General Studies B.G.S.
TOTAL DEGREE HOURS: 120
Plans of Study
The Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) major is a customized, interdisciplinary degree completion major that provides students with options to choose an appropriate academic major that fits their educational and professional goals. The BGS major provides mid-career, adult students with the opportunity to integrate completion of the baccalaureate degree into their established lifestyle.
Students pursuing a Bachelor of General Studies degree are restricted from declaring a minor/certificate, due to USF’s degree progression policy.
Students may not pursue the Bachelor of General Studies as a second major, co-degree (concurrent degree), dual degree, or second or post-baccalaureate degree. Baccalaureate degree holders who wish to pursue further education are encouraged to pursue admission into a graduate degree program of study.
Graduation Requirements - General Studies B.G.S.
Satisfactory completion of the following requirements:
- General Education Program (36 credit hours), including State Core General Education, State Computation and State Communication;
- Minimum of 120 unduplicated credit hours;
- A minimum adjusted grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on all coursework taken at USF and an overall 2.0 GPA average on all college-level coursework;
- Major and college requirements in a chosen degree program;
- Nine credit hours of coursework taken during the summer term(s) (if entered USF with less than 60 credit hours);
- Registration and successful completion of at least thirty (30) of the last sixty (60) credit hours;
- 42 credit hours of upper-level coursework;
- Civics Literacy;
- Foreign language admissions coursework.
State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites - General Studies B.G.S.
Following Florida BOG Regulation 8.010, state mandated common course prerequisites are lower-division courses that are required for progression into the upper division of a particular baccalaureate degree program.
Transfer students should complete the State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted. Successful completion of the common prerequisites alone does not guarantee a student admission into the degree program.
All Florida College System students are encouraged to complete the Associate degree. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area at the intended transfer institution.
There are no State Mandated Common Prerequisites for this program.
General Studies Required Course: (3 credit hours)
Major Core Course: 1 course; 3 credit hours
General Studies Major (Restricted) Electives: 7 courses; 21 credit hours
Students complete a General Studies program of study and one concentration in:
Criminal Justice Concentration: 7 courses; 21 credit hours
Concentration Core: 2 courses; 6 credit hours
Concentration Restricted Electives: 5 courses; 15 credit hours
Select five (5) upper-level Criminal Justice courses with the following prefixes: CCJ, CJE, CJC, or CJL.
Additional Information - General Studies B.G.S.
GPA Requirements
A minimum adjusted grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on all coursework taken at USF and an overall 2.0 GPA average on all college-level coursework.
Grading Requirements
A minimum grade of C- or better must be earned in each concentration course.
Research Opportunities - General Studies B.G.S.
Undergraduate students in any degree program are able to participate in undergraduate research. Several options exist to show mentored undergraduate research activity on a student’s official transcript. Those who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 4914 - Advanced Undergraduate Research Experience course. This course will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of High Impact Practices and Undergraduate Research (HIPUR) is able to assist with further inquiries.
Plan of Study - General Studies B.G.S., with Criminal Justice Concentration