General studies Courses

Courses

Courses for this program are 100% online: no campus visits are required.

Your degree requires 120 credit hours, which include transfer credits from other regionally accredited institutions.

The courses you take will include:

• MU general education requirements;
• 45 credit hours of course work in the general studies major, including the capstone and/or internship, and electives as needed.

Transfer students

The number of credits you need to take will depend on the type of previous credit earned and the institution's accreditation and transfer equivalencies. The admissions office will determine your transfer credit once they receive your official transcripts and application. Visit the University of Missouri Course Equivalency site to determine credit equivalencies from courses taken at other Missouri institutions.

Sample plan of study

See a sample bachelor of general studies “Semester Plan” of study. Personal degree plans will be developed with your academic advisor.

General studies major (components), minimum 45 credit hours

• Three fields of study, each including a minimum of 15 credit hours of course work, make up the core of the components.
• Of the 15 credit hours required for each component, 6 credit hours in each must be numbered 3000 or higher. While you may bring in upper-level transfer course work, a minimum of 12 credit hours of MU course work numbered 3000 level or above is required in the three components.
• As a transfer student, you may construct one component solely with courses taken at other institutions. Where appropriate, the requirement of 3000-level work in this one component may be waived, but in such cases, you must include 9 credit hours of MU course work at the 3000 level or above in each of your two remaining components.
• No more than 6 credit hours of special projects or directed readings may be included in any one component; the combined total for such work is limited to 12 credit hours.
• You must complete an approved 3-credit-hour capstone course and/or internship.

Electives

Any courses ordinarily accepted by the College of Arts and Science may be applied toward the minimum of 120 credit hours required for graduation.