General Studies

"This has been a terrific major for me. The program is very flexible. I was able to study areas that interested me, and integrate my areas into a single degree. I feel very diverse in my knowledge and have great confidence in what I have learned."
- Alumnus 2001

For General Studies Advising: Go to our Department Calendar link on the left and come to 210 Switzler Hall during one of the scheduled walk in times. Please do not come in the last half hour of the scheduled times or you will run the risk of not being seen. If you are interested in General Studies, please complete a graduation plan and bring it to your first meeting with an advisor. Instructions on how to do this are explained below.

The Bachelor of General Studies degree (BGS) is designed for students who don’t quite fit into one of the existing programs on campus. It is designed to help older students who are returning to school as well as students with specific but unusual interests. The program requires 120 hours of credit. There is less of an emphasis on Foundation requirements than in the traditional A&S degree programs, but the requirements for the major are more extensive (minimum of 45 hours of credit). Students who pursue this degree typically have a high degree of motivation and independence and a set of educational goals that cannot be realized in a traditional University program.

Students divide their work among three areas of study, called components, and may select courses offered by any academic division or department at MU. At least one component must come from a department in the College of Arts & Science. Please complete the graduation plan with as much information as you have available and bring it with you to your advising meeting. Please use a #2 pencil to complete the plan so we can make necessary changes or updates. You will find guidelines for completing the graduation plan in the "How to Complete and File Your Graduation Plan" (pdf) information. Please familiarize yourself with the degree requirements and have a strong notion of how you wish to configure your degree plan before you meet for advising. A designated advisor, will be available on a limited basis for complicated issues or concerns. You will find walk in times listed on the Department Calendar.

Degree Requirements

See Degree requirements (pdf) and Arts & Science Foundation Requirements.
Also note the following:

Capstone

"I really appreciate how flexible this program has been for me. As a transfer student who changed majors several times, this program allowed me to use my past credits in a way that made sense for me." -Alumnus 2002

General Studies students must complete a 3-credit-hour capstone essay or project. Students may complete the capstone experience in General Studies in three different ways. You will find a list of these options here (pdf). Students may use a course in their focus area as their Capstone experience. Once you decide upon a course, you must get approval from a General Studies advisor and give our office this information prior to the semester you are taking the course.

Electives

Any courses ordinarily accepted for credit by the College of Arts and Science may be chosen as hours to apply to the 120 hours required for graduation.

General Studies students are bound by the rules and practices of the College of Arts & Science that pertain to admission to degree programs, the awarding of credit and the awarding of degrees. Some departments and divisions have special requirements (e.g., a minimum grade point average, specific prerequisites, procedures for securing permission to take specific courses, etc). General Studies students who propose taking courses in these programs are responsible for meeting these requirements.

It is important that students who major in this program maintain regular access to their emails since this is the primary way we communicate with the students in our program.

Contact Us

Contact us for more information about General Studies or check our Department Calendar for walk in times. If you are interested in majoring in General Studies, please complete the Graduation Plan (pdf), according to the guidelines listed in the second paragraph above, and bring it with you when you meet with an advisor.