Technical Studies

STRUCTURE
Labor Studies
Procedure

The Associate in Applied Science degree in Technical Studies (A.A.S.-T.S.) is designed to meet the needs of students who want to take technical and general courses for college credit so as to meet the training or retraining demands of current or prospective employers. This interdisciplinary degree program enables groups of employees associated with one employer or individual students to tailor technical programs to their own specific needs. The occupational or technical training for which prior learning credit is sought must be relevant to a student�s education and career goals.

STRUCTURE

1. In general, the program is divided into three parts:

	Credits for Prior Experience:		(For example: apprenticeship, union activities, etc.) Not more than 20 credits
	Technical & Related Course:		At least 20 credits.
	General Ed./LaborStudies Courses:		At least 20 credits (At least 12 credits in Labor courses are required for the Labor Studies option.)

2. Sixty (60) to sixty-six (66) credits are required. Credits for prior experience are based on:
   1. Assessment of individual portfolios and records (See Credits for Prior Learning, page 27)
   2. Work completed in evaluated apprenticeship programs and accepted by the appropriate academic teaching departments.
   3. Other sources, such as CLEP, military schools, industrial schools (see page 27).3. If a student has insufficient prior experience for a 20 credit award, he/she will take additional technical and general education courses.4. The general, technical and cognate courses would be selected on the basis of the student�s interests, goals, and abilities. Each student�s program is individually designed.

For example, an individual completes an evaluated apprenticeship program to be an electrician, has an interest in management/labor relations and wants to stay with his company because of its location. A program which would give this individual mobility within his job might look like this:

	General Education		Credit
	Composition I		3
	Psychology in the Workplace		3
	Literature		3
	Liberal Arts electives		12
	Total General Education Credits			21
	Approved Apprenticeship			20
	Technical Courses
	Electrical Circuits		4
	Digital Electronics		4
	Instrumentation I		4
	Instrumentation II		4
	Total Technical Course Credits			16
	Related Courses
	Algebra for Technology		3
	Trigonometry for Technology		3
	Total Related Course Credits			6
	Total Credits			63

 
 (This schedule is meant as AN EXAMPLE ONLY.)

In another case, an individual may have completed an apprenticeship or organized training program, yet new developments in that field indicate that robots will soon do the bulk of the work required in that industry. However, this individual also enjoys working with people. A degree program for him or her might look like this:

	General Education		Credit
	Composition I		3
	Oral Communication I		3
	Psychology in the Workplace		3
	College Algebra		3
	Introduction to Computers		3
	Liberal Arts Elective		3
	Total General Education Credits			18
	Approved Apprenticeship			20
	Technical and Related Courses
	Management and Labor Relations		3
	Principles of Marketing		3
	Financial Accounting		4
	Managerial Accounting		4
	Law of Contracts		3
	Law of Business Organization		3
	Economics I & II		6
	Total Technical and Related Courses Credits			26
	Total Credits			64

(This schedule is meant as AN EXAMPLE ONLY.)

As these two examples point out, the AAS-TS degree is designed to be flexible and interdisciplinary. Because of the variety offered in this degree-program, therefore, the number of credits required for graduation could vary from 60 to 66.

Labor Studies

Students who are interested in combining labor studies with technical courses may earn an Associate Degree in Applied Science in Technical Studies. The program must include 12 credit hours in labor studies and be approved by the Dean of Business, Science and Technology. A full array of labor courses are available at Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island.

Procedure

Anyone interested in earning an A.A.S.-T.S. degree should speak with an Admissions officer. Students who are qualified will be referred to the Dean of Business, Science and Technology to assess the student�s prior learning experiences. (Procedures for the Assessment of Prior Learning are outlined on page 27 of this catalog.) If qualified, a learning contract leading to the A.A.S.-T.S. degree will be developed. The learning contract will be 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 and Technology. Any approved changes in the student�s program will become part of the learning contract.

This page last modified on: August 25, 2010