Fast-Track Your TESU BS in Human Services, Criminal Justice Concentration With Transfers

Why TESU’s BS in Human Services, Criminal Justice Concentration is Perfect for Degree Hacking

This program is ideal for degree hacking because it combines flexible transfer rules with a fixed set of mandatory credits. By understanding these institutional requirements upfront, you can build a complete 120-credit map that eliminates wasted time and redundant coursework.

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Use TESU’s structure to your advantage:

Online Flexibility & Transfer-Friendly

• Start when you are ready: Most undergraduate programs use a 12-week calendar and allow you to start a new term each month. ‍
• Transfer strategically: TESU accepts a maximum of 90 undergraduate credits from noncollegiate sources (ACE/NCCRS and similar evaluated credit), so you want those credits to count wherever possible. ‍
• Keep a clean planning dashboard: TESU’s MyProgress degree planning tool shows how credits apply, which makes it easier to patch gaps without guessing.

Career & Human Services Preparation

Aim your concentration toward real-world roles:

• Build the helping-professions core, and plan credits around ethics, case management, community resources, and program support work common in human services settings.
• Add criminal justice relevance, and choose concentration courses that match the path you want, like victim services, juvenile justice, corrections, or courts.
• Keep expectations realistic, because some roles (especially clinical counseling and licensed social work) require graduate study or specific licensure paths.

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Why Most People Take 3-4 Years (And How to Do It in 6-12 Months)

Why Most People Take 3-4 Years:

Most students take longer because they treat the degree like a checklist they only complete after enrollment, one term at a time. They often pay university tuition for gen eds that can be earned elsewhere, and they do not plan around transfer limits or residency requirements until the very end.

Watch for the common time traps:

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• Starting without a credit map: Taking random courses first and hoping they will fit later. ‍
• Ignoring credit-source caps: Earning too many noncollegiate credits that end up stuck as excess electives. ‍
• Leaving upper-level needs too late: Scrambling to find 3000-4000 level credits that satisfy the concentration. ‍
• Not choosing a residency path early: Discovering late that you need additional TESU credits or a fee-based option.

Here’s What Degree Hackers Do That Others Don’t:

Degree hackers treat the bachelor’s like a project plan, not a four-year journey:

• Max transfers on purpose: They build around TESU’s degree buckets (Gen Ed, Core/Area of Study, Free Electives) so almost every transfer credit fills a requirement. ‍
• Use lower-cost credits for the easy buckets: They knock out gen eds and free electives through approved sources before you register for pricey university courses. ‍
• Protect the upper-level requirements: They reserve time to complete enough 3000-4000 level credits for the Criminal Justice concentration. ‍
• Finish with TESU-only pieces: They plan to complete the capstone at TESU, and keep any TESU-specific requirements for the last stretch.

Plan whether you will complete 15 TESU credits or use the Edison Accelerate option, so you do not accidentally add months at the end. If you do this well, the last phase of the degree becomes simple: finish the TESU courses you must take at TESU, apply for graduation, and move on.

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Strategy Guide: Tips on How to Hack TESU’s BS in Human Services,Criminal Justice Concentration

Degree hacking at TESU is about putting your transfer credits where they count most, then saving your TESU time for the pieces that are hardest to replace, like the capstone and any remaining upper-level Criminal Justice requirements. When you build a full 120-credit map up front, you avoid credits dropping into “extra electives,” stay within TESU’s transfer rules, and finish with a clean final term instead of scrambling at the end.

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TESU BS in Human Services, Criminal Justice Concentration Pre-Enrollment Hacks:

• Collect every transcript now - Request all college transcripts, military or training records, and exam score reports so your evaluation is complete the first time. ‍
• Max transfer-friendly credits first - Finish as much general education and free electives as possible through approved alternate credit and credit-by-exam before you pay for TESU courses. ‍
• Plan the concentration at the 3000–4000 level - Choose Criminal Justice courses that are clearly upper-level so you meet the 18-credit upper-level requirement without ending up with excess lower-level CJ. ‍
• Get your complete Degree Hacked plan - Receive a full 120-credit map, recommended course matches by requirement, cost and timeline range, and backups so one rejected credit does not slow you down.

