Mar 29, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

General Studies (B.G.S.)


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

Kettler Hall 144 ~ 260-481-6828

La Tishia Horrell, Executive Director
Sara Thomas, Assistant Director
Rhonda Meriwhether, Academic Advisor Exploring General Studies
Open, Academic Advisor
Kathleen Whitcraft, Administrative Assistant
Jodie Powell, Administrative Clerk


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 Purdue University Fort Wayne 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:
Upon successful completion of this degree, students will:

  • 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 courses at Purdue Fort Wayne. 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.  For questions, contact the Director of General Studies.

General Program Requirements:

Required Areas of Learning (Credits 54)


Area A: Arts & Humanities (Credits 12)


Grade of C- or above is required.  Must include at least two different subjects.

Arts & Humanities Options (Credits 3)


Choose one course in the following Arts & Humanities area:

  • African American Studies
  • Art & Design
  • Classical Studies
  • Communication
  • Comparative Literature
  • Dance
  • English (except 15000, 19000, 12900, P131, R150, R190, W115, W116, W129, W130)
  • Film & Video Studies
  • Folklore
  • History
  • International Languages (CLCS, EALC, FR, GER, ILCS, NELC, SPAN)
  • International Language & Culture Studies
  • International Studies
  • Medieval & Renaissance Studies
  • Music (unless used as a professional school)
  • Philosophy
  • Religious Studies
  • Theatre

Area B: Science & Mathematics (Credits 12)


Grade of C- or above is required.  Must include at least two different subjects.

Computer Literacy (Credits 1-3)


Choose one of the following:

Science & Mathematics Options (Credits 6-8)


Choose two courses in the following Science & Mathematics area:

  • ANTH 20001, 44500 (ONLY)
  • Astronomy
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science (Includes BUS 20101)
  • Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences
  • ECON 20101, 27000 (ONLY)
  • Entomology
  • Forestry & Natural Resources
  • GEOG 10700, 10900, 31500 (ONLY)
  • Horticulture
  • Industrial Engineering Technology 20500, 35000 (ONLY)
  • Information System Technology
  • Mathematics (except MA 10900, 11100, 11101, 11300, 12401)
  • PCTX 20100 (ONLY)
  • Philosophy 25200 (ONLY)
  • Physics
  • PPOL 30000 (ONLY)
  • PSY 12000, 20100, 31000, 31100, 31400, 31700, 32900, 41600 (ONLY)
  • SOC 35100 (ONLY)
  • Statistics

Area C: Social & Behavioral Sciences (Credits 12)


Grade of C- or above is required. Must include at least two different subjects.

Choose four courses in the following Social & Behavioral Sciences area:

  • Anthropology
  • Communication Sciences & Disorders
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • Gerontology
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender
  • Linguistics
  • Peace & Conflict Studies
  • Political Science
  • PPOL 10100 (ONLY)
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Women’s Studies

Area D: Choose ONE Area of Learning (Credits 18)


Choose ONE Area of Learning (Area A, B or C) and complete 18 additional credits from that area. Grade of C- or above is required. Must include at least two different subjects from the selected Area of Learning.

    Area A: Arts & Humanities: (Credits 18)

  • African American Studies
  • Art & Design
  • Classical Studies
  • Communication
  • Comparative Literature
  • Dance
  • English (except 15000, 19000, 12900, P131, R150, R190, W115, W116, W129, W130)
  • Film & Video Studies
  • Folklore
  • History
  • International Languages & Culture Studies
  • International Languages
  • International Studies
  • Medieval & Renissance Studies
  • Music (unless used as a professional school)
  • Philosophy
  • Religious Studies
  • Theatre

OR

    Area B: Science & Mathematics: (Credits 18)

  • ANTH 20001, 44500 (ONLY)
  • Astronomy
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science (Includes BUS 20101)
  • Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences
  • ECON 20101, 27000 (ONLY)
  • Entomology
  • Forestry & Natural Resources
  • GEOG 10700, 10900, 31500 (ONLY)
  • Horticulture
  • Industrial Engineering Technology 20500, 35000 (ONLY)
  • Information System Technology
  • Mathematics (Except MA 11100, 12401)
  • PCTX 20100 (ONLY)
  • Philosophy 25200 (ONLY)
  • Physics
  • PPOL 30000 (ONLY)
  • PSY 12000, 20100, 31000, 31100, 31400, 31700, 32900, 41600 (ONLY)
  • SOC 35100 (ONLY)
  • Statistics

OR

    Area C: Social & Behavioral Sciences: (Credits 18)

  • Anthropology
  • Communication Sciences & Disorders
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • Gerontology
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender
  • Linguistics
  • Peace & Conflict Studies
  • Political Science
  • PPOL 10100 (ONLY)
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Women’s Studies

General Electives: (Credits 66)


General Studies Capstone: (Credits 3)

Art & Science electives: (Credits 15)

  • African American Studies
  • Art & Design
  • Anthropology
  • Astronomy
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Classical Studies
  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • Communication
  • Communication Sciences & Disorders
  • Comparative Literature
  • Computer Sciences (Includes BUS 20100 only)
  • Dance
  • Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences
  • Economics
  • English (except 15000, R150, W115, W116, W130)
  • Entomology
  • ETCS 10600 (ONLY)
  • Film & Video Studies
  • Folklore
  • Forestry & Natural Resources
  • Fort Wayne Arts & Sciences
  • Geography
  • Gerontology
  • History
  • Horticulture
  • Industrial Engineering Technology 20500, 35000 (ONLY)
  • Information System Technology
  • International Languages
  • International Language & Culture Studies
  • International Studies
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Studies
  • Linguistics
  • Mathematics (except MA 10900, 11300)
  • Medieval & Renaissance Studies
  • Music (unless used as a Professional School)
  • Peace & Conflict Studies
  • Pharmacology
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • PPOL 10100, 30000 (ONLY)
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • Theatre
  • Women’s Studies

Free Electives: (Credits 48)

Students may choose from any available subjects/courses that they meet the prerequistes for and have not already taken.  Courses with a D- or higher will be accepted in electives.

