The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree completion program was designed specifically for nontraditional transfer students looking to finish their baccalaureate degree in an academic environment that recognizes the importance of obtaining highly desired 21st century workforce skills as well as the demands required of working professionals. The flexible degree plan utilizes transfer credit from community colleges and other universities to provide a more efficient route to completing a bachelor’s degree that builds on completed courses. This unique program also allows students to apply college-level learning acquired through work experience to their degree plan through a process called Prior Learning Assessment.
Acceptance to UT Tyler does not equate to admission into the BAAS degree program. Students must have a minimum of 60 applicable college credit hours acquired and must submit a supplemental essay outlining why the BAAS program is the appropriate choice for his/her academic and professional goals.
Ordinarily, a student currently enrolled in another program at UT Tyler may not change his/her major to the BAAS. However, a recommendation to pursue the BAAS by a student’s home college may be made on behalf of the student. Academic Affairs will review these recommendations and grant approval as appropriate.
Degree Requirements
Core Curriculum
Forty-two (42) semester credit hours of University Core Curriculum requirements. (See the Core Curriculum requirements section of this catalog.)
BAAS Electives
Students may transfer up to 45 credit hours to satisfy this degree requirement. For those students with less than 45 transferrable elective hours, upper division electives, chosen with advisor guidance, take online or face to face courses at UT Tyler to fulfill this degree requirement.
Professional Core
A collection of courses based on 21st century job skills that seek to develop students into desirable candidates for a wide variety of high-demand careers. This curriculum was designed to refine sought after soft skills that today’s employers have found increasingly important. Students will take the following required 18 credit hours to fulfill this Professional Core requirement.
Thematic Concentrations
Students have the opportunity to tailor their degree to their specific academic and professional goals by completing a 15 credit hour concentration of their choosing.
Business Occupations
The Business Occupations thematic concentration, offered by the Soules College of Business, is designed to provide general business knowledge for individuals interested in business careers. This thematic concentration can be used by anyone holding an AAS degree in business or related area.
General Studies
The General Studies thematic concentration, offered by the College of Arts and Sciences, is well-suited for students interested in obtaining knowledge across a variety of different disciplines. It is required that students work with an advisor to ensure that course selection is intentional, focused, and based on a common theme.
Healthcare Management
The Healthcare Management thematic concentration, offered by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is designed to provide knowledge important for individuals interested in a career in healthcare management. This thematic concentration can be used by anyone holding an AAS degree in a health-related or business area.
Health Studies
The Health Studies thematic concentration, offered by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, is designed to provide certified occupational therapy assistants (COTA) with necessary prerequisite courses for entry into Master of Occupational Therapy programs. This thematic concentration can be used by anyone holding an AAS degree in a health-related area to complete the BAAS degree in preparation for graduate professional programs.
Human Behavior
The Human Behavior thematic concentration, offered by the College of Education and Psychology, is designed to provide students with insights into human behavior.
Prior Learning Assessment
Upper-division credit not to exceed 3 hours may be granted to individuals submitting evidence of relevant work experience in an area of technical expertise or for an approved internship. Evidence of this experience must be submitted to BAAS student’s advisor within six months of initial enrollment and requires a cover letter and resume.
Additional Degree Requirements
- Students must complete a minimum of 120 semester credit hours, of which 33 must be upper division. The 33 upper division hours requirement is an exception to item 3 of the General Degree Requirements policy, and applies only to the BAAS program; any BAAS students who change majors to another program must follow the standard minimum requirement detailed in that policy.
- Students may not earn more than 30 hours of academic credit from the Soules College of Business.
- Students must earn a C or better in all Professional Core courses.
- Students must maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to be eligible for graduation.