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TESU BS in Human Services, Criminal Justice Concentration DegreeHacking Plan

BS in Human Services, Criminal Justice Concentration Transfer Credits:What Transfers and What Doesn’t

TESU is known for being transfer-friendly, especially for adult learners bringing in prior college credit. For most bachelor’s students, TESU allows you to apply a large amount of transfer credit toward the degree, including up to 90 credits from noncollegiate sources (like ACE/NCCRS), as long as the credits fit the degree requirements. The main “watch-outs” are that some requirements, especially the capstone, are typically TESU-only, and your Criminal Justice concentration still has upper-level (3000-4000) expectations that you must plan for.

To make the plan simple, start with a clean 120-credit map:

• ‍45 Credits: General Education (highly transferable, best place to use low-cost credits) 
• ‍48 Credits: Human Services Core + Criminal Justice Concentration (mix of transferable and TESU-only, includes upper-level concentration needs)‍
• 27 Credits: Free Electives (highly transferable, use this bucket to “catch” extra credits that do not fit elsewhere)

Important concentration rule: Protect your upper-level requirement. The Criminal Justice concentration requires 18 credits at the 3000-4000 level, even though some listed course options are lower-level. Plan your six concentration courses, so you do not come up short on upper-level credit.

BS in Human Services, Criminal Justice Concentration: Course TransferStrategy

Why Degree Hacking Works for BS in Human Services, Criminal Justice Students:

• ‍Cost efficiency: You can use lower-cost credits for gen eds and electives, then pay TESU tuition only for the courses that truly need to be TESU credits.‍
• Speed advantage: Monthly starts and a clear capstone finish line make it easier to compress your timeline once your transfer credits are in place.
• ‍Strategic focus: You spend your energy on upper-level Criminal Justice and the capstone, instead of repeating basics you already know.

Ready for Your Complete Plan?

Here is what your full degree-hacking plan includes:

✓ A full 120-credit map matched to TESU degree slots

✓ Provider and exam suggestions that fit each requirement category

✓ A cost and timeline range based on your transfer evaluation and your residency choice

✓ Backup options so one rejected course does not slow you down

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Applying to TESU for the BS in Human Services, Criminal Justice Concentration

When to Apply: Best Timing for Enrollment

TESU’s start dates give you a lot of flexibility, but the quickest finishes usually come from doing your planning first. Apply when you have most of your transfer credits completed or actively in progress and you already know how they should fit into TESU’s degree slots. That way, once you enroll, your TESU time is focused on the essentials, like the capstone and any remaining upper-level Criminal Justice requirements.

TESU Admissions and Transfer Logistics

• Expect a $50 application fee for most undergraduate applicants who apply online.
• Send all official transcripts and any evaluated credit documentation together whenever possible.
• TESU states your academic evaluation is completed within five business days after transcripts are received (after acceptance).
• Use TESU's MyProgress to confirm how credits apply before registering for your final courses.

TESU Tuition and Other Aid Information

• ‍Know the per-credit rate: Per-credit tuition is listed as $440 (NJ residents, includes Pennsylvania) and $573 (out-of-state) for non-military undergraduate students.‍
• Use flat-rate when it helps: Full-time flat-rate tuition is listed as $3,522 (NJ) and $4,561 (out-of-state) when taking 9 or more credits in a term.‍
• Decide on residency early: TESU lists a 15-credit residency requirement for many per-credit undergraduates, but you can instead pay the Edison Accelerate fee ($3,400), which is a university option that lets you meet the residency requirement without completing the full 15 TESU credits.‍
• Budget for graduation: TESU lists a graduation audit fee of $298, typically paid in the year you graduate.‍
• Financial aid may apply to eligible students, confirm your plan with TESU before registering

BS in Human Services, Criminal Justice Concentration Career ROI

• Median Annual Salary: $45,120 for Social and Human Service Assistants (human services support); $64,520 for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists (justice-adjacent)
• Longer-term Growth Path: Social and Community Service Managers have a median annual wage of $78,240, often requiring experience and sometimes graduate study.
• Big picture: Community and social service occupations overall show a median annual wage of $58,980, with many roles tied to local needs and funding.

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