The Bachelor of General Studies degree is a multi-disciplinary degree designed to provide a unique opportunity for students to develop the academic competences and transferrable skills needed to prepare for and enter the job market of the 21st century. Students in the program will develop a course of study and gain knowledge from 2 exceptional concentrations, which may be selected across disciplines from any major or minor offered at Arkansas State University.
Example Concentrations:
- Physical Education + Marketing
- Psychology + Biology
Who are our students?
- Students who have multiple interests and prefer to diversify their knowledge with a more flexible course of study and approach to their college education.
- Adult learners who have delayed or interrupted their studies for a prolonged period and return with a different academic focus and career goal.
- Transfer students who have accumulated prior college credit and whose prior work does not fit into existing programs of study at A-State.
- Part-time students whose work schedules and other responsibilities preclude them from completing more structured degree programs.
- Students who have changed majors various times and need to reframe their course work for degree completion or career advancement.
Connect
Get Connected! Current students with an interest in the Bachelor of General Studies degree program are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor in the Department of Nontraditional Studies to discuss their plans and appropriate courses for the concentrations or areas of study and officially declare the General Studies major.
New freshman or Transfer students may declare General Studies as their primary major upon admission to Arkansas State University.
Navigate
General Studies majors serve as stewards of their academic journey and navigate an educational map that has been specifically tailored to fit their personal, academic, and professional goals.
Graduate
Graduates of the General Studies (BGS) program will lead the way as a new brand of professionals well suited to enter the 21st century workplace. Graduates acquire professional skillsets such as problem solving, effective communication in written and oral form, and critical thinking methods to make sound decisions. Graduates leave the BGS program with an educational foundation and disposition that demonstrates a breadth of knowledge applicable to a diverse range of careers.
Yearly, the Department of Nontraditional Studies has over 150 graduates who successfully complete their course of study and are awarded a baccalaureate degree in General Studies.
Curriculum Note:
While the General Studies degree provides flexibilities, there is a misconception that switching to General Studies from another major will somehow allow a student to graduate immediately. This is not necessarily true. As with any other curriculum switch, a student may lose or gain hours with each change. The outcome of a change of major depends on several factors such as the time in a student’s academic journey when the switch is made and the concentrations the student chooses.
