Degree Offered
- Regents Bachelor of Arts (RBA)
Nature of the Program
The Regents Bachelor of Arts (RBA) degree is designed to meet the unique goals of non-traditional students who want to complete bachelor's degrees. The program allows flexibility in developing individualized plans of study so that coursework prepares the student for identified goals. You can complete the program on campus or online, at your own pace. Previous college coursework from accredited colleges can be utilized and credit by exam (CLEP/DSST) is considered. Eligible students may also acquire college credit for professional, volunteer, and military experiences via portfolio submission or standardized awards. Students work closely with an advisor to tailor their academic courses of study to meet their individual needs.
Those who may benefit from an RBA degree include working adults who want to pursue an education while balancing commitments to work and family, veterans with prior military training, and students who plan to continue with post-graduate education. Degree completion also often increases marketability and mobility within an established career.
Adding Focus to the RBA
The Regents Bachelor of Arts degree prepares students for a variety of post-graduate opportunities. Students in the RBA program can complete a focused area of education to further define this degree. Each area of emphasis requires the completion of 15 graded hours of upper-division classroom work with a grade of C- or better in each course. Read more about Areas of Emphasis here.
Program Contact Information:
Dawn Surbaugh, Program Coordinator
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Interdisciplinary Science Building, Room 112
Beckley, WV 25801
(304) 929-1685
Admissions
Admission and retention requirements are the same as for other degree programs except that students are not eligible for admission until at least three years after graduation from high school.
Students who have earned any Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree are eligible for admission.
Students may not be enrolled simultaneously in the RBA program and another college degree program and they are ineligible if they have already earned a bachelor's degree.
Pending approval of the Registrar, all passing grades from other accredited colleges, plus passing grades on CLEP, DSST and other college level tests, will be accepted.
Credit may be awarded for certificates and licenses based upon standards as set by the Regents Bachelor of Arts program.
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
Degree Requirements
- General Education:
- Communication Skills (6 hours) Outcome: Courses in this area must provide the student with skills and knowledge to be able to communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
- Humanities (6 hours) Outcome: Courses in this area must demonstrate knowledge in the interdisciplinary study and philosophy of diverse cultures.
- Social Science (6 hours) Outcome: Courses will demonstrate understanding of the development, diversity, and complexity of human behavior and institutions.
- Natural or Physical Science (3 hours) Outcome: Courses in this area must provide an understanding of the physical world through the scientific method (understanding of the basic facts, principles, theories and methods of science).
- Mathematics, Statistics, or Computer Applications (3 hours)
- Additional, Mathematics, Computer Applications, Statistic, or Science (3 hours)
- Required Major Courses: MDS 311 Professional Development (1 hour); MDS 411 Capstone (1 hour).
- Residency: Students must complete a residency of 24 hours of coursework taken at one or more institutions within West Virginia's public higher education system. Six of the 24 hours must be taken at WVU Tech.
- Portfolios: Students may earn credit through academic portfolios for prior learning and experiences.
- Grade Point Average: Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 to be eligible for graduation.
- Grade Point Average in the Major: A minimum GPA is required in all courses applied to major requirements. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA, unless the course is eligible for a D/F repeat.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Communication Skills | 6 | |
Select courses fulfilling GEF 1 or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by the RBA Coordinator. | ||
| Humanities | 6 | |
Select courses fulfilling GEF 5 or 6, or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by the RBA Coordinator. | ||
| Social Science | 6 | |
Select courses fulfilling GEF 4 or 7, or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by the RBA Coordinator. | ||
| Natural or Physical Science | 3 | |
Select courses fulfilling GEF 2, or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by the RBA Coordinator. | ||
| Mathematics, Statistics, or Computer Science | 3 | |
Select courses fulfilling GEF 3, or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by the RBA Coordinator. | ||
| Additional Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics, or Science | 3 | |
| Select an additional course fulfiling GEF 2, GEF 3, or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by the RBA Coordinator. | ||
| Upper Division Courses | 30 | |
RBA Required Courses | ||
| RBA Professional Development (1 credit) | ||
| RBA Capstone (1 credit) | ||
| Select 28 additional credits at the 300 or 400 level | ||
| Electives | 63 | |
| Select any course at any level | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Areas of Emphasis Offered
- Adventure Recreation Management
- Aviation Studies
- Business
- Creative Arts
- Cultural Studies
- Government
- Health Care Services
- Information Studies
- Marketing
- Organizational Management
- Professional Pilot
- Sciences
- Social Sciences
- Sport Studies
Adventure Recreation Management Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- is required for all courses within the Area of Emphasis. | ||
| 300 or 400 level ADRC Courses | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Aviation Studies Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C is required in all AOE coursework. | ||
| AVIA 489 | Aviation Law | 3 |
| Upper-Division AVIA Courses | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Business Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must have a C- grade or better in all AOE designated courses | ||
