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General Studies Major Guidelines

The General Studies degree at ÿ�մ������� provides students with an opportunity to complete a degree with maximum flexibility. While declaring a major within an academic discipline is a time-honored and valued approach to higher education, this may not be feasible for all students who hope to complete their bachelor’s degree. The Elective Studies degree is an attractive option for students who are

1. facing circumstances that make a traditional degree impractical,
2. are returning to higher education after a break in their education, or
3. are starting higher education several years after completing high school.

Degree Requirements

• 120 total credits
• A minimum of 30 semester credit hours of the student’s final 60 credits must be taken from SMSU
• 40 upper division (300 and 400 level) credits from an accredited institution
  • At least 18 upper-division credits must be taken from SMSU in this major;
  • Upper-division credits must be taken from at least two different disciplines;
  • At least 12 upper-division credits must be taken from a single discipline;
  • Upper division and/or other credits taken must fulfill the prerequisite for a designated capstone course and communication/critical  thinking course of the student’s choosing;
  • No more than six upper-division credits can come from Internships.
• Resident's Cumulative GPA of 2.0
• Completion of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum Requirements with a minimum 2.0 GPA across all MNTC courses
• SMSU Liberal Education Program Graduation Requirements:
  • LEP 101 OR HONR 140, unless the student is exempt
  • Capstone course, for which the prerequisites are met.
  • Critical Thinking/Communication course, for which the prerequisites are met.
• No more than 20 semester hours of Credit/No Credit courses shall be counted toward graduation.
• Must have at least one SMSU course from Fall 2021 or later to declare this major.

Other Requirements

• Students must identify a faculty advisor and have their graduation plan approved by the advisor in their first semester as a General Studies major. The advisor must be a faculty member in the discipline from which the student plans to take their Liberal Education Program Graduation Requirements (capstone and critical thinking/communication courses).
• In consultation with their advisor, students must develop a graduation plan during their first semester as a General Studies major. This will outline which courses will apply to the student’s major.