i just got back my assment and it looks like i need 20 college credits to finish up in a associates in applied science Mechanics and Maintenance. has any one been through thomas edison, excelsior or penn foster? im looking to get a degree in mechanical engineering so i dont know if applied science is the best route or what .. im gonna end up calling the school this week to talk to a counsler.
It depends on what you plan to get that degree for.
Often I would ask students to work backwards from the goal and see what "fits" to get them there. If an applied science degree from Thomas Edison is something a future graduate school or employer would accept then, yes, that would be a good choice.
The world of employment and higher education is fussy, sometimes, about where and how you completed a degree program. My experience with Thomas Edison has been good; the people I advised had good relations with them. The few times I called them, they were very helpful.
I finished my B.S. with TESC back in 98. I retired in 2004 and was instantly hired by a major defense contractor partly because of my TESC degree. I cannot speak to the other two schools you mentioned but my experience with TESC has been outstanding.
I have a BS in Business Administration, major in procurement, from TESC under the Military Degree Completion Program. They were great, they accept transfer credits (to the extent they apply to your degree plan) from any accredited college (there is a limit how many credit they will take from two-year colleges, I think 60), from ACE evaluated courses, they give you a whole bunch of credits for your military evaluation, and I also got a lot of credits from DAU (Defense Acquisition University; not a real university) courses that were recommended for credit without having to go through ACE.
I found online courses to be harder than classroom courses, but a lot more convenient.
It only took me thirty years to complete my degree - first course in 1977 and last course in 2007. I wish I knew how important a degree is when I was on active duty.
uhhh....huh huh, he said "assment" huh huh. Sorry bad Beavis and Butthead impression. Anywho, I've been working on completing an Associates as well and it is my understanding that most Associates in "Applied Sciences" usually are'nt transferable to a bachelors. Atleast this is my impression that I've gotten from some school administrators I have spoken too. Don't take my word to heart, do your own due diligence, this is just my "impression" of an Applied Science degree so far.
Edit for: I have about 10 percent confidence in the above statement, just thought it would benefit you to ask the above question if you intend to complete the bachelors.
The above poster is correct. Applied Science degrees are generally considered terminal. As are Occupational Education and Technology degrees.
If the AAS degree has an immediate benefit then I would say go for it. But if you don't plan on using it for employment while going to school, then it may not be the best course of action.
I have always advised people to look at the requirements for the highest degree they want to obtain or need for employment first. You want to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Look at the general education and core degree requirements for the degree at the university you plan on attending. One of the things you will probably see is a minimum of calculus and physics are required. If you don't have those courses then you need to look at the prerequisites for them.
Going backward like that, you will get to the level you are now. This gives you the starting point. Start taking classes in order to meet the requirement for the next level.
A word of caution though, make sure you pay attention to the maximum number of transfer credits allowed and in what areas. Some schools allow you to transfer in all credits except the minimum number required for residency. Others allow much fewer.
Also be careful thinking you can use CLEP and DANTES test credits to meet the requirements. As much as I support the testing program, some schools have severe limits on the number of credits they will accept from them. There are also some that will only except Math and/or English CLEP test credits if the tests were taken on their campus.
Most important of all, do speak to a counselor at the university.
I had a great experience with Excelsior for both my AS and BS, and had no problem getting accepted to an MS program at a state university.
The problem you may run into is transferring credits from the AAS to a four year program, especially at state schools. I had the same difficulties transferring credits from an in-state community college to an in-state university that had a continuation agreement in place. If you stick with TESC, Excelsior, etc. from Associates to Bachelors, you shouldn't have a problem.
As one of the other posters mentioned, I too found online courses to be more labor intensive in comparison to traditional face-to-face classes. Good luck with your educational pursuits.
Just completed my Associate in Applied Science in Technical Studies with Excelsior College. I started working on it back in 2003, yes I know better late than never; but enjoyed working with the college, really helpful folks. I'm planning on staying with them and taking more classes, maybe get my BA just before I die.
