University College

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Program Aims and Objectives

University College programs are designed to meet the needs of students who, because of unique interests or circumstances, would benefit from a program with a high degree of flexibility. These programs may have special appeal to mature students returning to college with new interests, those changing majors very late in their academic career, students attending classes at night or irregularly, those with no particular interest in a traditional program. Within broad constraints, University College programs allow students to design their own degree by choosing coursework from several disciplines while offering them the opportunity for continued self-development and versatility to be of value in a wide variety of careers.

University College offers the Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) in “traditional” and “online” formats. While each program’s goals mirror the other, the “online” BGS degree is designed for, and targeted to, ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­adult students who have stopped out of their academic career for a period of time.

Undergraduate Degree Requirements  

Bachelor of General Studies, “traditional” and “online” formats
(120 Credit Hours)

• General Education Core Curriculum (39 Credits)
• Concentration (24 Credits)
  • Block 1: ARTS
  • Block 2: NATURAL SCIENCES
  • Block 3: BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
  • Block 4: APPLIED SCIENCES
  • Block 5: BUSINESS STUDIES
  • Block 6: HUMANITIES
• Enrichment Area (36 Credits)
  Enrichment Areas are selected from the six (6) Concentration Blocks.
  • Enrichment Area 1 (12 Credits)
  • Enrichment Area 2 (12 Credits)
  • Enrichment Area 3 (12 Credits)
• Electives (21 Credits)

General University Undergraduate Degree Requirements 

• Students must achieve an overall adjusted grade point average of 2.0.

• Students must achieve a grade of “C” or better in all courses used in their concentration.

• Students must complete 45 hours at the upper level, 12 of which must be at the 400 level.

• Students must meet all University Undergraduate Degree Requirements .

Additional University College Regulations

• Students must be registered as a General Studies major in University College.
• Prior to changing their major and entry into the “traditional” Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) program, a student must:
  • Present a transcript for evaluation to the University College Office.
  • Present a 250 word essay explaining why the student wants to change their major, what they plan to accomplish by changing their major, and how they plan to use their BGS.
• First time freshmen may declare General Studies as their major only with the permission of the Dean of University College.
• It is recommended that students use the first 2 years of study to complete freshman and sophomore general education core requirements .
• Re-entry students who have been out of the University for two or more successive regular semesters (excluding summer sessions) must follow the catalog that is current at the time of their re-enrollment.
• Students transferring from the “traditional” BGS program to the “online” BGS program must follow the catalog that is current at the time of their enrollment in the online B.G.S. program.
• Students are required to meet with a University College Assistant or Associate Dean to review their Degree Plan the semester preceding the semester in which they intend to graduate. Once the Degree Plan has been completed, any change must be approved in writing by the University College Assistant or Associate Dean.

• A maximum of 30 hours of courses offered in the College of Business Administration may be applied to the baccalaureate degree.

  • AACSB accreditation criteria require that a maximum of 30 hours of courses offered through the College of Business Administration may be used for credit towards a baccalaureate degree outside of the College of Business Administration.

    • The following courses are excluded from the 30 hour maximum:

      • ECON 201 , ECON 202 , ECON 300 , QMET 251  QMET 352 , Computer Science (CMPS), Health Information Management (HIM), Health Services Administration (HSA), Informatics (INFX), Louisiana Center for Health Informatics (LCHI), CNED

Non-Resident Credit

The Office of Admissions determines which transfer courses are acceptable to the University. The Office of the University Registrar’s Transfer Credit Team facilitates all transfer credit evaluations for both prospective and current UL Lafayette students. All transfer credit, including AP, CLEP, dual enrollment, and military credit is evaluated by the Transfer Credit Team. Transfer credits are awarded and evaluated based on regional accreditation, content, and level.

“Online” Bachelor of General Studies

The “online” Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) program expects students to bring with them knowledge and skills acquired from experience and previous courses, namely, the ability to read and comprehend college level writing, proficiency in oral and written communication, basic concepts of mathematics, and principles of behavioral and physical sciences. Students are accountable for applying this knowledge base in all course-related learning activities included in the program. In addition, students must have general computer proficiency including, but not limited to, the ability to keyboard, word process, send and receive email, file management, file attachment, search the Internet, download information from the web, create multimedia presentations, and use and participate in the University’s online community. Students are solely responsible for adhering to all University policies.

Criteria for Admission into the “online” BGS Program

The “online” BGS program has specific requirements for enrollment, exceptions pending the Dean’s approval.

Applicants must meet the following requirements for admission to the “online” BGS program:

• Complete and submit the online application with the non-refundable application fee.
• Have earned at least 45 credits of course work from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Have at least an overall 2.0 grade point average.
• Send official transcripts for each college or university they have attended to the Office of Admissions. Official transcripts must be mailed directly from the external institution to UL Lafayette. Hand-carried copies are not considered official.

Additional Requirement Upon Admission

Students must complete a mandatory online orientation course prior to advising and registration.

Program Format and Delivery

Most courses in the “online” BGS program are offered in the standard University of Louisiana at Lafayette semester format. Other courses are offered in 8 week periods during either the first half or second half of a fall, spring, or summer semester. Course delivery is through the University’s online community.

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