The future of work isn't coming—it's already here. Automation, artificial intelligence and shifting industry demands are reshaping what employers expect from today's workforce. And the degree that positions professionals to meet those demands isn't always the one that looks most traditional on paper.
The Skills Gap Is Real—and Growing
Despite record levels of educational attainment, a significant disconnect persists between what institutions teach and what employers actually need. According to the Cengage Group 2025 Graduate Employability Report, only 30% of this year's graduates found jobs in their field, and nearly half felt unprepared to even apply for entry-level positions. Employers ranked job-specific technical abilities as their top hiring priority—while educators placed those same skills last. That gap has consequences for graduates, and it's exactly the problem applied education was designed to solve.
What Applied Education Actually Means
Applied degrees aren't a shortcut—they're a recalibration. Rather than centering a curriculum on theory first and practice later, applied programs build practical competency into every course. Students develop problem-solving, project management, communication, and leadership skills in contexts that directly mirror the workplace. The result is a graduate who can contribute on day one, not after months of employer-funded onboarding.
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 reinforces this direction, identifying analytical thinking, leadership and social influence, and technological literacy among the fastest-growing skills employers need over the next five years. These aren't abstract academic competencies—they're the outcomes applied programs are built to deliver.
A Degree Built Around Your Path, Not a Predetermined One
Mississippi State University's Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Applied Science reflects this reality in its design. Rather than locking students into a narrow track, the program offers a wide range of emphasis areas that students select based on their career goals, prior experience, and industry. Emphasis areas span organizational leadership, general business, communication, criminology, healthcare administration, general technology, advanced manufacturing, psychology, kinesiology, educational psychology, and more—drawing from colleges across the university to create a genuinely interdisciplinary applied degree.
Students can combine two 15-hour emphasis areas to create a custom credential, or go deeper with a single 30-hour area of specialization. Either way, the coursework is selected with purpose—connecting directly to job roles and advancement opportunities in fields that are hiring.
Built for Working Adults Who Are Already Proving Themselves
The BAS in Applied Science is designed for community college graduates and working professionals who have already built real expertise. Most AAS credits transfer directly into the program, meaning students aren't starting over—they're building forward. The degree is available on the Starkville Campus, Meridian Campus, and fully online, with flexible formats that accommodate careers and families.
This matters especially as the labor market moves toward what researchers are calling skills-driven hiring. According to a 2025 analysis of hiring trends, employers are increasingly prioritizing demonstrated capability over traditional credentials—evaluating candidates through portfolios, practical assessments, and proven competencies. A degree that builds those capabilities intentionally, while honoring the experience professionals already have, is exactly what this market rewards.
Accessible, Affordable, and Stackable
Applied education also matters for economic mobility. The BAS is one of MSU's most affordable degree options, with online tuition at $460.75 per credit hour and flat-rate pricing for full-time enrollment. Scholarships including MTAG, MESG, Phi Theta Kappa, and military benefits reduce costs further. And because the BAS is designed with stackable credentials in mind, it creates a clear pathway for continued advancement—whether toward professional certifications, graduate study, or expanded leadership responsibilities.
Career outcomes for BAS graduates reflect strong market alignment. Human Resources Specialists, Healthcare Department Managers, and Public Relations Specialists are among the projected growth roles, with median salaries ranging from $64,240 to $74,000 and employment increases of 9% to 11% anticipated over the next decade.
Readiness, Not Just Knowledge
The future of work demands more than knowledge—it demands readiness. Applied degrees respond to that call by blending academic rigor with industry relevance. For working professionals who have already proven they can do the work, the BAS in Applied Science provides the credential, the competencies, and the flexibility to take the next step.
Learn more at bas.msstate.edu/programs/applied-science.