ASU West helps professionals get BAS Victor Allen Staff Reporter Individuals thinking about a job shift within a company they already work for may find themselves in need of a higher degree than the one they currently hold. Persons holding an Associate of Applied Science degree in fire science, law enforcement, paralegal or any specialized degree program can now earn a bachelors degree to satisfy educational needs to facilitate promotion. Arizona State University West now has a program open to assist in getting that bachelor’s degree and getting that job! Taking an innovative approach to the demands of the ever changing job market, ASU West has developed a new Bachelor of Applied Science program tailor made for students and their career goals. It is the first new degree to be approved by the Arizona Board of Regents since 1995. This new degree program allows anyone with an AAS degree to obtain a BAS degree by accepting 60 credit hours from an AAS in a single block . This differs from previous BS programs that required a two-year course-by-course review. This is welcome news for those people who need a BS degree to change their career direction but don’t have time to do a traditional BS program. “The new degree program is focused on helping the student advance himself or herself within an existing job situation. For instance, a fire fighter may want to advance to a public relations office, or a police officer may want to transfer into a job with the responsibilities of communicating and coordinating in the school districts,” Dr. Elaine Maimon, Provost for ASU West said. “Courses are also conducted at a slightly faster pace than traditional courses taking into consideration the time constraints for the working student and recognition of an already developed educational capacity.” “Everyone is welcome to take advantage of the program. In fact, even though the program was just introduced in January, some students read about it in the Arizona Republic and quickly got on board,” Dr. Maimon said. “Our campus is state of the art and has full access for the handicapped. Ramps, Elevators, and push button doors went into the ground stage development of the campus. “Child care is available for those who need it,” Dr. Maimon said. “Our facilities and specialize in the care of 3 and 4 year olds.” The program has a 60 semester-hour requirement for completion. The course outline is as follows: 21 semester hours in arts, computers, writing, ethics, and career development;13 semester hours in lab science, history, global awareness and cultural diversity; 18-21 semester hours in classes with a thematic focus of the students choice based on goals and interests, electives 0-8 hours in classes to strengthen an area of specialization or explore new interests.