Degree Description and Purpose

The Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) is a Bachelor's degree completion program for students who have graduated with Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree who now wish to earn a bachelor's degree to advance their careers. Traditionally AAS degrees have been classified as non-transferable to B.S. or B.A. degrees, and individuals wishing to attain a baccalaureate degree often lost most of their credits. The BAS degree provides a pathway for these individuals to attain a bachelor's degree in two years (56-60 credit hours) and is designed to articulate seamlessly, in a 2+2 model, with a variety of AAS degrees from Ivy Tech Community College, Jefferson Community and Technical Colleges, and Vincennes University.

The BAS is a nationally-recognized degree which is available in many states. Some public institutions which offer this degree include the University of Minnesota, Arizona State University, Missouri State University, and the University of Texas- San Antonio.

The BAS degree can be oriented toward several specific career fields, such as hospital administration, general supervision or entry-level management, and some human resources functions. Because of this degree's flexibility, it tracks into approximately 34 occupations that can be grouped into three occupational clusters:a specialty business cluster, a supervisory cluster, and a management cluster.

This degree is not intended to prepare students for graduate study. The purpose of this degree is to enable AAS degree-holders to earn a bachelor's degree, in a reasonable amount of time that builds on their technical background and provides the knowledge and skills needed to advance in their careers.

Degree Requirements

Students receiving the BAS must complete 120 total credit hours including: 

• Associate of Science degree with integrated General Education core (60-64 cr. transferred)
• BAS Core (18 cr.) 
• Choose one track from four offered (12-18 cr.)
• Electives to reach 120 (20-24 cr.)

• A minimum of 30 credit hours at the 300- or 400-level
• Courses required for the major must be completed with a grade of C or higher
• Courses are 3 credit hours unless otherwise noted
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required

 BAS Core (18 cr.)

Students complete 1 course (3 cr.) from each of six Core Learning Outcomes (CLO) areas.

• BUS-A 200 Foundations of Accounting 
• BUS-A 201 Introduction to Financial Accounting 
• BUS-A 202 Introduction to Managerial Accounting 

Complete one of the following Economics courses (CLO2): ECON-E 101 Survey of Economics Issues & Problems (or analogous course)

• ECON-E 103 Intro to Microeconomics
• ECON-E 104 Intro to Macroeconomics
• BUS-G 300 Intro to Managerial Economics and Strat.
• POLS-Y 403 Economics and Public Management

Complete one of the following Legal, Ethical, Social or International issues courses (CLO3)

• BUS- J 404 Business and Society 
• BUS-D 301 The International Business Environment 
• POLS-Y 379 Ethics and Public Policy 
• PHIL-P 306 Business Ethics 
• PHIL-P 393 Biomedical Ethics
• HIST-B 391 Themes in World History 
• HIST-G 369 Modern Japan 
• HIST-G 387 Modern China 
• HIST-G 410 China, Japan, & US in 20th and 21st Century 

Complete one of the following Supervision courses (CLO4)

• BUS-Z 300 Organizational Behavior and Leadership 
• BUS-Z 301 Organizational Behavior and Leadership 
• BUS-Z 302 Managing and Behavior in Organizations
• BUS-Z 440 Personnnel-Human Management 
• BUS-W 301 Management and Organization Theory 
• POLS-Y 358 Human Behavior & Public Organizations
• POLS-Y 387 Public Personnel Management 

Complete one of the following Marketing Courses (CLO5) 

• BUS-M 300 Introduction to Marketing (or any other 300/400 level approved course)
• BUS-M 301 Introduction to Marketing Management 

Complete on of the following courses in Communication (CLO6) 

• SPCH-C 427 Cross-Cultural Communication
• SPCH-S 427 Cross-Cultural Communication 
• SPCH-S 380 Organizational Communication

Select One Specialization Track 

Tracks Offered

• Health Care Management
• Individualized
• Informatics
• Sustainability

Health Care Management (12 cr.) 

The Health Care Management track is designed to appeal to individuals who hold an AAS degree in one of the many health care fields such as Medical Assisting, Health Care Support, Paramedic Science, and Medical Laboratory Technology. 

