Seeking input on my BSBA degree plan

[SDO]

Hi everybody. I found out about testing out a few months ago and have since been reading and researching this forum. I think I have a workable degree plan, but would love any and all input on t it and on anything else you think may be helpful to me. My goal is complete my BSBA degree requirements by the end of December 2012, and pick up the AAS in Environmental, Safety, and Security Technologies along the way. I work full-time and also have a 2 hour each way commute. Fortunately, an hour of that commute is by train and I can study on the train. Here's my plan.

BSBA General Management Degree Plan

I. General Education Requirements - 60 credits

A. English Composition - 6 credits
College Composition - CLEP (6)

B. Humanities - 12 credits
Business Communications - Straighterline (3)
Spanish - CLEP (9) [partial credit]

C. Social Sciences - 12 credits
Principals of Macroeconomics – Straighterline (3)
Principals of Microeconomics – Straighterline (3)
American Government - CLEP (3) or Living in the Information Age – TESC class (3) for GPA
Fundamentals of Counseling - DSST (3) (have it transcribed as PSY-331)

D. Natural Sciences & Mathematics - 9 credits
Trigonometry - ALEKS (3)
Statistics - ALEKS (3)
Race to Save the Planet - DSST (3)

E. General Education Electives - 21 credits
Here’s to Your Health - DSST (3)
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature - CLEP (6)
Spanish - CLEP (3) [partial credit]
Technical Writing - DSST (3)
Ethics in America - DSST (3)
Personal Finance - DSST (3)

II. Professional Business Requirements - 54 credits

A. Business Core - 27 credits
Financial Accounting – Straighterline Accounting I (3)
Managerial Accounting - Straighterline Accounting II (3)
Introductory Business Law - CLEP (3)
Introduction to Computing - DSST (3)
Principles of Finance - DSST (3)
Principles of Management - CLEP (3)
Principles of Marketing - CLEP (3)
Business Ethics in Society - DSST (3)
Business Policy - TECEP (3) or Strategic Management – TECEP (3)

B. Area of Study: General Management - 18 credits
Money & Banking - DSST (3)
Management Information Systems - DSST (3)
Organizational Theory - TECEP (3)
Advertising - TECEP (3)
Organizational Behavior - DSST (3)
Human Resources Management - DSST (3)

C. Business Electives - 9 credits
Business Law II - DSST (3)
Principles of Supervision - DSST (3)
Introduction to Business - DSST (3)

III. Free Electives - 6 credits
Fundamentals of Emergency Management FEMA (1)
Leadership and Influence FEMA (1)
Decision Making and Problem Solving FEMA (1)
Developing and Managing Volunteers FEMA (1)
Effective Communication FEMA (1)
Emergency Planning FEMA (1)

I have chosen Straighterline for Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Accounting I and II because I am half scared of teaching myself those subjects; it seems like SL may be easier. If anyone has reasons why the CLEPs would be better and/or easier, please let me know.

I just want to make sure I start on the right path because, with the help of God, I AM DOING THIS. FINALLY! Any and all encouragement is welcome -- both now, and in the future. As someone in another thread said, PLEASE PUSH ME!

Thank you in advance for all your help. You all are awesome people and I will be forever grateful.

SDO

[cooperalex2004]

-Here's to your health is not a General Ed Elective. It falls into "human services" which for your degree is simply a free elective. See the list of General Ed Elective Subject Areas on Page 12 of the Degree Planning Guide: http://www.tesc.edu/documents/Degree_Pla..._12.09.pdf and then check out the list of CLEP/DSST credits on TESC's site or in their catalog on page 193 & 194. In either case be sure to take courses shown as Humanities, Nat Sci/Math, Soc Sci, or another area listed on the degree planning PDF.

-Personal Finance is also not a General Ed Elective. See the list on TESC's site or the catalog for more. TESC, unlike my community college calls the course too remedial and classifies it as BUE-101. BUE is not a General Ed Category and unless others have had a different experience, TESC wouldn't take my Personal Finance credit (a CC course) for a Gen Ed Elective.

-Your statement about the subjects of Macro, Micro, and Acct makes sense to me. Get going on your testing and you might reconsider, but SL seems to work for a lot of people too.

-Glad to see FEMA credits on someone's list. A great idea.

As with the other person who posted about this degree yesterday, you've got a great start and you are on the right path. Congrats on deciding to work on a degree. Knock out a few exams as soon as you feel comfortable and that will give you the confidence to push yourself forward. If you are good with computers, I'd start with the DSST Intro to Computing which most find an easy test. Otherwise pick and area you are good at and go for it, I'm assuming you know Spanish since you put that down, that would also be a good test to start with if you are already a speaker of the language.

Good Luck.

[bricabrac]

SDO,

Just a few added comments:

• You might consider taking advantage of additional aleks credit and substitute here's to your health & personal finance with aleks intermediate algebra and college algebra for general education credit.
  
• Business policy and strategic management are the same exam; TESC recently changed the course title.
  
• Organizational theory is not availabe by TECEP only GS or OL. If looking for an alternate TECEP exam you might consider either sales management or marketing communications, both have received good feedback.
  

The rest of your plan looks great. Good luck!

