Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences Online

Complete your bachelor’s degree and build professional skills for a range of career paths with this accelerated, customizable program.

Apply by: 1/6/26
Start class: 1/20/26
Apply Now

Program Overview

Explore the online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree

Continue on your path to success and design a curriculum that aligns with your professional goals in the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (B.A.A.S.) program from Texas State University. This 100% online degree allows you to save time and money by receiving credit for your work or life experience and noncollegiate training.

Our award-winning B.A.A.S. was created specifically for working adults, nontraditional learners, and professionals who want to earn their bachelor’s degree in an accelerated format. It is ideal for students who have completed a vocational or technical degree or approved certificate from a regionally accredited community college.

With an individualized plan of study, you will develop strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills while exploring a variety of course offerings to build the program that’s right for you. Flexible course delivery ensures you can balance your studies with your current personal and professional commitments. You will graduate ready to take the next step in your current career or explore new opportunities.

As a student in the online B.A.A.S. program, you will select a focus area from the following:

Organizational Leadership

Gain the knowledge and skills required to lead teams, manage resources, and navigate complex organizational challenges with this focus area. The curriculum blends public administration, human resource development, organizational studies, and more to prepare you for leadership roles across sectors.

Possible careers for graduates:

  • Human Resources Manager (Public Sector)
  • Nonprofit Program Manager
  • Organizational Development Specialist
  • Policy Analyst
  • Public Administrator
Organizational Leadership+

Gain the knowledge and skills required to lead teams, manage resources, and navigate complex organizational challenges with this focus area. The curriculum blends public administration, human resource development, organizational studies, and more to prepare you for leadership roles across sectors.

Possible careers for graduates:

  • Human Resources Manager (Public Sector)
  • Nonprofit Program Manager
  • Organizational Development Specialist
  • Policy Analyst
  • Public Administrator

Workforce Ready

Begin or advance your career in today’s competitive job market with an interdisciplinary skill set that employers value. This focus area emphasizes topics like communication, ethics, training, and health promotion, delivering the tools to succeed in a variety of industries.

Possible careers for graduates:

  • Corporate Communications Specialist
  • Health Promotion Specialist
  • Human Resources Coordinator
  • Public Relations Associate
  • Training and Development Specialist
Workforce Ready+

Begin or advance your career in today’s competitive job market with an interdisciplinary skill set that employers value. This focus area emphasizes topics like communication, ethics, training, and health promotion, delivering the tools to succeed in a variety of industries.

Possible careers for graduates:

  • Corporate Communications Specialist
  • Health Promotion Specialist
  • Human Resources Coordinator
  • Public Relations Associate
  • Training and Development Specialist

As a student of this online B.A.A.S. program, you will learn to:

  • Communicate effectively by developing strong oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills suitable for various contexts and audiences
  • Collaborate to solve complex problems and learn to work effectively with others to address and resolve intricate challenges
  • Use analytical reasoning and foster the capacity for critical thinking and data analysis to determine optimal strategies and best practices
  • Network for professional development by building professional connections across multiple industries for leadership and career growth
  • Develop the ability to apply innovative thinking and creative solutions to everyday situations and workplace challenges
As a student of this online B.A.A.S. program, you will learn to:
  • Communicate effectively by developing strong oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills suitable for various contexts and audiences
  • Collaborate to solve complex problems and learn to work effectively with others to address and resolve intricate challenges
  • Use analytical reasoning and foster the capacity for critical thinking and data analysis to determine optimal strategies and best practices
  • Network for professional development by building professional connections across multiple industries for leadership and career growth
  • Develop the ability to apply innovative thinking and creative solutions to everyday situations and workplace challenges

Also available:

We offer a variety of student-centered online degrees that can help you advance. Explore other undergraduate programs.

Per credit hour $404*
Transfer Credits Up to 90
Credit Hours 120
Apply Now

Need More Information?

Call 833.690.1245 today!

Call 833.690.1245 today!

Tuition

Plan ahead with pay-as-you-go tuition

Tuition for the B.A.A.S. online program is affordable and paid by the course, so you can achieve your academic goals while remaining within your budget.

View full tuition

Program Per Credit Hour Per Course
B.A.A.S. $404* $1,212

*Students enrolled in Accelerated Online Programs are not eligible for payment plans or the emergency loan. Tuition and fees are subject to change by legislative or Board of Regents action; changes become effective on the date of enactment. Please visit the TXST One Stop for more information on Cost of Attendance.

Tuition breakdown

Per Course $1,212
Per Credit Hour $404*

Transfer your credits for lower tuition

Use our Tuition Estimator to see how affordable your degree could be. Slide the notch to the number of credits you've already earned—which may qualify for transfer credit—to get an estimate of what your degree might cost.

0
90
Transfer Credits: 0
Your Estimated Tuition: $Your Estimated Tuition:
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Transcripts sent from other colleges and universities will be evaluated, and accepted credits will be added to the student's A-State record. The Tuition Estimator is not a guarantee or predictor of the number of credit hours that will be accepted.

