BAS Tracks

As a BAS student, you must choose from one of four tracks:

• Healthcare management
• Sustainability studies
• Informatics
• Individualized

You take courses related to the track you choose. These include a capstone course that helps you integrate what you have learned.

The following examples show how you might tailor this track to meet your individual needs. 

• If you have an AAS in Criminal Justice and want to advance your career in criminal justice, you might work with your advisor to design an individualized track that includes 300- and 400-level courses in criminal justice, public affairs, psychology, and sociology.  
  
• If you have an AAS in Design Technology and want to change careers, you might select courses in web development and graphic design.  
  
• If you have an AAS in Advanced Manufacturing and want to become a supervisor or manager, you might choose courses in human resource development, communication, and other management skills.

A. Healthcare Management Track

The healthcare management track may appeal to you if you hold an AAS in one of the many healthcare fields, such as medical assisting, healthcare support, paramedic science, and medical laboratory technology. 

As a student in this track, you take courses that prepare you to: 

• Compare and contrast the US healthcare system (including reimbursement) with other systems around the world.  
• Demonstrate an understanding of the ethical, legal, financial, and political factors that influence the provision of health services in the United States.  
• Evaluate access to, and the cost of, US healthcare (including reimbursement practices) for different types of care.  
• Effectively assess and implement improvements in clinical care, customer service, and human resource planning in a healthcare setting.  
• Integrate knowledge and skills and apply to health management issues or challenges. This is the capstone course. 

B. Sustainability Studies Track

The sustainability studies track may appeal to you if you hold an AAS in a science field, especially in biology, chemistry, ecology, geosciences, or other similar fields.  

As a student in this track, you will learn to:

• Describe how environment, society, and economy are interrelated and impact each other.
• Articulate how your educational experience applies to work and career choices.
• Apply principles of sustainability to innovatively solve problems and implement sustainable practices.

C. Informatics Track

The informatics track may appeal if you hold an Associate of Applied Science in Computing or an Associate of Applied Science in Information Technology.

As a student in this track, you take courses that prepare you to:

• Identify basic concepts and definitions around computers and informatics.
• Apply basic problem-solving techniques such as pseudo-coding and flow charting.
• Design, implement, debug, and test software applications using a given programming language, as well as web-based applications and programs.
• Apply problem-solving techniques to solve basic algorithms.
• Identify elements of proper interface design and build user-centered interfaces.

D. Individualized Track 

Choose the individualized track if you hold an AAS in a field other than healthcare or the sciences. The individualized track is highly flexible. 

As a student in the track, you take courses based on your interests, backgrounds, and needs. These courses prepare you to: 

• Demonstrate your ability to think critically in the fields you study.  
  
• Effectively present central ideas, issues, and methods of inquiry specific to the fields you study.  
  
• Apply knowledge and skills from general education, the BAS core, and the individualized track to issues or challenges in your area of technical expertise. 

Students admitted to IU Online receive a full range of personalized support services, including:

• Onboarding
• Advising
• Success Coaching
• Math and Writing Support
• Career Services
• Peer Mentorship
• Tutoring

With its combined focus on business and science skills, the BAS prepares you for such careers as: 

• Office manager  
• Human resource manager  
• Hospitality manager 
• Allied health professional  
• Construction and safety manager 

Degree Requirements

To graduate with the BAS, you must complete a total of 120 credit hours. You may apply 60 to 64 credit hours from your AAS to Indiana University. You then complete 56-60 credit hours of courses from IU, with at least 30 credit hours at the 300- and 400-level.

Requirements are broken down as follows:

1. General education courses (30-42 credit hours) 
Some of these will likely transfer in from your AAS. You will complete the rest through IU.  

2. Applied science courses (48-51 credit hours)
These will all be transferred in from your AAS. 

3. BAS core courses (18 credit hours)
You will take all of these from IU. Rather than choosing from a specific list of courses, you will have the flexibility to choose from a range of courses that meet defined learning outcomes. See "BAS Core Courses" below.

4. BAS track courses (12 credit hours)
You will take all of these from IU. Rather than choosing from a specific list of courses, you will have the flexibility to choose from a range of courses that meet defined learning outcomes. See the "Courses You'll Take" tab.

5. Electives (0-12 credit hours)
Some will likely transfer in from your AAS. You will complete the rest through IU. 

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

You can transfer up to 64 credit hours from a regionally accredited community college, or 90 credit hours from an accredited four-year university or college.

Melinda Stanley, Program Director

Melinda Stanley, program director for the Bachelor of Applied Science, is lecturer in health care management in the Department of Public Administration and Health Management at IU Kokomo. She earned an EdD in Health Professions from A.T. Still University. Among courses taught are Ethics for Health Professionals, Economics of Health Care, Leadership for Health Professionals, and Systems of Health Care Delivery. She is a frequent presenter on topics related to teaching online, including at such venues as the annual IU Online Conference, IU’s Continuing the Conversation webinar series, the Online Learning Consortium, and the IU Kokomo Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. She is also an instructor for the Arthritis Foundation and a member of the Boy Scouts of Sagamore Council and the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana.

Vicar Valencia

Vicar Valencia is associate professor of economics and director of the Center for Economic Education at the Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics at IU South Bend. He earned his PhD at the University of Melbourne. His research has been published in such journals as the Atlantic Economic Journal, Review of Economics and Statistics, and the Australian Journal of Management. He is on the editorial review board of Small Business Economics. He is also economics section editor of Sage Open Journals. His research interests include applied microeconomics and empirical industrial organization. His awards include Best Article Award, Atlantic Economic Journal, and IUSB awards for Excellence in Research, in Teaching, and in Service.

Core

Find course descriptions with our Search Schedule of Classes/Courses tool.