Bachelor of Applied Science
The Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) degree at the University of Montana is designed for individuals who have completed an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree with a 2.50 grade point average at a regionally accredited institution. The Missoula College section of the University of Montana catalog identifies Associate of Applied Science degree programs offered at The University of Montana. Individuals pursuing the B.A.S. are those who are seeking additional education to strengthen their planned or previous training and improve career advancement opportunities.
As part of the B.A.S. curriculum, students must develop a degree plan tailored to their academic and professional goals. Due to the nature of the B.A.S., many plans are interdisciplinary in nature (i.e. consist of courses from multiple disciplines). Students initially meet with a B.A.S. advisor in the College of Humanities and Sciences for assistance in developing their degree plan curriculum. After drafting their plan, students create a degree plan committee that consists of faculty members from disciplines represented in the plan. This committee provides final approval of the plan.
Bachelor of Applied Science students must meet all the University of Montana requirements for graduation. Up to 50 technical credits from an accredited A.A.S. program will count toward the 127 total credits required for graduation.
Any courses taken as part of the A.A.S. that can count towards UM General Education Requirements (e.g. certain writing, psychology, math, and communication courses) are not considered technical and, hence, are not included in this 50 technical credit maximum.
It is important to understand that the B.A.S. degree does not identify a specific discipline or major. Even though some plans may consist of courses from one sole discipline, the student is not a major in that discipline. Hence, the B.A.S. student's transcript and diploma will not indicate a specific major or concentration area.
B.A.S. students are enrolled through the Mountain Campus and, as such, are assessed UM-Missoula tuition rates.
Bachelor of Applied Science - Applied Science
General Education Requirements
Information regarding these requirements can be found in the General Education Section of the catalog.
Degree Specific Credits: 127
Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0
BAS Degree Requirements
Students who have completed an A.A.S. degree with at least a 2.50 cumulative GPA are eligible to pursue the B.A.S. at UM. The A.A.S. degree must be earned from a regionally accredited institution for higher education. The degree requirements for the B.A.S. degree include completion of:
- A minimum of 127 total earned semester credits
- 30 of the 127 total required must consist of an upper-division student tailored degree plan curriculum
- 39 of the 127 total required must be upper-division; this total number includes all credits taken as part of the degree plan curriculum
- All UM General Education Requirements
BAS Degree Plan
As part of the B.A.S. curriculum, students must develop a degree plan. Due to the nature of the B.A.S., many plans are interdisciplinary in nature (i.e. consist of courses from multiple disciplines).
It is important to understand that the B.A.S. degree does not identify a specific discipline major. Even though some plans may consist of courses from one discipline (e.g. communication studies, psychology, geology), the student is NOT a Communication Studies, Psychology, or Geology major. Hence, the BAS student s transcript and diploma will not indicate a specific major.
General Education Requirements
B.A.S. students must complete the University of Montana general education requirements. The general education requirement categories and courses approved to meet them are listed on the General Education Requirements website.
Upper-Division Credit Requirement
Rule: Students must complete 39 upper-division credits. At least 30 of the 39 upper-division credits must be from the degree plan.
A.A.S. Degree Credits
Rule: Up to 50 technical credits earned from an A.A.S. may be counted towards the 127 required for the B.A.S. Minimum Required Grade: C-.