Total Credits: 120


All students must have a 2.0 or higher to graduate.

Additional Program Requirements


Upper-Level Requirement: 30 Credits

  • A minimum of 30 credits must be taken at the 30000-40000 level (or see College of Arts and Sciences  for a list of 20000 level courses than can be counted as upper level).

Diversity Requirement: 1-3 Credits

  • AFRO (ANY)
  • ANTH 10501, 20002, 20003, 30000, 31001, 33000, 35001, 37001, 37500, 44500, 45500, 45700, 47000
  • BIOL 25000, 32700
  • BUS 20400, 30000, 30200, 49001, 49400
  • CLCS (ANY)
  • CMPL 21700
  • COM 21200, 30300, 31200, 32400, 41000, 42200, 52700, 59000
  • CSD 11500, 18100, 18200, 28300, 28400, 30600
  • EALC (ANY)
  • ECON 40800, 43000
  • EDU 30500, 30700, 34001, 35201, 37001, 40001, 41000
  • ENGL 10700, 36401, 36901, 37202, 37801, 37901, 38101, 38800, 39201, 46201
  • FNN 20400
  • FOLK 11100, 25400, 30500, 35200
  • FR (ANY)
  • GEOG 10700
  • GER (ANY)
  • GERN 23100
  • HIST 10001, 11300, 11400, 20101, 22200, 23200, 31001, 31002, 31101, 31102, 32503 (***), 32701, 33101, 33201, 33503, 34201, 34502, 34601, 35102, 35202, 35501, 36102, 38601, 38801, 39301, 40201, 42501 (***), 42601 (***), 43200
  • IDIS 20200
  • ILCS 20800, 35000
  • INTL (ANY)
  • INTD 33000
  • LGBT (ANY)
  • LING 36000
  • LSTU 10100, 21000, 29000 (***), 33000, 38500, 39000 (***)
  • MUSC 10500, 20103, 39300
  • NELC (ANY)
  • NUR 30900
  • OLS 25200, 45400
  • POL 10700, 10900, 20001 (***), 32400, 32800, 33501, 33900, 34000, 35001, 36001, 37101, 37600, 40100 (***), 49001 (***)
  • PPOL 30500
  • PSY 24000, 33400, 33500, 34500, 36500, 37100
  • REL 11200, 23000, 23100, 29300 (***), 30100, 30500, 30600, 30700, 31100, 31200, 31500, 32100, 37500, 37800, 38100
  • SOC 16300, 30000
  • SPAN (ANY)
  • WOST (ANY)

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

Course Subject Limits

-3 credit limit in each of the following:  ENG W135*, MA 149*

- 21 credit limit in each of the following department/subject areas: AD, AFRO, ANTH, ASTR, BIOL, CHM, CLCS, CMPL, COAS, COM, CS, CSD, DANC, EALC, EAPS, ECON, ENGL, ETCS, FINA*, FOLK, FR, FVS, GEOG, GER, GERN, HIST, HONR, HORT, ILCS, INTL, IST, JOUR*, LGBT, LING, MA, MARS, MUSC (unless used as a professional school, see professional school areas below. Only 10 credits in any MUSC 0xxxx classes), NELC, PACS, PCTX, PHIL, PHYS, POL, PSY, REL, SOC, SPAN, STAT, THTR, VART*, VCD*, WOST.

- 30 credit limit in each of the following professional school/college disciplines: BUS, DAST*/DHYG*/DLTP*, EDU/EDUA*/EDUC*, HPER (only 1 course allowed in an athletes participating sport), HSRV, IDIS, INTD, LSTU, MSL/MIL, MUSC (if used as a professional school, which only counts as electives with only 10 credits in any MUSC 0xxxx classes), NUR, OLS (unless paired with other classes/subjects within the School of Engineering Technology and Computer Science; see below), PHRM, PPOL/SPEA*, RADX, VM.

- 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, 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*/NUTR, HTM
  • Agriculture (30 total; 21 allowed in each): AGRI, ANSC, ENTM, FNR, HORT

-30 credit limit in the following situations: 

  • Credit by exams:  AP/CLEP
  • Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
  • Older credit that begins with the letter “T”:  TBUS/TENG/TPSY etc.

- 48 credit Limit in the following subject area:  AHLT*/CHHS*/HSCI

*Courses no longer offered at PFW.

Student Responsibility


You are responsible for satisfying the graduation requirements specified for your selected program.  Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies, and procedures governing your academic career.  All requests for exceptions/waivers to any requirement must be petitioned in writing and approved by the appropriate Dean or Director of the General Studies program.