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toward earning your degree?

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Calendar

Begin your bachelor's when it makes sense for you

The Texas State B.A.A.S. program is delivered in a convenient online learning format that offers maximum flexibility for working adults like you. Choose the start date that fits your goals.

View Full Calendar +

TermStart DateApp DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition DeadlineClass End DateTerm Length
Spring 1 20261/20/261/6/261/13/261/20/261/20/263/9/268 weeks
Spring 2 20263/10/262/24/263/3/263/10/263/10/265/13/268 weeks

Now Enrolling

Next Apply Date 1/6/26
Start Class 1/20/26

Admissions

How to apply for the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences online program

Apply to the B.A.A.S. online program quickly and easily with our streamlined admission process. Review the admission requirements below and take the next step toward your professional goals.

View all admission requirements

To be eligible to earn your Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree online from Texas State University, you must:

  • Submit a completed application and all supporting documents—including official transcripts from your high school and any postsecondary institutions attended—to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the stated document deadline
  • Pay the nonrefundable application fee of $75 ($90 for international students*)
  • Be eligible to re-enter all colleges and/or universities previously attended

High school graduates who plan to attend Texas State the semester after high school graduation (not including summer sessions) regardless of how many dual credit or transferable college credits earned, are considered an entering freshman.

Freshmen must do the following to qualify for admission to Texas State University:

  • Receive a diploma from an accredited high school
  • We recommend students complete the following curriculum:
  • 4 credits of English, 4 credits of mathematics, 4 credits of science, 3 credits of social studies, and 2 credits of a language other than English
  • ACT and SAT test scores are not required for applicants ranked in the top 75% of their graduating class
  • Applicants who do not meet assured admission, or do not submit test scores, will be reviewed holistically. All students ranked in the fourth quartile of their class must submit scores that meet assured admission standards for admission.
  • Submit your high school transcripts by mail or via Parchment, Naviance, National Student Clearinghouse

Transfer students must meet these requirements:

  • 14 or fewer credit hours: minimum 2.0 GPA in all transferable course work plus meet freshman admission standards
  • 15-29 credit hours: minimum 2.5 GPA in all transferable course work
  • 30 or more credit hours: minimum 2.25 GPA in all transferable course work
  • Be at least one full semester out of high school and eligible to return to all postsecondary institutions previously attended

Transcripts may be sent electronically to [email protected] or mailed to:

TXST One Stop
Texas State University – Undergraduate Admissions
601 University Dr.
San Marcos, TX 78666

*Texas State defines an on-campus international student as anyone with a nonimmigrant visa status, including H-1B visa holders, or those seeking a visa to enroll. If you are not a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, you will be classified as an international applicant.

An online international student is someone who holds citizenship in another country, is not a U.S. permanent resident, and resides outside the U.S. while enrolling in an online program.

Students who are not on a visa but are graduating from a Texas high school after three years in residence are considered domestic applicants.

If you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, refugee, or asylee, you are considered a domestic applicant.

Admission Requirements

  • High school diploma
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts

Courses

Customize your Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree

To graduate from the B.A.A.S. online program, you must complete a total of 120 credit hours. You may transfer up to 90 credits, 24 of which can come from prior work or life experience through our prior learning assessment (PLA).

Expand All

Students must take 42 credit hours of general education courses to meet the degree plan requirements.

Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students in this course will apply critical and reflective thinking to develop an individualized plan consisting of interdisciplinary studies courses that meet their career goals. Students will also assess their needs for earning credits through prior learning assessment (PLA), and identify potential capstone projects aligned with their professional goals. 
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces students to human development, learning theory, transition theory, interdisciplinary studies, career planning and assessment, and goal setting relevant to developing a professional growth plan. 
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is the first part of a two-part capstone devoted to the development of the student's supervised capstone project. Proposal development, review of literature, creation of timelines, and task analysis are stressed. Following instructor approval, work on the capstone project begins in this course. 
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is the second part of a two-part capstone devoted to the development of the student's supervised capstone project. Application of knowledge, abilities, and skills acquired in the degree program is stressed. It requires extensive reports and documentation.

