Technical Studies, A.A.S.

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Technical Studies

Program Description

The A.A.S. degree in Technical Studies will provide a means for students to acquire credits based on technical training within their employing organization. Credit may be granted to individuals who have successfully completed courses evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE) in a corporate, industrial or military training program or through a certified apprenticeship training program in the building and construction trades and who are interested in pursuing an associate in applied science degree according to the following guidelines:

Program is evaluated by the American Council on Education (ACE)

Collegiate-level depth/breadth of curriculum beyond entry-level requirements
Number of lecture/lab hours of study
Company and trainer certifications
Prior completion of prerequisites or predetermined skill level
Types of assessments
Level of supervision
Cooperative/apprenticeship experiences associated with the training

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, graduates will be able to:

Apply theory and hands-on practices to the specific area of technical studies within their employing organization;
Perform laboratory procedures and assess the validity of experimental/diagnostic data;
Employ critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve technical problems;
Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate and present information in a logical and systematic manner;
Express and interpret both technical and non-technical concepts orally, in written, and electronic formats;
Demonstrate information literacy through familiarity and the effective use of technical literature in their field of study;
Examine the various issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion impacting the trades.

After UCNJ

Upon graduating the student will have increased opportunities for professional and personal advancement. This A.A.S. degree is not transferable to a four-year institution, but many of the non-technology courses may transfer.

Recommended Sequence

First Year

Fall Semester

ENG 101 - English Composition I 3 credit hours
MAT 119 - Algebra
4 credit hours*
Up to 8 Technical Studies Credits Awarded¹ 8 credit hours

Semester Total: 15

Spring Semester

ENG 102 - English Composition II 3 credit hours
OR
ENG 122 - Introductory Technical and Business Writing 3 credit hours
CST Gen Ed Requirement² 3 credit hours
Elective Technical³ 4 credit hours
Up to 8 Technical Studies Credits Awarded 8 credit hours

Semester Total: 18

Second Year

Fall Semester

ENG 128 - The Dynamics of Communication 3 credit hours
OR
ENG 129 - Public Speaking 3 credit hours
Lab Science Gen Ed Requirement - 4 credit hours
⁴
Elective Technical³ 4 credit hours
Up to 5 Technical Studies Credits Awarded 5 credit hours

Semester Total: 16

Spring Semester

Elective Technical³ 4 credit hours
Humanities
  /
Social Science
  /
History
  Gen Ed Requirement 3 credit hours
Up to 4 Technical Studies Credits Awarded 4 credit hours

Semester Total: 11

Total Program Credits: 60

* Higher course may be indicated by math placement test. Students will meet with an advisor to select an area of concentration from among all of the college’s technically-oriented A.A.S. degree programs. An advisor for the selected concentration area will develop with each student a plan of study to include at least 10 credits from the concentration area.

¹ Between 3 and 25 credits may be earned as block credits for ACE evaluated corporate, industrial, or military training programs after review by faculty of a related program and/or the appropriate advisor. These credits will be posted to a student’s UCNJ transcript on a matching basis as students earn credits for courses taken at UCNJ.

² Choose any 3 credit computer science OR computer information systems course from the list of Gen Ed courses in the current catalog.

³ Upon consultation with the advisor, additional technical electives may be selected from the following areas: ARC, AST, BIO, CHE, CIT, CST, EET, GEY, MAT, and PHY, if required.

⁴ Choose any 4 credit lab science course from the list of Gen Ed courses in the current catalog.

Milestone Courses

The milestones (in bold) identify critical courses for timely progress and the semester in which the course should be completed for on-time graduation. Milestone course grades < 2.0 should be discussed with an advisor.

Career and Transfer Information