Apr 20, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2017-2018 Undergraduate Bulletin [Archived Catalog]

General Studies (B.G.S.)


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Program Descriptions

Program: B.G.S.
Department of General Studies  
College of Arts and Sciences

Kettler Hall 144 ~ 260-481-6828 ~ whitcrak@ipfw.edu


Introduction

General Studies offers a wide variety of personalized degree options to students. They may individually tailor their programs to combine a substantial core of courses basic to a traditional university education and study in career-related areas. Within the flexible framework of degree requirements, students may design an undergraduate program that can more readily meet their career and personal-development goals. Students will be encouraged and assisted in developing a unique academic program complementing their individual interests, abilities, and intellectual and practical concerns.

The Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) includes courses in broad categories called required areas of learning (listed below) and elective credit that students may earn in any IPFW program. The required areas of learning provide broad exposure to the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, while the electives permit students to explore areas of interest, receive credit for prior university-level experiential learning, and tailor the degree to their individual needs. In each plan of study, students must demonstrate competency in each of the following areas: written communication (two courses), oral communication, mathematics, computer literacy, and a diversity course. After students are admitted to a general studies degree program, students will develop a plan of study to meet their objectives. An advisor will provide assistance in this effort. 


Student Learning Outcomes

  • Speak and write precisely, clearly, and persuasively.
  • Formulate arguments in a variety of contexts.
  • Assess their own arguments and compare and evaluate them with the arguments of others.
  • Understand the nature and diversity of individuals, organizations, cultures, and societies.
  • Demonstrate understanding of scholarly approaches to such abiding questions as the meaning of life, the role of the arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and sciences and mathematics in understanding what being human means, and the limits of knowledge.
  • Apply their knowledge in written, oral communication, or technical competencies.
  • Gather, evaluate, select, organize, and synthesize material in order to complete a research or creative project.
  • Apply the knowledge gained across interdisciplinary boundaries.

Program Delivery

Students may take advantage of the wide variety of daytime, evening, weekend, hybrid, and online classes at IPFW. Students may also earn credit by examination, and in some cases earn credit for significant, documentable self-acquired competencies when the learning outcomes have been comparable to those of university-level work. See an advisor for more information. Consideration is given to all previously earned college credit from other accredited institutions. The Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) program may also be tailored to the needs of those unable to study on campus during regularly scheduled periods and may be completed online.


Admission to the Program

To be admitted to the B.G.S. program, applicants must have a cumulative GPA of a 2.00 or higher.


General Program Requirements 

Additional Program Requirements


At least one semester must be completed as an IU student.

Upper Level Requirement: 30 Credits

  • A minimum of 30 credits must be taken at the 300-400 level (or see College of Arts and Sciences  for a list of 200 level classes than can be counted as upper level).

Diversity Requirement: 1-3 Credits

  • Afro-American Studies (ANY)
  • AMST A200, A301, A441
  • ANTH E105, E310, E320, E321, E330, E335, E341, E350, E356, E375, E401, E420, E421, E445, E455, E457, E462, E470, L200, P200, P220, P300, P310, P360, P361, P370
  • BIOL 25000, 32700
  • BUS D300, D490, F494, W204, Z302
  • CLAS C205
  • CMLT C340
  • COM 21200, 30300, 31200, 32400, 41000, 42200, 52700, 59000
  • CSD 11500, 18100, 18200, 30600
  • EALC (ANY)
  • ECON E323, E346, E408, E430
  • EDUC H340, K201, K205, K206, K305, K307, K350, K351, K352, K360, K370, K410, Q400
  • ENG G104, G310, L107, L113, L207, L364, L369, L378, L379, L381, L388, L392, W372, W462
  • FINA A170, A270
  • FNN 20400
  • FOLK F111, F254, F305, F350, F352, F354, F378
  • FREN (ANY)
  • FWAS H201, H202
  • GEOG G107
  • GER (ANY)
  • GERN G231
  • HIST A306, A310, A311, A349, B311, B327, B345, B351, B352, B355, B361, B378, C386, C388, C390, C392, C393, D310, D402, D410, D426, E100, E331, E332, E336, F341, F342, F346, F416, F431, F432, F447, H113, H114, H201, H202, H222, H232, H260, S113, S114, S232, T325 (***), T335, T425 (***), T426 (***)
  • ILCS I208, I209, I330, I350
  • INTL I200, I 208, I441
  • INTR D330
  • LING 360
  • LSTU L101, L210, L290 (***), L330, L385, L390 (***)
  • MUS Z105, Z201, Z393
  • NELC (ANY)
  • NUR 30900
  • OLS 25200, 45400
  • POLS Y107, Y109, Y200 (***), Y324m Y328, Y335, Y337, Y339, Y340, Y350, Y360, Y371, Y374, Y376, Y401 (***), Y490 (***), Y496
  • PSY 24000, 33400, 33500, 34500, 36500, 37100
  • REL 11200, 23000, 23100, 29300 (***), 30100, 30500, 30600, 30700, 31100, 31200, 31500, 32100, 37800, 37500, 38100
  • SOC S163, S298, S300, S338, S413
  • PPOL J305
  • SPAN (ANY)
  • WOST (ANY)

