Bachelor of Integrated Studies

Program Description

The Associate of Arts, AA at JCCC is a general transfer degree and partners well with the first two years of most bachelor degree programs. Students pursuing the AA may select courses that satisfy both the AA degree requirements and lower division requirements for a bachelor’s degree at four-year institutions. The elective hours within the AA allow students to complete additional general education and lower division courses required for specific majors. The AA degree requires completion of 60 credit hours. Meeting with a JCCC counselor is strongly recommended for selection of appropriate courses. 

The Bachelor of Integrated Studies degree allows students to use existing academic resources in a sound and creative manner to individualize their academic experiences. The requirements of the BIS degree embrace the ideals of a multi-disciplinary education at the undergraduate level. Student who does not plan to seek post baccalaureate education in a specific field benefit greatly from a relatively brief exposure to fundamental aspects of selected disciplines relevant to their personal interests, goals, aspirations, or career path, despite never completing the full set of major requirements in a discipline.

The program strives to meet student needs in a number of ways. Students interested in a career field which is rapidly evolving will find the flexibility to build a curriculum that meets these demands. A creative student whose interests bridge several disciplines can do so with this program.

Multi-disciplinary plans of study within the Bachelor of Integrated Studies may be created in two ways:

• Unique, customized plan created by a student and approved. To meet the depth of experience component of the degree requirements, the student designs and submits for approval an Individualized Study Program (ISP). This ISP is formulated by selecting courses from two (or more) Emphasis Areas, or by selecting courses which are consistent with a specific focus, theme, or unifying conceptual principle. All ISPs will have a minimum of 30 credit hours and a capstone project or internship approved by the BIS Director.
• Multi-disciplinary Study Program plan created by a group of departments and pre-approved. Students who choose to pursue these “pre-approved” plans of study must complete the course-work identified by the participating departments or work with the BIS Director to find appropriate substitutions. All MDSPs will have a minimum of 30 credit hours but may have more depending on the individualized plan and a capstone project or internship approved by the BIS Director.
• Two Areas of Emphasis: 12-18 hours completed in each of two departments or disciplines, one of which must be within CAS.
• Three Areas of Emphasis: 12-18 hours will be completed in each of three departments or disciplines, two of which must be with CAS.
• Upper division course may require prerequisites or consent of instructor. Programs must be formulated in consultation with the BIS Director. If considering a customized plan, use the standard pre-approved programs as models.
• The following pre-approved MDSPs are currently available: Administrative Communication, Liberal Arts, and Web Technology Utilization.

Admission Requirements

• Apply for admission, complete the application.
• Send official transcripts of all previous college work to: Washburn University, Office of Admissions, 1700 SW College, Topeka, KS 66621 or submit them electronically to Office of Admission.
• Academic good standing; minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0

Requirements for Bachelor’s Degree

• Minimum of 120 semester hours of credit, 84 of which must be graded and 45 of which must be at the 300 or 400 level.
• Minimum of 60 semester hours from Washburn or a four-year college or university; at least 30 hours must be completed through Washburn
• Students must have an Associate of Arts degree or Associate of Science degree from one of the partner community colleges. Non-partner community college students and other associate degrees are reviewed on an individual basis for eligibility.
• A minimum of 99 semester hours of credit in courses that either are offered in the College of Arts and Sciences or would normally be taught by a discipline in a college of arts and sciences.
• A major consisting of no less than 24 hours in the discipline, of which at least 12 must be at the upper division level.
• Complete 34-35 hours of General Education.
• Grade of “C” or better is required for designated courses in ISP/MDSP.
• Courses applied to the General Education distribution requirements may not also be utilized to meet ISP/MDSP requirements.
• All requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree must be met with the following exceptions: no major requirements; no foreign language requirement.

General Education

• Students transferring to Washburn, that complete the General Education requirements required for the Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree from JCCC will be considered to have satisfied Washburn’s general education curriculum. 
• Students who transfer to Washburn, without completing the General Education requirements required for the Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree will have courses evaluated on a course-by-course basis toward meeting Washburn requirements. To learn more about courses that satisfy Washburn Core Requirements and Washburn Transfer Equivalency Tool.

Visit the Washburn General Education Guide for JCCC equivalents.