General Studies

Director - Annette Folwell, Associate Dean (112 Admin. Bldg.; 208-885-5013)

The Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) program serves students in two ways: 1) it serves entering students who wish to examine multiple academic areas before selecting a major, and 2) it serves students who intend to pursue the BGS degree, having developed a coherent program of study with the assistance of their advisor. These students will be able to learn and integrate complex ideas across disciplinary lines and communicate these ideas in written and verbal forms. Students who have declared a major in General Studies are strongly encouraged to utilize programs and services offered by the Career Center and the Counseling and Testing Center to assist them in identifying possible career paths and interests. Within their first year as a BGS major, students are advised to take a career exploration course. Particular attention is paid to identifying critical prerequisite courses so that students are able to enter a major on track for graduation.

Admission to the Program

New students wishing to enroll in the General Studies program may indicate their choice on the application form for admission to the university. Current students may transfer into the BGS major by submitting a change of curriculum form to the Registrar’s Office.

General Regulations

Students participating in General Studies while exploring their choice of majors are strongly advised to complete courses that meet requirements as described in Regulation J of the General Catalog. At the same time, these students are strongly advised to select exploratory elective courses that will provide exposure to various academic programs at the UI. Students may transfer from General Studies to a new major at any time if they satisfy the prerequisites and grade-point requirements of that major. Students must have at least a 2.00 grade-point average to transfer into many of the university's colleges.