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Studies & Degrees in Applied Science

Applied science is the use of scientific knowledge to solve practical problems. Pure science asks how nature works; applied science takes the results of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics and uses them in health care, industry, agriculture, engineering and technology. As a study option the name is used in several different ways, so the first step is to check what a school means by it.

In most programmes students take basic science and mathematics and then courses in one applied field, with a large share of laboratory, workshop or placement hours. Depending on the school, that field may be laboratory science, engineering technology, health care, computing, environmental science or food and agriculture.

Qualifications and levels

  • Associate of Applied Science (United States). Community colleges in the United States offer two-year programmes. The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) is the career-oriented version: it prepares for a specific technical job. Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Alabama, for example, awards it in its applied technology programmes, where students also earn industry certifications. Bismarck State College in North Dakota offers two-year technical degrees with a polytechnic focus. Because the AAS is designed for employment, ask the college how many of its credits a university will accept if you plan to continue.
  • Bachelor of Applied Science. The name covers two kinds of degree. At some US universities it is a completion degree: the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) of Idaho State University is designed for students who already hold an AAS and adds general education and academic coursework. In Canada the name is used for engineering: all undergraduate engineering programmes at the University of British Columbia lead to a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc).
  • Schools and faculties of applied science. Many universities group engineering and related disciplines under this name. The Faculty of Applied Science of the University of British Columbia covers architecture and landscape architecture, community and regional planning, engineering and nursing. The California Institute of Technology has a Division of Engineering and Applied Science, with departments such as Applied Physics and Materials Science, and Yale University has a School of Engineering & Applied Science. The University of West Bohemia in the Czech Republic has a Faculty of Applied Sciences with bachelor's, master's and doctoral studies. In these schools students enrol in a specific degree, not in a general one called applied science.
  • United Kingdom. Applied Science is also a vocational qualification taken before university. The Pearson BTEC Nationals in Applied Science can be studied as a one-year or a two-year programme and support progression to higher education, apprenticeships or employment.
  • Spain. Spanish universities do not normally use this name for a degree. The same content is found in bachelor's degrees (grados) of 240 ECTS credits in engineering, sciences and health, and in master's degrees of 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits.

Where to study it

The directory lists 32 schools for applied science, 20 of them in the United States. Spain and Australia have two each, and there is one school in each of New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Ghana, Eswatini, Bermuda and Iraq. The US group includes community colleges that award associate degrees and research universities with a school of engineering and applied science.

Courses are taught in the language of the country, which is English at most of the listed schools. When comparing schools, check which level the qualification has (associate, bachelor's or postgraduate), which applied field it covers, how much practical training it includes and, for two-year degrees, whether the credits transfer to a bachelor's degree. In the United States a common route is two years at a community college followed by two years at a university.

Careers

The job depends on the applied field: laboratory technician, engineering technician, quality control, health care, environmental monitoring or, after a full engineering or science degree, professional and research posts. Two-year qualifications lead mainly to technician jobs. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states, for example, that chemical technicians typically need an associate's degree or two years of postsecondary education, and it projects their employment to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035.

For the wider group of life, physical and social science occupations in the United States, the Bureau projects employment to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2025 to 2035. These figures apply only to the United States; check the national statistics office of the country where you plan to work.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Associate of Applied Science?

It is a two-year degree from a US community or technical college that prepares for a specific technical occupation. It is oriented to employment, so not all credits may transfer to a bachelor's degree.

Is a Bachelor of Applied Science an engineering degree?

It depends on the country and the university. At the University of British Columbia all undergraduate engineering programmes lead to a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc). At Idaho State University the Bachelor of Applied Science is a degree for holders of an Associate of Applied Science.

Can I continue to a bachelor's degree after an applied science associate degree?

Often yes, but check before you enrol. Some universities have a bachelor's degree designed for this, such as the BAS of Idaho State University, and others accept only part of the credits.