Barry University

Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS)

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The Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree program is designed for students who choose to pursue a professionally-oriented program of study. The degree is flexible in its design and thereby responds to diverse student needs and interests.

Students in this degree program are required to either complete an area of concentration or to submit a portfolio. (Students may choose to do both if desired.)

Students who opt to earn an area of concentration may select a concentration in one of the following areas: Health Services Administration, Human Resource Development, Information Technology, Network and Systems Engineering, Professional Administration, and Public Administration. Links to the curriculum for each of these areas and University policies appear under Areas of Concentration below.

Students who choose to earn credit for college-level learning acquired through professional work experience must submit a portfolio. The portfolio provides the opportunity for equating documented experiential learning into Barry University credit.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE

The minimum number of credits for degree completion is 120. College courses taken at a regionally accredited institution prior to enrolling at Barry University may be transferred into the program and applied toward the 120 credit requirement. At least 48 credits of upper- level course work (300 to 400-level credits) are required. The last 30 credits must be earned at Barry University.

Students who choose an area of concentration will select elective courses in the six concentrations noted previously. University policies regarding an area of concentration are as follows:

1. Only elective courses may be applied toward an area of concentration.
2. An area of concentration consists of no fewer than 21 credit hours (but no more than 30 credit hours) of appropriate and approved course work.
3. 15 of the 21 credit hours must be taken through Barry University and bear Barry University course prefixes and numbers.
4. 15 of the 21 credit hours must be in upper division courses, namely, 300 and 400 level courses.
5. Bachelor of Professional Studies with a concentration in Professional Administration, Public Administration, Human Resource Development, Health Services Administration-up to 6 credits in portfolio and/or transfer into Additional Requirements only.
6. Prerequisites must be honored.
7. The course title, prefix and number will be the determinant for course work in an area of concentration (e.g., ADM 412 Quality Leadership).
8. Grades of C or higher must be earned in all course work in the area of concentration.

PORTFOLIO

Students must demonstrate college-level learning in one or more of the following categories in order to receive credit for professional work experience and/or community service: communication, creativity, critical thinking, interpersonal relations, investigation and research, management, and supervision. Students must be able to document at least five years of full-time professional work experience and/or community service.

For additional information about the portfolio, click here.

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