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Bachelor of General Studies

Contact Information

General Studies

Degree Requirements

• A minimum of 124 credits must be earned with 40 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 124 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 2.25 for all courses attempted at the University and an overall cumulative GPA of 2.25 or higher;
• All University core curriculum requirements are met by completing the General Studies requirements;
• Students must complete a 30-credit cluster of thematically related coursework. Twelve of the 30 credits must be 300-400 level. The cluster must cross three departments or two colleges. 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
    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

  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 
    
    COM 216-Survey of Communication Studies
    CRJ 101-Introduction to Criminal Justice I
    CRJ 102-Introduction to Criminal Justice II
    JOUR 101-Critical Analysis of Mass Media
    SW 220-Introduction to Social Work

  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 103-Computer Science for Engineers and Scientists (2 credits)
    CS 105-Introduction to Computing
    CS 135-Computer Science I
    CS 202-Computer Science II
    CPE 201-Introduction to Computer Engineering
    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.