Professional Studies, Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS)

Program Overview

This flexible Bachelor of Applied Science program allows adult learners to complete their degree by selecting "STACKS" of courses that focus on specific workforce skills. Students must complete core courses and choose from various STACKS to fulfill the 120 credits required for graduation. The program emphasizes professional skills, communication abilities, and internships to prepare students for success in their careers.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This Bachelor of Applied Science is a flexible degree completion program aimed at adult learners who have already accumulated some college credit or possess applicable experience that can be converted into college credit. It is structured in "STACKS" of 12 credits each, with each STACK focusing on a specific workforce skill, encompassing both universal and subject-specific abilities. Many STACKS are interdisciplinary, like the Critical Reasoning STACK, which draws courses from three departments in two colleges, each presenting its own disciplinary perspective on the skill. Each STACK is also recognized as an institutional certificate. Students must complete core courses such as Technical Writing, Interviewing, Community Experience, and Capstone, then select any number of STACKS that align with their individual goals to fulfill the 120 credits required for graduation.

Outline:

Program Curriculum:

• 120 Credits
• Utah Tech General Education Requirements: All Utah Tech General Education requirements must be met.
A prior degree may satisfy these requirements, but courses must be equivalent to Utah Tech's minimum standards in American Institutions, English, and Mathematics.
• General Education Core Requirements:
• English: 3-7 hours
• Mathematics: 3-5 hours
• American Institutions: 3-6 hours
• Life Sciences: 3-10 hours
• Physical Sciences: 3-5 hours
• Fine Arts: 3 hours
• Literature/Humanities: 3 hours
• Social & Behavioral Sciences: 3 hours
• Exploration: 3-5 hours
• Professional Studies Requirements: 60 credits
• Required courses for all pathways:
• ENGL 2100 Technical Writing (ALCS): 3 hours
• COMM 3350 Professional Relationship Development: 3 hours
• PRS 4890 Community Experience/Internship: 3 hours
• PRS 4700 Senior Capstone: 3 hours
• Choose from 4 stacks:
• Ethical Judgment
(Choose 4 of the following):
• BIOL 3100 Bioethics: 3 hours
• COMM 3510 Ethics in Communication: 3 hours
• MGMT 3100 Business Ethics and Professional Writing: 3 hours
• PHIL 1120 Social Ethics (HU, GC): 3 hours
• PHIL 3900 Topics in Philosophy: 3 hours
• Leadership
(Choose 4 of the following):
• COMM 4050 Leadership and High Performance Teams: 3 hours
• HIST 4370 History of Social Movements in Modern America: 3 hours
• MDIA 2300 Introduction to Public Relations: 3 hours
• MGMT 3400 Management & Organizations: 3 hours
• RSM 2430: 3 hours
• Professional and Career Communication
(Choose 4 of the following):
• ART 3610 3D Graphics: 3 hours
• COMM 1020 Public Speaking: 3 hours
• COMM 3010 Nonverbal Communication: 3 hours
• ENGL 3180 Writing for Interactive Media: 3 hours
• MDIA 3530 Photojournalism: 3 hours or MDIA 3480 Social Media Production: 3 hours
• Community and Social Change
(Choose 4 of the following):
• COMM 3130 Rhetoric and Public Communication: 3 hours
• ENGL 3130 Grant and Proposal Writing (ALCS): 3 hours
• POLS 3320 Introduction to Public Policy and Analysis: 3 hours
• RSM 3120 Sport and Society: 3 hours
• SOC 3010 Stratification and Inequality: 3 hours
• Critical Reasoning
(Choose 4 of the following):
• COMM 3460 Critical and Rhetorical Analysis: 3 hours
• DES 2100 Design Thinking: 3 hours
• PHIL 1250 Reasoning and Rational Decision-Making (HU, GC): 3 hours
• PHIL 3300 Symbolic Logic: The Study of Formal Reasoning: 3 hours
• POLS 3320 Introduction to Public Policy and Analysis: 3 hours
• Diversity
(Choose 4 of the following):
• ENGL 3220 Multicultural Literature in the United States: 3 hours
• HIST 4370 History of Social Movements in Modern America: 3 hours
• HUM 1040 Non-Western Humanities through the Arts (HU, GC): 3 hours
• MDIA 3410 Gender, Race and Class in Media: 3 hours
• PHIL 2600 World Religions (HU, GC): 3 hours
• SOC 3010 Stratification and Inequality: 3 hours
• Global Perspective
(Choose 4 of the following):
• COMM 3190 Intercultural Communication (SS, GC): 3 hours
• ENGL 2270 Introduction to Early World Literature (HU, GC): 3 hours or ENGL 2280 Introduction to Modern World Literature (HU, GC): 3 hours
• GLS 1010 Introduction to Global Studies: 3 hours
• HIST 3460 Comparative Asian History: 3 hours
• HUM 3100 Area Studies in Humanities: [Area]: 3 hours
• SOC 3435 Globalization: 3 hours
• Visual Culture and Society
(Choose 4 of the following):
• ARTH 3700 History/Theory of Photography: 3 hours or ARTH 3090 Twentieth Century Art: 3 hours
• HUM 3000 Period Studies in Humanities: [Time Period]: 3 hours or HUM 3100 Area Studies in Humanities: [Area]: 3 hours
• HUM 3500 Topics in Humanities: [Topic]: 3 hours
• PHIL 3100 Aesthetics: Art and the Beautiful: 3 hours
• THEA 1023 Understanding Film (HU, GC): 3 hours

Graduation Requirements:

• Minimum 120 college-level credits (1000 and above)
• At least 40 upper-division credits (3000 and above)
• Completion of Utah Tech General Education requirements
• Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

Graduation Plan:

A sample graduation plan is provided, but students should work with an advisor to tailor a plan based on their chosen STACKS.

Other:

The program emphasizes the development of professional skills and communication abilities, with courses addressing communication in multiple modalities, professional relationship building, community experience, and capstone projects. The program also emphasizes the importance of internships to apply skills in real-world settings.