Online Bachelor's Degree in Professional Studies
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Bachelor's Degree in Professional Studies Overview
Take charge of your education and build your own customized degree. Use your past experience toward your Purdue Global bachelor’s and get the credit you deserve.
- Gain skills employers in any field need — such as strategic thinking, data-driven decision making, analytical, and communication skills. Learn to work in and lead diverse teams.
- Design your own open degree and Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) with curriculum from Purdue Global and beyond.
- Apply transfer credits from past college courses, life experiences, open courses, examinations, military training, or other experiential learning toward your degree.
- Select an optional concentration to further build your expertise and set yourself apart: industrial/organizational psychology, supply chain logistics, or leadership.
Choose a Pathway to Your Bachelor’s
Choose from two online pathways to your bachelor's in professional studies: term based or self-paced, independent study.
| Traditional Term-Based | Independent Self-Study |
|---|---|
| Take courses on a set pace on scheduled terms | Go at your own pace until the last course |
| Earn credit by passing Purdue Global courses | Earn credit by passing Assessments of Skills and Knowledge (ASKs) |
| Choose eligible instructor-led courses that align with your ILP | Choose from the list of ASKs that align with your ILP |
| Tuition based on per-credit-hour pricing | Monthly tuition fee, ASK fees, and tuition for the capstone course |
| Eligible for financial and military aid for those who qualify | Self-pay |
| Outstanding loans may be deferred | Outstanding loans cannot be deferred |
First Step: Create Your ILP
Work with a Purdue Global faculty Advisor to custom design an ILP that meets your professional aspirations and interests:
- Create your career goal statement.
- Review your previously earned college credits.
- Evaluate your prior experience for college credit.
- Learn what you need to do to complete the degree program.
- Identify potential course assessments and other ways to fulfill degree requirements.
Develop Your Professional Skills
Study topics like project management, problem solving, and strategic planning. Complete your final capstone class by creating a portfolio to showcase your learning.
Your Experience Counts at Purdue Global
Complete our credit for work and life experience online course to build an online portfolio of your past accomplishments. Get college credit for what you’ve already achieved and learned.
Purdue Global Is Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission
The HLC (HLCommission.org) is an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
See Notes and Conditions below for important information.
Calculate Your Time and Cost
Estimate how much your prior learning credits can reduce your tuition and time to graduation.
Meet Alan
U.S. Army veteran Alan E. Thomas Jr. leveraged Purdue Global’s flexible online programs to complete a professional studies bachelor’s degree with a concentration in leadership. He has since advanced to a senior enlisted advisor role with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Meet Kelvin
After more than 20 years in the Navy, Kelvin Gumbs pursued a long-standing goal: completing his college degree. He earned an associate degree in small group management and bachelor’s degree in professional studies, inspiring both his family and the sailors he leads.
Note: Graduate is a Purdue University employee and Gift of Knowledge beneficiary.
What Courses Will I Take?
In the bachelor’s degree program, you’ll complete the core and major requirements and choose electives that support the goals developed in your ILP. Each course is taught by an experienced professional with extensive real-world knowledge.
Sample Courses
Bachelor's Capstone in Professional Studies
Communication and Conflict
Communicating Professionalism
Arts and Humanities—Modern Creative Expressions
Discovering Science—Current Issues in a Changing World
Engagement—Civic- and Citizen-Driven Public Policy
Program Requirements
1 semester credit hour = 1.5 quarter credit hours
3-Week Trial
Not sure if Purdue Global is right for you? Try an undergraduate program for an introductory 3-week trial period.
There’s no financial obligation and no cost to apply. That’s the Purdue Global Commitment.
Students who choose to continue at Purdue Global will be billed for the full first term's tuition, including the 3-week trial. See Notes and Conditions below.
Admissions Requirements
You must be a high school graduate or possess a General Educational Development (GED) certificate or other equivalency diploma. You must also complete orientation before you start classes.
Refer to the University Catalog or speak to an Advisor to learn more.
