The Center for General Studies
Program Coordinator: Dr. Lynn Maurer, 203 Parker Building, Phone (409) 880-8508
Director of Academic Advising: Ms. Rachel Klauss, 114 TAGS Building, Phone (409) 880-7571, Email: gsadvising@lamar.edu
The Center for General Studies offers advising for exploratory students who have not selected a major, students who are transitioning to other majors, and students who are seeking the Bachelor of General Studies degree. Academic advising in General Studies is a collaborative partnership between advisor and student that facilitates academic and career exploration and promotes student success. Advisors help students engage in their academic planning, develop personal goals, design a program of study, navigate the university, connect to campus resources, and establish a timeline for graduation. Students are encouraged to consult the discipline-specific sections of this catalog to identify advisors and advising centers for academic departments.
The Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) degree provides the opportunity for an individual to take courses in more than one area of interest, resulting in a broad-based, multi-disciplinary program of study. Additionally, the B.G.S. is designed for those students who have already established careers and who wish to earn credit toward a degree. The B.G.S. degree requires courses in three different academic disciplines, allowing students to tailor a degree to fit their needs.
The Bachelor of General Studies will be awarded upon completion of 120 credit hours that include, but are not limited to, the following requirements:
- General Education Core Curriculum (42 credit hours)
- General Electives (33 credit hours)
- Advanced Electives (36 credit hours) within three areas of concentration
- Required Advanced Courses (9 hours): AASC 3301 (Lifelong Learning and Portfolio Development), AASC 4301 (Senior Seminar), and ENGL 3311 (Professional Writing) or ENGL 3326 (Advanced Expository Writing)
- A grade of “C” or higher must be earned in all required upper-level courses