Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) Program

The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is designed to build on the knowledge and skills that students have gained through vocational and/or technical studies at an accredited institution. This program consists of three component areas: the transfer of vocational/technical credit hours, the completion of the Core Curriculum Program, and the completion of a professional track curriculum and the University Studies Capstone.

Program Description

The BAAS program is tailored to provide both academic and professional depth to individuals who possess recognized competence in a vocation or technical field. Students are required to earn a minimum of 120 hours for the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree. The program offers eight tracks: Applied Leadership, Childhood Development/Early Childhood Education, Community and Mental Health, Criminal Justice, Environmental and Occupational Safety/Emergency Response, Information Technology, Legal Studies, and Technical Communication.

General Requirements

• First-Year Seminars (when applicable): 0-2 hours
• Vocational/Technical Credit: 3-42 hours
• Core Curriculum Program: 42 hours
• Professional Track Curriculum: 18-24 hours
• University Studies Capstone: 3 hours
• University Electives (up to 39 hours; can include vocational/technical credit): 54-9 hours
• Total Credit Hours: 120-122 hours

Program Requirements

The program requirements include:

• Full-time, first-time in college students are required to take the first-year seminars (UNIV 1101 and UNIV 1102).
• Students must consult with the BAAS Advisor to select appropriate electives to meet graduation requirements.
• All BAAS students must earn a minimum of 120 semester credit hours.
• Forty-five (45) out of the 120 hours must be upper-division hours, and 30 of these upper-division hours must be taken at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Tracks and Their Requirements

Applied Leadership (Fully Available Online)

• Required Courses:
  • COMM 1321 or COMM 3350
  • COMM 3330
  • COMM 4345
  • COMM 4350
  • POLS 3341
• Designated Electives:
  • Select 9 hours from COMM 3311, COMM 4360, ENGL 3301, ENGL 3378, ENGL 3379, ENGL 3380, ENGL 4322, MGMT 3310, SOCI 4310

Childhood Development/Early Childhood Education

• Required Courses:
  • ECED 3380
  • EDUC 1354
  • READ 3310
  • SPED 3310
  • EDUC 2211
• Designated Electives:
  • Select 9 hours from BIEM 4345, BIEM 4357, ECED 4350, READ 3320, READ 3352, READ 3380

Community and Mental Health

• Required Courses:
  • PSYC 3361
  • PSYC 3363
  • SOCI 2319 or PSYC 2319
  • SOCW 2361
  • SOCW 2362
• Designated Electives:
  • Select 6 hours from CRIJ 3325, SOCI 3312, SOCI 3340, PSYC 2314, SOCW 3320

Criminal Justice

• Required Courses:
  • CRIJ 3325
  • CRIJ 4345
  • CRIJ 3302 or CRIJ 4351
  • CRIJ 4312 or CRIJ 4313
  • CRIJ 4320 or CRIJ 4321
  • CRIJ 4331 or CRIJ 4335

Environmental & Occupational Safety/Emergency Response

• Required Courses:
  • CHEM 4490 or ESCI 4490
  • COMM 4335
  • ESCI 3202
  • ESCI 4301
• Designated Electives:
  • Select 6-8 hours from BIOL 2421, CHEM 4443, ESCI 3443, ESCI 4320, ESCI 4365, ESCI 4498, GEOL 3443, GISC 1470, POLS 3341

Information Technology

• Required Courses:
  • COSC 1435
  • BAIS 2301
  • COSC 2348
  • COSC 3336 or BAIS 3320
• Area of Specialization:
  • Programming: COSC 1436, COSC 2437, Approved COSC upper-division elective
  • Information Security: COSC 2465, COSC 2466, COSC 3372
  • Project Management: MGMT 3310, COSC 3301, Approved BAIS upper-division elective

Legal Studies

• Required Courses:
  • COMM 3330
  • CRIJ 4310
  • CRIJ 4312
  • CRIJ 4313
  • POLS 3313
• Designated Electives:
  • Select 9 hours from BLAW 3310, COMM 3311, ENGL 3378, POLS 3317, POLS 3351

Technical Communication (Fully Available Online)

• Required Courses:
  • COMM 4350
  • ENGL 3378
  • ENGL 3379
  • ENGL 4320
  • ENGL 4321
• Designated Electives:
  • Select 6 hours from COMM 1321, COMM 4345, ENGL 3380

Course Sequencing

Each track has a detailed plan of study grid that outlines the courses to be taken each semester for four years. These grids are designed to help students stay on track and complete their degree requirements in a timely manner.

Minors

When declaring a minor in conjunction with the BAAS degree, only 6 hours (or two courses) can count towards both the requirements of the BAAS major and the declared minor. The minor must have a minimum of 12 credit hours of distinctive coursework that is not used towards the BAAS major course requirements. Based on these specifications, students cannot complete the BAAS Technical Communication degree and obtain a Technical and Professional Writing Minor.