Program Outcomes
- Knowledge and Skills: Investigate issues and solutions to improve professional practice.
- Problem Solving: Analyze information from multiple sources to provide solutions to problems in diverse professional contexts.
- Strategic Thinking: Develop long- and short-term plans for success in the workplace.
- Continuous Improvement: Synthesize data-driven approaches to making decisions and improving professional practice.
- Career Outcome: Recommend a program-based solution to address an issue in a professional career field.
Upcoming Start Dates
We offer multiple start dates to give you flexibility in your education, life, and work schedules.
Professional Studies Concentrations
Focus your degree in one of three optional concentrations.
Leadership
Build foundational knowledge of leadership by learning the importance of communication, organizational behavior, and how to manage team dynamics as you learn how these skills fit into the big picture of an organization.
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Learn how principles of psychology can improve the effectiveness of a business organization. You will develop an understanding of how to manage and motivate talent, develop your leadership potential, and how to accurately assess improvements needed for organizational behaviors.
Supply Chain Logistics
Gain an understanding of the planning and management activities in the complex world of supply chain logistics. You will learn the principles of source, conversion, and logistics while learning how to apply necessary qualitative and quantitative methodologies related to supply chain management.
Ways to Save on Time and Tuition
Purdue Global works with students to find ways to reduce costs and make education more accessible. Contact us to learn about opportunities to save on your educational costs.
Transfer Credits
Earn credit for prior coursework completed at eligible institutions, including community colleges.
Prior Work Experience Reduction
You could earn undergraduate credit for your life and professional career experiences.
Financial Aid
Learn about federal financial aid programs available for many of our degree programs.
Grants and Loans
Learn about federal and state grants and loan programs that may be available.
Corporate Partner Benefits
Employees of Purdue Global partner organizations may be eligible for special tuition reductions.
Military Tuition Reduction
Undergraduate tuition savings for military include a 55% reduction per credit for current servicemembers and 38% per credit for veterans.
Prior Military Experience
Earn credit for your military training. The average Purdue Global military graduate was awarded 62% of the credits needed for an associate and 45% of the credits needed for a bachelor's.
View the total cost of attendance for your program.
Tuition Case Study: From Small Business Professional to Purdue Global Student
One student was awarded more than $45,000 toward tuition for work experience and prior learning. What would your unique experience save you?
After several roles in small businesses, this student accumulated a wealth of knowledge — and it was worth college credit at Purdue Global. After submitting an experiential learning portfolio, they were awarded credit for 8 courses in their degree plan. Combined with transfer credits, they were already 70% of the way to graduation.
Estimated Remaining Classes: 10
Estimated Remaining Terms to Graduation: 5
| Tuition | Quarter Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| BS in Professional Studies |
$66,780 | 180 |
| Purdue Global Portfolio Credits | -$14,824* | -44 |
| Sophia Learning Credits | -$9,275 | -25 |
| Anthem Institute Credits | -$21,147 | -57 |
| Total Savings/Credits Awarded | $45,246 | 126 |
| Remaining Tuition/Credits | $21,534 | 54 |
Free Credit Evaluation
You could be closer to your degree than you think. Contact an Advisor for a free evaluation of your prior learning, work experience, military training, and other life experiences.
*Includes a $1,500 portfolio review fee.
See Notes and Conditions below for important information.
Take a Career Assessment
Discover your work interests, and use them to chart your ideal career path.
Program Brochure
Download our brochure to learn more about our associate's and bachelor's degrees in professional studies and the benefits of earning your degree at Purdue Global.
Get to Know Our Faculty
Purdue Global faculty members are real-world practitioners who bring knowledge gained through the powerful combination of higher learning and industry experience.
Faculty members who have advanced degrees
Faculty members who have terminal degrees
Faculty publications in 2024–2025
Professional development hours logged by faculty in 2024–2025
Statistics include all Purdue Global faculty members and are not school- or program-specific calculations. Source: Purdue Global Office of Reporting and Analysis, August 2025. 2024–2025 academic year.