The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences is a degree completion program designed specifically for nontraditional students seeking to finish their baccalaureate degree in an academic environment that recognizes the importance of obtaining highly desired 21st century workforce skills as well as focusing their studies in a specific content area. This flexible degree plan utilizes credits from community colleges and universities to provide a more efficient route to completing a baccalaureate degree with minimal loss of academic credit. This unique degree program also allows students the opportunity to present a portfolio of prior learning experiences in consideration for academic credit from a thematic concentration course and earn an external microcredential.
All students who meet transfer student admission requirements (30 credits and a GPA of 2.0) are eligible to select the BAAS as their major. Current UT Tyler students enrolled in another major may only transfer to the BAAS with the recommendation of their advisor. As the BAAS degree is a degree completion program, students already holding a bachelor’s degree may not pursue this major.
Starting in Fall 2025, UT Tyler BAAS students can seek to transfer up to 87 credits into the BAAS degree. UT Tyler evaluates the following experiences and credits to determine if they are eligible to be applied to the BAAS degree plan. Students MUST take a minimum of 33 upper-division credits at UT Tyler to earn their degree. Experiences or credits eligible for application to the BAAS degree include:
BAAS majors interested in these options for credits should consult their BAAS advisor.
Degree Requirements
Section I: Core Curriculum
Forty-two (42) semester credit hours of University Core Curriculum requirements. (See the Core Curriculum requirements section of this catalog.)
Section II: 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 in-person courses at UT Tyler to fulfill this degree requirement. BAAS students may also elect to earn a minor. However, none of the BAAS courses in the Professional Core or Specialization area may count toward the minor. Students seeking to earn additional UT Tyler certificates may use courses from the BAAS Professional Core or Specialization area.
Section III: Professional Core
The professional core is comprised of courses based on highly sought after marketable and transferable skills to develop students into desirable candidates for a wide variety of high-demand careers. This curriculum was designed to refine sought after transferable skills that today’s employers find important. Students take the following required 18 credit hours to fulfill this Professional Core requirement.
Section IV: Specializations
Students tailor their degree to their specific academic and professional goals by completing a required 15-credit hour concentration of their choosing.
Business Occupations
The Business Occupations specialization, offered by the Soules College of Business, is designed to provide general business knowledge for individuals interested in business careers. This specialization can be used by anyone holding an AAS degree in business or related area.
General Studies
The General Studies specialization, 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 specialization, offered by the School of Health Professions, is designed to provide knowledge important for individuals looking to expand their career into management options within the healthcare field. This includes opportunities such as managing a doctor’s office or medical practice or advancing into management with your current healthcare field organization. This specialization is appropriate for individuals holding an AAS degree in a health-related area.
Health Occupations
The Health Occupations specialization, offered by the School of Health Professions, is designed for individuals working in the healthcare field or holding an AAS degree in a health-related area. This includes professionals holding positions such as EMT, Radiology Technicians, COTA, and Physical Therapy Assistant. This specialization in the BAAS can facilitate your career advancement in your current health-related occupation or in preparation for a health-related profession graduate program.
Human Behavior
The Human Behavior specialization, offered by the College of Education and Psychology, is designed to provide students with insights into human behavior. This specialization could be used to enter in a variety of fields including mental health resource organizations and educational institutions.
BAAS Recommended Course Sequences
As the BAAS degree is a degree completion program, your credits may be earned in a variety of ways. Therefore, the recommended sequence for your courses is based on your specialization. The following recommendations are based on a Fall start. Your advisor will assist you in determining the correct sequence of your courses if you start in the spring or summer terms.
Business Occupations
Healthcare Management
Health Occupations
Human Behavior
Additional Degree Requirements and Notes
- 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 UT Tyler’s General Degree Requirements policy. Any BAAS students who change majors to another program must follow the standard minimum requirement detailed in that program and workforce credits will not apply to traditional academic degrees.
- Students needing less than 45 credits to complete their BAAS degree are not eligible to be considered for Latin academic honors. BAAS students desiring to graduate with Latin academic honors must earn 45 hours from UT Tyler.
- 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.
- As the BAAS is a degree completion program, students seeking a second bachelor’s degree may not pursue this major.