General Studies (BA)

This program is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences/History, Politics, International Relations, and Religious Studies Department. It is available online and at the St. Louis home campus.

Program Description

The bachelor of arts in general studies is an interdisciplinary degree designed to meet the individual needs of students and prepare them to be active contributors to a critically reflective, culturally diverse and democratic global society.

Students in this program build a broad knowledge base and develop transferrable skills, giving them the academic and intellectual foundation to advance their careers and pursue graduate education. Courses available online.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Communicate complex ideas clearly in both written and oral form.
• Analyze problems and find solutions, drawing from a variety of disciplines.
• Develop persuasive and well-reasoned arguments that are evidence-based and appropriate to topic and purpose.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the global interconnectedness of individuals, communities and societies.

Degree Requirements

For information on the general requirements for a degree, see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements under the Academic Policies and Information section of this catalog.

• 36 required credit hours
  • 12 hours must be at the 3000-level and above
• 3 international language requirement credit hours
• Applicable University Global Citizenship Program hours, including keystone course
• Electives

Courses completed with a grade below a C- do not count toward fulfilling the specific course requirements of the major.

International Language Requirements

• A minimum of three hours in a non-native language is required. Courses used toward the international language requirement may also be used to fulfill general education requirements or a major/minor in a foreign language.
• Transfer students who have completed their 3 credits at an institution of higher education are considered to have fulfilled the requirement, as are students who have scored a "3" or higher on an Advanced Placement exam in a non-native language.
• For students whose native language is not English, a passing grade on the TOEFL will count as their foreign language requirement. Students who are from bilingual families but have no evidence of academic study of the second language on a transcript will need to take one course.

Curriculum

The 36 credit hours required for the general studies major include the following:

Core Courses

• GNST 1101 Online and Interdisciplinary Learning* (3 hours)
• GNST 2101 Integrative Studies* (3 hours)
• GNST 3101 Methods of Inquiry* (3 hours)
• GNST 4701 Senior Capstone* (3 hours)

Complete 12 credit hours in each of two prefixes (total 24 credit hours)

*Courses marked with an asterisk are only available online.