Many times, a student who is fresh out of high school hasn't decided for sure on a career path. Although they may stress about this, it's actually a common occurrence. Often times, there has simply not been enough stimulation in any certain courses to help the student decide on choosing any certain area as a direction they want for life. Despite the fact that this indecisiveness is normal for high school graduates, with today's economy it's simply not profitable, nor advisable to put off college until that decision has been made. This is where a degree study course such as general studies might come in handy. A general studies degree is sometimes called a "generalist degree" and is simply an extremely wide coverage of many basic college classes. It's a wonderful start in the search for which areas of study a person may wish to follow in order to further their education, however, it can also stand alone, to show potential employers that you now have many valuable skills as a result of the training and discipline you received in college while studying for a general studies degree.
The required classes for those students seeking a general studies degree will vary from school to school, but may be similar to the following agenda:
Computer Science, usually 3 hours for a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.), or Bachelor in Science (B.S.) degree in general studies. At least 12 semester hours of English are usually required for a B.A. in general studies, and 9 hours each for a B.M.E or B.S.
Three hours each in Fine Arts, and at least one hour in a Course of Excellence, is a standard requirement for all 3 degree paths. Six to fourteen hours of foreign language is normally a requirement for a B.A.
Six hours each is usually required in History, 3 to 4 hours each in Math, and 4 hours each for a B.A and B.M.E , but 12 hours of Natural Science are mostly required for a Bachelor of Science degree in general studies. Six to 9 hours each of religion, 6 hours for a B.A. and a B.S. but only 3 are required for a B.M.E. Three hours a piece are the normal requirements for Speech in a B.S or a B.A, but are not required for a B.M.E.
Although requirements will vary from school to school, but usually to earn a general studies degree a total of 55-70 hours are required for a Bachelor of Arts, 43-46 are required for a Bachelor of Music Education, and 54-61 are required for a Bachelor of Science. Aside from the required courses mentioned above, there are also very many choices for electives to enhance these core classes. These electives may be chosen according to what your interests are or what you may be interested in as a career. If you have an interest in Art, for example, you may choose electives which focus on Art, such as Ancient Art or Art History. There are quite a few job choices available to those with a general studies degree. Entry level positions will be available in administrative support, processing, management, and others. Those people within the business world can benefit from a general studies degree in their backgrounds as well. The adaptability, discipline, and skills of a general studies graduate can make them very desirable to employees everywhere.