Students must take 18 combined hours of the OCED/CTE courses

Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course emphasizes the combination of psychological and sociological factors that influence relationships of CTE teachers in the pursuit of professional duties. Strategies for teaching students and mentoring employees on the dynamics of human relations are highlighted.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces students to creative thinking skills-building techniques. Students in this course will engage in weekly activities to practice creative thinking skill acquisition and will learn the importance of fostering creative thinking in the workplace. By the end of the course, students will have knowledge of past creative thinkers who have helped change the world and will have tools to become the next generation of change-making creative thinkers.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course surveys the great mental models, explores data types, and overviews basic analytical tools and models to make informed decisions. When problems arise, how do you confront them? How do you approach problems and make decisions? We form mental models all the time without knowing. But power comes when you consciously build a latticework of mental models and deliberately apply tools to make better decisions, solve problems and improve your outcomes.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course offers tools, questions, reviews, guiding practices, and exercises that will help students build a roadmap to project management and leadership success. This course will help project managers at any level overcome some of the most common challenges they face by: effectively managing a demanding workload; leading and motivating a team; building effective relationships with senior stakeholders; managing risks, issues, and changes to scope; and delegating effectively.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course, students will learn the differences between a group and a team, how to lead a team, how to become an effective team player, and how to resolve conflicts in teams. This course describes the lifecycle of teams and team roles. Ultimately, students will be equipped with strategies for setting up teams and managing teams effectively.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course prepares students to examine and apply principles of leadership to create their own applicable model of influencing others. Topics covered include leadership behavior, strategic thinking, managing energy, and getting results within an organization.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is intended for teacher coordinators of work-based program in trade and industrial cooperative education. There is an emphasis on selection of occupations and appropriate training stations, student recruitment, instruction coordination in on-the-job educational experiences, state and local report preparation and required record keeping systems.
Duration: 8/ Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students will gain an in-depth understanding of entrepreneurship and its application in the contexts of schools, communities, and the workplace. This course intersects entrepreneurial concepts in career and technical education with educational entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and intrapreneurship.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the STEM literacy skills important for success in a diverse workplace.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides an overview of current leadership theory and research with emphasis on practical application. Topics include leadership styles, models of effective leadership, and strategies for leadership success.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Overview of problems that supervisors, teachers, and co-workers encounter in business/industry, social service, military, or education. This range of problems interferes with communication, performance, and development of proficiency in school/work. Perspectives and reports on the incidence of these problems will be presented, as well as actions for these human problems.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 1
This is an independent study course that allows research on topics in occupational education related to a student’s interests. Work may include individual research, critical reviews or integration of existing bodies of knowledge. Course may be repeated for credit.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines emerging trends and issues impacting today's workplace. Topics may include aging workforce, financial and mental wellness, and diversity.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on organization development and change in government, private business, not-for-profit, and educational organizations. Topics covered include evaluation models, interventions at the organization, individual, and team levels, as well as change management strategies.

Students choosing the Organizational Leadership focus area will select 6 hours from the following electives:

Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of public and nonprofit administration including the context, nature, and structure of public and nonprofit administration in America; management of public organizations; and challenges of the future.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the fundamental political institutions and values of American democracy. The role of public service as it relates to government and nonprofit administration is emphasized.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course introduces students to fiscal administration and budgeting at different levels of government and nonprofit organizations in the United States. The course includes a wide range of theoretical and applied aspects of fiscal policy and financial administration. Both expenditures and revenues are examined.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The study of how people influence each other. The course covers such topics as conformity, inter-personal attraction, prejudice, and aggression. Prerequisite: PSY 1300.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the primary role of human resources development in the organization to help people and organizations effectively manage change. It focuses on strategies for implementing training and organizational development efforts that positively impact the performance of the individual and the work group.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The study and analysis of complex organizations, bureaucracies, and professions and their influence on individuals and society and its institutions.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will cover a range of topics of interest to professionals working with adult learners in a variety of settings, including characteristics and motivations of adult learners, theories of adult learning and intelligence, and modes of adult cognitive and psychosocial development.

Students choosing the Workforce Ready focus area will select 6 hours from the following electives:

Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Survey of the psychology of human development from the pre-natal period through adulthood. Emphasis placed on cognitive, motivational, and physiological processes of development in childhood and adolescence. Prerequisite: PSY 1300 with a grade of "C" or better.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to worksite health promotion. The focus of the course is on planning, implementing, and evaluating worksite health promotion programs. The course addresses other contemporary health issues, policies, and considerations that affect worksite health promotion.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Applies communication and management theory along with contemporary research to understand messages in corporate, nonprofit, and volunteer organizations. Prepares the students to think critically about their organizational experiences and use theory to assess and manage communication processes including supervisor-subordinate communication, conflict, and cultures.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course examines the primary role of human resources development in the organization to help people and organizations effectively manage change. It focuses on strategies for implementing training and organizational development efforts that positively impact the performance of the individual and the work group.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course studies the principles, theories, and language of visual communication, emphasizing the evaluation and use of images in mass media. It is designed to help you integrate words and pictures in mass communication and to gain a greater appreciation of our visual world.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course concerns writing in technical professions. It emphasizes planning, writing, revising, editing, and proofreading proposals, reports, instructions, and other forms of professional communication for a variety of audiences.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course will cover a range of topics of interest to professionals working with adult learners in a variety of settings, including characteristics and motivations of adult learners, theories of adult learning and intelligence, and modes of adult cognitive and psychosocial development.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a study of major topics in business and professional ethics, including what a profession is, whether it differs from business, and what is involved with the moral education, social responsibilities, and ethical standards of professionals and business people.
Duration: 8 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is the introductory course for the public relations sequence. Students will explore the functions of public relations in the digital age in the development of strategic communications for corporations, companies, government offices, non-profit organizations and public relations agencies.

In consultation with an advisor, students must select a minor, which will range between 18-24 credit hours.

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