Bachelor of General Studies

Ball State’s online general education degree completion program meets you where you are and brings the classroom to you online. The flexible and customizable bachelor's degree completion program takes into account your prior college credits to help you confidently develop a roadmap to graduation and career goals.

The 100% online and asynchronous courses give you greater control over when and where you complete your assignments.

 Who is the Online BGS for?

Ball State's online BGS is a great option for students who:

• Need the flexibility to complete coursework during times that fit their schedule
• Have some college credit but have yet to earn their bachelor’s degree
• Want a customizable educational experience that’s tailored to their career goals

Online adult bachelor's degree completers coming to Ball State transfer an average of 55 credits into the BGS.

 Customize Your Bachelor's Degree to Your Career Goals

There's no "one size fits all" when it comes to your education. You’ll work closely with a dedicated Student Success Specialist to make your BGS entirely your own educational experience. The 60 credits of electives allow you to customize your degree in a way that supports your future.

 Calculate the Cost of a Bachelor of General Studies

It's important to you to understand the expenses associated with your education. We encourage you to utilize our cost calculator to gauge the anticipated costs of your education to plan for your future. Need assistance? Our student success specialists stand ready to support you.

Calculate Your Costs

Will Your Employer Help?

Many online learners who are working full time do not know about or take advantage of employer tuition reimbursement programs.

Meet Our BGS Degree Students

Online Bachelor of General Studies Course Requirements

Ball State's BGS degree requires you to fulfill at least 120 credits, all of which can be completed online. For a full list of required courses, see the course catalog.

Contact your student success specialist to start developing your personal plan of study.

View Catalog

University Core Curriculum (30 credits)

Your core curriculum classes are designed to give you the fundamentals of a well-rounded education needed to meet the broad responsibilities of citizenship in a free society. All Ball State students earning a bachelor's degree take core courses. Learn more about the Ball State core curriculum.

Please note: There are core curriculum courses offered on our main campus that are not available online. Whether you are an online or main-campus student, you should work with your advisor to choose the courses best for you.

Minors or Emphasis Areas (30-36 Credits)

The BGS allows you to build your area of study in a way that makes the most sense to you, either by selecting one or two minors to study or through an emphasis area. Emphasis areas are determined on a case-by-case basis. Your Student Success Specialist will review your transcripts to determine if any of your prior credits can group into an emphasis area. For example, if you have 18 credits of accounting courses previously completed, that may count toward an emphasis.

There are a few ways to customize your area of study to fit your situation:

• Choose two minors (15-18 credits each)
• Choose one minor (15-18 credits) and one emphasis area (18 credits)
• Two separates emphasis areas (18 credits each)
• One emphasis area (36 credits)

BGS Electives (54-60 credits)

Ball State offers a wide variety of elective courses online that will help you fulfill your 120 credit requirements for a bachelor of general studies degree.

Your academic advisor can help you choose the ones best to fine-tune your course plan with your career needs and personal interests. Contact our academic advisors for this program anytime.

Credits Through Exams

You may also gain college credit through exams such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Ball State departmental exams. Or, you may qualify for credits for military service.

More about Online Learning

Ready to Apply?

An application and all required application materials must be received two weeks prior to the start of classes for a given term in order to be considered for admission to Ball State. Our semester start dates can be found in Ball State’s academic calendar.

Please plan for at least 3-4 weeks for staff from your previous schools to send official transcripts to Ball State. We will review as soon as we receive all your application materials.

GET STARTED

Students from Other States

Ball State is authorized by the U.S. Department of Education to accept online students from all U.S. states. However, if you are considering a program that leads to professional licensure, some states may have additional regulations. Review our state authorization website if you live outside of Indiana and contact us if you have questions.