2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

Bachelor of Applied Science

The curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Applied Science degree provides for the transfer of:

  • Vocational or technical coursework taken as part of a one- or two-year technical certificate
  • Associate of Applied Science or an eligible vocational or technical focused Associate of Science degree program from a regionally-accredited college
  • 24 hours or more of U.S. Military Joint Services Transcript credit

The curriculum is designed to provide the additional education necessary for students with vocational or technical non-transferable certificate/degrees to earn a bachelor's degree.

Bachelor of Applied Science Eligibility Requirements:

Only students who have earned approved vocational or technical certificates or degrees, or military credit are eligible for admission into the Bachelor of Applied Science program.  Eligible students will have completed:

  • A one-year technical certificate from a community/junior college
  • A two-year technical certificate from a community/junior college
  • An Associate of Applied Science degree
  • An Associate of Science degree (eligible technical or vocational programs only)
  • Military/Joint Services Transcript credit - 24 to 59 hours
  • Military/Joint Services Transcript credit - 60 or more hours

Bachelor of Applied Science Degree Requirements

The completion of the Bachelor of Applied Science degree requires:

  • A minimum of 24 semesters hours in courses numbered above 300
  • A minimum of 30 semester hours completed in residence, with the last 10 hours of academic work completed at Northwest
  • A minimum total of 120 earned academic hours
  • A minimum overall and Northwest grade point average of 2.0

Option 1

A program of study for candidates who have completed a one-year certificate program or 24 to 59 hours of Military/JST credit will be developed with the following framework:
Northwest Core Requirements

33

Institutional Requirements

3

Northwest Emphasis

39

Transferred credit and/or Directed Northwest Electives

45

Total Credit Hours:120

Option 2

A program of study for candidates who have completed a two-year certificate program, Associate of Applied Science degree, eligible vocational or technical Associate of Science degree or 60 or more hours of Military /JST credit will be developed with the following framework:
Northwest Core Requirements

33

Institutional Requirements

3

Northwest Emphasis

24

Transferred credit and/or Directed Northwest Electives

60

Total Credit Hours:120

 

Northwest Core and Institutional Requirements:

Candidates for the Bachelor of Applied Science degree have more flexibility and fewer Core requirements than traditional Bachelor's Degree candidates.  Students complete 33 hours of Northwest Core classes and 3 hours from the Institutional Requirements, which must include:

Courses

ENGL 10111Composition I: Academic Literacies

3

COM 29102Fundamentals of Oral Communication *

3

HIST 33155The United States to 1877 *

3

POLS 34102Introduction to American Government and Politics *

3

Digital Literacy (choose 1 course)

3

Some emphasis areas require additional prescribed core coursework specific to the discipline.  After satisfying the required Northwest Core coursework and Institutional requirements listed above (15 hours) and any prescribed core coursework specific to the emphasis area, the student will complete additional Northwest Core courses to total the required 36 hours of Northwest Core and Institutional Requirements.

Note: ENGL 10110 Introduction to College Writing is the recommended prerequisite for students who do not meet placement criteria for ENGL 10111.

Bachelor of Applied Science Emphasis:

Students eligible for the Bachelor of Applied Science degree choose an emphasis area for their coursework at Northwest.  As stated above, a student's emphasis will be 24 or 39 Northwest hours, determined by the student's transfer credit and/or degree prior to attending Northwest.  The emphasis area is typically chosen from majors offered at Northwest, but students may also work with an advisor to develop an interdisciplinary emphasis area to meet their specific needs and interests.  Each department will have specific coursework requirements related to the chosen emphasis area, some of which may require prerequisites.  Coursework requirements for a specific emphasis may be obtained from the B.A.S. Advisors listed below.

This B.A.S. degree has online-only options available for Public Relations, Cyber Assurance, Emergency and Disaster Management, Information Technology: Cybersecurity, Information Technology: Data Analytics, Information Technology: General, and Psychology.

Directed Electives:

Bachelor of Applied Science students will choose general electives to reach the required 120 total hours from those courses outlined by the emphasis department.

B.A.S. Advisors:

Agriculture—­Rod Barr

Applied Computing—­Diana Linville

Child and Family Studies—­Lauren Leach-Steffens

Public Relations—Matt Walker

Computer Business Applications—­Cari Cline

Cyber Assurance—­Zhengrui Qin

Emergency and Disaster Management—TBD

Food Services—­Kelli Wilmes

General Studies—­Dawn Gilley

Geographical Information Systems—­Ming-Chih Hung

Geography—­Brett Chloupek

Information Technology: Cybersecurity—­Matthew Schieber

Information Technology: Data Analytics—­Matthew Schieber

Information Technology: General—­Matthew Schieber

Marketing/Management—­Ben Blackford

Psychology—­Terry Long

The advisors listed above are from popular B.A.S. emphasis areas, however, emphasis areas are not limited to those listed.  For additional information and questions, students may contact a transfer advisor in the Student Success Center.