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Bachelor ofGeneral Studies |
A WAY TO COMPLETE YOUR BACHELOR'S DEGREE . . .The B.G.S. degree program could be the chance you have been waiting for to finish your college degree. The program is tailored to the needs of adult returning students whose personal and work obligations preclude their enrolling as full-time day students on the DeKalb campus. The courses are taught by Northern Illinois University professors evenings and weekends at community colleges and other NIU locations in the northern and western suburbs of Chicago and in the Rockford area. |
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| How can I use the Bachelor of General Studies degree?
The B.G.S. offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is a standard NIU baccalaureate degree. It is a liberal arts degree, like a degree in history or English. As with any liberal arts degree, this degree gives evidence that the graduate is able to think, read, and write critically; that she or he has a broad educational background; and that there has been considerable intellectual achievement. Students have been earning these degrees from NIU since the 1970s. B.G.S. graduates have gone on to a variety of professional schools and graduate programs and are employed in a wide range of public and private sector positions. |
Who is eligible for the B.G.S. degree program?Anyone with at least 60 semester hours or equivalent quarter hours of college-level course work is ready to begin these courses. A baccalaureate-oriented associate degree (A.A. or A.S.) from an Illinois community college is a good starting point. |
How long will it take to complete the B.G.S. degree?The time depends on how far along with your education you are when you begin the program, on how many of the requirements you have already met, and on how many courses per semester you intend to take. After you have been admitted and the adviser has evaluated your transcripts, ask this question again concerning your own specific course of study. |
How do I find out if the courses I took years ago count toward the B.G.S. degree?Begin by requesting transcripts from all the colleges and universities you have attended. Once you apply for admission and have been accepted to NIU, an official evaluation of transfer credit will be done for you. It is at this time the B.G.S. adviser will best be able to assist you in academic planning. |
What sort of courses will I take as a B.G.S. student?You will take courses of your choice in three major categories of knowledge: the humanities, the behavioral and social sciences, and the mathematical and physical sciences. You must take at least 15 semester hours in each of these three main categories. Students need a minimum of 124 semester hours to graduate from NIU with the general program B.G.S. degree.You must complete at least 30 total semester hours at NIU, but these 30 semester hours may be taken on or off campus. You may earn a B.G.S. degree from NIU without ever coming to the main campus at DeKalb. You will register for courses by telephone, using our telephone registration system called T.R.A.C.S. |
Consult the current NIU Schedule of Classes for class listings:
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Now I'm interested . . . how do I start?Apply to NIU. Application forms are available through Northern Illinois University's Office of Admissions (815) 753-0446. Once your application process is complete, you will receive an official NIU Evaluation of Credit. Call (815) 753-7961 for an appointment with the B.G.S. adviser at the off-campus site closest to you. |
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