Department website: https://www.atu.edu/orgstudies

The Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) is a degree completion track for students with 90+ earned credit hours in need of an accelerated path to graduation. The accelerated delivery format is designed to ease the financial, time, and geographic constraints adults face in completing a baccalaureate program. The concentrated curriculum focuses on workplace skills such as planning, problem solving, communication, and teamwork. To maximize credentialing opportunities, a student in the BPS program can earn the certificate of proficiency in Professional Leadership within the BPS curriculum.

The primary target groups include:

• Students graduating from community colleges
• Degree “stop-outs” who began but never completed a bachelor’s degree
• Individuals who have accumulated hours that cannot be applied toward a specific major

This program is 100% online.

Learning Goals

• Leadership - Theory, Context, and Application
• Leadership – Organizational Culture, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Responsibility
• Leadership - Leading People, Organizations, and Communities

Vision

To offer innovative, workforce-relevant credentials that prepare individuals to lead effective organizations in a dynamic world.

Mission

The Organizational Studies program believes education is the gateway to professional and personal goal fulfillment. We provide accessible, flexible, and high-quality learning opportunities in an engaging, supportive environment. We empower individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to face complex organizational challenges, develop leadership capacity in self and others, and drive meaningful change in organizations and communities. Through innovative, experiential learning experiences, we support lifelong learning and career advancement for individuals from diverse personal and professional backgrounds.

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See appropriate alternatives or substitutions in "General Education Requirements."

²

At least 40 of the total hours required for graduation must be 3000 - 4000 level courses.

³

Must earn a 'C' or better.

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This program partners the Professional Studies Inter-Disciplinary undergraduate degree with the Master of Arts (MA) Organizational Leadership and Learning degree. A maximum of twelve (12) graduate level credit hours can be counted towards both the BPS Inter-Disciplinary degree and the MA Organizational Leadership and Learning degree.  Students can choose from any 5000-6000 level OL course offered in the MA Organizational Leadership and Learning degree, with the exception of OL 6093 Organizational Development and Learning Capstone.

• Leadership - Theory, Context, and Application - students will describe, analyze, evaluate, and apply leadership theories in various and diverse contexts; students will demonstrate basic competencies in leadership and supervision, including skills in oral and written communication, ethical problem solving, research, and evidence-based decision-making; students will apply HROD concepts to selection and hiring.
• Leadership - Organizational Culture, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Responsibility - students will define organizational culture, articulate a vision of social responsibility, and demonstrate the ability to act on this vision for the betterment of local, state, national, and global communities through collaboration and ethical leadership; students will evaluate personal power and positionality, demonstrate openness to diverse perspectives, and model effective intercultural communication skills; students will examine dynamics of power and privilege, and evaluate points of view in solving complex interpersonal and organizational problems.
• Leadership - Leading People, Organizations, and Communities - students will explain the importance of motivation, empowerment, persuasion, and ethics in leadership; students will demonstrate the ability to effectively function in multiple roles as part of a team and community; students will apply concepts of community development; students will analyze and evaluate their role of leadership in nonprofit organizations and community building.

For program assessment visit: https://www.atu.edu/assessment/program_assessment.php