General Studies Major

Program Description

The General Studies degree provides students the opportunity to pursue a personalized course of study. This major allows students to explore and integrate academic offerings from across multiple departments, programs, and colleges.  A General Studies degree is in the tradition of a liberal arts degree that educates a student broadly. This degree is not to be confused with USU’s Interdisciplinary Studies degree—also a degree that offers a personalized course of study, but one that has specific structural requirements of two thematically organized sets of coursework. 

Admission Requirements For This Major

• Be a student in good standing at Utah State University
• Have obtained 60 earned credits
• Submit an application and plan of study with an identifiable area of emphasis (Arts and Humanities, Agriculture, Education and Human Services, Natural Resources, Policy and Administration, Science, Social Science and Technology) to the Associate Dean of the academic college that oversees the chosen emphasis
• This plan of study must include (1) a plan for completing USU’s University Studies requirements, (2) include at least 40 credits of upper division courses, and (3) include a culminating capstone course or experience
• Admission to the General Studies degree program will require approval of both the advisor and the College Dean, or his or her designee, who will consult with faculty of the college in which the student wishes to enroll
  
  
  

Graduation Requirements

The degee requirements for General Studies include the following:

• 120 total credits
• Grade point average of 2.0 USU cumulative GPA - in good standing at Utah State
• Completion of USU General Education credits (minimum of 30 credits) 
  
• Depth education components of 2 Communications Intensive courses, 1 Quantitative Intensive course; and 2 Depth Courses.
• 40 credits of upper-division courses
• An area of emphasis identified within an academic college (Agriculture, Arts, Business, Education and Human Services, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Natural Resources, and Science) with a minimum of 30 credits
• A plan of study approved by their advisor, the associate dean of the college associated with their emphasis
• A capstone experience is required (e.g., internship; research project, independent study, senior project)

Degrees Offered Through This Program

General Studies: Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Materials for Persons with Disabilities
This requirement sheet is available in large print, audio, and braille format upon request to the USU Disability Resource Center.

For information contact:

College of Agriculture, Lisa Allen, AGRS 416, (435)-797-0454, lisa.allen@usu.edu

Caine College of the Arts, Marcia Roberts, UR 107, (435)-797-8096, marcia.roberts@usu.edu

Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, Ruth Harrison, BUS 309, (435)-797-2272, ruth.harrison@usu.edu

Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services, Terri Gass, EDUC 103, (435)-797-1443, terri.gass@usu.edu

College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mary Leavitt, TSC 302, (435)-797-3883, mary.leavitt@usu.edu

SJ and Jessie E Quinney College of Natural Resources, Mykel Beorchia, NR 120, (435)-797-2473, mykel.beorchia@usu.edu

College of Science, Janalee Johnson, ESLC 245, (435)-797-2481, janalee.johnson@usu.edu (Main Campus)

College of Science, Pete Campbell, DE 201, (435)-797-2229, pete.campbell@usu.edu (RCDE)

Bachelor of Arts Degree Language Requirement

Bachelor of Arts Degree

A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree signifies proficiency in one or more foreign languages. Specifically, the BA requirement may be completed in one of the following ways:

1. Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language by successful completion of one course at the 2020-level or higher (or its equivalent).
   Or
2. Demonstration of proficiency in American Sign Language by successful completion of COMD 4920  and COMD 4780 , and by passing an exit interview.
   Or
3. Demonstration of proficiency in two foreign languages by successful completion of the 1020 course level in one language and the 2010 course level in the second language (or its equivalent).
   Or
4. Completion of an upper-division (3000-level or higher) foreign language grammar or literature course requiring the 2020 course level (or its equivalent) as a prerequisite. Conversation courses cannot be considered for satisfying this requirement.

For nonnative English-speaking students only, the following options are available:

1. Successful completion of the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) program for international students.
   Or
2. TOEFL, Michigan, or IELI placement scores high enough to meet the University admission criteria.

Minimum University Requirements