Requirements to Earn a BGS Degree

• BGS Degree Requirements
• For students admitted after Spring 2008: BGS Theme Requirements
• For students admitted before Summer 2008: BGS Focus Requirements
• University General Education Requirements
• Second Bachelor's Degree Requirements
  
  

BGS Degree Requirements

In order to graduate with a BGS degree, you must:

• Earn a minimum total of 120 degree credits—these may be from a combination of transfer and University of Connecticut credits;
  
  
• Fulfill minimum University General Education requirements applicable to the year of entrance into the program;
  
  
• Have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0;
  
  
• Earn at least 30 credits at the University of Connecticut. UConn students entering the BGS program from another UConn school or college must complete at least 15 UConn credits while in the BGS program; and
  
  
• Earn a minimum of 30 credits in junior/senior level courses at UConn (or approved as equivalent for transfer to UConn from another college or university).
  
  

Additionally, as a BGS student, you should be aware of the following:

• A student wishing to apply toward a degree the credits earned more than eight years before graduation must have permission from the BGS Director.
  
  
• Students graduating from the BGS program must meet the requirements as they were at the time the student entered, or as they were at any subsequent readmission.
  
  

BGS Theme Requirements (for students admitted to the BGS program after Spring 2008)

Students must choose from one of the 18-credit options (15 credits from "a" or "b" or "c" below and 3 credits from "d" below):

a.	A specific interdisciplinary theme of 15 credits at the 2000 level or above that has been pre-approved for the student's campus.
b.	A general interdisciplinary plan of study of 15 credits at the 2000 level or above with courses selected from a minimum of three different academic departments.
c.	An individualized interdisciplinary theme of 15 credits at the 2000 level approved by a faculty oversight committee composed of three faculty of whom at least two have tenure or are on a tenure track at the student's campus.
d.	All three options identified above require an integrative capsone experience of 3 credits (Integrating General Studies course, summary project, internship, electronic portfolio, or an approved department-specific course).

BGS Focus Requirements (for students admitted to the BGS program before Summer 2008) Contact your BGS advisor with any questions.

Students admitted prior to Summer 2008 must complete a BGS focus or generalized plan of study.

• Established Focus—A minimum of 24 credits are required with 18 of these credits at the junior/senior level.
• Individualized Focus—A minimum of 24 credits are required with 18 of these credits at the junior/senior level. Needs to be pre-approved and should be submitted during the student's first semester in the BGS program.
• Generalized Plan of Study—Courses from several different academic disciplines are required. Your advisor will work with you to develop a plan of study that satisfies BGS requirements. Additionally, you must complete either General Studies 4278*: Integrating General Studies (formerly GS 295) or General Studies 4279*: BGS Summary Project (formerly GS 297) at or near the end of your program of study.

*Note that with course renumber, effective Summer 2008, the former GS 295 is now GS 4278, and the former GS 297 is now GS 4279.

University General Education Requirements
General education requirements are established by the University Senate and apply to all undergraduate students. BGS students are required to adhere to the Senate’s standards.

Those BGS students admitted for the summer of 2005 and beyond are required to fulfill the University’s revised General Education Requirements, as set forth in the 2005-2006 Undergraduate Catalog (and subsequent catalogs, relevant to the year of admission).

Those BGS students admitted as of the summer of 1992 through spring of 2005 are required to fulfill the University’s General Education Requirements of the 1992-1993 Undergraduate Catalog (or the subsequent catalog for the academic year in which they were admitted).

The requirements, in general, can be fulfilled with specific UConn courses or their equivalent in transfer from another college in all cases, or by other means if so noted. If a requirement is not fulfilled before admission to BGS, it can be fulfilled with courses taken while a student in the BGS program.

For Student Admitted After Spring 2005

BGS students admitted for the summer of 2005 and beyond are required to fulfill the University’s revised General Education Requirements, as set forth in the 2005-2006 Undergraduate Catalog (and subsequent catalogs, relevant to the year of admission). The University Senate enacted these requirements to ensure that all University of Connecticut undergraduate students become articulate and acquire intellectual breadth and versatility, critical judgment, moral sensitivity, awareness of their era and society, consciousness of the diversity of human culture and experience, and a working understanding of the processes by which they can continue to acquire and use knowledge. It is vital to the accomplishment of the University’s mission that a balance between professional and general education be established and maintained in which each is complementary to and compatible with the other.

Every student must meet a set of core requirements to earn a baccalaureate degree. To avoid delaying the progress of their degree, students should always consult with their BGS advisor before registering.

For a Student Admitted Prior to Summer 2005

BGS students admitted as of the summer of 1992 and thereafter are required to fulfill the University’s General Education Requirements of the 1992-1993 Undergraduate Catalog (or the subsequent catalog for the academic year in which they were admitted). Coursework must be successfully completed in the eight areas or groups which follow:

Group 1—Foreign Languages
One year (2 semesters) of college level study of a single language; this requirement has been fulfilled if a student has had three years of study of a single language in high school or the third-year of high school language has been successfully completed. A BGS student may petition for an exemption from this language requirement.

Group 2—Expository Writing
English 105 and 109 and two additional “W” courses—see the section on Skill Codes for an explanation of “W.”

Group 3—Mathematics
Mathematics 101 (or exemption by either testing or by having completed a course elsewhere beyond the 101 level for which transfer credit is awarded) and two “Q” courses and one “C” course—see the section on Skill Codes for an explanation of “Q” and “C.” Ordinarily one “Q” course must be a mathematics or statistics course.

Group 4—Literature and the Arts
Two courses: one of the two must emphasize major works of literature from English or a foreign language (in the language or in translation), and the other must emphasize major achievements in art, music and/or dramatic arts. A list of UConn courses which fulfill this requirement is available.

Group 5—Culture and Modern Society
History 100 or 101 and one course which emphasizes non-Western or Latin American cultures. A list of UConn courses which fulfill this requirement is available.

Group 6—Philosophical and Ethical Analysis
One course from the list of UConn courses in the most current catalog.

Group 7—Social Scientific and Comparative Analysis
One course from the list of UConn courses in the most current catalog.

Group 8—Science and Technology
Two courses: one of the two must be in chemistry, biology, physics or geology while the other can be in the same discipline or in another UConn course as listed in the most current catalog; and, one of the two must also include a semester of lab work. A BGS student may petition for an exemption from the requirement of one semester of lab work.

Second Bachelor's Degree Requirements
The Second Bachelor's Degree program within BGS enables individuals who have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university to obtain an additional bachelor’s degree with a different focus. In order to receive the second bachelor’s degree, you must meet all of the following requirements:

• Complete 30 credit hours of junior/senior level courses at the University of Connecticut in an approved plan of study, taking courses other than those contributing to your first bachelor’s degree to meet this requirement.;
• Take courses to meet this requirement only at the University of Connecticut;
• Complete a BGS Summary Project, if applicable;
• Have a grade point average of 2.0 or better;
• Complete the University of Connecticut General Education Requirements. Courses taken for your first degree which equate to the University of Connecticut’s courses used for General Education Requirements or courses taken while in the BGS Second Bachelor's Degree program may be used to meet this requirement.

To graduate a minimum of 120 credits must appear on a University of Connecticut transcript. Transfer work from the first bachelor's degree may count for up to 90 of these credits.