Applied Science B.S.A.S., with Public Service and Leadership Concentration

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TOTAL DEGREE HOURS: 120
Plans of Study

Workforce projections for the 21st Century indicate there will be an ongoing need for people with specific skills and abilities to fill Florida’s growing number of specialized, scientific, industrial and technological positions. Florida’s two-year colleges offer many exceptional programs that meet these demands through their Associate in Science (A.S.) degrees. Although these applied and technical degrees provide excellent preparation for students seeking jobs that require specific knowledge, skills and abilities, they have not generally transferred very efficiently into four-year bachelor’s degree programs. The Bachelor of Science in Applied Science has been developed by USF under certain provisions of Florida legislation to remove constraints from the transfer process, recognize some past coursework as transferable credit to the university, and afford exciting new opportunities for those with an A.S. degree from a Florida public state or community college to pursue and acquire a distinctive bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida.

Students may not pursue the Bachelor of Sciences in Applied Science (B.S.A.S.) as a second major, co-degree (concurrent degree), dual degree, or second or post-baccalaureate degree. Students that have earned a Bachelor degree from USF or other institutions who wish to pursue further education are encouraged to pursue admission into a graduate degree program of study or contact the college associated with the bachelor degree program of their choice.

University Admissions - Undergraduate Studies

Admission to the University is based on the University’s Undergraduate Admission Requirements that may be found by clicking on the following urls:

Freshman: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshmen/admission-information/requirements-deadlines.aspx

Transfer: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/transfer/admission-information/index.aspx

International: https://www.usf.edu/admissions/international/admission-information/index.aspx

Graduation Requirements - Applied Science B.S.A.S.

Satisfactory completion of the following requirements:

General Education Program (36 credit hours), including State Core General Education, State Computation and State Communication;
Minimum of 120 unduplicated credit hours;
A minimum adjusted grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on all coursework taken at USF and an overall 2.0 GPA average on all college-level coursework;
Major and college requirements in a chosen degree program;
Nine credit hours of coursework taken during the summer term(s) (if entered USF with less than 60 credit hours);
Registration and successful completion of at least thirty (30) of the last sixty (60) credit hours;
42 credit hours of upper-level coursework;
Civics Literacy;
Foreign language admissions coursework.

State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites - Applied Science B.S.A.S.

Following Florida BOG Regulation 8.010, state mandated common course prerequisites are lower-division courses that are required for progression into the upper division of a particular baccalaureate degree program.

Transfer students should complete the State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted. Successful completion of the common prerequisites alone does not guarantee a student admission into the degree program.

Students should complete at least 18 credit hours of the general education requirements as part of their A.S. degree, which should include the State Communication Requirement and State Computation Requirement courses to fulfill these requirements while at the community or state college. Students must complete ENC 1101 and at least one college-level math course to be admitted into the Applied Science program.

USF will award up to 60 transfer credits from the A.S. degree (applicable only to the B.S.A.S. program). Up to 42 hours of technical coursework may be eligible for transfer into the B.S.A.S. program. The remaining 18 credit hours of transferable General Education coursework from the A.S. will be matched against USF requirements to determine which courses remain outstanding for the fulfillment of the University’s 36 credit hour General Education requirements.

Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C- is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.

There are no State Mandated Common Prerequisites for this degree program.

Applied Science Required Course: (3 credit hours)

Major Core Course: 1 course; 3 credit hours

IDS 4934 - Senior Capstone for BSAS/BGS Credit(s): 3

Applied Science Major (Restricted) Electives: 21 credit hours

Students complete the general Applied Science program of study and one of the following eleven concentrations:

Public Service and Leadership Concentration: 7 courses; 21 credit hours

The concentration in Public Service and Leadership provides an introduction to career opportunities in public service for students from all academic disciplines. It is a smart choice for any student considering future employment in the public sector, as well as for those who would like to “give back” and “make a difference” in their careers.

Concentration Core: 3 courses; 9 credit hours

LDR 3301 - Leadership in Public and Community Service Credit(s): 3
PAD 3003 - Introduction to Public and Community Service Credit(s): 3
PUP 4002 - Public Policy Credit(s): 3

Concentration Electives: 4 courses; 12 credit hours

Select four courses from the following list:

PAD 4144 - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Policy Credit(s): 3
PAD 4204 - Public Financial Administration Credit(s): 3
PAD 4415 - Personnel & Supervision in Today’s Diverse Organizations Credit(s): 3
PAD 4712 - Managing Information Resources in the Public Sector Credit(s): 3
PAD 4930 - Selected Topics in Public Administration and Public Policy Credit(s): 3
POS 2112 - State and Local Government and Politics Credit(s): 3
POS 3182 - Florida Politics and Government Credit(s): 3
URP 4050 - Introduction to Urban Planning Credit(s): 3
URS 3002 - Introduction to Urban Studies Credit(s): 3

Additional Information - Applied Science B.S.A.S.

GPA Requirements

A minimum adjusted grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on all coursework taken at USF.
An overall 2.0 GPA average on all college-level coursework.

Grading Requirements

A minimum grade of C- or better must be earned in each concentration course.

Research Opportunities - Applied Science B.S.A.S.

All undergraduate students in any degree program can participate in undergraduate research. There are a number of options to receive academic credit for a mentored research experience and to have the experience show on the official transcript. Students who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 2912 - Undergraduate Research Experience , IDS 4914 - Advanced Undergraduate Research Experience or IDH 4910 - Honors Undergraduate Research courses. These courses will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research (HIPUR) will assist students in understanding the various course options.

Advising Information - Applied Science B.S.A.S.

Office of Undergraduate Studies (UGS)
Location/Phone: Student Services Building (SVC) 2002
(813) 974-4051

Website: https://www.usf.edu/undergrad/programs/bsas/

Plan of Study - Applied Science B.S.A.S., with Public Service and Leadership Concentration

Applied Science B.S.A.S., with Public Service and Leadership Concentration - 2 Year Plan of Study