Public Safety Administration, BAS

Purpose

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Public Safety Administration (BAS PSAD) is designed to prepare individuals to be leaders and administrators in public safety related professions. Students enrolling in the program bring a variety of safety and security backgrounds to enrich the educational experience, including legal studies and law enforcement, corrections, fire science, and emergency medical services. The program provides a career and educational pathway for students who have earned an Associate in Science degree in a Public Safety discipline or an Associate in Arts with electives chosen from the Public Safety field.

Program Structure

The BAS PSAD program includes courses in public administration, strategic planning, finance and budgeting, human resource management, and homeland security. Courses are offered online or in a blend of online and traditional formats, in an accelerated eight-week fashion, to accommodate students’ varying schedules and learning preferences.

• Degree Requirements: 120 credit hours
• General Education Core Requirements: minimum of 36 credit hours
• Additional Lower Division Program Requirements: minimum of 45 credit hours with at least 12 of the required credits in a Public Safety discipline (courses with the following prefixes: BUL, CCJ, CJC, CJE, CJJ, CJL, CJT, EMS, FFP, PLA, PSE, and/or other Public Safety courses that may transfer from another college or university)
• Baccalaureate Program Requirements: 39 credit hours

Admission Requirements

1. Applicants must apply for admission and be accepted to Florida SouthWestern State College. Official transcripts from all previously attended colleges or universities must be sent directly to the Office of the Registrar.
2. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3. Applicants must have earned:
   1. Associate in Science degree in Criminal Justice Technology, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Science Technology, Paralegal Studies, or Crime Scene Technology (or a related public safety field) from any regionally accredited college or university, as defined by State Board of Education rule, with a minimum of 60 credit hours,
      
      OR
       
   2. Associate degree from any regionally accredited college or universityor higher, which includes the completion of Florida State General Education Core Requirements.Students with a minimum of 60 hours, with all general education and prerequisite courses completed, may apply for admission. Such applicants must complete 12 credit hours in one of the following content areas. Students are permitted to take these 12 credit hours following admission to the BAS PSAD within their first 12 credit hours of enrollment:
      1. Criminal Justice
      2. Crime Scene Technology
      3. Paralegal Studies
      4. Fire Science
      5. Emergency Medical Services
      6. A combination of the above content areas upon recommendation by the BAS Admissions Committee or approval by the appropriate academic Dean.
         
         OR
          
   3. Associate degree from any regionally accredited college or universityor higher, which includes the completion of the State of Florida General Education Core Requirements. Students with a minimum of 60 hours, with all general education and prerequisite courses completed, may apply for admission. Such applicants must have one of the following current certifications:
      1. Active national or state firefighter certification
      2. Active National Registry or Florida Emergency Medical Technician-Basic or Paramedic certification
      3. Active national or state eligible certification in law enforcement or corrections
      4. Previous certification which includes at least four years demonstrated work experience in one of the following:
         1. National or state firefighter certification
         2. National Registry or state firefighter certification
         3. National or state certification in law enforcement or corrections.
4. Students are encouraged to apply for admission during the term in which they will complete their Associate degree program.
5. Applicants not meeting stated admission criteria may petition for program admittance if they feel there are mitigating circumstances. Applicants must submit an official petition form to the Office of Admissions.

Requirements to Enroll in Baccalaureate (3000 or 4000) Courses

1. Upon admission to the BAS program, students must attend a required orientation session prior to enrollment in baccalaureate courses.
2. Students must complete ENC 1101 - Composition I , ENC 1102 - Composition II , and three credit hours of approved mathematics prior to enrollment in any baccalaureate courses (3000 or 4000 level) with a grade of C or higher. (Refer to the General Education Program Guide  )
3. Students who are accepted under admission requirement 3.B. above must complete 12 credit hours in a single public safety discipline, or a combination of courses as approved by the appropriate academic dean, prior to enrollment in upper division courses.
4. Students must meet program criteria, defined below, prior to enrollment in PAD 4878 - Public Safety Administration Capstone . PAD 4878  must be completed through Florida SouthWestern State College and is not eligible for cross-enrollment.
5. Cross-enrollment approval: Baccalaureate degree seeking students must obtain prior approval to cross enroll (as a transient student) in courses intended to fulfill baccalaureate program requirements. Approval will be determined by the appropriate dean in collaboration with program faculty. Students initiate this process using Florida Virtual Campus: www.floridashines.org .
6. Students who have not fulfilled the State of Florida general education core requirements must complete them. Students who transfer to Florida SouthWestern State College with a previous Associate in Arts degree from a Florida state or community college or a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution are considered to have met the General Education component of the degree. Students are permitted to complete remaining general education courses while enrolled in the BAS program. However, prior to enrollment in PAD 4878 - Public Safety Administration Capstone , students must have all general education and degree core courses completed.
7. Students who have previously earned an Associate in Arts or a baccalaureate degree from a college or university outside the State of Florida will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine which courses will meet the 36 hour General Education Requirements.  Students must have earned equivalent credit hours in each General Education category (i.e., 6 hours of Humanities, 9 hours of Social Sciences, etc.). 

Graduation Requirements

1. Students must satisfactorily complete 120 credit hours to be eligible for graduation. For residency purposes, a minimum of 15 core baccalaureate (3000 or 4000 level) program credit hours required for graduation must be completed at Florida SouthWestern State College. All other specific degree requirements must also be met. Credit awarded for Developmental Studies instruction may not be applied toward the total number of credits required for residency purposes or graduation.
2. Students must complete the State of Florida General Education Core Requirements, including any assessment of General Education outcomes that are required by the College. Transfer courses will be reviewed for equivalency. Students who transfer to Florida SouthWestern State College with a previous Associate in Arts degree from a Florida College or baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution are considered to have met the General Education component of the degree.
3. The Foreign Language Competency Requirement may be met by:
   • 2 years of the same High School Foreign Language, or
   • Documented foreign language proficiency through testing (for example, CLEP)
   • 2 semesters of the same College Level Foreign Language (level II proficiency), or
   • Level II proficiency - this criterion occurs when a student has completed the second course of a sequence of college foreign language without completing the first course.  For example, if a student has successfully completed a college-level Spanish II but not Spanish I, then the student has met the Foreign Language Competency requirement.
4. Students must fulfill all requirements of their program major.
5. Students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
6. Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all baccalaureate (3000 or 4000 level) program requirements.
7. Students must successfully complete the Capstone Post Course Exit Exam (minimum grade of 70%) as part of the fulfillment of the graduation requirement.
8. Students must indicate their intention to attend commencement ceremony, by completing the Commencement Form by the published deadline.

Many courses require prerequisites. Check the description of each course in the list below to check for prerequisites, minimum grade requirements, and other restrictions related to the course. Students must complete all prerequisites for a course prior to registering for it.