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Northern Illinois University

Liberal Arts & Sciences External Programming

Requirements

Requirements to begin the BGS degree
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.

Time required to complete the BGS 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. Most BGS Students are part-time, balancing one or two courses per semester with full-time jobs or family obligations. A typical course of study takes five years. After you have been admitted and the adviser has evaluated your transcripts, ask this question again concerning your own specific goals.

Planning and registering for BGS students
Meet with your advisor to discuss your registering for BGS courses and to complete a BGS evaluation, outlining your BGS degree requirements. Take a look at the Guide to Registration for BGS Students to help you to answer questions as you prepare.


B.G.S. Requirements

Students seeking the degree Bachelor of General Studies satisfy the requirements of a major by completing:

  • A minimum of 85 semester hours in course work offered or approved by NIU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
  • A minimum of 30 semester hours of upper-division credit in course work offered or approved by NIU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
  • A minimum of 15 semester hours in each of the following three categories: behavioral and social sciences; life, mathematical, and physical sciences; humanities; (course work used to fulfill the English, mathematics, and speech requirement of the university's general education program will not be credited to any of these areas).
  • No more than 25 semester hours in any one department.
  • At least 30 semester hours of credit after entry in the program.

To graduate from Northern Illinois University, each student must:

  • Complete 120 semester hours of course work offered or accepted in transfer by NIU.
  • Complete a minimum total of 40 semester hours of upper-division course work, i.e., courses numbered in the 300-400 level series.
  • Complete the last 30 hours semester hours at NIU or NIU extension sites.
  • Attain a 2.00 grade point average or better in all course work completed at NIU.
  • Complete the university's general education program.
  • Complete the requirements of a major.

Consult the current Northern Illinois University Undergraduate Catalog for additional information.