Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) Degree

Mission statement: The mission of the BGS degree program is to provide adult learners with a pathway to a high quality flexible education tailored to their academic and career goals. By providing separate areas of concentration, the program enables students to balance their own interests with the opportunity to broaden their appreciation of several academic disciplines, while advancing baccalaureate-level critical thinking and communication skills.

This multidisciplinary degree completion program offers the freedom to develop your own intellectual and academic interests to meet career, educational or personal goals.

• Multidisciplinary
• Choice of designation

Athabasca University's Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences administers the Bachelor of General Studies. Students complete 45 of the 90 credits in the degree in courses in either the Arts or Science designation or an Applied Studies designation that includes courses in Business and Administrative Studies. All BGS students complete the equivalent of one year of study (30 credits at the senior [300/400] level).

• Arts and Science Designation: Arts includes courses in the Humanities and/or Social Science areas of study. Science includes computers and management systems, computer science and information systems in addition to the natural sciences: biology, chemistry and physics in addition to astronomy, geology and math.
• Applied Studies Designation: Applied Studies may award transfer credit for courses in education, engineering, and physical education and other coursework completed at recognized post-secondary colleges, polytechnics, and universities.

Both designations provide opportunities to combine transfer credit, prior learning assessment opportunities and challenge for credit processes to fit each student’s educational path. Coursework may be taken through Athabasca University or other recognized postsecondary institutions in Canada. Completion of the breadth and depth requirements of the degree meets the learning outcomes for the program.

Graduates of both designations are often already employed. Degree completion aligns students’ actual roles and responsibilities with their educational qualifications, thereby supporting further professional development, and career preparation and advancement. The BGS also appeals to students who are motivated to understand and participate in their own workplaces and communities.

Prospective Students

Program Reach