Program Overview

Bachelor of Applied Studies, BAS

The Bachelor of Applied Studies requires a minimum of 120 s.h. and is intended to be completed entirely by distance education. Students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or higher in all coursework attempted, all coursework taken at the University of Iowa, and all upper-level coursework.

Admission Requirements

• Applicants to the BAS program must have earned an associate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• They must have a minimum of 60 s.h. of approved transfer credit.
• There is no limit on the amount of career-technical credit accepted as a part of the 60 s.h. of approved transfer credit.
• Students who have an AA degree from a two-year institution participating in articulation agreements with the University of Iowa are considered to have satisfied the BAS core requirements, except for the business/management courses.
• Applicants who graduated from an Iowa community college or Waldorf College must have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 2.00; those who graduated from Black Hawk College in Illinois must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.25; those who graduated from other institutions outside Iowa must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50.

Core Requirements

• Rhetoric coursework equivalent to composition II and speech
• Quantitative or formal reasoning: 3 hours
• Social sciences: 3 hours
• Values and society: 3 hours
• Business/management: 6 hours

Distribution Areas

Students must complete 12 s.h. in three of the following five distribution areas (total of 36 s.h.). In each distribution area, 6 of the required 12 s.h. must be earned in upper-level courses.

• Communication and arts (e.g., journalism, communication studies, creative writing, art, music)
• Humanities (e.g., literature, history, philosophy, religion)
• Natural sciences and mathematics (e.g., mathematics, biology, statistics, computer science)
• Professional fields (e.g., business, education, nursing, social work, aging and longevity studies)
• Social sciences (e.g., sociology, psychology, economics, political science, anthropology)

Optional Emphasis Areas

Creative Writing Emphasis Area

The creative writing emphasis area requires 18 s.h. It provides students with an understanding of the multiple facets of written communication. The emphasis area requires the following coursework.

• CLSA:3742/WRIT:3742: Word Power: Building English Vocabulary: 3 hours
• CW:2100: Creative Writing: 3 hours
• CW:4897: Novel Writing: 3 hours
• At least three of the following:
  • CINE:1150: Introduction to Screenwriting for Nonmajors: 3 hours
  • CNW:1620: Introduction to Creative Nonfiction: 3 hours
  • CW:2870: Fiction Writing: 3 hours
  • CW:2875: Poetry Writing: 3 hours
  • CW:3005/INTD:3005/WRIT:3005: Professional and Creative Business Communication: 3 hours
  • CW:3870: Advanced Fiction Writing: 3 hours
  • CW:3875: Advanced Poetry Writing: 3 hours
  • CW:4745/WRIT:4745: The Sentence: Strategies for Writing: 3 hours
  • CW:4760/WRIT:4760: The Art of Revision: Rewriting Prose for Clarity and Impact: 3 hours
  • WRIT:1500: Writing Commons: A Community of Writers: 3 hours

Human Relations Emphasis Area

The human relations emphasis area requires 18 s.h. It focuses on human development, personality theory, interpersonal and group communication, multiculturalism, professional ethics, and the development of helping skills. The emphasis area requires the following coursework.

• CSED:4194: Interpersonal Effectiveness: 3 hours
• CSED:4197: Citizenship in a Multicultural Society: 3 hours
• CSED:4199: Counseling for Related Professions: 3 hours
• At least three of the following:
  • CSED:4131: Loss, Death, and Bereavement: 3 hours
  • CSED:4162/PSQF:4162: Introduction to Couple and Family Therapy: 3 hours
  • CSED:4174: Positive Psychology: 3 hours
  • CSED:4176: Child Abuse: Assessment, Intervention, and Advocacy: 3 hours
  • CSED:4178: Microcounseling: 3 hours
  • CSED:4179: Sexuality Within the Helping Professions: 3 hours
  • CSED:4185: Introduction to Substance Abuse: 3 hours
  • CSED:4195: Ethics in Human Relations and Counseling: 3 hours
  • SSW:3712/NURS:3712: Human Sexuality, Diversity, and Society: 3 hours

Justice Studies Emphasis Area

The justice studies emphasis area requires 18 s.h. It is a good choice for students who hold associate degrees in disciplines such as community service, corrections, criminal justice, law enforcement, police science, or public safety. The emphasis area requires the following coursework.

• Two of the following:
  • CRIM:1410: Introduction to Criminology: 3 hours
  • CSED:4197: Citizenship in a Multicultural Society: 3 hours
  • POLI:3111: American Public Policy: 3 hours
  • SOC:1030: Contemporary Social Problems: 3-4 hours
  • SOC:4225: The Social Psychology of Leadership: 3 hours
• At least four of the following:
  • CRIM:3250: Drugs, Deviance, and Social Control: 3 hours
  • CRIM:4410: Treatment Interventions in Corrections: 3 hours
  • CSED:4176: Child Abuse: Assessment, Intervention, and Advocacy: 3 hours
  • CSED:4185: Introduction to Substance Abuse: 3 hours
  • CSED:4194: Interpersonal Effectiveness: 3 hours
  • HRTS:2115/IS:2115: Introduction to Human Rights: 3 hours
  • MGMT:2000: Introduction to Law: 3 hours
  • POLI:3503: Politics of Terrorism: 3 hours
  • SOC:2810: Social Inequality: 3 hours
  • SSW:3797: Child Welfare Policy and Practice: 3 hours
  • SSW:4100: Social Work in the Criminal Justice System: 3 hours

Political Science Emphasis Area

The political science emphasis area requires 18 s.h. It focuses on the political role of the United States in shaping social and public policy worldwide and on the interplay between foreign and domestic politics. The emphasis area requires the following coursework.

• Two of the following:
  • POLI:1100: Introduction to American Politics: 3 hours
  • POLI:1200: Introduction to Political Behavior: 3 hours
  • POLI:1400: Introduction to Comparative Politics: 3 hours
  • POLI:1500: Introduction to International Relations: 3 hours
  • POLI:1501: Introduction to American Foreign Policy: 3 hours
• At least four of the following:
  • IS:2020: World Events Today!: 3 hours
  • POLI:3100: American State Politics: 3 hours
  • POLI:3102: The U.S. Congress: 3 hours
  • POLI:3110: Local Politics: 3 hours
  • POLI:3111: American Public Policy: 3 hours
  • POLI:3116: The Presidency: 3 hours
  • POLI:3202: Political Psychology: 3 hours
  • POLI:3203: Campaigns, Elections, and Voting Behavior: 3 hours
  • POLI:3405: Authoritarian Politics: 3 hours
  • POLI:3503: Politics of Terrorism: 3 hours
  • POLI:3504: Globalization: 3 hours
  • POLI:3506: Consequences of War: 3 hours

Residence Requirements

After admission to the University of Iowa, one of the following residence requirements must be met—at least 90 s.h. completed at the University of Iowa, or 45 of the final 60 s.h. completed at the University of Iowa, or the final 30 s.h. completed at the University of Iowa.

Additional Requirements

• Students must earn at least 60 s.h. of the minimum 120 s.h. required for the degree at four-year colleges, including 45 s.h. in upper-level coursework.
• University of Iowa upper-level courses are numbered from 3000 to 4999.
• Some courses numbered below 3000 may be considered upper level for the BAS; for details, see BAS Upper-Level Coursework.
• Students must also complete the following core requirements and a set of distribution areas; see BAS Core Requirements and Distribution Areas for more information.