| 300 or 400 level courses in the following subject areas: ACCT, BMAN, ENTR, FIN, MANG, MKTG, ISYS | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Creative Arts Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must earn a C- grade or better in all designated AOE courses | ||
| 300 or 400 level courses in the following subject areas: ENGL, MUSC, THET, and Languages | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Cultural Studies Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must have a C- grade or better in all AOE designated courses | ||
| 300 or 400 level courses in the following subject areas: ENGL, HIST, MUSC, PSYC, SOCA | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Government Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must earn a C- grade or better in all designated AOE courses | ||
| 300 or 400 level courses in the following subject areas: ECON, HIST, POLS, SOCA | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Health Care Services Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must earn a C- grade or better in all designated AOE courses | ||
| HUMS 320 | Public Administration | 3 |
| HUMS 330 | Health Insurance | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
300 or 400 level courses in the following subject areas: HUMS | ||
| Death and Dying | ||
| Illness and Health Care | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Information Studies Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must have a C- grade or better in all AOE designated courses | ||
| Select from the following: | 15 | |
300 or 400 level courses in the following subject areas: ENGL | ||
300 or 400 level courses in the following subject areas: ISYS | ||
| Management of Small Business | ||
| Human Resource Management Fundamentals | ||
| Leadership In Business | ||
| International Business | ||
| Business Simulation | ||
| Business Statistics | ||
| Business Information Systems | ||
| Organizational Behavior | ||
| Business Research Methods | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Marketing Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must earn a C- grade or better in all designated AOE courses | ||
| BMAN 350 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| Select four from the following: | 12 | |
| Management of Small Business | ||
| Human Resource Management Fundamentals | ||
| Leadership In Business | ||
| International Business | ||
| Business Simulation | ||
| Business Statistics | ||
| Business Information Systems | ||
| Organizational Behavior | ||
| Business Research Methods | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Organizational Management Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must earn a C- grade or better in all designated AOE courses | ||
| BMAN 370 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| BMAN 473 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| Select three from the following: | 9 | |
| Legal Environment of Business | ||
| Information Systems and Technology | ||
| Principles of Finance | ||
| Principles of Marketing | ||
| Supply Chain Management | ||
| Contemporary Business Strategy | ||
| Management of Small Business | ||
| Human Resource Management Fundamentals | ||
| Leadership In Business | ||
| International Business | ||
| Business Simulation | ||
| Business Statistics | ||
| Business Information Systems | ||
| Business Research Methods | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Professional Pilot Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework | ||
| AVIA 301 | Principles of Aviation Instruction | 3 |
| AVIA 302 | Initial Flight Instructor | 3 |
| AVIA 304 | Instrument Flight Instructor | 2 |
| AVIA 306 | Advanced Flight Instructor | 1 |
| AVIA 380 | Aviation Weather | 3 |
| AVIA 381 | Professional Field Experience 3 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
- *
Required prerequisite courses are AVIA 201, AVIA 231, AVIA 241, and AVIA 281. Students must complete these courses and/or have the applicable FAA pilot certificates (commercial pilot, instrument rating, and multi-engine rating)
Sciences Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must earn a C- grade or better in all designated AOE courses | ||
| 300 or 400 level courses in the following subject areas: BIOL, CHEM, MATH, PHYS | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Social Sciences Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Must earn a C- grade or better in all designated AOE courses | ||
| Select from the following: | 15 | |
300 or 400 level courses in the following subject areas: ANTH, CJ, CRIM, HIST, POLS, PSYC, SOC | ||
| Intermediate Micro-Economic Theory | ||
| Money and Banking | ||
| Collective Bargaining | ||
| Public Economics | ||
| Health Economics | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Sport Studies Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Upper-Division ACE Coursework | 6 | |
| Upper-Division SM Coursework | 6 | |
| Upper-Division ACE or SM Coursework | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Major Learning Outcomes
Regents Bachelor of Arts
Due to the unique nature of the Regents BA program, the learning outcomes for Regents BA students include four general education areas outlined below by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes. In addition, the program has three more learning outcomes associated with its required coursework.
Upon completion of the RBA degree, students will demonstrate the following:
- Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World - Measured by completion of Regents BA Natural/Physical Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and Humanities general education requirements
- Intellectual and Practical Skills - Measured by completion of Regents BA Communication Skills, Natural/Physical Science, and Mathematics general education requirements
- Personal and Social Responsibility - Measured by completion of Regents BA Social Science and Humanities general education requirements
- Integrative and Applied Learning - Measured by completion of Regents BA Communication Skills, Natural/Physical Science, and Mathematics general education requirements
- Reflect on the relevance of prior learning experiences to their current academic pursuits.
- Communicate their unique knowledge, strengths and skills acquired through the RBA degree.
- Integrate their coursework with future goals and aspirations.
The Regents BA program assesses and measures these outcomes through completion of an e-portfolio.