The Associate in Applied Science degree in Technical Studies (A.A.S.-T.S.) is designed for students who want to take technical and general courses for college credit to meet the training or retraining demands of current or prospective employers. This interdisciplinary degree program enables individual students or groups of employees associated with one employer to tailor technical programs to their own specific needs. Courses are selected on the basis of a student's interests, goals and abilities. Each student's program is individually designed. As the two examples point out, the A.A.S.-T.S. degree is designed to be flexible and interdisciplinary. Because of the variety offered in this degree program, the number of credits required for graduation could vary from 60 to 66.

Anyone interested in earning an A.A.S.-T.S. degree should speak with an admissions officer. Qualified students are referred to the Dean of Business, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to assess prior learning experiences. Procedures for the assessment of prior learning are outlined in the Credit for Prior Learning section of this catalog and on the Credit for Prior Learning webpage. If qualified, a learning contract outlining course requirements leading to the A.A.S.-T.S. degree is developed.

Note: The learning contract is an official document filed in the student's permanent record. It can be changed only with the written approval of the Dean of Business, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Any approved changes in a student's program become part of the learning contract.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, a student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate effective communication, critical thinking, quantitative and scientific reasoning, and social interaction skills that meet CCRI's Definition of an Educated Person.
2. Demonstrate a general knowledge of two or more of the foundation disciplines within the General Education Core Curriculum.
3. Demonstrate the ability to integrate knowledge from multiple discipliens as a means of both understanding complex problems as well as generating effective solutions.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of meaningful work in one's own personal, social, and communal development.
5. Meet the requirements outline by their employer as necessary to improve their work skills. Students must complete general education core courses, coursework specified by their particular track and their apprenticeship learning experience.
6. Enhance their employability skills and job knowledge through a thoughtful selection of courses which build upon their experiential base (e.g., apprenticeship military training)

Program Requirements

In general, the program is divided into three parts.

Credit for Prior Learning (Not More Than 20 Credits)

Any occupational or technical training for which prior learning credit is sought must be relevant to a student's education and career goals. This includes apprenticeship, union activities, military training, etc. Awarded credit is based on:

• Assessment of individual portfolios and records. See Credit for Prior Learning in the Academic Information section of this catalog.
• Work completed in evaluated apprenticeship programs and accepted by the appropriate academic teaching departments.
• Other sources, such as CLEP, military schools or industrial schools.

Technical and Related Courses

A student will take 20 credits in technical and related courses. If he or she has insufficient prior experience to receive an award of the full 20 credits of prior learning experience, the student will take additional technical and related courses so that the degree equals no less than 60 credits.

Requirements

General Education

At least 20 general education credits that meet the requirements of the General Education policy. Students must take ENGL 1010: Composition I. In order for students to demonstrate satisfactory performance in the four abilities in the Definition of the Educated Person, general education courses are distributed across three domains of knowledge: Humanities (HUMN), Math and Science (MSCI), and Social Sciences (SSCI). Courses will include a minimum of six credits from each domain, as well as three additional credits from any of the three domains. See this page for a complete listing of courses that meet these requirements.

Example 1

In this example, an individual completes an evaluated apprenticeship program to be an electrician, has an interest in system modeling, automation, digital systems or networking. This individual wants to stay local. A program that might give this individual mobility within the job market might look like the one below. This schedule is meant as an example only.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
General Education Requirements
ENGL 2100	Technical Writing	3
COMM 1010	Communication Fundamentals^	3
MATH 1240	Statistical Analysis I	4
PHYS 1000	Physics of Everyday Life	4
PSYC 2010	General Psychology	4
SOCS 1010	General Sociology	3
Subtotal		21
Approved Apprenticeship
Complete an approved apprenticeship		20
Subtotal		20
Technical Courses
AEES 1030	Introduction to Digital Systems	3
AEES 1060	Robotics and Control	3
ENGR 1020	Introduction to Engineering & Technology	3
ENGR 1030	Engineering Graphics	3
ETEE 1050	Introduction to Electromechanical Systems	3
CNVT 1810	Networking 1	3
INST 1010	Introduction to Instrumentation Technology	3
Subtotal		21
Total Hours		62

Example 2

In this case, an individual may have completed a credit-worthy organized training program, yet new developments in his or her field indicate that he or she will need more formal business-related education. A degree program for this student might look like the one below. This schedule is meant as an example only.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
General Educaton Requirements
ENGL 1010	Composition I (or ENGL 1010A)	3
COMM 1010	Communication Fundamentals^	3
MATH 2077	Quantitative Business Analysis I	3
CHEM 1000	Chemistry of Our Environment	4
Select one of the following:		3
ECON 2030	Principles of Microeconomics
ECON 2040	Principles of Macroeconomics
PSYC 1030	Psychology of Personal Adjustment	3
SOCS 1010	General Sociology	3
Subtotal		22
Approved Apprenticeship
Complete an approved apprenticeship		18
Subtotal		18
Technical and Related Courses
BUSN 1010	Introduction to Business	3
BUSN 2050	Principles of Management^	3
BUSN 2060	Principles of Marketing	3
ACCT 1010	Financial Accounting	4
ACCT 1020	Managerial Accounting	4
LAWS 2050	Law of Contracts	3
Subtotal		20
Total Hours		60