The Bachelor of General Studies at Oakland University

The bachelor of General Studies degree (B.G.S.) is a university wide baccalaureate program that offers maximum flexibility and opportunity for student decision making about courses of study at Oakland University. The degree is primarily intended for students wishing to create a program to meet their individual goals through interdisciplinary study.

Students entering the General Studies program design a program of study utilizing courses from many departments to prepare them for a particular job or career choice. Students may select courses from any field of study offered by an academic department, subject to prerequisites and policies set by the individual departments. This program offers students the opportunity to plan a unique and challenging academic program in cooperation with a General Studies faculty adviser.

Students changing major into B.G.S. must meet the program requirements described in the catalog extant at the time of the change, or they may meet program requirements described in a subsequent catalog. Any catalog that students are following must not be more than six years old at the time of graduation.

Frequently, students seeking the degree have earned academic credits from others colleges and have been encouraged by their employers to pursue a baccalaureate degree. The General Studies program has flexible policies on transfer credits from other institutions, and it provides a personalized program to meet the education needs of individuals and employers.

Students applying to the General Studies program are first admitted to pre-B.G.S. status. Students will be granted major standing upon approval of their plan of study and supporting rationale by the General Studies Faculty Advising Committee. The B.G.S. program is administered by the Department of Academic Services and General Studies (121 North Foundation Hall, 370-3227)

As the Bachelor of General Studies is an alternative to a traditional degree, it is not permissible to seek a double degree with the bachelor of General Studies serving as one of those degrees.

Two-Plus-Two program for associate degree holders

The General Studies Program allows students to combine broad liberal arts and professional courses from the university curriculum with associate degrees from Michigan community colleges. The Two-Plus-Two program provides for transfer of up to 62 semester credits from accredited two-year community colleges in Michigan.

The program requires that courses accepted for transfer must have a grade of C or above, that at least 12 semester credits have been earned in liberal arts courses, and that all course work has been taken at accredited institutions. Certain developmental courses may be subject to individual evaluation. For additional information, see the Transfer student information section of the catalog.