Program type:

Major
Format:

On Campus
Online
Hybrid
Est. time to complete:

2-4 years
Credit Hours:

120
Leverage your experiences and forge your pathway to career success with our multidisciplinary degree in Applied Arts and Sciences.
This multidisciplinary degree program is specifically designed for nontraditional students who wish to earn a bachelor's degree. This unique program accepts credits earned from military training, from an Associate of Applied Science degree, and from other universities and trade schools. It may also facilitate graduation for students who are returning to college after spending time in the workplace.

Why earn a degree in Applied Arts and Sciences?

An estimated 35% of jobs in the U.S. require at least a bachelor’s degree, yet 36 million Americans have attended some college, but never completed their degree. The B.A.A.S. is an attainable and affordable option for transfer students from community colleges and technical institutions, veterans or active-duty military personnel, and other non-traditional students with college credit to complete their bachelor’s degree.

This degree program was designed with flexibility in mind, offering the option to complete courses in person at UNT locations in Frisco and Denton, online, or as a mixture of in-person and online classes.

Additionally, UNT has partnered with Coursera to bring the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (B.A.A.S.) undergraduate degree completion program fully online. The program courses are taught by UNT faculty and delivered on Coursera’s globally recognized and highly accessible online platform.

The B.A.A.S. will prepare graduates to tackle new challenges as leaders in business, non-profit organizations, and community engagement. In this rigorous, multidisciplinary degree, students choose 2-3 disciplines to spotlight within their degree plan. Common concentrations include:

  • Administration
  • Real Estate
  • Consumer Behavior
  • Data Analytics
  • Hospitality
  • Media Innovation
  • Business Leadership
  • Social Wellness and Community

Graduates of the Applied Arts and Sciences program use their degrees to break through promotional barriers in existing jobs or to change careers altogether. Alumni of the program have pursued careers in a variety of areas including business, industry, and public service. Academic Advisors assist students with developing a degree plan that addresses their career objectives.

 

Marketable Skills
  1. Team leadership
  2. How to articulate multiple points of views
  3. Problem-solving with alternative solutions
  4. Ways to ask and answer meaningful questions
  5. Effective oral and written communication

Applied Arts and Sciences Degree Highlights

UNT pairs each applicant with an advisor to create a customized degree plan focusing on the “missing pieces” required to complete the degree.
Up to 90 hours of the 120 hours required for the BAAS degree may be transferred from other approved institutions.
UNT has been named one of America’s 100 Best College Buys® for 24 consecutive years.
UNT’s Career Center can provide advice about future employment opportunities in a particular area and what help with job and internship placements.
Flexible evening, weekend, and online courses make it easy for you to earn a BAAS degree while balancing full-time or part-time work and your personal life.

What can you do with a Bachelor's of Applied Arts and Sciences?

Career opportunities for BAAS students vary as much as their paths to earning the degree. Some students complete the degree for career advancement, while others want to change career paths altogether or attend graduate school. Whatever the motivation, BAAS students graduate with an array of skills that equip them to compete in today’s ever-changing workplace.

BAAS graduates are found in a variety of career fields. Many work in business, state and local government, nonprofit agencies or a wide range of fields directly associated with the specialization they pursued at a community or technical college or while in the military.

 

Applied Arts and Sciences Degree Courses You Could Take

Fundamentals of Inquiry and Discovery (3 hrs)
Focuses on how to evaluate information and apply some of the methods commonly used by social scientists from a variety of disciplines to answer questions about social life. Topics include measuring concepts, determining the most appropriate method of data collection, constructing a survey instrument, selecting a sample, conducting basic data analysis, presenting findings and addressing the ethical and political issues associated with formal research.
Managing a 21st Century Career (3 hrs)
In this capstone experience, students will integrate knowledge gained through their core courses, technical backgrounds, and advanced focus areas as they develop a plan for engaging as professionals in a rapidly changing world. They will work with challenging social and business issues, applying decision-making strategies as they develop effective recommendations for action. Students will explore personal branding as they develop their professional identity.
Occupational Specialization (21 hrs)
The occupational specialization often consists of field-specific coursework completed for an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree at a community college, and active-duty military or veterans may receive credit for technical or other formal training courses as well. Students that haven't completed an occupational specialization may create one by selecting a primary area of study with their advisor.
Professional Development Concentration Courses (36 hrs)
Consists of two or three separate concentrations, each of which will consist of a minimum of 12 credit hours that serve to enhance the skills a student has acquired through prior education or are complementary to the student’s career plans.
Pathways to Civic Engagement (3 hrs):
Promotes understanding of self in relation to theory and practice of civic engagement. Topics include the history of civic engagement and civil society, earning and spending social capital, voluntary sector engagement, trends in civic engagement in the U.S., and social issues.

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