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Bachelor of General Studies

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 120 credits must be earned with 42 or more credits in courses numbered 300 or above (this includes 6 credits of capstone courses.) A minimum of 45 credits must be completed in University of Nevada, Reno courses (on-campus, off-campus, telecourse or independent studies). Sixty of the 120 total credits must be earned at four-year colleges and universities. A maximum of 60 acceptable correspondence credits may be applied to this degree. Therefore, General Studies is not a totally external degree. A maximum of four credits applicable to the BGS degree may be earned in recreation, physical education and dance activity courses (numbered 100-199). Dance courses 332, 335 and 338 do not qualify as upper-division credits in this program;

• A cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.0 for all courses attempted at the University and an overall cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher;
• All University core curriculum requirements are met by completing the General Studies requirements;
• Students in the General Studies program may declare no more than two minors;
• Students must complete a 30-credit cluster of thematically related coursework. Eighteen of the 30 credits must be 300-400 level. The cluster must cross three departments in one college or two colleges. A maximum of 9 credits from each minor may be included in the thematic cluster. The student will design the cluster and may use courses already completed. The cluster form must be received by the advisor two semesters prior to graduation;
• To be admitted to the program, students must have completed a minimum of 60 credits from an accredited institution;
• Sixty credits must be earned in the following manner (which is subject to change):

A. Humanities and Fine Arts-12 credits

• CH 201-Ancient and Medieval Cultures (3 credits)
• CH 202-The Modern World (3 credits)
• Core Curriculum Fine Arts Requirement (3 credits).

Refer to the "Fine Arts" section of the Core Curriculum chapter in the University catalog. Select one additional course (3 credits) from the following list.

NOTE: In addition to the courses listed below, students may complete any Fine Arts course from the Core Curriculum list not used to satisfy the Core Curriculum.

• ENG 131-Introduction to Literature
• ENG 203-Introduction to Literary Study
• ENG 223-Themes of Literature
• ENG 235-Survey of English Literature I
• ENG 236-Survey of English Literature II
• ENG 240-Survey of American Literature
• ENG 244-Introduction to Fiction
• ENG 252-Introduction to Drama
• ENG 261-Introduction to Poetry
• ENG 265-Nature in Literature
• ENG 266-Popular Literature
• ENG 271-Introduction to Shakespeare
• ENG 281-Introduction to Language
• ENG 282-Introduction to Language and Literary Expression
• ENG 297-Reading and Interpreting
• ENG 298-Writing About Literature
• FREN 221-France and Its Culture
• GER 221-German-Speaking Europe and Its Culture
• GER 223-German Literature in English Translation
• HIST 105-European Civilization
• HIST 106-European Civilization
• HIST 347- History of Mexico
• ITAL 221-Italy and Its Culture
• ITAL 223-Italian Literature in English Translation
• JPN 221-Japan and Its Culture
• RST 101-Introduction to Religious Studies
• SPAN 221-Iberia and Its Cultures
• SPAN 222-Hispanic-America and Its Culture
• Any 100- or 200-level Philosophy course

B. Natural Sciences and Mathematics-12 credits

• Core Curriculum Natural Sciences Requirement (6 credits)
• Refer to the "Natural Sciences" section of the Core Curriculum chapter in the University catalog.
• Core Curriculum Mathematics Requirement (3 credits)
• Refer to the "Mathematics" section of the Core Curriculum chapter of the University catalog.
• Select one additional course (3 credits) from:
  Any natural science course from Group A or B not used to satisfy the Core Curriculum.

NOTE: In addition to the courses listed, students may complete any 100-200 level biology, chemistry, geology or physics course OR
ENV 101-Man and the Environment (if credit not granted for ENV 100)

C. Social Sciences-12 credits

• Core Curriculum Social Sciences Requirement (3 credits).
• Refer to the "Social Sciences" section of the Core Curriculum chapter of the University catalog.
• CH 203-American Experience and Constitutional Change (3 credits)
• Select two three credit courses (6 credits) from the following list:

NOTE: In addition to the courses listed, students may complete any 100-200 level political science, psychology or sociology course, or any 100-200 level HIST, with the exception of HIST 105, HIST 106

• CRJ 101-Introduction to Criminal Justice I
• CRJ 102-Introduction to Criminal Justice II
• JOUR 101-Critical Analysis of Mass Media
• SW 101-Introduction to Social Work (formally SW 220)

D. Communication and English Composition- 12 credits

• ENG 102-Composition II (3 credits)
• Select at least three courses (9 credits) from the following list (courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted):
• IS 101-Introduction to Information Systems
• IS 201-Computer Applications
• CS 105-Introduction to Computing
• CS 135-Computer Science I
• CS 202-Computer Science II
• ENG 101-Composition I
• ENG 181-Vocabulary and Meaning (2 credits)
• ENG 321-Expository Writing
• Foreign languages through 212-level (2-4 credits each)
• Any lower division COM courses, with the exception of COM 216.

E. Colleges other than the College of Liberal Arts and the following departments: Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematic-Statistics and Physics-12 credits

Use of upper-division and Physical Education courses (PEX, formerly RPED courses) to fulfill this requirement must be approved by the General Studies advisor.