Graduates attending Thomas Edison State College's 42nd Annual Commencement used many course completion options to earn their degrees. Find out how you can take advantage of our Open Course Option in earning yours.  (Photo: T. Kevin Birch Photography)

Find out more about taking Saylor's Open Courses

The Open Course Option for the ASBA program, is a new degree pathway that allows students to complete the Associate in Science in Business Administration degree by taking free, open online courses from the Saylor Foundation that are aligned with the College's prior learning assessment program.

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Even though Rodney Morris McCoy is part of a seismic shift in higher education, he is not feeling the strain.

The Associate in Science in Business Administration (ASBA) program student is finding that degree completion is more accessible and affordable than he anticipated.

"Using the Open Course Option prepared me to take one of the College's TECEP® exams and earn credit toward my degree," said McCoy. "The content in the exam matched the material I had already studied in the free, open online course I took through Saylor Academy."

Even as an out-of-state student, it cost McCoy less than $120 to earn three credits using the option.

He is among the first wave of Thomas Edison State College students to complete course requirements through TESC's collaboration with Saylor Academy. Through the agreement, the College has become the first senior public institution of higher education in New Jersey to partner with a major provider of free, open online courses.

Completing Saylor's Computer Communication and Networks (CS-402) open course prepared McCoy for TESC's Network Technology (CMP-354) TECEP® exam. What's more, he has the option to tackle most of the remaining credits toward his ASBA degree program through the same pathway.

Saylor's open online courses are entirely self-directed and students are free to take as little or as long as they need to complete the courses. The open course components do not count toward a final grade. Rather, it is through graded assessments – among them, the College’s TECEP® exams, portfolio assessment options or other exam options like CLEP®, DSST or Saylor's own NCCRS reviewed exams – that students can officially earn course credits for what they have learned.

The flexibility was an advantage for McCoy who found that setting a date for his exam in advance helped him to establish a timeframe for course completion.

"The Saylor Open Course was laid out in units. Some of the units featured online videos, Khan Academy tutorials, lecture documents and various websites for reference," he said. "The end of each unit featured a practice test, and the last unit had a final practice test that helped me prepare for the College’s TECEP® exam."

The structure appeals to the School of Business and Management student who is accustomed to seeking efficiencies in operation.

A part-time supervisor for UPS, McCoy is enrolled in his company's Corporate Choice® agreement with the College. The program enables him and fellow employees to take advantage of flexible degree opportunities while UPS reaps positive outcomes in its staff development, recruitment and retention efforts.

"I already transferred 35 credits from community college into my degree program at TESC and I am taking advantage of UPS' education assistance program and free, open online courses to achieve my goal of earning my bachelor's degree," he said. McCoy plans on tackling a statistics course next. "Like most people, my schedule is filled with multiple responsibilities from work and family. Just finding time to study can be a challenge in itself. I enjoyed the freedom that the Open Course Option gave me in completing the course."

As a student, McCoy describes himself as a reasonably good test taker and finds that working independently suits him best. However, he stresses that capping off an open online course with a single high-stakes exam may not be for everyone. "This method of course completion may not be for someone who needs interaction and multiple opportunities to maintain their grades," he said.

Want to learn more about our Open Course Option? Click here to see how open online courses and credit by exam can work for you.

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