Bachelor of General Studies

Course Requirements
Course Descriptions

The Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) Program is offered for the benefit of certain students who, for specific reasons, are unable to complete a traditional program in the academic disciplines.

Students accepted into the B.G.S. Program at FMU choose from one of the following areas of concentration:

  • Arts and Humanities
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences
  • Natural Science and Mathematics
  • Management Technology
  • Health Studies
  • Educational Studies

Students earn a Bachelor of General Studies degree (rather than a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree).

Application

Students must complete an application for admittance into the Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) Program. The application form, along with the documentation specified in the application, must be submitted to the Bachelor of General Studies Coordinator.

Documentation includes a written statement explaining the rationale for entering the B.G.S. Program and a proposed area of major concentration. This documentation must also include proof of meeting with the B.G.S. Coordinator for initial advisement and a letter from a faculty member stating their willingness to serve as the student’s capstone course instructor (faculty must come from their proposed concentration area).

Prior to applying to the B.G.S. Program, students must:

  • Be enrolled at FMU
  • Have earned a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
  • Have completed all of their General Education requirements
  • Meet with the B.G.S. Coordinator

No student may enroll in BGS 496 – General Studies Capstone Experience prior to being accepted to the program.

Advising Policy

The B.G.S. Coordinator will serve as the academic advisor of record once the student has been accepted into the program. Upon acceptance, the student is required to submit, in writing, a proposed course schedule to the B.G.S. Coordinator.

The student is officially admitted as a B.G.S. student once the B.G.S. Committee has approved acceptance into the program. If the student does not enroll the following semester, he or she must reapply to the B.G.S. Program. If the student terminates enrollment with the University, the student is withdrawn from the B.G.S. Program.

Students must report any proposed change in their course of study to the B.G.S. Coordinator for approval.

Course Requirements

General Education

  • Meet all General Education Requirements for either a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree.

Concentration Courses

Have a minimum 30 credit hours above the 299 level with designation in one of the following areas of concentration:

  • a. Arts and Humanities:
    • Art, English, History, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Theatre
  • b. Social and Behavioral Sciences:
    • Anthropology, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
  • c. Natural Science and Mathematics:
    • Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physical Science, Physics
  • d. Management Technology:
    • Accounting, Business, Computer Science, Economics, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Mass Communication, Psychology
  • e. Health Studies:
    • Nursing (at least three courses)
      • HLTH 301 – Health Promotion in the 21st Century
      • NRN 448 – or IPHC 448 – Healthcare Policy Development
      • PE 318 – Kinesiological Foundation of Coaching
      • PE 319 – The Physiological Basis of Exercise
      • BIOL 309 – Introduction to Neuroscience
      • BIOL 406 – Physiology
      • BIOL 407 – Immunology
      • PSYC 305 – Introduction to Behavioral Genetics
      • PSYC 306 – Pediatric Psychology
      • PSYC 312 – Human Sexuality
      • PSYC 314 – or IPHC 314 – Health Psychology/Behavioral Medicine
      • PSYC 317 – Applied Behavioral Analysis
      • PSYC 325 – Abnormal Psychology
      • PSYC 332 – The Psychology of Relationships
      • PSYC 334 – Life Span Development
      • SOCI 327 – Sociology of Aging and Later Life
      • SOCI 347 – Alcohol, Drugs and Society
      • SOCI 375 – or IPHC 375 – Sociology of Health and Medicine
      • SOCI 387 – Death and Dying in Social Contexts
      • IPHC 302 – Understanding Veteran Culture
      • IPHC 445 – Population-Focused Care, and Health
      • IPHC 500 – Rural Healthcare
      • or other appropriate courses approved by the coordinator of the B.G.S. Program
  • f. Educational Studies:
    • Must include the following 9 credit hours of education:
      • EDUC 310 – Using Technology Effectively in the Classroom
      • EDUC 311 – Foundations of Instructional Planning and Assessment
      • EDUC 420 Introduction to the Exceptional Learner
    • Must include 21 credits hours from the following:
      • ENGL 300 – Foundations for Literary Studies
      • ENGL 310 – Modern English Grammar
      • ENGL 313 Literature for Young Children OR ENG 315 – Literature for Children
      • ENGL 340 – Theories of Writing
      • ENGL 341 – Advanced Composition for Teachers
      • MATH 370 – Intuitive Geometry
      • PSYC 304 – Brain and Behavior
      • PSYC 306 – Pediatric Psychology
      • PSYC 315 – Child Behavior: Growth and Development,
      • PSYC 316 – Adolescent Behavior: Growth and Development
      • PSYC 317 – Applied Behavior Analysis
      • PSYC 318 – Educational Psychology
      • PSYC 334 – Life Span Development
      • or other appropriate courses approved by the coordinator of the B.G.S. Program

Capstone

  • BGS 496 – General Studies Capstone Experience
  • This one credit hour course may only be taken during the student’s senior year.

Electives

  • Select, in consultation with the B.G.S. Coordinator, a sufficient number of elective hours to satisfy graduation requirements.

A student must earn grade point averages of at least a 2.0 for the cumulative grade point and the grade point average in the area of concentration. A Bachelor of General Studies student must meet the same general requirements for graduation, including a total of 120 credit hours, as students in any major offered by the University.

Course Descriptions

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