The B.A.A.S. degree is comprised of five major components which together require a minimum of 120 hours of course credits. The credit hour requirements for each area are as follows:
| Component |
Hours |
Description |
| University Core |
42 hours |
The state requires all students to complete core courses in order to receive a bachelor’s degree. The core consists of a variety of courses (English, history, math, etc.) that are intended to form a general education foundation. Core courses may be taken at UNT or at another accredited educational institution and then transferred to UNT. |
| Professional Foundations |
9 hours |
Consists of three required courses that must be taken from UNT. They form the heart of the BAAS curriculum and are intended to improve your marketability in today’s workplace. In these courses, students sharpen their ability to communicate, negotiate, analyze information, and network effectively. |
| Occupational Specialization |
21 hours |
Consists of courses related to a specific occupation, field, or subject. Many technical and workforce courses taken at a community college or in the military may be eligible for transfer to UNT for credit. In some cases, an occupational specialization is created out of courses taken at UNT or other four-year colleges or universities. |
| Professional Development |
36 hours |
Consists of two or three separate multidisciplinary concentrations, developed in collaboration between the B.A.A.S. program and the appropriate disciplinary units. Each concentration will consist of a minimum of 12 credit hours that serve to enhance the skills a student has acquired through prior education or are complimentary to the student’s career plans. |
| Electives |
12 hours |
Students may select from an array of courses offered at UNT or apply transfer credits. |
| TOTAL |
120 hours |
Minimum hour requirement for a B.A.A.S. degree. |
Other B.A.A.S degree requirements:
In addition to the degree requirements described in the table above, you must also meet two other requirements.
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You must successfully complete a minimum of 36 hours of upper division courses, and at least 24 of these hours must be taken from UNT. Upper division (also referred to as advanced level) courses are typically offered at four-year colleges and universities in students’ junior and senior years. Upper division courses are numbered 3000 and higher at UNT. Please note that some military training qualifies as upper division course work.
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You must have both a UNT GPA and cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. The cumulative GPA includes your transfer credits as well as your UNT credits. The UNT GPA includes only credits from courses taken at UNT.
University Core
The University Core consists of 42 hours of general education courses which are required of all students regardless of their major. It is designed to give students basic intellectual competencies in reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy. Courses which constitute the university core come from English, History, Political Science, Math, and other disciplines.
Courses associated with the core curriculum may be taken at UNT or at another accredited educational institution and then transferred to UNT. University Core Curriculum Requirements provides a list of UNT courses that satisfy the core.
If you have taken courses at a community college or another Texas university, you may determine which ones are equivalent to UNT courses through the Texas Common Course Numbering System. More information on transferring course credit may be found at Transferology.
If you have not completed all of your core requirements, you may want to consider taking some upper division core courses (those numbered 3000 and higher) from UNT. By doing so, you may be able to maximize the number of credits you are able to transfer from a community college. Your UNT advisor will help you decide what makes the most sense for you.
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Professional Foundations
The Professional Foundations requirement consists of 9 hours of courses that must be taken from UNT. They form the heart of the B.A.A.S curriculum and are intended to improve your marketability in today’s workplace. In these courses, students sharpen their ability to communicate, negotiate, analyze information, and network effectively.
The Professional Foundations coursework includes:
- BAAS 3020 – Fundamentals of Inquiry and Discovery (3 hours)
- BAAS 3000 – Pathways to Civic Engagement (3 hours)
- BAAS 4980 – Managing a 21st Century Career (3 hours)
- Capstone course taken in Final semester
Please note that students must earn a 'C' or better in these courses to receive credit towards a B.A.A.S degree.
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Occupational Specialization
The Occupational Specialization consists of 21 hours of courses that are related to either a specific job or field of study. Your advisor will help you identify courses for your occupational specialization that are based on your personal background and academic experience.
For transfer students, the occupational specialization typically consists of credits from workforce courses completed at a community college or technical institution. These credits are usually earned while working toward an Associates of Applied Science (AAS) degree or a certificate of completion. Workforce credits in excess of 21 hours may be applied to form one of the student's Professional Development concentrations.
For active duty military, reserve military, or veterans of the army, navy, marine corps and coast guard, the occupational specialization may consist of credit awarded for formal training received in the service. The American Council on Education (A.C.E.) evaluates military training courses and occupation-based skills, knowledge, and abilities gained from military service using the Joint Service Transcript. These evaluations are used to determine if the training you received is equivalent to what is taught in some college level courses.
Veterans, reservists and active duty personnel of the United States Air Force, have their training and service included in a transcript from the Community College of Air Force (CCAF) which is part of the Air University. The Community College of the Air Force is a fully accredited degree-granting institution.
For students with specific workforce training, the occupational specialization can consist of or include credit awarded for their training by the American Council on Education (A.C.E) if the organization/employer that provided the training (and the training itself) has been evaluated by A.C.E. The A.C.E. National Guide to College Credit for Workforce Training lists all organizations and employers whose training has been evaluated by A.C.E.
For non-traditional students, the occupational specialization may consist of coursework completed as a part of a prior major or majors. For others who are returning to finish a degree after a long absence, it might consist of certain course work taken from the earlier period.
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Professional Development
Professional Development is the multidisciplinary component of the BAAS degree program. It consists of two or three separate multidisciplinary concentrations, developed in collaboration between the student, the BAAS program advisors, and the appropriate disciplinary units. In some cases, part of the Professional Development component may consist of additional technical or occupationally-specific coursework taken from a community college, the military or another four-year institution. Formal 24-hour concentrations (called focus areas) are also available for students in several fast-growing fields.
Students are best served by selecting professional development concentrations which work together to satisfy future career needs or educational objectives. The disciplines selected for your Professional Development concentrations should either complement one another or provide necessary career skills. If you haven’t started already, it is a good idea to start thinking NOW about what you plan to do after you graduate. Contact the B.A.A.S. advising office with questions about your Professional Development hours.
See a list of example professional development concentrations that are often chosen by students in our program.
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Electives
Electives are the final component of the B.A.A.S degree and consist of 12 hours of course credit. You typically select these courses based on your particular interests. You may choose from any approved UNT courses or use transfer credits you and your advisor deem appropriate.
If you are a transfer student with workforce credits, please note that elective hours often consist of additional occupationally-specific credits that were not able to be applied to your Occupational Specialization. Using those courses as electives save you hours and helps you graduate sooner. Of course, you are welcome to take additional classes if you and your advisor decide it is appropriate for your career goals.
In selecting electives, you should exercise caution to insure they fulfill UNT's requirement of 36 hours of advanced-level course work. Please note that coursework completed at a community college may not be used to fulfill UNT’s 36-hour upper division course requirement (specific to the B.A.A.S. degree).
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