General Studies

About General Studies

Students earn general studies degrees for both personal enrichment and professional advancement. General studies alumni are employed in most fields including business, education, public administration, sales, and social service. Twenty-five percent have earned graduate degrees in such fields as business administration, counseling, education, law, medicine, ministry, and social work.

Admission to General Studies

Students must apply separately for admission to the General Studies program. Students should have completed at least 26 credits of undergraduate coursework (general education) before applying for admission. If the application is approved on or before the campus Pass/Fail deadline, the General Studies program will consider any current coursework as coursework taken after admission to the General Studies degree program. Applications for admission to the program are available on our website and from the General Studies office, Wiekamp 2218.

Prior to admission to General Studies, you will attend an information session to learn about the degree requirements and plan an appropriate academic program.

In addition, the 1 credit hour course GNST-G 203 Introduction to General Studies is offered to assist students in the development of a personalized program of study and a schedule to complete the General Studies degree. This course is required of all bachelor’s degree students who lack senior standing.

The Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) consists  of required credit hours in the three subject fields in the College of Arts and Sciences and elective credit hours in any of the academic units of the university.

The Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S) may be completed by enrolling in on-campus or online courses, transferring credits from other accredited colleges and universities, or through the following options that are unique to this program:

• Receiving credit hours for college-level learning gained through life experiences as recommended by the the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)
• Passing DSST examinations
• Receiving credit hours for training programs approved by the American Council on Education or the National College Credit Recommendation Service