Overview

University College offers an undergraduate Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) for adult learners who have earned previous college credits and have some work/life experience.

The BGS is an interdisciplinary program which consists of major coursework offered by Temple's highly esteemed schools and colleges. Students can customize their degree by choosing either an academic grouping, or by completing a minimum of 2 minors and/or credit certificates.

Academic groupings include:

• Arts and Architecture;
• Business, Sports and Communications;
• Health and Human Services;
• Humanities, Education and Social Sciences;
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; and
• Interdisciplinary (complete at least 2 existing minors and/or credit certificates).

A combination of major coursework (including 2 writing-intensive (WI) courses), General Education courses and electives will prepare students with the critical thinking skills, effective communication abilities, and interdisciplinary knowledge necessary for achieving both academic and professional goals. The final writing-intensive (WI) course taken is a capstone (UC 4096) that provides students with opportunities to reflect on their development as learners, integrate learned knowledge, skills, and experiences, and communicate effectively by way of an original research-based project aligned with their career goals. This course must be taken in a student's last semester of study and requires advisor approval. In addition, students must have successfully completed a minimum of 27 credits in the major coursework prior to enrolling in the UC 4096.

Campus Location: Courses are offered in the day and evening at Temple's Main, Ambler and Center City campuses plus online, providing adult learners with the flexibility needed while balancing work and life priorities.

Program Code: UC-GS-BGS

Contact Information

For more information, contact a University College advisor at BGSadvising@temple.edu or Schedule an Appointment.

Learn more about the Bachelor of General Studies.

Second Degrees

University College will permit a second bachelor's degree in General Studies provided the following:

1. If a student has a bachelor's degree from a U.S. institution, then they are treated as a typical transfer student.
2. If student has a degree from a foreign country/institution, then those credits must be translated into English and evaluated by the Undergraduate Admissions transfer team.
3. All students must follow Temple University's Second Degrees policy and fulfill all non-waived requirements for the second degree.
   • 45 new semester hours beyond those required for the first degree.
   • Coursework must be sufficiently different from their first degree.
   • Students are waived from Temple's GenEd requirements.
   • Must complete the two required WI courses for the BGS degree: CLA 2096 and UC 4096. No course substitutions or transfer credits will be accepted.
   • Transfer credits may apply toward elective credits, but not toward the 36 credits in the major.
   • Students who are pursuing a second bachelor's degree in General Studies are not permitted to apply for Credit for Prior Learning (CPL).

Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the University College Academic and Student Services team before submitting an application or registering for courses.

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)

Students in the Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) program may apply for up to 12 credits for Prior Learning (CPL) through the successful submission of "Prior Learning Portfolios." CPL is based on a student's previous learning experiences that took place outside the traditional classroom setting, including but not limited to, employment, military, volunteer work, and other life experiences. Students are recommended to apply for CPL soon after enrolling in the BGS program and prior to their final semester of coursework before graduation.

Students will submit learning portfolios that demonstrate evidence of their competency in course learning outcomes from an existing course in the Temple University catalog. A committee, including a University College faculty member and a subject-matter expert from the University faculty, will review all Prior Learning Portfolios.

Students interested in pursuing CPL are encouraged to take UC 3001 Looking Back: Reflection on Prior Learning Experiences to prepare for successful portfolio assessment. In this course, students will work directly with their instructor to select a course match in the Temple Bulletin and assemble the required portfolio materials. (Note: UC 3001 will count toward elective credits in the BGS program and does not count toward CPL credits.)

Important University College policies and notes regarding CPL:

• University College will award a maximum of 12 credits of CPL, all of which can count towards the 120 credits required for the BGS degree.
• A maximum of 6 credits can be applied towards the 36 credits in the BGS major courses. If more than 6 credits are awarded, then the remaining credits will be applied toward elective credits.
• CPL cannot count towards other BGS program requirements, including: CLA 2096, UC 4096 and General Education courses.
• CPL credit will not be awarded for a course in which a student is currently enrolled and/or has previously received a letter grade for the course (including, but not limited to, an F, W, AU, NC, or I).
• Credits earned for prior learning are determined on a course-by-course basis (e.g., an equivalent 4-credit course would be awarded four credits; an equivalent 3-credit course would be awarded three credits).
• Students must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA to apply for CPL.
• CPL can only be applied to the BGS degree and cannot be applied or transferred to other degree programs at Temple University.
• If credit is not awarded, students may appeal or resubmit a portfolio up to one time for re-evaluation.
• A student's university record/transcript will carry notation of credit (CR) for a lower- or upper-level University College course; grades are not assigned for CPL.
• The student is responsible for any fees related to the assessment and posting of these Prior Learning credits.

For more information on the CPL process, please contact the faculty program director, Nicole Nathan, at nicole.nathan@temple.edu.

These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Requirements

University Requirements

MATH 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ENG 0701  (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.

All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive (WI) courses as part of the major. The writing-intensive courses required for this major are CLA 2096 and UC 4096. CLA 2096 is a prerequisite course for UC 4096.

Students must complete requirements of the General Education (GenEd) Program. See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details.

University College (UC) Program Requirements

Completion of a minimum of 120 credits.

A minimum of 30 credits must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999).

A minimum GPA of 2.0, cumulative, and in the major.

Unless otherwise specified within the program requirements of a minor or certificate, a grade of C- or higher is required for all major coursework. Please consult with your advisor for additional information.

Major Requirements

Students fulfill the academic requirements by completing a minimum of 36 credits. Choose one of two options:

• Complete two minors and/or certificates offered by Temple's Schools and Colleges.
  Note: Students will adhere to the School/College academic policies and requirements for the chosen minors and certificates.

OR

• Complete coursework from academic groupings such as: arts and architecture; business, sports and communications; health and human services; humanities, education and social sciences; science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
  Note: A minimum of 18 credits within one academic discipline must be completed. Students should consult with an academic advisor regarding the academic discipline options. 

The following applies to all BGS students:

• A minimum of 12 credits in the major must be at the upper level (2000-4999).
• A minimum of 12 credits in the major must be completed at Temple University.
• With academic advisor approval, courses at the 0800 level may be counted toward the major if not used to satisfy a General Education (GenEd) requirement. 
• Alternative WI courses taken at Temple University may be considered for substitution of CLA 2096 with academic advisor approval.
• Credits for the 2 WI courses will count toward the 36 credits in the major.
• The final capstone course (UC 4096) may only be taken in the final semester of the BGS program. Advisor approval is required.
• A minimum of 27 credits in the major coursework must be taken prior to enrolling in UC 4096.

Note: The academic plan reflects a traditional 8-semester format; however, individualized academic plans are developed for each student based on transfer credits and academic/professional goals. See an academic advisor for assistance in developing a plan for all courses.

Suggested Academic Plan

Bachelor of General Studies in General Studies

Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2024-2025 Academic Year

NOTE: A minimum of 30 credits must be at the upper level (numbered 2000-4999) and can be fulfilled with a combination of major and/or elective courses.