Totally BUMMED OUT about Nat. Sci/Math degree at TESC

[ryoder]

Yenisei is right. Please post your degree eval for the NS concentration so we can see what you are working with. There are requirements for 33 credits, and I think only 9 of them can come from previous courses. Those will be upper level of course.

[Lindagerr]

What you posted of your plan before said you only needed 13 New upper level science credits so with the 6 from GEC you should only need 7 more. Are they changing the rules again? If they do not have to be upper level I agree the Environment & humanity is a simple exam after taking the GEC class.

[bogey72]

================================================================================
BA Nat Sci/Math 2010 (33 Sh)
Semester Hours Completed: 25.00
GPA Achieved/Needed: 4.000 / 2.000
Complete both subrequirements:
A: Concentration (27) (In Progress)
> Complete 27 credits in the Natural Sciences. At least THREE
> different subjects must be included for breadth of
> knowledge. A student must earn at least 12 semester hours
> in ONE subject. A maximum of 18 semester hours can be
> earned in any ONE subject area in order to have a balanced
> interdisciplinary concentration. A maximum of TWO college
> level courses equating to the 100 level can be applied
> toward the area of concentration. A deeper knowledge of
> subjects is provided by requiring that a minimum of 18
> semester hours be at the 300 and/or 400 level. **It is
> highly recommended that course LIB-495 be completed to
> satisfy 3 semester hours of this requirement.**
Semester Hours Completed: 17.00 Required: 27 Remaining: 10
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
4.. BI411L Invert Systematics & Morp 1.00 A BIO-499 *NEW *TE
4.. BI411 Invert Systematics & Morp 3.00 A BIO-321 *NEW *TE
4.. BI303 General Ecology.......... 3.00 A BIO-371 *NEW *TE
4.. BI303L General Ecology Lab...... 1.00 A BIO-399 *NEW *TE
2.. MTH265 Elem Statistics.......... 3.00 A STA-201 *CC *NEW *TE
3.. ENS-314 Global Environmental Cha. (6.00) --- ENS-314 *PL *NEW *TE
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 3 credits
_____________________________________________________________________ 1 credits

B: Concentration (6) (Completed)
> Complete 6 semester hours of Natural Sciences coursework at
> any college level.
!! Exception
Ok to use 8 s.h.

Semester Hours Completed: 8.00
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
2.. BIO103 Prin Biology I........... 4.00 A BIO-113 *CC *NEW *TE
2.. BIO104 Prin Biology II.......... 4.00 A BIO-112 *CC *NEW *TE
================================================================================
BA Free Electives (27 SH)
> Complete 27 semester hours of Free Electives.
!! Exception
2 s.h. Credit overage in Concentration group 2.
Overage in GEN ED electives


Student: Dr. Jonathan S. Hatley Staff: datatel Date: 02/10/12 Page: 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Semester Hours Completed: 27.31
Src Course # Title S.H. Grd TESC # Notes
2.. CHM233 Org Chemistry II Lab..... 3.33 A CHE-341 *CC *TE
2.. CHM234 Org Chemistry II Lab..... 3.33 A CHE-342 *CC *TE
5.. PUBH3203 Emergency Diag & Toxic Sc 3.33 A HEA-194 *TE
5.. DIAG3106 Lab Diagnosis............ 4.00 A BIO-399 *TE
5.. MICR2202 Pathogenic Microbiology.. 3.33 A BIO-351 *TE
6.. PHY203 Gen Physics.............. 3.33 B PHY-115 *CC *TE
5.. PHYS1202 Neuromuscular Physiology. 3.33 B BIO-417 *TE
5.. CHEM1203 Biochemistry II.......... 3.33 B BCH-412 *TE
====================================================================================================================


What my adviser is saying is that I already have 16 new Bio credits (8 hour 100 level and 8 hour upper level) and I can only have a maximum of 18 which doesn't leave room for another BIO transfer. I was blindsided by this and was trying to figure things out on the fly while talking to her. It seemed like she had her mind made up and that I needed 10 more credits (in addition to the 6hr ENS-314 course) and that none of the 10 could be BIO courses. I specifically asked her about the two upper level Biochemistry courses because it looks to me that the CHEM1203 Biochem II course above was credited as BCH412. She said that she thought that was still a bio course and I asked her why it had a different prefix. She didn't really have an answer other than "she would check with someone else." If the Biochems could be added and counted as a chemistry, that would knock out 6 hours of upper level credit. I also have an organic chem II sitting up there that was transcribed as CHE-341. Again, she said she would have to check on that.