[SDO]

cooperalex2004,

Luckily for me, I had a back-up list of exams to choose from in case any of my degree plan needed correction. The list included the following DSSTs: Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Business Mathematics, and Principles of Public Speaking and 1 TECEP -- Marriage and Family. It looks like Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement are also “human services,” which means they are out. Business Math counts as “business,” not “math,” so that is out. Principles of Public Speaking is “communication” and Marriage and Family is “social science,” so I can use those. Thank you cooperalex2004 for your help. You frequently help others with their plans. It’s greatly appreciated.

[SDO]

SDO,

Just a few added comments:

• You might consider taking advantage of additional aleks credit and substitute here's to your health & personal finance with aleks intermediate algebra and college algebra for general education credit.
  
• Business policy and strategic management are the same exam; TESC recently changed the course title.
  
• Organizational theory is not availabe by TECEP only GS or OL. If looking for an alternate TECEP exam you might consider either sales management or marketing communications, both have received good feedback.
  

The rest of your plan looks great. Good luck!

Bricabrac, thank you so much for your input. Good catch with regard to Organizational Theory! I guess I was looking at an outdated page on the TESC website but on further research, you are right! Much appreciated! I have amended my degree plan, taking into account the feedback I have received from you and cooperalex2004, and here it is...

BSBA General Management Degree Plan

I. General Education Requirements - 60 credits

A. English Composition - 6 credits
College Composition - CLEP (6)

B. Humanities - 12 credits
Business Communications - Straighterline (3)
Spanish - CLEP (9) [partial credit]

C. Social Sciences - 12 credits
Principals of Macroeconomics – Straighterline (3)
Principals of Microeconomics – Straighterline (3)
American Government - CLEP (3) or Living in the Information Age – TESC class (3) for GPA
Fundamentals of Counseling - DSST (3) (have it transcribed as PSY-331)

D. Natural Sciences & Mathematics - 9 credits
Trigonometry - ALEKS (3)
Statistics - ALEKS (3)
Race to Save the Planet - DSST (3)

E. General Education Electives - 21 credits
Intermediate Algebra - ALEKS (3)
Analyzing and Interpreting Literature - CLEP (6)
Spanish - CLEP (3) [partial credit]
Technical Writing - DSST (3)
Ethics in America - DSST (3)
College Algebra - ALEKS (3)

II. Professional Business Requirements - 54 credits

A. Business Core - 27 credits
Financial Accounting – Straighterline Accounting I (3)
Managerial Accounting - Straighterline Accounting II (3)
Introductory Business Law - CLEP (3)
Introduction to Computing - DSST (3)
Principles of Finance - DSST (3)
Principles of Management - CLEP (3)
Principles of Marketing - CLEP (3)
Business Ethics in Society - DSST (3)
Strategic Management – TECEP (3)

B. Area of Study: General Management - 18 credits
Money & Banking - DSST (3)
Management Information Systems - DSST (3)
Marketing Communications - TECEP (3)
Advertising - TECEP (3)
Organizational Behavior - DSST (3)
Human Resources Management - DSST (3)

C. Business Electives - 9 credits
Business Law II - DSST (3)
Principles of Supervision - DSST (3)
Introduction to Business - DSST (3)

III. Free Electives - 6 credits
Fundamentals of Emergency Management FEMA (1)
Leadership and Influence FEMA (1)
Decision Making and Problem Solving FEMA (1)
Developing and Managing Volunteers FEMA (1)
Effective Communication FEMA (1)
Emergency Planning FEMA (1)

[bricabrac]

SDO,

Your final plan looks great! Just a quick fyi, although not listed as such, criminal justice (AOJ102) does fall under social science/general ed categories. Not sure about law enforcement (AOJ101) for a business degree. They would not let me use it for my social science or business degree but that was calendar yr 2009-2010; things may have changed.

[SDO]

SDO,

Your final plan looks great! Just a quick fyi, although not listed as such, criminal justice (AOJ102) does fall under social science/general ed categories.

Bricabrac,

I was wondering why it wasn't a social science. It's good to know that it is, in case I have to modify my degree plan later.

I have a question for you about stats with ALEKS. I noticed on your degree plan you took Business Stats and Intro to Stats. There also is Stats for Behavioral Sciences. Do you have a recommendation for which one to take to fill the Stats requirement for the BSBA? Also has the question ever been answered about whether TESC will still grant credit for both Business Stats and Intro to Stats?

And my last question: After I finish my BSBA in General Management, I want to get a second bachelors -- either a learner- designed conflict resolution degree or a BSBA Real Estate. Is there a particular order in which I should take the classes to minimize the additional credits needed? I see that you got 4 degrees, so I think you may be the perfect person to ask. Thanks.

[AlbaTiVo]

This thread should answer your question about stats.

[SDO]

This thread should answer your question about stats.

Thanks AlbaTiVo. That was helpful, especially Cookederosa's post (#4). I read some more recent threads though that said TESC is no longer giving business majors credit for both Business Stats and one of the other 2 stats courses (Intro or Behavioral). That's why I asked. Also, I'd like input from someone about which of the stats courses is better and why. Thanks again for your help. Your constructive input was greatly appreciated.

[LaterBloomer]

You'll be killing two birds with one post if you respond to SDO's question about which course is better, and why. That, I think, will be the biggest road bump between now and graduating in June.