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TESC & BA in English question
#1
I hope someone can break this down for me because trying to get a coherent answer from someone at TESC is almost impossible (at least today it was).

How is it that most of you can test out of everything except 1 or 2 classes, when the requirements state that you need 18 credit hours of level 300/400 courses in your field of study (for me it's English). Are there CLEPs or DSSTs that I'm missing or aren't there any for English majors? It just seems like that when I look at my transcripts & see this:

"D: English Electives > Complete 21 semester hours of English/Literature/Advanced > Writing courses as electives. At least 15SH must be at the 300/400 level to satisfy the requirement of 18SH of 300/400 level coursework in the Area of Study. LIB-495 (Liberal > Arts Capstone) can satisfy 3SH of this requirement."

and then honestly there are ONLY 6 upper level classes (that's include the capstone). Three of those classes have final papers in the 18-20 page range. I'm actually starting to hyperventilate at the thought of having to do two of those at the same time, plus work 40hrs & take care of my family. On top of all that, in order to keep my financial aid I have to take 2 classes a semester. I just don't know if I can handle it.

If there is anyone else who has gotten a BA in English from TESC who can shed some light on what else I can do to fulfill those requirements, I'd reallyyyyyyyyy appreciate it.

Amy
#2
The simple answer is this: If you aren't doing a business degree or a liberal studies degree then it is very difficult to formulate a degree based primarily on testing. If that is what you want to do then you should consider switching majors and doing a liberal studies or humanities major which would allow for more flexibility. I'm working on a Communication major and while there are courses to test out of, they aren't upper level. You may find some options but not from CLEP/DSST/TECEP (other than LL courses).

You can utilize testing to get as many as 75 credits for that degree (all of the general ed areas and 15 credits of LL area of study). The rest may need to be done traditionally, online, or through other programs like a PLA course. What is left for your area of study? Are you just missing upper level courses? Of courses offered at TESC you have these choices, I may be missing something too but these appear to be the choices (you have to look under English and Literature categories):

-One Writer's Vision: Jane Austen (ENG-393)
-Advanced American Literature I (LIT-301)
-Advanced American Literature II (LIT-302)
-African Encounters (LIT-331)
-Non-Western Literature (LIT-460)
-PLA Courses - If you have documented writing experience then check out http://www2.tesc.edu/plasearch.php and search for ENG or LIT)
-The capstone you mentioned

That gives you the 15 credits you need (and the capstone to make it 18) and some flexibility through the PLA courses. Other course options may be available at other schools and you can transfer them in (speak to an adviser). I would recommend you make an appointment with an adviser and plan out the rest of your degree. If you schedule an appointment then they seem to be more friendly to spending the time needed to talk to you (since you get 30 minutes).

At some point you're probably going to get stuck with a long paper (especially on an English Major).

Good Luck,
Alex

af2012 Wrote:I hope someone can break this down for me because trying to get a coherent answer from someone at TESC is almost impossible (at least today it was).

How is it that most of you can test out of everything except 1 or 2 classes, when the requirements state that you need 18 credit hours of level 300/400 courses in your field of study (for me it's English). Are there CLEPs or DSSTs that I'm missing or aren't there any for English majors? It just seems like that when I look at my transcripts & see this:

"D: English Electives > Complete 21 semester hours of English/Literature/Advanced > Writing courses as electives. At least 15SH must be at the 300/400 level to satisfy the requirement of 18SH of 300/400 level coursework in the Area of Study. LIB-495 (Liberal > Arts Capstone) can satisfy 3SH of this requirement."

and then honestly there are ONLY 6 upper level classes (that's include the capstone). Three of those classes have final papers in the 18-20 page range. I'm actually starting to hyperventilate at the thought of having to do two of those at the same time, plus work 40hrs & take care of my family. On top of all that, in order to keep my financial aid I have to take 2 classes a semester. I just don't know if I can handle it.

If there is anyone else who has gotten a BA in English from TESC who can shed some light on what else I can do to fulfill those requirements, I'd reallyyyyyyyyy appreciate it.

Amy
My completed "non-traditional" credits include 27 credits from CLEP, 30 credits from DSST, 6 credits from ALEKS, 19 credits from FEMA courses including PDS, 3 credits from NFA courses, 10 credits from ACE Workplace Training, 3 credits from a TESC TECEP exam, and 3 credits from a TESC PLA course.
#3
Also be sure to check if Ohio U has any credit-by-exam options for your major.

Other majors, like History and Psychology, have a lot of exam credits through CLEP, DSST, and ECE, too.
AS in 2010 and BS in 2013 at Excelsior College - Transcripts and Costs
MS Biostatistics in 2019 at Texas A&M University - Graduate School

Sharing Credit-by-Exam*
Resources Used - 20+ Exams Passed & General GRE
Practice Tests - Available for CLEP and DSST

* Link posted with permission from forum admin; thank you!
#4
I haven't gotten a BA in English from TESC, but NAP's suggestion is dead on- Ohio U has a number of credit-by-exam options (including several on Shakespeare's works) which are more challenging than CLEPs but are probably easier than writing an 18-20 page paper. For the Non-Western Literature requirement, take a look at the University of Western Washington's Chinese or Japanese Literature courses.

IIRC, Ohio U has exams for UL American and British Literature as well.

Ohio U is moving from the quarter to the semester system for the Fall semester.
#5
Thanks Yenisei & NAP, I will definitely look at Ohio U. Unfortunately I had to sign up for 2 classes for June, I'll just suck it up & get it done for June but if I can take a few classes there & have them transferred in for the rest, then that'll definitely help.

I had another thought that I want to float by you. I was thinking that maybe the upper level Journalism (News Writing JOU-352) class might suffice for my English requirements but I'd have to take the lower level Intro News Writing first, however on the school's website for the upper class it says "Incoming students are expected to be familiar with the reporting terminology and procedures covered in an introductory journalism course such as JOU-110 Introduction to News Reporting." I'm thinking I might just find out what book they use for the Intro course & use that to fill in the gaps in knowledge for the upper level class.

Amy
#6
af2012 Wrote:Thanks Yenisei & NAP, I will definitely look at Ohio U. Unfortunately I had to sign up for 2 classes for June, I'll just suck it up & get it done for June but if I can take a few classes there & have them transferred in for the rest, then that'll definitely help.

I had another thought that I want to float by you. I was thinking that maybe the upper level Journalism (News Writing JOU-352) class might suffice for my English requirements but I'd have to take the lower level Intro News Writing first, however on the school's website for the upper class it says "Incoming students are expected to be familiar with the reporting terminology and procedures covered in an introductory journalism course such as JOU-110 Introduction to News Reporting." I'm thinking I might just find out what book they use for the Intro course & use that to fill in the gaps in knowledge for the upper level class.

Amy

If you are able to use that course (check with an adviser) then here's the best part of Intro to News Reporting. It's also a TECEP exam, so they have a study guide on what to know and suggested materials to take the course (it gives a few different books in the study guide):
Thomas Edison State College: Course Offerings
My completed "non-traditional" credits include 27 credits from CLEP, 30 credits from DSST, 6 credits from ALEKS, 19 credits from FEMA courses including PDS, 3 credits from NFA courses, 10 credits from ACE Workplace Training, 3 credits from a TESC TECEP exam, and 3 credits from a TESC PLA course.


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