Southwest Texas College Board Approves First Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
Pending final approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), SWTX plans to launch the program as early as fall 2026. The degree is designed as a flexible, affordable pathway for students and working adults seeking advanced preparation in organizational management and leadership while remaining in the college’s service area.
“This bachelor’s degree gives our students and community a powerful new option to advance their education and careers without leaving the region,” said Dr. Mark Underwood Vice President, Special Projects, who presented the curriculum proposal to the board. “It is built to serve both traditional students and those already in the workforce who are ready to move into management and leadership roles.”
The 120-credit-hour program includes the 42-hour Texas core curriculum, up to 45 hours of technical electives that can be transferred from SWTX or other community colleges, and 33 hours of new upper-division coursework in organizational management and leadership.
This structure allows students from virtually any college program — such as welding, aviation, business, law enforcement or cosmetology — including students transferring from institutions other than SWTX, to apply their existing technical or academic credits toward the bachelor’s degree.
Because the degree follows an applied pathway and can be stacked on top of the college’s associate programs and the Cowboy Promise scholarship, in-district students may be able to complete a bachelor’s degree for about $6,000 out of pocket for the final two years of upper-division coursework.
College leaders say the new degree responds directly to strong community demand. For the past year, SWTX has regularly heard from local employers, alumni and current students asking when a bachelor’s option would be available close to home. “The community is hungry for it,” Underwood told trustees during the presentation.
SWTX will next submit the program to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and SACSCOC for a level-change approval to move from a Level 1 to a Level 2 institution authorized to offer bachelor’s degrees.