Southwestern College Professional Studies

Is a General Studies Major for Me?

The Bachelor of General Studies degree allows learners to design their own program of study combining courses from multiple majors. Learners must complete a minimum of 36 upper division credit hours in at least five different disciplines. The degree will allow a learner to become a generalist, and will allow flexibility in developing a plan which will address the learner’s particular professional needs or personal areas of interest.

Program Outcomes

Bachelor of General Studies

The Bachelor of General Studies degree allows learners to design their own program of study combining courses from multiple majors. Learners must complete a minimum of 36 upper division credit hours in at least five different disciplines. The degree will allow a learner to become a generalist, and will allow flexibility in developing a plan which will address the learner’s particular professional needs or personal areas of interest.

Associate of General Studies

The Associate of General Studies (AGS) degree allows learners to design their own program of study combining courses from multiple disciplines. The degree will allow the learner flexibility in developing a plan which will address the learner’s particular professional needs or personal areas of interest while completing general education requirements. The AGS is designed to prepare learners for all baccalaureate majors by providing them with a broad general education. The program includes a series of basic courses and the remainder of the program hours (24 semester hours) will be comprised of courses selected to fulfill the PS General Education Disciplinary Perspectives. A minimum of 3 credit hours is needed to fulfill a disciplinary perspective requirement and the required basic courses do not count towards disciplinary perspective credits.

1. The learner demonstrates that s/he has gained breadth and depth of key concepts and generally accepted theories and practices in the disciplines applicable to their program goal.
2. The learner can demonstrate the ability to apply critical thinking to the completion of projects and case studies associated with their primary goals.
3. The learner can demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of ethical reasoning in organizations.
4. The learner can demonstrate an understanding of how to effectively lead people and processes in complex organizational settings.
5. The learner can demonstrate the ability to produce documents which showcase an understanding of the use of technological tools.
6. The learner can demonstrate the use of effective written communication skills.
7. The learner can demonstrate competencies applicable to a preparation for a specific career path.

Required Core Courses

Required Core Courses

HRD 210 Building Academic Success
CLO 340 Ethics in Today’s Organizations
CLO 410 Decision Sciences
CLO 415 Professional Communication
CLO 499 Responsibility for the Future
BQM 425 Research Project

Course Descriptions

HRD 210 Building Academic Success

Introduces academic success topics and tools that are intended to establish and strengthen understanding of the learner and academic success coach relationship, critical thinking and reading, institutional policies and procedures, and the basics of online research and academic writing while experiencing the Southwestern College Professional Studies course format on the way to becoming a Southwestern College Moundbuilder.

CLO 340 Ethics in Today’s Organizations

This course will utilize the expertise of professionals working in the various disciplines as well as the moral reasoning of ethicists. An approach to the ethical challenges of a modern society is developed.

CLO 410 Decision Sciences

This course introduces the learner to utilizing and applying both quantitative and qualitative methods for individual, organizational, and societal decision making. A variety of tools and techniques will be examined as the foundation for the development and interpretation of attributes and variables in addition to the use of data sources for the purpose of improving processes and organizational environments.

CLO 415 Professional Communication

A study of the communication processes in situations encountered in organizations and professional environments. Analysis of simulated and real life situations will include the creation of professional documents and various functions of written, oral, and interpersonal communications.

CLO 499 Responsibility for the Future

Seniors from various majors will share approaches from their different disciplines towards dealing holistically with issues that shape the future, seeking to integrate disciplines and to synthesize knowing, caring and doing.

BQM 425 Research Project

The development of skills required in research, evaluation, implementation, presentation and feasibility both financial and non-financial. Projects may relate directly to the business or organization in which the student serves or hopes to serve.

All classes are 3 credit hours unless otherwise indicated.

Admission Requirements

Entering students must have earned at least 30 college credits from previous college coursework or ACE evaluated military training, a GPA of 2.0, and have three years of work experience. Transfer hours accepted for Professional Studies admittance should include English Composition I and II, and mathematics (college algebra preferred). These courses may be considered in transfer or completed at Southwestern College.

With the assistance of an advisor, and with approval of the Director of Academic Affairs, each learner will outline a plan of study incorporating a minimum of 21 hours from a combination of majors in addition to the 5 required common courses listed above. Learners will be required to fulfill the entrance requirements for Comp I and II, Math, General Education courses, and will complete HRD210 as their first course.

Contact a program representative to evaluate your options.

Graduation Requirements

A total of 124 credit hours must be earned to graduate. You must have at least 60 credit hours from a four-year university or college and at least 30 hours from Southwestern College (does not include prior learning experience credits). Of the 30 hours required from Southwestern, 15 of the last 30 hours earned toward your degree must be at Southwestern College.

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Bachelor of General Studies online undergraduate major