The Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) is an ideal bachelor’s degree completion program for transfer students and adult learners who want to maximize their credits earned from other colleges/universities/the military and want to take advantage of the program’s flexibility and opportunity to customize their education to attain their educational and professional objectives.
The BGS includes an interdisciplinary curriculum designed for students to explore different professions and gain career readiness skills.
In addition to learning and practicing essential skills required in all professions, students gain in-depth knowledge in specialized areas from a selection of tracks:
- Communication
- Criminal Justice/Legal Studies
- Human Resource Development
- Information Technology
In lieu of one of the above tracks, BGS students may choose to develop their own track with an advisor or pursue a Minor in Management, offered in partnership with the AACSB Accredited Clark University School of Management.
Requirements
The Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) requires 32 course units (128 semester hours).
- 10 core major courses (e.g., Leadership and Decision-Making, Emotional Intelligence, Project Management Basics)
- Four courses in a specialized degree track or six courses in the Management Minor
- 11 Distribution Requirement course units designed to give students perspectives on human affairs that are essential to be contributing citizens of the world.
- Please note that required major courses may also satisfy a Distribution Requirement.
- One Capstone course
- Electives (enough to fulfill 32 units for the degree)
See full program requirements for more information.
Program Student Learning Outcomes:
- Collaborate in team projects and contribute individually to achieve organizational goals
- Communicate effectively with character and integrity
- Critically assess their attitudes, values, and assumptions and consider their impact on individuals and the wider society
- Apply basic project management knowledge and skills
- Demonstrate business acumen
- Use data literacy skills to evaluate and interpret data to inform decision-making
Students will gain additional knowledge and skills based on their track or minor.
Capstone Course
The Capstone project is the culminating experience for bachelor of science degree programs. The final deliverable is a demonstration of the student’s professional competencies and evidence of a foundation of theoretical knowledge applied to “real-world” issues. SPS offers students various options for completing their capstone requirements. Each option involves practicing their skills in collaboration, analysis, problem-solving, research, writing, and professional presentations. Students work with their advisor to determine the Capstone option that works best for their professional and academic development.
Distribution Requirements
All B.S. candidates are required to complete 11 course units to meet the liberal arts distribution requirement. This requirement is designed to give you perspectives on human affairs that are essential to becoming a contributing citizen of the world. Required major courses may also satisfy a distribution requirement; consult with your academic advisor if you have questions. The 11 units must be distributed as follows:
- English/Verbal Expression — two units, ENG 1000 – Introduction to Composition and ENG 1150 – Intermediate Composition
- Humanities — three units. These courses must be distributed among at least two disciplines. One unit must be a course on ethics. Course subject prefixes that satisfy this category include ASL, ART, ARTH, ARTS, ENG (not ENG 1000 or ENG 1150), FILM, GERM, HEBR, JAPN, MUSC, PHIL, and TA. You may also take COMM 1210: Effective Speaking and Presenting.
- Science/Mathematics — two units. One in math; one in science.
- Social Sciences — three units. These courses must be distributed among at least two disciplines. Course subject prefixes that satisfy this category include CJ, COMM, ECON, GOVT, HIST, LEAD, PSYC, and SOC.
- Technology — one unit. Course subject prefix that satisfies this category is CSEC.
Distribution Requirement Student Learning Outcomes
- Analyze a variety of professional rhetorical situations and produce appropriate texts in response.
- Formulate appropriate and ethical communication choices in presentations based on audience and situation.
- Articulate the different sides of ethical issues and defend their views in discussion and writing.
- Analyze human experience by examining similarities and differences in a global or international context.
- Apply appropriate mathematical, statistical, or computational strategies to solve problems.
- Discuss the role of science in society and its ethical conduct.
- Recognize how social, political, historical, and economic institutions shape societal and individual behavior.