Technical and Applied Studies
Kent State’s online Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies is designed for students seeking a flexible, interdisciplinary education tailored to their career goals. This program builds on prior technical or applied coursework, providing a path for students to advance in fields like management, healthcare, or technology. Graduates gain a strong foundation in professional skills, ready to excel in diverse roles across industries.
Technical and Applied Studies Bachelor’s Degree Program Overview
The Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies degree is a completer program designed for students with an associate degree or some college-level coursework who wish to matriculate into a bachelor’s degree. The program accommodates varied educational backgrounds, develops competencies needed for success in a variety of work settings and offers flexibility and scheduling attractive to working students and to time- and place-bound adults.
The B.T.A.S. degree integrates the practical application of technical skills and knowledge with the professional skills instilled in a bachelor’s degree program. Students focus on career paths in technical and applied areas of specializations, leading to breadth and depth in a particular discipline.
The program provides a foundation for further graduate education and benefits students who need additional workplace and professional skills beyond their technical education with hands-on learning, experiential learning opportunities, internships and research projects. Employers are searching for professionals with a combination of technical expertise and business soft skills; this program provides the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary to transition from student to professional.
Many associate degree programs at Kent State University align well with the B.T.A.S. degree.
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Interpret and communicate discipline specific information via written, verbal and/or visual or digital representations.
- Demonstrate effective written, oral and digital communication skills in multiple contexts, for a variety of audiences.
- Demonstrate application and evidence of skills and knowledge via presentation of artifacts in an electronic portfolio.
- Analyze ethical issues in the context of the profession or discipline to produce reasoned evaluations and solutions.
- Integrate applied skills and theoretical knowledge in a specific technical field with opportunities for experiential learning in a workplace environment.
- Develop self-awareness about identity and culture, diversity, sensitivity and respect for differences.
Technical and Applied Studies Bachelor’s Degree Program Admissions Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
Students who wish to declare the B.T.A.S. degree must meet with an academic advisor prior to admission or changing their major to discuss their future academic and career goals and to develop an approved program of study. Ideally, students should begin the process for evaluation and program review at or near the time they have a minimum of 12 earned credit hours of college-level coursework.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning a minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score, minimum 47 PTE score or minimum 100 DET score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive English Program. For more information on international admission visit the admissions website for international students.
This degree program may not be earned as a double major or dual degree with another major and cannot be earned as an additional degree after another degree at the same or higher level has been earned previously.
Program Courses
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Program Requirements (courses count in major GPA) | ||
| TAS 37900 | TECHNICAL AND APPLIED STUDIES CORNERSTONE (min C grade) 2 | 3 |
| TAS 40092 | INTERNSHIP FOR TECHNICAL AND APPLIED STUDIES (ELR) 1 | 3 |
| TAS 47999 | TECHNICAL AND APPLIED STUDIES CAPSTONE (ELR) (WIC) (min C grade) 3 | 3 |
| Additional Program Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) | ||
| UC 10001 | FLASHES 101 | 1 |
| Specialization Areas 4 | 36 | |
| Kent Core Composition | 6 | |
| Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning | 3 | |
| Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) | 9 | |
| Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) | 6 | |
| Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory) | 6-7 | |
| Kent Core Additional | 6 | |
| General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) | 38 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 120 | |
1The internship or practicum allows students to gain workplace skills and real-world experience in their chosen field. Students with prior work, internship, practicum, student teaching and/or field experience may be waived the internship/practicum requirement with approval by the program coordinator. Students may earn a maximum of 6 credit hours.
2In TAS 37900, students construct a meaningful career management plan to explore and prepare for their preferred professional goals.
3TAS 47999, taken near the end of the program, synthesizes learning and focuses on foundational competencies in the form of service or experiential learning, a discipline-specific research project and the development of an academic/career e-portfolio. A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
4In collaboration with an advisor, students develop a plan of study for two to three specializations that draw on transferred, completed and available Kent State coursework. Students select from a flexible and robust core of skills- and knowledge-based courses - bridging multiple disciplines - to develop a tailored option to best benefit and further professional goals. A faculty member approves the student’s specializations to ensure they meet the student’s needs. Two of the three specialization areas may be from the same discipline. One specialization must be distinct.
Technical and Applied Studies Bachelor’s Degree Program Tuition and Fees
Ohio Residents
| Per Credit Hour | Per 3-Credit Course | Approximate Tuition Cost |
$335.57 Lower Division Courses $393.35 Upper Division Courses | $1,006.71 Lower Division Courses $1,180.05 Upper Division Courses | $31,400 full-time1 |
Non-Ohio Residents
| Per Credit Hour | Per 3-Credit Course | Approximate Tuition Cost |
$345.57 Lower Division Courses $403.35 Upper Division Courses | $1,036.71 Lower Division Courses $1,210.05 Upper Division Courses | $32,600 full-time 2 |
1The flat-rate semester fee of $3,692.65 for LOWER division courses and $4,327.54 for UPPER division courses applies to full-time Ohio resident undergraduate students taking between 12-18 credit hours per semester. The approximate tuition for this 8 semester program is calculated at 5 semesters of LOWER division courses ($18,463.25) and 3 semesters of UPPER division courses ($12,982.62), as an average.
2The flat-rate semester fee of $3,692.65 for LOWER division courses and $4,327.54 for UPPER division courses applies to full-time non-Ohio resident undergraduate students enrolled in a fully online degree program and taking between 12-18 credit hours per semester, PLUS a surcharge of $10 per credit hour of actual credits taken (between 12-18 semester credits or $120-$180). The approximate tuition cost for this 8 semester program was calculated at 5 semesters of LOWER division courses ($18,463.25) and 3 semesters of UPPER division courses ($12,982.62), PLUS the $1,200 surcharge, as an average.
For part-time semesters: The $335.57 per-credit-hour tuition rate for LOWER division courses and $393.35 for UPPER division courses applies to part-time Ohio resident undergraduate students, PLUS a $10 per-credit-hour surcharge for non-Ohio resident undergraduate students, taking fewer than 12 credit hours per semester.
An additional Distance Learning fee for all students enrolled in a distance learning course is $15.00 per credit hour. Program tuition and costs are estimated and subject to change.
Actual tuition costs may vary based on a student’s chosen academic plan. For a complete listing of tuition rates for approved online programs, please contact Kent State’s Financial, Billing & Enrollment Center at 330-672-6000 or via our website Contact Us link.
The total program costs are estimates and are not final or binding. Program costs are based on standard fees, but fees may vary based on the actual classes taken. Kent State University disclaims any liability arising from the use of or reliance upon these program cost estimates by any person. Program costs are subject to change without notice.
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