Professional Studies, B.S.
Program Overview
Boost Your Career With Your Online Professional Studies Degree
Are you ready to boost your professional knowledge and skills to advance in your organization or begin a new career? Would obtaining your bachelor’s degree open up so many more opportunities for you?
If so, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s online Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies degree program may be ideal for you. Our bachelor’s in professional studies degree program is designed to maximize your prior college credits and place your career goals within reach.
Our bachelor’s program helps you gain knowledge, skills and insights in areas such as leadership, management, communication and more. Enhancing these professional skills will position you to achieve success in a business, organization or government leadership career.
Program Contact
- Nicolas Allion
- Enrollment Team
- online@charlotte.edu
- 704-687-5235
- Schedule appointment
Still trying to decide?
Ready to apply?
Apply NowProgram Details
Eligible students with at least 60 college credit hours — or an associate degree — can transfer up to 90 credit hours, allowing you to complete your bachelor’s in professional studies degree in as little as three full-time semesters.
Your plan of study will include developing applied professional skills, an exploration of human social relationships and institutions, two area concentrations from more than 50 areas, and a culminating capstone project.
The capstone project involves working in a small consulting group to develop and present viable solutions to an actual industry problem.
Applying What You Learn to Real Work Situations
“I always regretted not completing my degree, so I’ve always had it in the back of my mind as something I wanted to finish. I found the professional studies program at UNC Charlotte and saw that it was completely online and self-paced. As I dug in a little more, I was intrigued by the classes that were offered.
It’s really eye-opening to see how much the leadership-based classes apply to my real-life work situations. Everything is relatable. The capstone is focused on design thinking — thinking outside the box — and one of the issues we’re currently working on in my department is putting more effort into recruitment and retention: why people leave, why they stay, and what we can do to encourage retention versus just continued recruiting.”
Liz Hale ’23
Professional Studies
Charleston (SC) School District
Courses
Six required hours in Sociology:
- SOCY 2115: Introduction to Organizations (3) (required)
- SOCY 4111: Social Inequality (3)
- SOCY 4112: Sociology of Work (3)
- SOCY 4114: Professionalism in Sociology (3)
- SOCY 4115: Organizational Sociology (3)
Six required hours from the following PROS courses:
- PROS 3000: Topics in Professional Studies (1)
- PROS 3101: Project Management: Foundations (1)
- PROS 3102: Project Management: Practitioner (2)
- PROS 3103: Project Management: Specialist (2)
- PROS 3201: Leadership Essentials: Foundations (1)
- PROS 3202: Leadership Essentials: Practitioner (1)
- PROS 3203: Leadership Essentials: Specialist (1)
- PROS 3301: Human Resource Management: Foundations (1)
- PROS 3302: Human Resource Management: Practitioner (2)
- PROS 3303: Human Resource Management: Specialist (2)
- PROS 4600: Professional Studies Capstone (3) (required)
Area Courses or optional Minor will complete 18 credit hours:
- A minor of 18 credit hours may be substituted for the two areas
A student will complete 30 credit hours in the Professional Studies major. An advisor will assist with selection of additional electives needed to complete the 120 hours required to graduate.
*SOCY 1101: Introduction to Sociology is a prerequisite course. Prospective students without credit for Introduction to Sociology can include SOCY 1101 as part of their UNC Charlotte plan of study or may opt to complete the credit before enrolling; two options for completing the requirement before enrolling would be to take SOC 210 (Introduction to Sociology) online at a NC Community College or complete the Sociology, Introductory CLEP exam.
Admissions
Application Deadlines for New Students:
- July 1 (fall)
November 15 (spring)Spring 2025 deadline extended to December 1 and the transcripts and docs deadline extended to December 6! Apply today.- May 1 (first half summer term)
Application Deadlines for Returning Students:
- July 29 (fall)
- December 1 (spring)
- May 1 (summer)
Admissions & Requirements:
Prospective students for the Professional Studies degree should preferably have 75 eligible credit hours with a transferable associate degree or at least 60 eligible credit hours that fulfill the UNC Charlotte general education requirements.
Applicants should have an overall 2.0 grade point average.
Application
New Student to UNC Charlotte
- Prospective students with an approved NC community college associate degree can apply directly to the online program through the transfer student portal.
- Provide all post-secondary transcripts.
- Submit the application fee.
Returning Student to UNC Charlotte
- Students returning to UNC Charlotte after a 12 month absence can apply for readmission.
How will your courses transfer to UNC Charlotte?
- Transferable courses must be college-level and have a grade of C or higher.
- Please utilize the Transfer Credit Advisor for a list of courses that have previously transferred from your institution.
- Course equivalency lists are not exhaustive for any school except North Carolina community colleges.
Why UNC Charlotte?
Why Earn Your Online Degree in Professional Studies From UNC Charlotte?
Choosing UNC Charlotte’s bachelor’s in professional studies degree program offers you a number of advantages, including:
- Earn your online degree in in as little as 12 months. Our professional studies classes are asynchronous, meaning there are no set times to meet for class. Complete your coursework on your time so you can learn around your busyschedule and your busy life.
- Learn from experienced faculty experts. Our accomplished faculty includes instructors with extensive experience leading and managing organizations. They bring their experience and insights into the classroom to help you better understand the realities of twenty-first century workplaces.
- Stand out with a respected, top-tier degree. UNC Charlotte is ranked #7 in the nation for online bachelor’s degrees by U.S. News & World Report. You will earn a highly regarded online degree that employers respect.
Tuition
Please note: Rates are subject to change.
Resident Tuition
- $189.48 per credit hour
Outside of NC Non-Resident:
- $348.32 per credit hour
Non Resident Tuition
- $800.40 per credit hour
Not the right degree for you? Consider these related programs:
-
Political Science, B.A.
-
Sociology: Concentration in Organizations, Occupations, and Work, B.A.
5 Reasons why the Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies is a smart fit for adult learners with existing college credits
For those with 60 college credits or more, a degree-completion program like the Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies might be the perfect path toward graduation. Professional Studies programs are designed to provide students with the skills employers are looking for in the twenty-first century workplace.