses in the Public Administration concentration are testable, nor are they offered as online courses by TESC.

If I am wrong about this I would love to find out.

[dcan]

Three distance learning possibilities I've found. None verified with TESC.

• Advanced Start Bachelor of Science in Public Administration And Policy | Kaplan University (click on Major at the bottom)
  
• Bachelor's in Public Administration - Degree In Public Administration (click Overview tab)
  
• Ashford University Online – Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration Course Descriptions
  

Capella seems the closest match to the four remaining.

I'm not enrolled with TESC yet so I don't know that they would actually talk to me about this, but I'll shoot them a question and report back.

[dcan]

Just to add, I coincidentally just ran across this at COSC. Looks like they actually offer the degree, so maybe take the courses at COSC and transfer to TESC?

Public Administration Concentration (Major) at Charter Oak State College

This is getting to be too much work... banghead I'm hoping for a test-out or fairly simple distance learning course option, at own pace, with or without proctored exams.

I won't hear back from TESC until at least Monday.

[dcan]

Well it took a couple of weeks, but I got the below response from TESC this evening:

Certain degrees will be hybrid meaning that one would have to either transfer in courses or test out.

You will be able to see if those courses will work once you have applied and enrolled. An advisor will need to approve these. They can also provide you will locations that would work.

I hope this helps.

Looks like it's time for me to enroll. I need to sign up for a July class anyway. Since at least one other person is interested in this as well I'll try to post back here what I find out as I go.

[sanantone]

Why not just take the courses at TESC? Wouldn't it be cheaper? Are you trying to avoid TESC courses, specifically?

[dcan]

I'm already going to spend 18+ months in classes through them, and during that time I will take 10+ CLEP/DSST tests and also ALEKS through trig or pre-cal, so I'd like to keep it in that 18 month window. I want to run through the BSBA and then finish an MS or MBA within 2 years after that. But I'm interested in the courses and it could really help me in my career. I'd just like to get them through at-own-pace DL courses or something similar if possible. Adding five more courses would add 60 weeks. At that point maybe I should look at a traditional "name brand" school.

The cert isn't worth switching schools, but if I can pull it off in my program it would be a great bonus.

[sanantone]

Okay. You're looking to take independent study courses while taking TESC courses. Have you taken a look at any of the schools that offer independent study courses like University of Alaska and LSU? You can Google "independent study courses" and a bunch of colleges will pop up. Ohio University also has credit-by-exam if TESC will accept that. I don't know if any of these options offer courses in public administration subjects.