• Bachelor of General Studies

The Bachelor of General Studies program is designed for those students who desire to pursue a non-traditional degree program at the University outside of any departmental major. This degree program permits great latitude in utilizing the academic resources of the University for planning and acquiring an education to meet individual needs. Students may plan their programs to the best advantage of their particular educational objectives. Students build their programs on the foundation of University's Common Academic Program requirements.
 

Bachelor of General Studies (GEN) minimum 120 hours

Admission requirements for the Bachelor of General Studies are the same as those for any other degree offered in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Candidacy for the Bachelor of General Studies may be declared in the first year but not later than the commencement of a student's last 30 semester hours of study. An application for acceptance into the degree program must be completed and approved by an Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences. Any students in good academic standing may request transfer into this program.

The General Studies student is required to plan an academic program to satisfy the requirements for graduation in consultation with an Assistant Dean. The General Studies student must complete a minimum of the last 30 semester hours of study under the supervision of an Assistant Dean who will serve as the student's advisor. In order to graduate with a Bachelor of General Studies degree, a student must satisfy the following requirements:

1. College of Arts and Sciences' Competencies and the University's Common Academic Program requirements.
2. A minimum of 54 semester hours of courses at the 300-400 level with a grade point average of 2.0 or better.
3. Not more than 30 semester hours of work from any one academic discipline.
4. Credits earned in completion of the Bachelor of General Studies may not be applied at a later time to the credits for a second degree from the College of Arts and Sciences.
5. Successful completion of GNS 480, Senior Capstone course.
    

The Common Academic Program (CAP) is an innovative curriculum that is the foundation of a University of Dayton education. It is a learning experience that is shared in common among all undergraduate students, regardless of their major. Some CAP requirements must be fulfilled by courses taken at UD. Some major requirements must also be fulfilled by courses taken at UD. Students should consult with their advisor regarding applicability of transfer credit to fulfill CAP and major program requirements. 

Common Academic Program (CAP) 1
First-Year Humanities Commons 2		6 cr. hrs.
HUM 101	Chaminade Seminar: Reading and Responding to the Signs of the Times
HUM 102	Marie Thérèse Seminar: Human Dignity and the Common Good
Second-Year Writing Seminar		3 cr. hrs.
Oral Communication		3 cr. hrs.
Mathematics		3 cr. hrs.
Social Science		3 cr. hrs.
Arts		3 cr. hrs.
Natural Science 3		4 cr. hrs.
Crossing Boundaries		9 cr. hrs.
Faith Traditions (3 cr. hrs.)
Practical Ethical Action (3 cr. hrs.)
Interdisciplinary Investigations (3 cr. hrs.) 4
Advanced Study		9 cr. hrs.
Religious Studies (3 cr. hrs.)
Philosophical Studies (3 cr. hrs.)
Historical Studies (3 cr. hrs.)
Diversity and Social Justice 5		3 cr. hrs.
Major Capstone 6		0-6 cr. hrs.
Experiential Learning 7		0-3 cr. hrs.

1	The credit hours listed reflect what is needed to complete each CAP component. However, they should not be viewed as a cumulative addition to a student's degree requirements because many CAP courses are designed to satisfy more than one CAP component (e.g., Crossing Boundaries and Advanced Studies) and may also satisfy requirements in the student's major.
2	May be completed with ASI 110 through the Core Program.
3	Must include a lecture course and an accompanying lab.
4	New Crossing Boundaries category effective with the 2025-26 Catalog, which incorporates all courses previously approved in the Crossing Boundaries Inquiry or Integrative categories. This new category does not include any restriction that students must take the course outside of their unit or division.
5	May not double count with First-Year Humanities Commons, Second-Year Writing, Oral Communication, Social Science, or Natural Science CAP components, but may double count with courses taken to satisfy other CAP components and/or courses taken in the student's major.
6	The course or experience is designed by faculty in each major; it may, or may not, be assigned credit hours.
7	The course or experience will have variable credit, depending on the intensity and duration of the experience, or where it is housed in existing curricular and co-curricular spaces.

Major Requirements
General Studies Area at the 300/400 level (including GNS 480) 1, 2, 3		54
General Electives		24-30
GNS 480	Senior Capstone

Breadth
ASI 150	Introduction to the University Experience	1
Total Hours to total at least		120

1	Includes 300/400 CAP courses.
2	May not include more than thirty semester hours from any one academic discipline.
3	Transfer credits that have no equivalent at UD (which are coded by the Registrar’s Office as TRN CR credits) may not count for either the major requirements or major electives.

Please see advisor for more information.