COURSE CURRICULUM

Wichita State University’s Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) is a highly flexible 120-credit-hour degree program designed for students who wish to create an individualized academic pathway that aligns with their personal interests, career goals, or plans for graduate education. The program combines a strong liberal arts and sciences foundation with interdisciplinary study, allowing students to explore multiple fields rather than focusing on a single traditional major. Students complete 34–35 credit hours of General Education requirements and 36 credit hours covering all Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) competency areas, ensuring broad development of critical thinking, communication, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. A key feature of the program is the field major requirement, which enables students to design a customized area of concentration with guidance from an LAS academic advisor. This field major includes at least 18 credit hours from a primary department of interest and an additional 18 credit hours drawn from two allied departments, with a minimum of 9 credit hours from each supporting discipline. This structure encourages interdisciplinary learning and allows students to connect knowledge from multiple academic areas to support specific professional or educational objectives. Students also complete 13–14 credit hours of open electives, providing further flexibility to explore additional subjects, strengthen career-focused skills, or pursue personal interests. Because some major courses may also satisfy General Education or LAS competency requirements, students work closely with advisors to ensure they meet all graduation requirements while reaching the minimum 120 credit hours. The BGS program is ideal for students seeking a broad, customizable education that reflects their unique goals and interests. Combined with Wichita State’s commitment to applied learning, research opportunities, internships, and real-world experiences, the program helps students graduate with practical skills, interdisciplinary knowledge, and professional readiness. This adaptable degree prepares graduates for a wide range of careers across industries while also providing a strong academic foundation for advanced study and lifelong learning in an increasingly complex and evolving world.