BGS Focus Requirements

The following are requirements for students admitted to the BGS program before Summer 2008.

Established Focus

Each established focus includes a core of required courses and relevant recommended courses. Each focus typically includes at least 24 credits, with 18 credits in courses at the junior-senior (200s) level.

Allied Health (Available at the Tri-Campus: Hartford, Torrington, Waterbury)
This focus is designed for those with a background in Allied Health who want to expand and broaden their credentials in today’s changing health care system. This focus may also prepare students for entrance into a graduate degree program in a specific health discipline. There are four required core Allied Health courses in this focus and another twelve credits can be taken in courses in Allied Health and related disciplines. View course listing.

The American Experience (Available at the Avery Point, Stamford, Storrs and Torrington Campuses)
This interdisciplinary focus enables students to understand American culture, past and present, by studying American life from the perspectives of history, literature, anthropology, political science and other disciplines. The goal of this focus is to give students an understanding of the complex cultural and political structures at the core of American life. View course listing.

Cities and Community Life (Available at the Tri-Campus: Hartford, Torrington, Waterbury)

This interdisciplinary focus enables students to better understand the challenges and opportunities of urban life from the local to the global level, and to participate in strengthening the institutional and social fabric of communities. Students receive training in the knowledge and methods of the social sciences and may complete pre-professional courses and capstone projects. View course listing.

Corporate and Organizational Studies (Available at All Campuses)
This focus is designed to provide students with a foundation to respond to the demands of business and industry in today’s global society. View course listing.

Human Services (Available at All Campuses)
This focus is an interdisciplinary program of study designed for individuals seeking to pursue a professional career path in mental health, family services, employee assistance programs, counseling services to diverse populations, and related fields. This focus may prepare students for entrance into graduate school in social work or counseling. The University has course offerings for the human services focus in psychology, sociology, human development and family studies, as well as other disciplines. View course listing.

Information Technology (Available at the Stamford Campus)
This focus is designed for those seeking a formalized information application and technology orientation for a business environment. It is also for individuals already in a business environment who want more IT skills. This focus was developed in conjunction with Norwalk Community College (NCC), Housatonic Community College (HCC), and the University’s Connecticut Institute for Technology Information (CITI). It is assumed that students following this BGS focus will have some experience in the use of personal computers. View course listing.

Law and Society (Available at All Campuses)
This focus emphasizes concepts of law, judicial procedures, the framework of legal institutions in modern society, social justice and social problems. This focus serves students whose interests are in such areas as law, government, public service and criminal justice. View course listing.

Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health (Available Online)
Employers are increasingly concerned with the environmental factors that can affect the workplace and its neighbors, as well as the prevention of occupational injuries and illnesses. This has created a demand for individuals with specialized training in maintaining a workplace that complies with Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Environmental Protection Agency regulations. This focus will provide training in these areas. It is available in the classroom and online. View course listing.

Web Technology (Available Online)
The ability of the World Wide Web to deliver information and services to large numbers of people has made it a standard business tool. This has created a growing need for individuals who can create web content, build web-based applications, and administer web services infrastructure. This focus includes courses in each of these areas, providing preparation for web-related positions in organizations of all sizes. View course listing.

Individualized Focus

Each individualized focus requires a minimum of 24 credits, with 18 credits at the junior-senior level. Students create their own interdisciplinary theme that is of particular relevance to their academic goals. Appropriate courses are chosen, in consultation with your BGS advisor.

In lieu of a focus, you can create a customized plan of study, with coursework from a variety of academic disciplines, followed by a Capstone Experience. Appropriate courses are chosen, in consultation with your BGS advisor. The Capstone Experience can be either a BGS Summary Project or a course entitled, Integrating General Studies. A summary project will give you the opportunity to demonstrate an ability to synthesize what you’ve learned, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of your plan of study. Alternatively, the coursework associated with Integrating General Studies will guide you through a similar process.