Frequently Asked Questions

Winthrop University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s and specialist degrees.

For admission to the B.P.S., you’ll need:

• A completed online application
• Official transcripts from each institution you’ve attended
• A GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale from prior institutions (including a 2.0 GPA during your last term of attendance)
• A short essay is optional but encouraged
• Work experience is helpful but not required
• Minimum 30 credit hours required, as this is a degree completion program

Because this is a degree completion program, you must transfer to Winthrop University with a minimum of 30 credits. Your advisors will help you schedule and complete your General Education requirements before you can begin the B.P.S.

Earning your B.P.S. degree enables you to advance in your current role or embark on a new career path. Winthrop’s competency-based program helps extend your skillset during 14-week subscription sessions, and you’ll develop a portfolio to present your abilities to employers. Industries to consider after graduation include finance, healthcare, manufacturing, technology services and more. For additional details, visit the careers page.

Whether you’d like to advance in your current role or embark on a new path, you’ll have the skills to stand out. Apply your B.P.S. degree to education, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, retail and technology services positions. Start your path toward these careers and many more:

• Business analyst
• Healthcare administrator
• Health informatics specialist
• Human resource professional
• Management consultant
• Medical records specialist
• Nonprofit manager
• Office manager
• Operations manager
• Practice manager
• Project manager
• Quality analyst
• Supply chain manager

Visit the B.P.S. careers page to learn more.

The online B.P.S. Community and Health Services concentration allows you to combine health services knowledge with core leadership skills from the B.P.S., so you can become a manager or administrator in several types of health services organizations.

With your B.P.S. in Community and Health Services, you can pursue a career as a medical and health services manager across several settings, such as:

• Assisted living facilities
• Home healthcare agencies
• Hospitals
• Medical sales
• Outpatient clinics
• Physician’s offices
• Rehabilitation facilities
• Residential care facilities

Read more about B.P.S. career outcomes.

The B.P.S. Organizational Leadership concentration gives you best practices that transfer to diverse positions in any industry. You’ll gain leading-edge competencies that today’s employers are looking for, whether you’d like to advance in your current workplace or seek a position with more responsibility.

The B.P.S. in Organizational Leadership allows you to pursue the following careers and more:

• Administrative services and facilities manager
• Business analyst
• Corporate recruiter
• Customer service supervisor
• Financial manager
• Human resources coordinator or specialist
• Management consultant
• Marketing coordinator
• Nonprofit manager
• Operations manager
• Project manager
• Sales manager
• Social and community service manager
• Talent development specialist

Read more about B.P.S. career outcomes.

The B.P.S. Organizational Operations concentration prepares you to become an essential part of administrative teams. You’ll be able to improve efficiency and quality in day-to-day processes and services. Employers in nearly every industry seek organizational operations professionals with skills from this concentration, such as production, quality control, inventory management and resource allocation.

The B.P.S. in Organizational Operations allows you to pursue the following careers and more:

• General and operations manager
• Industrial production manager
• Logistician
• Operations research analyst
• Operations specialties manager
• Supply chain managers

Read more about B.P.S. career outcomes.

The online B.P.S. Health Informatics concentration allows you to build essential leadership skills while focusing your study on how data-driven solutions are utilized in healthcare systems. This concentration boosts your potential for in-demand health informatics careers.

With the B.P.S. in Health Informatics, you can pursue a career as a health informaticist, health information technologist, medical registrar and more. Because the B.P.S. program also emphasizes leadership skills, you can pursue roles with additional management responsibilities. Additional career trajectories include:

• Clinical informatics specialist
• Health information administrator
• Health informatics specialist or consultant
• Health scientist
• Informatics nurse
• Medical records specialist
• Pharmacy informatics specialist
• Population health specialist
• Public health informatics specialist

Read more about B.P.S. career outcomes.

Competency-based education (CBE) empowers you to take charge of your learning experience. This flexible, cost-effective model lets you progress through your online program at your preferred pace, whether you want to move quickly or take your time. Unlike most academic degrees, CBE programs forego traditional tests and rigid schedules. Instead, you’ll focus on gaining in-demand competencies and credentials to strengthen your job prospects in a format that works well for busy professionals.

We designed our competency-based Bachelor of Professional Studies to follow a subscription model. Each subscription period lasts 14 weeks and delivers specific competencies that make you a more competitive candidate in today’s job market. To review the subscription costs and additional details about the B.P.S. degree, visit the program overview page.

