General Education for all options except Process Technology: 20 Credit Hour(s)

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Option

Recommended Courses (9 hours to come from 42 remaining hours)

• ACCT 2103 - Accounting I-Financial 3
• CS 1113 - Microcomputer Applications 3
• ECON 2123 - Principles of Microeconomics 3

Total Credit Hour(s): 62

Pathway A - Completion Degree for Industry Professionals with Third-Party Credentials

• Description
  This pathway would facilitate degree completion by Oklahomans who have earned an industry recognized credential to fulfill a career goal by combining general education course work with specific technical knowledge and skills in preparation for employment or career advancement.
• Source of Credit
  A minimum of 9 credit hours in a technical specialty would be awarded via PLA, as determined by evaluation of industry recognized credentials. The remainder of the degree requirements would be completed through RSU coursework, with transfer credit applied as appropriate.

Pathway B - Completion Degree for Former CareerTech Students

• Description
  This pathway would facilitate degree completion by former Oklahoma CareerTech students to fulfill a career goal by combining general education course work with specific technical knowledge and skills in preparation for employment or career advancement.
• Source of Credit
  A minimum of 9 credit hours in a technical specialty would be awarded via PLA (as determined by evaluation of industry recognized credentials) and/or approved technical transfer credit from an Oklahoma CareerTech center. The remainder of the degree requirements would be completed through RSU coursework, with transfer credit applied as appropriate.
• Rationale
  The statewide Technical Transfer Matrix serves to allow CareerTech students to leverage their training toward an AAS degree in those instances where educational preparation aligns with the rigor and learning outcomes of college-level coursework, but may not lead to an industry recognized credential. The courses included on the statewide Technical Transfer Matrix have been evaluated and validated by faculty subject experts at each of the receiving institutions. Allowing students to leverage their CareerTech learning experiences not only via PLA, but also through the transfer of approved technical transfer, would strengthen pathways to degree completion from Oklahoma’s CareerTech system to higher education institutions.

Pathway C - Completion Degree for Previous AAS Students

• Description
  This pathway would facilitate degree completion by previous students who were unable to complete their chosen AAS degree prior to leaving the institution. Students would be required to complete a minimum of 9 credit hours in a technical specialty (to align with the minimum 9 credit hour requirement included in the original degree structure), with the remaining 33 credit hours comprised of additional technical specialty and/or related technical coursework.
• Source of Credit
  May be completed entirely through college technical coursework; however, PLA and transfer credit may be applied, as appropriate.
• Rationale
  Utilization of the AAS in Applied Technology in this manner would provide a degree completion pathway for former AAS students who are unable to take advantage of the AS in Enterprise Development degree completion program. These are students who went to work prior to degree completion or stopped out due to family or other obligations. Providing these students with the option of applying their previously earned college credit toward the AAS in Applied Technology would allow them to complete a credential that would support their career advancement and serve to support Oklahoma’s degree completion initiative.

Pathway D - New and Cross-Disciplinary Degree with Opportunities to Pilot New Programming

• Description
  This pathway would provide a degree option for students who need to complete cross-disciplinary studies to serve a current or emerging industry need not accommodated by any existing programs. Students would be required to complete a minimum of 9 credit hours in a technical specialty (to align with the minimum 9 credit hour requirement included in the original degree structure), with the remaining 33 credit hours comprised of additional technical specialty and/or related technical coursework.
• Source of Credit
  May be completed entirely through college coursework; however, PLA and transfer credit may be applied, as appropriate.
• Rationale
  This pathway would facilitate degree completion by students who wish to pursue careers in current and emergent cross-disciplinary occupations not currently served by existing program offerings.
  
  During RSU’s academic realignment process, discussions with the institution’s industry partners, faculty and academic leaders revealed a growing need to provide technical training for a number of current and emergent cross-disciplinary occupations in fields such as Process Technology and Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Utilization of the AAS in Applied Technology to provide cross-disciplinary instruction for these students would not only allow RSU to serve additional stakeholders with existing institutional resources, it would also provide a platform in which to pilot potential cross-disciplinary programs to determine their viability and demand prior to implementation.