B.G.S. graduates have gone to graduate school, medical school and law school. They have found careers in a wide variety of fields including but not limited to human resources, sales, education and the service industry.
Bachelor of General Studies
Get your degree by applying credits you've already earned.
If you have at least 60 credit hours of college-level coursework, you can complete your bachelor's degree at NIU. The time-tested Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) program is our oldest degree completion program. It features an interdisciplinary curriculum taught by accomplished faculty members. You'll also find it to be incredibly flexible and customizable. You can take courses full or part time, online or in the classroom, allowing you to balance work and family life while finishing your degree.
The B.G.S. curriculum is wide-ranging and adaptable to your interests and goals. You can choose classes from across the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in the behavioral and social sciences; life, mathematical and physical sciences; and humanities.
Our varied curriculum in humanities, social studies and science assures a broad-based education that includes critical thinking and communication skills, cultural awareness and the ethical values that employers value.
The B.G.S. degree harnesses technology for challenging and rewarding education whether you're preparing to enter the job market, graduate or pre-professional schools or changing careers.
"The faculty were so kind and patient with me while I finished my classes. The other students were amazing, too!"by Bob Dalaskey, BGS graduate 2014
Frequently Asked Questions
Estimate your tuition and fees with the NIU Planning and Cost Estimator
Courses coincide with fall, spring and summer terms.
Once you have been accepted you will set up an appointment with the B.G.S. director for an evaluation of your credits and plan course selection.
A student who believes that reasonable accommodations with respect to course work or other academic requirements may be appropriate in consideration of a disability must:
- Provide the required verification of the disability to the Disability Resource Center (DRC).
- Meet with center personnel to determine appropriate accommodations.
- Inform the faculty in charge of the academic activity of the need for accommodation.
Students are encouraged to inform the faculty of their requests in a timely enough manner for accommodations to be appropriately considered and reviewed by the university. If contacted by the faculty member, the staff of the Disability Resource Center will provide advice about accommodations that may be indicated in the particular case. Students who make requests for reasonable accommodations are expected to follow the policies and procedures of the Disability Resource Center in this process, including but not limited to the Student Handbook.
For more information, contact the Disability Resource Center
Health Services Building, fourth floor
815-753-1303
815-753-3000 (TTY)
drc@niu.edu
