Technical and Applied Studies - B.T.A.S.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies degree is a completer program designed for students with an associate degree or some college-level coursework who wish to matriculate into a bachelor's degree. The program accommodates varied educational backgrounds, develops competencies needed for success in a variety of work settings and offers flexibility and scheduling attractive to working students and to time- and place-bound adults.

The B.T.A.S. degree integrates the practical application of technical skills and knowledge with the professional skills instilled in a bachelor’s degree program. Students focus on career paths in technical and applied areas of specializations, leading to breadth and depth in a particular discipline.

The program provides a foundation for further graduate education and benefits students who need additional workplace and professional skills beyond their technical education with hands-on learning, experiential learning opportunities, internships and research projects. Employers are searching for professionals with a combination of technical expertise and business soft skills; this program provides the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary to transition from student to professional.

Many associate degree programs at Kent State University align well with the B.T.A.S. degree.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

Students who wish to declare the B.T.A.S. degree must meet with an academic advisor prior to admission or changing their major to discuss their future academic and career goals and to develop an approved program of study. Ideally, students should begin the process for evaluation and program review at or near the time they have a minimum of 12 earned credit hours of college-level coursework.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency unless they meet specific exceptions. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Interpret and communicate discipline specific information via written, verbal and/or visual or digital representations.
2. Demonstrate effective written, oral and digital communication skills in multiple contexts, for a variety of audiences.
3. Demonstrate application and evidence of skills and knowledge via presentation of artifacts in an electronic portfolio.
4. Analyze ethical issues in the context of the profession or discipline to produce reasoned evaluations and solutions.
5. Integrate applied skills and theoretical knowledge in a specific technical field with opportunities for experiential learning in a workplace environment.
6. Develop self-awareness about identity and culture, diversity, sensitivity and respect for differences.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

The internship or practicum allows students to gain workplace skills and real-world experience in their chosen field. Students with prior work, internship, practicum, student teaching and/or field experience may be waived the internship/practicum requirement with approval by the program coordinator.

²

In TAS 37900, students construct a meaningful career management plan to explore and prepare for their preferred professional goals.

³

TAS 47999, taken near the end of the program, synthesizes learning and focuses on foundational competencies in the form of service or experiential learning, a discipline-specific research project and the development of an academic/career e-portfolio. A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

⁴

In collaboration with an advisor, students develop a plan of study for two to three specializations that draw on transferred, completed and available Kent State coursework. Students select from a flexible and robust core of skills- and knowledge-based courses - bridging multiple disciplines - to develop a tailored option to best benefit and further professional goals. A faculty member approves the student’s specializations to ensure they meet the student's needs. Two of the three specialization areas may be from the same discipline. One specialization must be distinct.

Progression Requirements

Students must meet with an advisor for a plan of study for each specialization. Any changes made to the program of study must also be approved by an advisor, or the student may not be allowed to graduate.

Graduation Requirements

• Delivery:
  • Fully online
  • Mostly online
• Location:
  • Ashtabula Campus
  • East Liverpool Campus
  • Geauga Campus
  • Salem Campus
  • Stark Campus
  • Trumbull Campus
  • Tuscarawas Campus
  • Leavittsburg, Ohio