Overview

The Integrated Studies major in the Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) is specifically designed for and limited to students who have earned an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.  Students who earn the A.A.S. have few options to advance their careers, change their careers, or build new skill sets.  The B.A.S. is designed specifically for the A.A.S. students who seek to advance their educational levels and their careers. 

The program recognizes that workplace problems are interdisciplinary in nature and require a broad range of knowledge and skills to solve these problems.  As such, the program promotes a broader study rather than having students pursue a traditional, major-driven 4-year degree.  Students will be required to complete at least two professional development pathways and at least 6 hours of field experience. 

• The program is built around existing courses which are organized to provide opportunities for students to develop integrated and multidisciplinary bodies of knowledge and relevant skill sets.
• Depending upon which professional development pathways and other courses students elect to take, the program could be completed on-campus, with hybrid courses, with hyflex courses, with online courses, or with any combination of the above.
• The program may be completed by full-time and part-time students, allowing students the opportunity to set their own pace.

Admission Requirements

1. Students must have an earned Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. This degree serves as a block transfer and fulfills the general education requirements of the B.A.S. degree.
2. Students may transfer up to 72 hours of coursework that was required for their A.A.S. degree program.
3. Students must maintain a 2.0 to remain in the program.
4. Students may need to fulfill additional requirements if required in specific courses or in their experiential placements (e.g., background check, TB test).

Graduation Requirements

1. The total credit hours required is 120 (minimum), which must include at least 30 hours of upper division coursework and at least 30 hours of coursework taken at Marshall University.
2. General Education: An earned Associate in Applied Sciences (A.A.S.) degree, from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, fulfills the general education requirements.
3. Professional Development Pathways: The B.A.S. degree is designed to allow students, who want to extend their education in personally meaningful ways, to capitalize on interdisciplinary and integrative learning through the pursuit of professional development pathways (e.g., minors, areas of emphasis, concentrations, or certificates). Students must complete at least 2 professional development pathways.
4. Experiential Placements:
   1. Students must complete at least 6 hours of field experience (e.g., sustained immersion over the course of a semester such as an internship or co-op placement), related to their professional development pathways.
   2. Students may need to fulfill additional requirements if required by their experiential placement (e.g., background check, TB test).
5. Students in the B.A.S. program will be eligible for graduation if they have:
   1. Completed 30 hours of upper division coursework.
   2. Completed 30 hours of coursework at Marshall University.
   3. Completed 2 professional development pathways.
   4. Completed 6 hours of field experience.
6. Completed a total of 120 hours (includes hours required for completion of the AAS degree).
7. A 2.0 grade point average.
8. Specializations/Areas of Emphasis: Students will complete two professional development pathways to support them in building knowledge and skills within the context of a field of study (e.g., aviation, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, health care, etc.). Each pathway (e.g., minors, areas of emphasis, concentrations, certificates, etc.) represents a specialization.

The flexible nature of the B.A.S. degree program allows us to provide individualized academic maps to the B.A.S. students. Below are examples of some of the combinations students might choose.

As an example, students graduating from the cooperative program between MountWest Community College and Marshall University’s Aviation Maintenance program will have been awarded an A.A.S. degree. Those students who want to further their education could then seek admission for a bachelor’s degree. If the students are interested in building aviation maintenance businesses they might decide, based on their own needs, to select the following professional development pathways: Business Communications and Accounting. Different students might select a different combination of professional development pathways. 

Four Skill Sets are listed for each of the development pathways described below:

1. Innovation
2. Leadership
3. Economic Development
4. Community Development

The flexible nature of the B.A.S. program allows us to provide individualized academic maps to the B.A.S. students. Students will meet with their assigned academic advisors to create a plan that best meets their needs.