       ***See your academic advisor to have variable topic courses approved for diversity

Course Subject Limits

- 21 credit limit in each of the following department/subject areas: AFRO, ANTH, AST/ASTR, BIOL,  CHM, CLAS, COAS, CSD, CS, COM, CMLT, DANC, EALC, ECON, ENG, FILM, FINA, FOLK, FREN, FWAS, GEOG, GEOL, GER, GERN, HIST, HON, HORT, ILCS, INTL, IST, JOUR, LGBT, LING, MA, MEST, MUS (unless used as a professional field, see professional school areas below), NELC, PACS, PCTX, PHYS, PHIL, POLS, REL, PSY, SOC, SPAN, STAT, THTR, VCD, WOST

- 30 Credit limit in each of the following professional school/college discipline: DAST, DHYG, DLTP, EDUA/EDUC, PPOL, HPER, HSRV, INTR, IDIS, MSL/MIL, LSTU, VM, MUS (if used as a professional field and counted in the electives area only), BUS, HSRV, NUR, RADX, OLS (unless paired with other classes/subjects within the School of Engineering Technology and Computer Science; see below)

- 30 Credit limit in each of the following professional school areas, but only 21 credits in each subject within the school/college:

  • Engineering Technology and Computer Science (30 total; 21 allowed in each, except OLS): ARET , CE, CET, CEPT, CNET, ECET, ECE, ENGR, ET, ETCS, IET, IT, IM, ITC, ME, MET, SE, TECH, and up to 30 in OLS unless paired with any of the above for a total of 30 within the college/school
  • Consumer and Family Sciences (30 total; 21 allowed in each): CDFS, CFS, FNN, HTM
  • Agriculture (30 total; 21 allowed in each): AGRI, ANSC, ENTM, FNR, HORT

Required Areas of Learning: Credits 54


Arts and Humanities: Credits 12


Written and Oral Communication: Credits 9


Science and Mathematics: Credits 12


Grade of C- or above is required.

Computer Literacy: Credits 1-3


Choose one of the following:

Social and Behavioral Sciences: Credits 12


Grade of C- or above is required.

Choose four classes from the following social and behavioral subject areas: Credits 12

  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • Linguistics
  • Political Science
  • PPOL J101 (ONLY)
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • WOST W210 (ONLY)

Credits focused in ONE of the Three Above Areas: Credits 18


Grade of C- or above is required.

    Arts and Humanities: Credits 18

  • Afro-American Studies
  • Classical Studies
  • Communications
  • Comparative Literature
  • Dance
  • English (Except R150, R190, W129, W130
  • Film
  • Fine Arts
  • Folklore
  • Foreign Language
  • History
  • Journalism
  • Music
  • Philosophy
  • Religious Studies
  • Theatre
  • VCD

OR

    Science and Mathematics: 18 Cr

  • ANTH B200, E445 (ONLY)
  • Astronomy
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science (Includes BUS K201)
  • ECON E270 (ONLY)
  • Entomology
  • Forestry and Natural Resources
  • GEOG G107, G109, G315 (ONLY)
  • Geology
  • Horticulture
  • Information System Technology
  • Mathematics (Except MA 11100, 12401)
  • Phsyics
  • PPOL K300 (ONLY)
  • PSY 12000, 20100, 31000, 31100, 31400, 31700, 32900, 41600 (ONLY)
  • SOC S351 (ONLY)
  • Statistics

OR

    Social and Behavioral Sciences: 18 Cr

  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • Linguistics
  • Political Science
  • PPOL J101 (ONLY)
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • WOST W210 (ONLY)

General Electives: Credits 66


Grade of D- or above in all elective classes

General Studies Capstone: Credits 3

EDUA F400 Topical Exploration in Education  3 Cr

Art and Science electives: Credits 15

  • Afro-American Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Astronomy
  • Biology
  • BUS K201 (ONLY)
  • Chemistry
  • Classical Studies
  • Communications
  • Comparative Literature
  • CSD
  • Dance
  • Economics
  • English (Except R150, W130)
  • Entomology
  • ETCS 106 (ONLY)
  • Film
  • Fine Arts
  • Foreign Language
  • Forestry and Natural Resources
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • GERN
  • History
  • Horticulture
  • ILCS
  • Information System Technology
  • Linguistics
  • Journalism
  • Mathematics (Except MA 11300, 10900)
  • Music
  • PCTX
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • PPOL K300, J101 (ONLY)
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • Theatre
  • VCD
  • WOST

Free Electives: Credits 48

Choose from any available subejcts/classes that you meet the prerequistes for and have not already taken.

Total Credits: 120


*All requests for exceptions/waivers to any requirement must be petitioned and approved by the appopriate dean or director of the General Studies Program.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Program Descriptions