The BGS and ICP are thematically based options. They allow a student to orchestrate an undergraduate program which is based on an underlying theme, as compared to an established concentration which is methodologically based.

The BGS/ICP advisor assists the student in the articulation of the theme and the determination of appropriate coursework to realize that theme. By definition, the theme of such a program is/must be interdisciplinary.

BGS Advisors: Susan TePaske-King email: stepaske@umich.edu Chalmers Knight email: thinknow@umich.edu Appointments: 734.764.0332 Newnan LSA Academic Advising Center University of Michigan 1255 Angell Hall Ann Arbor, Mich. 48109-1003

The BGS program allows a truly creative, aware, well-motivated student — which I don't pretend I was — to create just the program he needs. It allowed the rest of us to pursue and develop our interests. We probably came away from the "U" more broadly educated than our peers. [Reprinted by permission of the Michigan Alumnus Magazine]

A BGS graduate who was a resident physician in pathology at the University of Vermont put it this way: "In my case my transcript speaks for itself and contains a fair number of graduate level courses in the biological sciences as well as the routine 100-200 level courses in chemistry and physics that are required for entry into medical school; none were easy, at least for me. Ultimately, I think a careful reading of one's transcript is far more revealing than the specific title of the degree program."

What is the Bachelor in General Studies degree?

The Bachelor in General Studies is an interdisciplinary  degree which allows a student to combine subject areas and skills in a way that focuses intellectual development through a lens of interdisciplinarity. It requires a minimum of 120 credits and an overall grade point average (gpa) of 2.0. Within these 120 credits, students must fulfill  specific requirements.

There is abundant evidence during the past thirty years that indicates acceptance of the degree. Employers and graduate schools give equal consideration to BGS students who meet the specific requirements of a graduate or professional school, who perform at a high level, and who select coherent undergraduate courses. Graduate and professional schools and employers are far more concerned with the courses selected and a student's performance than with a degree label.