BA in Professional Studies

downloadable Professional Studies brochure

This major allows students to pursue individualized academic interests and personal/professional goals within the framework of an academically sound and rigorous baccalaureate degree program.

It is an excellent alternative for the mature student who wants to build on past experience and design his or her degree for current or future needs.

It offers the student flexibility and allows for intellectual growth in a number of academic areas, rather than the fixed course requirements of traditional degree programs.

Some students choose the Professional Studies program to assemble unique career requirements or to acquire a broad cultural perspective. Others use it to build programs of maximum academic strength in preparation for specific graduate programs. Some enhance their job performance by combining knowledge and competencies across several departments.

The Professional Studies major allows the individual student's goals and objectives to be the primary rationale for course selection and major requirements. An advisor from the Outreach and Continuing Education Department guides the student and approves the class schedule.

Requirements

The Professional Studies MAJOR requires completion of the WSU university studies component, and 48 upper division (300 or 400 level) credits. A maximum of 9 upper division credits may be taken on a pass/no credit basis. In most cases, students will also be able to complete lower division prerequisites within the 120 total credits needed for graduation.

The Professional Studies MINOR requires completion of 21 credits of which 15 credits must be upper division (300 or 400 level) credits. All credits taken for the minor must not duplicate any other courses in the students program and cannot count in any place except the minor.

All Winona State policies regarding admission, GPA, graduation and major/minor requirements, etc., which are in effect at the time of major/minor declaration, apply to this program. See the university catalog for descriptions and additional information and regulations. Of the minimum 120 credits required for graduation, at least 30 semester hours must be taken from Winona State University during the junior and senior years. A minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required both overall, and for the major.

Students must also submit a statement of their goals and objectives for the Professional Studies major or minor, which will be reviewed by the Professional Studies advisor and retained in the student's file.

Goals Statement

The purpose of the Professional Studies major/minor goals statement is to provide information to the advisor about the student and what he or she expects to accomplish through this major/minor. It also asks the student to give thought to the knowledge and competencies he or she hopes to acquire and how this might be achieved.

There are three sections to the Goals Statement:

1. Introduce yourself. Include schools attended, jobs held, personal information you may wish to share, and the circumstances leading to your entry or re-entry to the university.
2. Rationale for preferring the Professional Studies major/minor rather than a more traditional major/minor with fixed courses. Explain your reasons for wanting the Professional Studies major/minor. Show it will help you achieve your goals and objectives.
3. Bodies of knowledge and competencies you hope to acquire through the Professional Studies major/minor. Illustrate by describing departments and courses that may be useful. Relate this to your past experience and future needs.

This statement should be written as soon as possible after the Professional Studies major/minor is formally declared. To declare the major/minor, complete a declaration of major/minor form available in the Registrar's Office, 209 Maxwell and bring it to 106 Somsen for the required signatures.

Leadership Option

This option within the Professional Studies major allows students to focus their major coursework around one or more areas of leadership knowledge and skills.

The Leadership Option requires that students complete 48 credits of upper-division coursework of which 21 credits must be selected from the following list of approved core electives that pertain to various aspects of leadership.

BUED: 350, 360, 412
BUSA: 326
CE: 432
CMST: 366, 371, 387
MGMT: 325, 334, 464
MKTG: 300
MCOM: 340
MIS: 362
PSY: 305, 325, 330, 425
SOC: 423

Students graduating under this option will have their degrees posted as Bachelor of Arts Professional Studies: Leadership Option.

For more information and personalized advising concerning specific courses or requirements within the leadership option please make an appointment to see a Professional Studies advisor in the Outreach and Continuing Education Department.

Contact: professionalstudies@winona.edu