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Degree Requirements

General studies students must meet the following requirements to graduate from the College of Arts & Science (Degree completion students will have already met some of these requirements):

  • 120 semester hours of credit with a minimum 2.0 GPA in all courses taken in each component; a 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA; a 2.0 minimum GPA in all courses taken in the final 60 hours; a 2.0 minimum GPA in all courses taken in the final 30 hours
  • 30 of the last 36 hours after acceptance to the general studies degree program must be completed with MU courses.
  • Grades of D are not acceptable in component area courses.
  • At least 30 hours of credit must be taken in courses numbered 3000 or above.

Specific Requirements for the BGS

I. Foundation Requirements: English 1000 and Math 1100 or 1120 (or equivalents) with grades of C– or higher

Students enrolling in college for the first time in the fall semester of 1993 or later are required to complete the following:

  • Two approved Writing Intensive courses from MU with English 1000 as a prerequisite (grade C– or higher)
  • One approved math-reasoning proficiency course with College Algebra as a prerequisite (grade C– or higher)

II. Breadth of Study Requirements:

  • 9 hours of biological, physical and mathematical sciences, including two of the three areas; and one biological or physical science lab course.
  • 9 hours from course work in behavioral sciences (anthropology, psychology, sociology) and social sciences (geography, history, political science, economics) including one course in each area.
  • 9 hours from humanities and fine arts courses. Must include work from at least two different areas.
  • 3 additional hours from any of the above categories

Notes:

  • Native speakers of English who satisfy the A&S foreign language requirement with 12—13 hours of college credit will have met the Humanities and Fine Arts requirement.
  • At least one course numbered 2000 or above must be completed in natural sciences and in behavioral and social sciences.
  • Courses used to satisfy the foundation requirements may not be used to satisfy other BGS components requirements.

III. Depth of Study Requirements:

  • 9 hours of these foundation courses must be at the 2000 level or above.
  • Only one non-Arts & Science course may be used in each of the 3 categories:
  • 1. biological, physical, and mathematical sciences
  • 2. behavioral sciences and social sciences
  • 3. humanities and fine arts

Native speakers of English who satisfy the A&S foreign language requirement need take only 18 hours in four remaining fields, with 6 hours in courses numbered 2000 or above. Courses used to satisfy the Breadth of Study requirements may not be used to satisfy other BGS requirements.

Notes:

  • Native speakers of English who satisfy the A&S foreign language requirement need take only 18 hours in two remaining fields (natural and social/behavioral sciences) with 6 hours in courses numbered 2000 or above.
  • Courses used to satisfy the Breadth of Study requirements may not be used to satisfy other BGS requirements.

IV. Components:

  • Three fields of study, each including a minimum of 15 hours of course work (45 hours), form the core of the general studies degree program.
  • At least one component must comprise courses offered wholly within the College of Arts & Science. The remaining two components may be chosen from other academic divisions.
  • A minimum of 18 hours, six in each component, must be taken in courses at the 3000 level and above.
  • Transfer students are expected to include at least six hours of course work at the 3000 level or above in courses taken at MU in each component. Transfer students may, however, construct one component solely with courses taken at other institutions. Where appropriate, the requirement of 3000–level work in this one component may be waived, but in such cases, students must include 9 hours of MU course work at the 3000 level or above in each of their two remaining components.
  • No more than six hours of special projects or directed readings may be included in any one component; the combined total for such work is limited to 12 hours.

BGS Degree Requirements (PDF)
BGS Component Areas (PDF)
BGS General Education Distribution of Content - Course List (PDF)
(PDFs require Adobe Acrobat Reader)

V. Capstone Requirement: General studies students must complete a 3-credit-hour capstone essay or project in one of the component areas.

Special Readings Project.
Each student will complete an independent research project under the supervision of an MU faculty member who agrees to work with the student. Most of these projects result in a 20- to 30-page research paper. This is an opportunity to explore an area of particular interest. It is designed to be an academic challenge: a fun, engaging, stimulating project that asks students to pose a question and begin to solve the question through their independent research. It is the student's responsibility to identify faculty supervisors for Capstone and WI courses. To help with this responsibility, CDIS maintains a list of faculty interested in supervising both types of courses.

VI. Electives: Any courses ordinarily accepted for credit by the College of Arts & Science may be chosen as hours to apply toward the 120 required for graduation.

General Studies is not an appropriate program for a second baccalaureate degree. However, students may take individual courses or a series of courses to update their knowledge and skills in a particular area.

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.

For questions about any of these requirements, please contact:  Ehren Oncken