Professional Studies | Winthrop University

Professional Studies

Bachelor of Professional Studies

The B.P.S. degree is uniquely designed for adult learners and busy working professionals in the greater York County region who seek to obtain practical knowledge and skills to land a new job or advance their careers. This adult completion program will allow students to finish their degree in two years or less, receive course credit for prior learning experiences, work closely with faculty for personalized course planning, take advantage of hybrid options for the best of online and on-campus courses, and choose from two concentrations: organizational operations or health services.

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Potential Employers

Some of the graduates of this program have gone on to work for:

  • APAC Customer Services
  • Atrium Health
  • Change Healthcare
  • Continental
  • Department of Social Services
  • LinkedIn
  • Private Advisor Group
  • Transformation Church
  • U.S. Bank
  • University of South Carolina
  • UPS
  • US Army
  • Vision33

Career Paths

Graduates of this program have gone on to become:

  • Administrator
  • Business Manager
  • Content Specialist
  • Director of Quality Operations
  • Geospatial Sergeant
  • Interim Nursing Home Administrator
  • Licensed Cosmetologist
  • National Account Billing Specialist
  • Operations Coordinator
  • Operations Manager
  • Program Coordinator
  • Risk, Compliance, and Audit Specialist
  • Social Worker
  • Sr. Business Analyst
  • Sr. Consultant
  • Sr. Technical Sourcer - DIBs - Engineering
  • Vice President of Patient Financial Services
  • Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Top Industries

Many of the graduates of this program find themselves working in:

 

  1. Outsourcing/Offshoring
  2. Military
  3. Internet Publishing
  4. Information Technology and Services
  5. Individual & Family Services
  6. Hospital & Health Care
  7. Higher Education
  8. Financial Services
  9. Computer Software
  10. Banking

Curriculum and Learning Opportunities

      The Organizational Operations concentration is designed to introduce a combination of skills that will help students better understand organizational culture. Collaboration with your classmates and professors will assist you in becoming a creative, successful leader across a variety of industries. The courses in this concentration will teach you to think critically, solve problems, and analyze financial data. You will also learn to effectively incorporate the practical applications of both management and marketing for organizations.

      Curriculum

      The Health Services concentration is designed to prepare you for leadership roles in the healthcare industry. This industry poses its own unique set of challenges, as well as constant change and innovation. The courses in this concentration will introduce you to techniques that will enhance your knowledge of the underlying principles specific to the health care industry. You will delve into human and social behavior, and also explore potential issues and nuisances that may arise and how to plan for those.

      Curriculum

      The Community and Health Services concentration is designed to prepare you for leadership roles in the healthcare industry. This industry poses its own unique set of challenges, as well as constant change and innovation. The courses in this concentration will introduce you to techniques that will enhance your knowledge of the underlying principles specific to the health care industry. With each competency you gain from this concentration, you'll hone leadership, management and problem-solving skills in addition to field-specific knowledge. 

      Curriculum

      The Health Informatics concentration is designed to help you take advantage of the quickly growing healthcare careers by building your ability to identify and implement data-driven solutions in diverse healthcare settings. Add field-specific technology and best practices to your skill set and boost your leadership potential for in-demand health informatics careers. With each competency you gain from this concentration, you’ll hone essential informatics skills that can help you step into positions that streamline healthcare delivery, analyze the cost of services, secure patient privacy and more.

      Curriculum

      The Organizational Leadership concentration is designed to help you become a leader who can meet organizational needs through exceptional teamwork, decision-making and problem solving. Emphasizing ethical practices and corporate social responsibility, the Organizational Leadership degree can help you shine in several career paths. With each competency that you gain from this concentration, you’ll hone skills that you can apply to leadership and management positions in business, finance, human resources, marketing, sales and more.

      Curriculum

      The Organizational Operations concentration is designed to help students build and strengthen their administration, business and technical competencies so that they will be ready to enhance operations, organizational structure, project management, supply chain, logistics and more. With each competency you gain from this concentration, you’ll hone your management and problem-solving skills in addition to field-specific knowledge. 

      Curriculum

Why Winthrop?

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Designed Specifically for Adult Learners and Working Professionals

We use a combination of face-to-face evening, hybrid and online classes offered year-round, allowing you to complete your degree in the shortest time possible and continue working or pursuing other interests at the same time.

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Relevance and Value

We developed the B.P.S. degree in close consultation with employers to ensure that you will have the knowledge, skills and abilities to advance your career or begin a new one. In addition, Winthrop University has been named to Money Magazine’s "Best Colleges" in terms of value and affordability.

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Earn Academic Credit for Work Experience

Winthrop recognizes that many adult learners have acquired significant knowledge through work experience and personal enrichment. B.P.S. students can earn up to 15 hours of academic credit for knowledge acquired from work and professional experiences using a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).


Hear From Our Students and Faculty


Beyond Graduation

Earning a B.P.S. degree at Winthrop University will help you grow both personally and professionally. The goal of this program is to provide adult learners with the opportunity to build on their prior learning experiences to help advance their career. Graduates of the B.P.S. program will be exceptionally well prepared to be leaders in their chosen professions and in their communities.

On average, individuals who possess a bachelor's degree will earn significantly higher income over their lifetime. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2018 bachelor's degree holders were earning $62,000 per year on average, while those with less than a bachelor's degree were earning $41,000 or less.