GENERAL STUDIES, BGS
General Studies
Bachelor of General Studies
Director: Catherine Daniélou
College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office
The Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) degree is a flexible interdisciplinary degree that allows students to choose a general curriculum that meets their individual goals and provides room for exploration and inquiry. Our students have found special meaning in the modular and interdisciplinary intent of our program. The BGS prepares students for careers in various professional fields, including government, health care, real estate, general social services and the service-producing sector, law, retail, as well as the private industry where fundamental critical thinking and inquiry skills as well as rigorous writing and communication skills are of key importance. BGS graduates with high GPAs have also been successful in meeting their professional school goals, including graduate school.
The Bachelor of General Studies is a broad-based option supported by all undergraduate programs offering a minor at UAB. UAB offers a choice of over 80 minors. The BGS program integrates all our undergraduate campus in the choice of options. The program goals are to 1) equip students with a broad-based higher education allowing them to perform efficiently in the workplace; 2) prepare students to understand an increasingly complex and multifaceted world; and 3) help students to demonstrate a multidisciplinary base of knowledge.
Undergraduate students graduating with a degree in General Studies work with the assigned BGS advisor and select two minors of their choice offered at UAB, along with 9 hours of 400-level course work and a Capstone experience. Graduating students are expected to: (1) write, communicate, and present effectively; (2) evaluate and interpret information as well as societal issues critically and analytically; (3) apply knowledge and modes of inquiry from several disciplines; (4) demonstrate integrative learning.
The Bachelor of General Studies provides broad well-rounded rigorous educational opportunities to traditional and non-traditional students contemplating careers or graduate school opportunites for which a Bachelor's degree and university-level reading, writing, communication and critical thinking skills are required.
Program Director:
Catherine Danielou, PhD, Dean's Office, College of Arts and Sciences
934-4653, danielou@uab.edu
Program Advisor:
Kip Hubbard, MA, College of Arts and Sciences, Advising Office
Heritage Hall Building 402, 934-6135, kiph@uab.edu