In this track, students take courses that meet three of the first four learning outcomes (3 courses/9 credit hours), plus the capstone course for a total of 4 courses/12 credit hours. The capstone course meets all five learning outcomes in this track. Students may use any of the listed courses to satisfy the capstone requirement.

1. Compare and contrast the U.S. health-care system, including reimbursement, with other systems around the world. Complete on of the following courses: 

• PAHM-H 320 Health Systems Administration
• SPEA-H 320 Health Systems Administration
• SPEA-V 450 Medical Ethics
• AHLT-H 415 Global Child and Adolescent Health
• BUS-H 320 Systems of Health Care Delivery
• BUS-A 202 Intro to Managerial Accounting

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical, legal, financial, and political factors that influence the provision of health services in the U.S. Complete one of the following courses: 

• SPEA-H 452 Health Disparities
• PAHM-H 441 Legal Aspects of Health Care
• SPEA-H 441 Legal Aspects of Health Care
• AHLT-W 314 Ethics for Health Professionals
• PAHM-H 474 Health Administration and Policy
• BUS-H 411 Management of Long-Term Care Facilities
• BUS-H 402 Hospital Organization and Management
• BUS-H 352 Health Care Financial Management

3. Evaluate access to and cost of US health care, including reimbursement practices, for different types of care. Complete one of the following courses: 

• HPER-H 315 Consumer Health
• PAHM-H 354 Economics of Health Care
• BUS-H 354 Economics of Health Care
• PAHM-H 352 Health Finance and Budgeting
• BUS-D 300 International Business Administration

4. Effectively assess and implement improvements in clinical care, customer service, and human resource planning in a health care setting. Complete one of the following courses: 

• SPEA-H 322 Principles of Epidemiology
• AHLT-B 371 HR Management in Health Care Facilities
• SPEA-H 371 HR Management in Health Care Facilities
• SPEA-H 402 Hospital Administration
• AHLT-M 366 Leadership for Health Professionals
• PAHM-H 401 Strategic Planning for Health Care Organizations
• BUS-W 301 Principles of Management
• BUS-Z 440 Personnel - Human Resources Management

5. Capstone:Integrate knowledge and skills and apply to health management issues or challenges. Complete one of the following courses: 

• AHLT-B 499 Health Management Capstone
• SPEA-H 474 Health Capstone
• BUS-M 301 Introduction to Marketing Management

Individualized Track (12 cr.)

This a highly flexible track is designed to meet the needs of many different AAS degree holders. For example, students with an AAS in Criminal Justice who want to advance their careers in that area may design a track to include upper-division courses in Criminal Justice, Public Affairs, or (if he or she works with youth offenders and their families) Sociology and Psychology. Students holding AAS degrees in Design Technology may seek to change careers by choosing courses in web development and graphic design. And students with an AAS in Advanced Manufacturing whose goals include becoming a supervisor or manager might choose courses emphasizing human resource development, communication, and other management skills.

In this track, students select 12 credit hours of course work based on their individual interests, backgrounds, and needs. One of these courses will be a required capstone course. The learning outcomes for this track are as follows:

• Demonstrate the ability to think critically in the fields studied.
• Effectively present central ideas, issues, and methods of inquiry specific to the fields studied.
• Apply knowledge and skills from general education, the BAS core, and the Individualized Track to issues or challenges in their area of technical expertise.
  
  

Informatics Track (18 Online cr. ) 

The informatics track appeals to students who hold an Associate of Applied Science in Computing or in Information Technology, and would like to prepare for a career in informatics, computing, software and interface design, and other areas of computer-based problem-solving and administration,

Complete the six courses listed below: 

• INFO-C100 Informatics Foundations
• INFO-C112 Tools of Informatics: Programming and Databases
• INFO-C210 Problem Solving and Programming I
• INFO-C211 Problem Solving and Programming II
• INFO-C300 Human Computer Interaction
• INFO-C413 Web Design and Development

Sustainabilty Track (12 Cr.) 

