Professional Studies (AA)
College: College of Social Sciences & Professional Studies
The Associate of Arts (AA) in professional studies degree is a generalist degree aimed at preparing students for careers, citizenship, and possibly further education. An AA in professional studies focuses on analytical skills designed for success in the private and public sector.
Students enrolling in the AA will learn valuable professional skills and applications that they will be able to utilize whether they continue in higher education or choose to enter the professional world. Upon completion of the AA degree, students will have the option to continue on to complete a bachelor’s degree, with the completed Associate of Arts credential in hand.
The AA degree enables students to earn a credential after approximately two years of study in general education, university skill requirements, program requirements, and a capstone course. Upon entering the program, a student will meet with an advisor to discuss educational and professional goals and plan the best selection of courses to meet those goals. Upon completion of the AA degree, students will have the option to continue on to complete a bachelor’s degree, with the completed Associate of Arts credential in hand. Students may pursue any UW‐Parkside bachelor’s degree program, noting however, that this AA has been created to lead best into Bachelor’s degrees in the social and behavioral science disciplines, but does not preclude any student from pursuing the degree.
See the Associate Degree section of the catalog for more programmatic and curricular information.
- Students earning the AA in professional studies degree will be practically and intellectually prepared to enter the job market.
- Students earning the AA in professional studies degree and leaving college will be intellectually prepared to consider returning, when ready and able, to complete a four-year bachelor’s degree.
- Students earning the AA in professional studies degree will demonstrate the intellectual and interpersonal skills that will help them contribute to innovation in the community and in the workplace.
Requirements for the A.A. in Professional Studies
The program requires a minimum of 60 credits.
To complete this degree program students must complete all required courses and earn a minimum cumulative degree grade point average of 2.00.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Basic Skills Requirements | ||
English/Writing Skills Course | ||
ENGL 101 | Composition and Reading 1 | 3 |
Computational and Quantitative Skills Courses | ||
Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
Survey of Mathematics 2 | ||
Elementary Statistics 2 | ||
Quantitative Reasoning 2 | ||
College Algebra I 2 | ||
General Education Requirements 3 | ||
Humanities and the Arts Courses | ||
Select four courses from three different departments 4,5 | 3-6 | |
Social and Behavioral Sciences Courses | ||
Select four courses from three different departments 4,6 | 3-9 | |
Natural Sciences Courses | ||
Select four courses from three different departments 3,7 | 9-12 | |
Ethnic Diversity Course | ||
Select one course that carries “DV” credit 4,8 | 0-3 | |
Program Core Requirements | ||
Communication | ||
COMM 105 | Public Speaking for the 21st Century 4 | 3 |
Citizenship | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
American Politics 4 | ||
Introduction to Politics 4 | ||
Contemporary Moral Problems | ||
Technological Literacy | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Introduction to Computers 4 | ||
Introduction to Programming 4 | ||
Program Fundamental Skills | ||
Analytical Skills | ||
Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
Criminal Justice Research Methods | ||
Sources and Methods in History | ||
Techniques of Philosophical Research | ||
Research Methods and Sources | ||
Statistics for the Social Sciences | ||
Business Statistics I | ||
Global Literacy | ||
INTS 100 | Introduction to International Studies | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 2 | |
Practicum: Global Skills in Culture and Language | ||
Practicum: Global Skills in Political and Economic Systems | ||
Program Advanced Professional Skills | ||
Required Ethics Course | ||
PHIL 206 | Introduction to Ethics | 3 |
Private or Public Sector Option | ||
Select Private or Public Sector Option: | 3 | |
Private Sector Option | ||
Introduction to Business 4 | ||
Public Sector Option | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
Introduction to Sociology 4 | ||
Race and Ethnic Relations in the U.S. 4 | ||
Public Policy | ||
Electives | ||
In consultation with advisor, select other courses as needed to reach a total of at least 60 credits. | 16 | |
Total Credits | 60-77 |
- 1
This course fulfills the university writing skills requirements.
- 2
This course fulfills the university computational skills requirements.
- 3
There are 36 credits required for general education but, after taking required courses for the program, a range of 18-27 credits will be needed depending on the program elective choices.
- 4
These courses count toward general education requirements for UW-Parkside.
Check the course schedule and work with your advisor to find courses that fulfill your general education and/or ethnic diversity requirements.
- 5
Required courses PHIL 206 Introduction to Ethics and COMM 105 Public Speaking for the 21st Century fulfill part of this requirement.
Program elective courses may also fulfill part of this requirement (PHIL 215 Contemporary Moral Problems).
- 6
Required course INTS 100 Introduction to International Studies fulfills part of this requirement.
Program elective courses may also fulfill part of this requirement (i.e. POLS 100 American Politics, POLS 105 Introduction to Politics; BUS 100 Introduction to Business; SOCA 206 Race and Ethnic Relations in the U.S.).
- 7
Required course CSCI 105 Introduction to Computers or CSCI 130 Introduction to Programming fulfills part of this requirement.
- 8
A program elective course may also be used to satisfy this requirement (SOCA 206 Race and Ethnic Relations in the U.S.).
How credits count:
Courses can count for multiple requirements such as a program requirement and a general education requirement but, the credits only count once. Therefore, depending on how many courses are chosen that fulfill both program and general education requirements, students may be required to take additional elective courses (from those not already taken in areas above) to reach the required minimum of 60 credits for an associate degree.
Depth, two-course sequence requirement:
The University of Wisconsin system has a requirement that each associate degree program must contain at least one two-course sequence in which the first course provides the foundation for the second course. While there may be multiples in this program the sequence of INTS 100 Introduction to International Studies, and INTS 307 Practicum: Global Skills in Culture and Language or INTS 308 Practicum: Global Skills in Political and Economic Systems fulfill the requirement.