I've obviously been racking my brain trying to come up with the best way to handle this. Yenisei gave me an idea with his reply. Those two new 100 level bio classes could be replaced by two lower level exams, maybe geology and environment&humanity or chemistry or whatever. Anything that would qualify as 6 new LL credits in anything other than bio. I could then take the MIS DSST to take care of 3 of the 10 hours. Then my old chiro school UL Bio credits could be added to finish my requirements. I have also ran scenarios where I replaced 4 hours of LL BIO credit with the 3 hr geology exam. I'll have to look it over some more today at work.

If anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears. Thanks for the help so far, I really appreciate it.

[bogey72]

OK, I've calmed down and I've really looked hard at the requirements for this degree. It's complicated b/c there are several minimums and maximums that apply as well as the fact that I have to have 24 new credits with 18 of those being new upper level.

I need to have my ducks in a row when I talk to my advisor again. BTW, are they more helpful when you enroll. I mean she is trying hard but she kind of has her mind made up about the way she WANTS me to go. However, it is my money and my degree. As long as I meet the requirements, I would like my opinions to be heard.

The things I really need to know right now from TESC are:

1.) Are my 6.66 hours of UL Biochem 1 and 2 classified as a BIO or a CHEMISTRY? On my eval Biochem II is listed as BCH-412. I think that gives me a fighting chance that it won't put me over the limit on BIO credits.

2.) I have 6.7 hours of Organic chem from a CC. But in my eval it looks like it transferred as CHE-34?. I have noticed that another poster had their CC organic chems counted as CHE-341 and CHE-342 but she did state that her CC had a weird 5 digit numbering system.

If I had the answers to those questions, I think I could come up with a solid plan.

PS After looking at all the requirements, I'm fairly certain I'm going to at least need the DTTS Management Info. Systems for 3 hrs of UL credit. It also may be best for me to drop 1 or both 100 level BIOs and replace them with 2 lower level 3 hour exams like Geology/Astronomy/Environment and Humanity/etc.

[ryoder]

I would stop wondering and just ask her to put the DSST Environment and Humanities and the MIS DSST on your plan. Go ahead and enroll. Let them get paid for their help. That is as long as you are committed to this degree. In the worst case scenario, you take a TECEP or an online course or PLA.
It would not hurt you to take a few CLEP or DSST courses so I would start studying right now.

[bogey72]

You're probably right Ryoder and I have already started studying for the MIS DSST exam. It's all new stuff to me but I'm going to try to schedule it and take it in the first week of March. I think the DSST Geology and/or DSST Environment and Humanities could be passed with 2 weeks maximum of study effort. Then I'll enroll and take the ENS-314 course. I would still like to have an answer on my Biochemistry I&II classes and my Organic chem I&II questions from the advisor before I enroll.

I'll email her and just ask for clarification on those 4 classes and then I'll start knocking out some tests.

I've been looking over the free-clep-prep DSST MIS material and it looks fairly comprehensive. I've also heard that IC is a very good tool for this test. I'm going to hit it HARD next week with the MIS material and take it as soon as I'm scoring in the 70s on the Peterson tests.

I appreciate all of you helping me out and being patient with me. I just want to do this right.

Thanks everyone.

[cookderosa]

I would still like to have an answer on my Biochemistry I&II .

Biochemistry is chemistry. A lot of schools consider it a duplication of orgo 2. If it was taught through a biology department they're going to classify it as bio because it makes it a trade type class ( in the way that intro to biology isn't "biology" for science majors or pharm for nurses is not pharm.). If it was taught through a chem department, just inform your advisor. The prefix should be those from the chem department. *unless your school was awesome, in which case they had an entire biochem department, and in that case you'll get to educate your advisor lol.

[bogey72]

Biochemistry is chemistry. A lot of schools consider it a duplication of orgo 2. If it was taught through a biology department they're going to classify it as bio because it makes it a trade type class ( in the way that intro to biology isn't "biology" for science majors or pharm for nurses is not pharm.). If it was taught through a chem department, just inform your advisor. The prefix should be those from the chem department. *unless your school was awesome, in which case they had an entire biochem department, and in that case you'll get to educate your advisor lol.

In my case, I'm not sure. I do know that at my most recent B&M school, Biochems were listed as BIO courses. At chiro school they had CHEM prefixes.

At any rate, I suppose Ryoder is right, it won't hurt me to take another test or two (or three)

I'll update when I know more. Now to really start studying for the DSST MIS exam!

[alleycat]

My daughter is a Bio/Chem major and many of her courses are listed as BCHM. She is in the Biochemistry, Molecular Cellular Biology Program.

[cookderosa]

My daughter is a Bio/Chem major and many of her courses are listed as BCHM. She is in the Biochemistry, Molecular Cellular Biology Program.

Cuz your daughter's school is awesome and has a biochem department I'll bet. (So proud of her btw, she's going to do awesome in pharm)