The interdisciplinary Sustainability track provides students with a broad introduction to the complex system-scale challenges of sustainability, as well as the tools needed to address problems that transcend solely social or environmental domains. Sustainability attracts students from a variety of backgrounds and interests, whotypically have share some of these qualities:

• Interest in human-environment interaction, sustainable food systems, and environmental ethics.
• Interest in careers in environmenmental planning and coordination, environmental education and communications, sustainability coordination and consulting in private or public sector, green design, environmental law or public affairs--or graduate study in any of these areas.
• Interests that draw from arts and humanities, social sciences, and physical and life sciences.
• Interest and desire to help make the world a better place.

The Sustainability Studies faculty strongly recommend that studentes take SUST-S 201, Foundations of Sustainability (online) before they begin this track.

Students take three courses from Category 1, with at least one course from "A. Sciences" and one from "B. Social sciences, Humanities, and Other" designations; and one course from Category 2.

Category 1: Sustainability Courses (9 cr) 

A. Sciences (at least 3 cr. from this list) 

• AHLT-H 331 Environmental Health (online)
• GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation (online)
• GEOG-G 338 Geographic Information Systems (online)
• GEOG-G 400 Energy: Sources and Needs (online)
• GEOG-G 476 Climate Change Science (online)
• PLSC-B 364 Summer Flowering Plants (online)
• SUST-S 360 Topics in Sustainability Studies: Geographic Information Systmes (GIS) (online)
• SUST-S 400 Energy: Sources and Needs (online)
• CHEM-C 390 Special Topics: Environmental Science (hybrid accelerated)
• GEOL-G 300 Environmental and Urban Geology (hybrid accelerated)
• GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation (hybrid accelerated)
• BIOL-B 355 Plant Diversity
• BIOL-N 390 The Natural World, VT: Environmental Biology
• CHEM-C 300 Energy and Green Chemistry
• CHEM-C 303 Environmental Chemistry
• GEOL-N 390 The Natural World VT: Natural Hazards and Disasters
• GEOL-T 326 Mineral Resources

 B. Social Sciences, Humanities, and Other (at least 3 cr. from this list) 

• AHLT-N 378 Global Nutrition
• BUS-B 399 Business and Society (online)
• FINA-A 399 Art, Aesthetics, and Creativity, VT: The Modern City
• GEOG-G 306 Geography of Current Issues on the African Continent (online)
• GEOG-G 388 Geographic Information Systems (online)
• PHIL-P 306 Business Ethics (online)
• PHIL-P 383 Topics in Philosophy, VT: Philosophical Topics in Evolution
• PHIL-T 390 Literary and Intellectural Traditions, VT Environmental Philosophy (hybrid)
• POLS-Y 308 Urban Politics (online)
• POLS-Y 313 Environmental Policy
• POLS-Y 346 Politics of the Developing World (online)
• POLS-Y 377 Globalization (online)
• SOC-B 399 Human Behavior and Social Institutions VT: Sustainable Communities
• SOC-S 305 Population and Human Ecology
• SOC-S 308 Global Society (online)
• SOC-S 360 Topics in Social Policy (variable topic)
• SOC-S 385 Human Trafficking, Human Rights and Sustainability
• SOC-S 419 Social Movements and Collective Action
• SUST-S 360 Topics in Sustainability Studies: The Art of Sustainability
• SUST-S 361 Sustainability Abroad
• SUST-B 399 Human Behavior and Social Institutions VT: Just Food: Sustainable Food Systems (online)
• SUST-S 411 Sustainability, Innovation, and Entrepreneurs
• SUST-S 460 Strategies for Transformative Leadership and Community Engagement
• WGS-T 390 Literary and Intellectual Traditions, VT: Women and Sustainability

Cateogory 2: Capstone Experience (3 cr.) 

• SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies, Topic:Environmental Planning for a Green Economy (online)
• SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies, Topic:Sustainability Management and Policy (online) 3 C
• SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies, Topic: Environmental Crimes
• SUST-S 490 Sustainability Practicum (online)
• SUST-S 491 Internship in Sustainability (online)
• SUST-S 495 Directed Readings in Sustainability (online)
• SUST-S 496 Research in Sustainability (online)
• GEOL-G 420 Regional Geology Field Trip Topics: Geological field trips in the U. S.