General Studies Program

For those looking for information regarding the Bachelor of General Studies degree prior to the Fall of 2025 semester, please link to:

2024-2025 Bachelor of General Studies degree requirements

Starting Fall of 2025

The Bachelor of General Studies degree has been re-designed to better prepare students for modern careers that require skills and knowledge from a wide set of disciplines.  The new curriculum is based around thematic concentrations centered around specific career areas.  Because it is impossible to represent all career options, the new degree options include one concentration that allows students, in conjunction with their advisor, to design a unique path to better suit their individual needs.  This four-year program is available both as traditional and fully online programs.

Bachelor of General Studies:  A minimum of 120 undergraduate semester hours of credit is required.

Administration:  While pursuing a General Studies degree, students are enrolled in the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences.

Along with completing the Core Curriculum (39 credit hours) and 36 credit hours of electives, students are required to take 45 credit hours of coursework from one of the following thematic concentrations:

GROUP 1 (ARTS AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES)

Art, Chinese, Communication, Computer Science, Dance, English, French, Humanities, Latin, Music, Spanish, Theatre

GROUP 2 (SCIENCE AND SOCIETY)

Atmospheric Science, Biology, Chemistry, Communication, Computer Science, Economics, Geography, Geosciences, Health Studies, Mathematics, Political Science, Physics, Psychology

GROUP 3 (SOCIETY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT)

Communication, Criminal Justice, Curriculum and Instriction, Elementary Education, Geography, Gerontology, Health Studies, History, Marriage & Family Therapy, Military Science, Political Science, Psychology, Reading, Social Work, Sociology, Special Education, World Languages

GROUP 4 (ENTREPEUNERSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT)*

Accounting, Agribusiness, Aviation, Business, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Construction Management, Economics, Finance, Kinesiology, Management, Marketing, Mathematics, Military Science, Risk Management and Insurance, Quantitative Methods, World Languages

GROUP 5 (HEALTH AND WELLNESS)

Allied Health Science, Dental Hygiene, Health Studies, Kinesiology, Marriage & Family Therapy, Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Radiologic Technology, Speech-Language Pathology, Toxicology, World Languages

GROUP 6 (INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES)

Individualized program of study (IPS) developed in consultation with the student’s major advisor and approved by the College of Arts, Education, and Sciences dean. Requiring courses from at least 3 different disciplines, the IPS concentration theme aligns with the student’s interests and career goals.

* AACSB accreditation requirements limit business credits from the College of Business and Social Sciences which may be applied toward graduation to 30 semester hours for the BGS degree.