Academic Programs

The purpose of the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree program is to provided an inverted degree for students transferring to the university with a minimum of 24 semester credit hours of technical or vocational coursework. The program builds on this technical or vocational background by requiring at the upper divisional level both a set of courses designed to broaden the student's education and a specialization of 15 semester credit hours designed to assist them in professional or career advancement.

In addition to the learning objectives common to all programs at UH-Victoria, the B.A.A.S. degree program has the following specific educational goals:

Students are expected to broaden their general educational experience beyond the coursework specified in the General University Requirements by taking two upper divisional courses in management, two in communication, one in psychology, one in ethics, and two in humanities courses besides ethics.
Students are expected to specialize in one academic area related to their professional or career goals by taking l5 semester credit hours in management, communication, psychology, or education.

Objectives

1. Learning and communication skills

Reading & listening proficiency
Writing & speaking proficiency
Quantitative proficiency
. Computer proficiency
Research proficiency

2. Thinking ability

a. Generic critical thinking ability

analyze problems or issues and their underlying assumptions
generate and evaluate evidence
assess the credibility of sources
define alternative conclusions or actions, and their implications

b. Critical thinking ability specific to major field of study

analyze problems or issues and their underlying assumptions
generate and evaluate evidence
assess the credibility of sources
define alternative conclusions or actions, and their implications

3. Intellectual perspective

. comparative, contextual understanding of field
. historical perspective on field

4. Behavioral values

understanding significance of academic and professional standards of conduct
develop ability to work constructively and productively with others in undertakings of mutual significance
develop the kind of self-assurance and habit of inquiry the will enable them to defend the status quo, undertake creative alternatives, or effectively express dissent.

Methods of Assessment

Assessment of student outcomes will rely on surveys of graduates of the program within two years of their completing degree requirements. These surveys will be conducted biennially by the Chair of the Arts and Sciences division. The surveys will focus on student satisfaction with the general education received and on the effect that receiving the degree has had on their careers.

Assessment Results

(Contact IR)

Use of Results

After the alumni surveys are returned and results tabulated, that is, once every two years, the faculty in the areas of specialization, the faculty responsible for delivering the required broadening courses, and the Chair of the Arts and Sciences will evaluate the results of the survey to determine the effectiveness of the program and to recommend program improvements.