CS2013-final-report

Curricular Analysis
The Knowledge Units table below provides an overview of the coverage of CS2013 Core Tier-1
and Core Tier-2 topics in the A.A.S. degree with a computer science concentration at BCTC. The
recommended CS and CIT course sequencing for this typical A.A.S. major is as follows:
Year 1 - Summer Year 1 - Fall Year 1 - Spring Year 2 - Fall Year 2 - Spring
CIT 105 CS 115 CS 215 CS 216 CS 275
CIT 111 CIT 150 CIT 170 CIT 291 Capstone *
CIT 120 * CIT 160 CIT 180
* not included in the mapping
Mapping the required four CS courses and six CIT courses reveals that 77% of Tier-1 and 52%
of Tier-2 topics in the CS2013 core are covered by the A.A.S. degree. In comparison, the A.S.
CS degree, which includes only the four CS courses, covers 70% and 35%, respectively. Please
note that the mapping of the A.S. degree is included as a separate CS2013 curricular exemplar.
In general, A.A.S. degree programs require fewer general education credits than A.S. degrees. In
the case of BCTC, fewer general education courses provided the room for more computing
courses in their A.A.S. degree, and thereby covering more of the CS2013 core. In particular, the
CIT courses provide more core coverage in the following knowledge areas: architecture (AR),
graphics (GV), information assurance and security (IAS), information management (IM),
networking (NC), operating systems (OS) and social issues and professional practice (SP).
However, unlike the A.S. degree in Kentucky, the A.A.S. degree is not considered “general
education certified,” which means that students will need to complete the requisite number of
general education requirements at the transferring institution in order to obtain a computer
science baccalaureate degree. According to the American Association of Community Colleges,
there is a national trend emerging in higher education where an increasing number of four-year
colleges are accepting more of the credits earned from associate in applied science degrees.
Tier 1 Tier 2
The typical A.A.S. major 77% 52%
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