Department of Professional Studies

Bachelor of Professional Studies

Professional Studies with specialty/concentrations in:

Agriculture Business
Applied Leadership
Child Development
Criminal Justice
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Interdisciplinary Studies
Public Relations
Workforce Technology

The Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) is an online Accelerated Degree Program (ADP) offering a flexible degree completion path addressing the unique needs of particular target groups. The accelerated delivery format is designed to ease the financial, time, and geographic constraints adults face in completing a baccalaureate program. Students complete the necessary hours for the degree within a convenient yet directed scheduling format under the guidance of academic advisors who understand the unique needs of adult learners. The primary target groups include:

Students graduating from community colleges
Degree “stop-outs” who began but never completed a bachelor’s degree
Individuals who have accumulated hours that cannot be applied toward a specific major.

The curriculum is designed to enhance workplace skills such as planning, organizational behavior, ethics, needs assessment, problem solving, communications, human resources, and technology applications.

Learning Objectives for Professional Studies Degree

Communication: Student will demonstrate competency in public presentation and written communication skills.
Research: Student will apply empirical research to recommend relevant strategies for solving problems.
Leadership/Critical Thinking: Student will assume a leadership role in identifying and addressing issues in a real-world environment.
Project Management: Student will create, plan, and implement relevant strategies needed to develop a business proposal.

Students select one of the following concentration areas: agriculture business, applied leadership, child development, criminal justice, industrial/organizational psychology, interdisciplinary studies, public relations, or workforce technology. All bachelor’s degrees at Arkansas Tech University require 35 hours of general education coursework and a minimum of 40 hours of upper division courses, and a 120 hours total. Additionally, at least 30 hours must be earned at Arkansas Tech University.

Program of Study (BPS)

General Education coursework: 35 hours

Required Professional Core: 24 hours

PS 3003 Project Design
PS 3013 Professional Studies Seminar
PS 3023 Professional Communications
PS 3133 Applied Principles of Personnel Management
PS 3143 Applied Professional Research
PS 4003 Capstone Project

Six hours of Professional Studies electives from the following list of courses:
PS 4143 Nonprofit Governance
PS 4243 Adult Learning in Organizations
PS 4343 Community Development
PS 4443 Professional Leadership
PS 4543 Workplace Supervision
PS 4643 Occupational Globalization and Diversity
PS 4743 Organizational Change
*Students enrolled in the Applied Leadership concentration must take PS 4543 and PS 4643 in order to meet the six (6) hours of electives requirement.

Selected Concentration: 18 hours

Agriculture Business (all courses not available online)
Applied Leadership
Child Development (Program does not lead directly to teacher licensure)
Criminal Justice
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Interdisciplinary Studies
Public Relations
Workforce Technology

Balance of electives: Varies

Hours needed to meet 40-hour upper division requirement
or balance of 120 hours

Total : 120 hours

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

A Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process is available that could award up to 12 hours of upper-division credit for relevant work experience, professional development, or military training. The basis for requesting credit for prior learning is the development of a portfolio with assistance from a faculty advisor. Every student requesting credit for prior learning must enroll in this course and complete a portfolio which demonstrates the college-level learning that has resulted from experiences outside a formal academic framework. The student utilizes this method to document knowledge acquired which is equivalent to upper-division college-level credit. Credit for PS 3001 applies only to the Bachelor of Professional Studies degree and cannot be applied toward any other program.

Contact Information

Dr. Jeff Aulgur, Head

715 North El Paso Ave
(479) 964-3637
jaulgur@atu.edu