Lead Faculty: Dr. Carl E. Boggs
The Bachelor of Arts in General Studies (BAGS) is designed to meet the needs of a growing number of students who have completed considerable study in diverse subject areas, both academic and applied. This program allows students to organize their varied explorations into a coherent degree program. The BAGS is unique among academic curricula, for it liberates students from the burden of repeating coursework in order to fulfill traditional degree requirements. The degree allows students to explore a wide variety of disciplines. It integrates both applied study (e.g., business, nursing, computer science, military science) and arts and sciences to an extent not currently available in other degree programs. This is particularly important for adults who often interrupt their studies for prolonged periods and return with a different academic focus and career goal. The general studies degree allows nontraditional learners to continue moving forward without retracing a considerable portion of their study.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Arts in General Studies degree, students will be able to:
To receive a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies degree, students must complete at least 180 quarter units as articulated below, 90 of which must be completed in the Arts and Sciences, 45 of which must be completed in residence at National University and 76.5 of which must be completed at the upper-division level. In the absence of transfer credit additional general electives may be needed to fulfill unit requirements for the degree.
In addition to the above general education requirements, two concentrations are required. A concentration for the General Studies degree program is defined as 22.5 quarter units in a given discipline. A General Studies concentration differs from a major in the reduced number of credits that are required. The first concentration requirement is fulfilled by acquiring 22.5 quarter units in an Arts and Sciences discipline such as natural sciences, mathematics, literature, history, or social science, and nine of the quarter units must be completed at the upper-division level. For example: If a student was pursuing a literature concentration, they would need five courses with a Literature prefix. The second concentration requirement is fulfilled by completing 22.5 quarter units in either a single Applied Studies or Arts and Science discipline, with at least nine of the quarter units completed at the upper-division level. If a student selects the second concentration in the Applied Studies discipline, such as management, law, accounting, or marketing, all five courses must have the same prefix such as MGT if the management discipline was selected. However students do have the option of selecting a second concentration in Arts and Sciences rather than Applied Studies. If a second concentration in Arts and Sciences is selected, then students have the option of choosing five courses from various disciplines within the Arts and Sciences area. Students should refer to the section on undergraduate admission procedures for specific information on admission and evaluation.
Concentration Requirement (10 courses; 45 quarter units):
Each student in the BAGS program is required to complete two concentration requirements of 22.5 units each. Each of the concentration requirements must include at least nine-quarter units of upper-division work. Students can choose from a variety of subject areas to satisfy the Arts and Sciences concentration requirements. These courses could be used alone or in combination with courses taken at other institutions. Listed below are examples of subject areas that can be used to fulfill a concentration requirement:
Arts and Sciences (5 courses; 22.5 quarter units):
Literature
Environmental Studies
Fine and Performing Arts
History
Social Sciences
Communications
Applied Study (5 courses; 22.5 quarter units):
Students can also use courses from the listed areas to satisfy the concentration requirement in Applied Study. These courses could be used on their own or in combination with related courses at other institutions.
Law
Management
Accounting
Information Technology Management
Criminal Justice Administration
Marketing
Human Resource Management
Public Administration
Portfolio Requirement: BGS 499 (1 course; 4.5 quarter units)
In addition to the above coursework, students must complete a final portfolio project under the supervision of a faculty member. During this portfolio project, students map out the mosaic of their academic accomplishments and find the internal coherence of their intellectual explorations. To fulfill the portfolio requirement, students need to save and maintain a file of all papers for their classes, which will be revised and included in the portfolio.
Upper-Division Electives (5 courses; 22.5 quarter units):
To fulfill their unit requirements, students can choose electives from any 300-, 400-, or 500-level courses for which they meet prerequisites.
National University is an affiliate of the National University System.