Offering our Bachelor of Professional Studies through a competency-based education model provides many advantages, including:

• The 100% online coursework ties to real-world competencies sought by employers
• Our subscription-based approach allows you to pay as you go and take control of the pace of your program
• By including a summative assessment at the end of each subscription period, you’ll verify your newly gained competencies and build a portfolio to demonstrate them

To learn more about our competency-based B.P.S. program, visit the program overview page.

The structure includes these key features and advantages:

• Course subscription model: Once you have paid a 14-week subscription fee, you can move through coursework and competencies conveniently at your pace. This structure allows the B.P.S. program to adapt to your schedule, even if your availability changes
• Simplified cost: The subscription rate is $1,750 per subscription period if you’re studying part-time (access to fewer than 12 credit hours) and $3,500 per subscription period if you’re studying full-time (access to 12 or more credit hours)
• Summative assessments: At the end of each course, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the topic. Once you earn the associated competency, you can add it to your professional portfolio
• Comprehensive portfolio: Our seamless CBE structure makes it easy to compile highlights from your competencies into a portfolio that will demonstrate your skills to potential employers and managers

The competency-based education model is available for the online Bachelor of Professional Studies. Learn about the curriculum, career outcomes, concentrations and more on the B.P.S. overview page.

Each B.P.S. competency will help you hone decision-making, problem-solving and management skills. In the B.P.S. program’s core courses, you’ll also explore workplace diversity and collaboration, applied critical thinking, organizational behavior, global economies and more. Choose one of four concentrations to direct your skill set toward the career you want most: Community and Health Services, Health Informatics, Organizational Leadership or Organizational Operations. Read more about the B.P.S. curriculum.

• Competency-Based Education: Register for one 14-week subscription period at a time and gain competencies part or full time, graduating within the timeframe that works for you.
• Build Your Portfolio: Add competencies to your portfolio throughout the B.P.S. degree program to demonstrate your abilities and achievements to employers.
• Grow as a Leader: No matter the concentration you choose, you’ll complete leadership and management coursework that prepares you to advance to the next level of your field.

Yes, all students must choose a concentration from one of the four options. Read more about the B.P.S. curriculum.

Yes, your advisors can help you move to another concentration if desired.

Each concentration in the B.P.S. degree includes six courses, which total 18 credits. Read more about the B.P.S. curriculum.

No, the B.P.S. is offered 100% online without campus requirements.

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). You will be guided through the PLA process in PFST 301, your first B.P.S. core course.

With the online Bachelor of Professional Studies program, students can earn up to 15 hours of academic credit for knowledge acquired from work and professional experiences using a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). You will be guided through the PLA process in PFST 301, your first B.P.S. core course. To review the curriculum, career outcomes, concentrations and more, visit the B.P.S. overview page.

No, you will have access to our online learning system, so you can access your coursework anytime, day or night.

Yes. You can register for upcoming information sessions and watch a short informative video on the School of Graduate, Continuing and Online Education webpage.

Because the B.P.S. is so flexible, you can complete the degree at a pace that works for you. The program’s duration depends on how many credits you transfer and whether you study full-time or part-time. The B.P.S. is a degree completion program which requires a minimum of 30 transfer credits to begin the program.

Financial aid will be available in Spring/Summer of 2026 to those who qualify. To apply for financial aid, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®). Winthrop University’s FAFSA code is 003456. For more information about financial aid, visit our tuition and financial aid page.

The online B.P.S. is offered in a unique course subscription model. Once you have paid a 14-week subscription fee, you can move through coursework and competencies conveniently at your own pace. This structure allows the B.P.S. program to adapt to your schedule, even if your availability changes. The subscription rate is $1,750 per subscription period if you’re studying part-time (access to fewer than 12 credit hours) and $3,500 per subscription period if you’re studying full-time (access to 12 or more credit hours).

Designed as a budget-conscious option, our CBE model allows you to pay as you go while earning your B.P.S. degree. Each subscription period lasts 14 weeks, with the costs based on your course load:

• Part time (fewer than 12 credit hours): $1,750 per period
• Full time (12 or more credit hours): $3,500 per period

There is no limit to the number of courses that you can take when studying full time—the more you complete, the more you can save. For many students, the total estimated cost is $17,500.*

*The total estimated cost of $17,500 applies to students with two years of prior college credit. Students must have a minimum of 30 transfer credits to enroll in this degree-completion program.

We encourage all students to complete the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA^®) when they apply to our online programs. Doing so allows you to determine your financial aid eligibility and seek funding to make your education more cost-effective. Be sure to include our school code (003456) when you complete the FAFSA. You can also pursue Federal Pell Grants for your bachelor’s degree or visit our Tuition and Aid page for ways to make your online program more cost-effective.