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Online Bachelor of General Studies

Total Credit Hours

120

Cost Per Credit Hour

$301

Application Deadline: February 21, 2025

Spring 2 2025 classes start on March 14, 2025

Design a Custom Degree

LSU Shreveport

Offered through LSU Shreveport, the online Bachelor of General Studies program is designed to provide students with a flexible and interdisciplinary education. With this degree, you can create a customizable program of study designed to fit your educational and professional goals. Through the option of transfer credits, this program also allows you to make full use of courses taken at other accredited institutions. Study the topics that interest you while completing the degree you need to advance in your career in the industry of your choice.

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Top Ranked

LSU Shreveport ranked #4 in the country as Most Affordable Online Bachelor's Degree by Best-Universities.net in 2022.

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100% Online

Learn in a flexible format that is ideal for professionals balancing work and home responsibilities.

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Transfer Credits

Save time and money with the ability to transfer up to 75% of previous credits.

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World-Class Customer Service

Receive a dedicated coach from application to graduation.


See What Makes This Program Special

My Experience with LSUS General Studies Program

It's Never Too Late to Earn Your Degree

Recent graduate, Alex, talks about his 20-year journey to graduation and how he felt when he finally earned his degree.


Explore This Program

Cost Online General Studies

Our Bachelor of General Studies online program offers the same affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition to all U.S. residents.

Total credit hours per program: 120 credit hours

Cost per credit hour: $301

Total cost with fees and maximum amount of credits allowed to transfer into the program: $9,015

Total cost with fees: $36,061*

Transfer credits may apply for up to 75% of degree requirements. LSUS requires at least 50% of transfer work be from four-year institutions. Your academic advisor will work with you to determine if and how any prior college credits earned will apply toward your degree.  

*For further information about the approval for transfer credits and other requirements, please visit this site.

The total cost above does not include transfer credit or financial aid. Cost per credit hour and fees are subject to change. Fee schedules may vary by program depending on course-specific fees for proctoring and/or books. Please contact a Student Success Coach for more information.

Course Listings Online General Studies

Students in the BGS online degree program are required to complete 42 credit hours of Applied Sciences or Social Sciences courses in addition to 78 hours of General Education and elective requirements.* 

The BGS degree requires a total of 45 hours of upper-level credit hours. 15 of these hours must be at the 400 level, which includes the required GS 491: General Studies Seminar. Students must pass GS 491 with a “C” or better. 

Your personal credit requirements could be less depending on transferable credits and credit earned from prior learning assessments. 

Applied/Social Sciences

Students must complete the following courses.

Applied/Social Sciences Credit Hours
8 Electives Classes in Area of Concentration at any Level 24
4 Classes at the 300 and 400 Level in Area of Concentration 12
GS 491: General Studies Seminar 3
ENGL 325: Technical Writing 3
Total Required Credit Hours 42

Additional Courses

General Education course work: 39 credit hours required.*

Additional Courses Credit Hours
English 6
Social/Behavioral Sciences 6
Math 6
Natural Sciences 9
Humanities 9
Fine Arts 3
Total Required Credit Hours 39

Enrichment Electives

Enrichment Electives: 18 hours required.*

Enrichment Electives Credit Hours
Area 1: Additional Courses in Applied/Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, or Humanities concentration areas 9
Area 2: Additional Courses in Applied/Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, or Humanities concentration areas (Different from Area 1) 9
Total Required Credit Hours
18

Free Electives

Miscellaneous Electives: 21 hours required.*  

*Based on 120 credit hours needed for graduation and will vary based on number of transfer credits accepted. 

Admission Requirements Online General Studies

The admission process is the first step toward earning your degree and achieving your personal goals. We’ve streamlined the process to help you get started quickly and easily. LSUS offers multiple options to qualify for admission to undergraduate programs. Please find the option below that matches your admission type.


Freshman

In-State

  • Completion or on track to complete the Board of Regents High School Core curriculum
  • 2.0 cumulative High School GPA (on 4.0 scale)
  • An ACT English sub-score greater than or equal to an 18 (SAT Critical Reading 450) AND an ACT Math sub-score greater than or equal to a 19 (SAT Math 460)
  • Cumulative CORE curriculum GPA of at least 2.0 (on 4.0 scale) OR An ACT composite score of at least 20 or an SAT combined Critical Reading and Math score of 940

 

Out-of-State

Option 1

  • Meet the in-state student requirements

Option 2

  • Completion of at least 17 of the 19 units of the Louisiana Board of Regents High School Core Curriculum
  • 2.0 cumulative High School GPA (on 4.0 scale)
  • ACT composite score of at least 20 OR an SAT combined Critical Reading and Math score of 940, with ACT sub-scores

Option 3

  • ACT composite score of at least 23 or an SAT combined Critical Reading and Math score of 1050 AND ATC subscores of at least 18 in English and 19 in Math (or SAT equivalents)

 

Age 25 and Older

  • Must have high school transcripts or proof of high school graduation sent to the Admissions Office but not required to meet the Board of Regents' minimum admission criteria for first-time freshmen.
  • Must meet the standardized test score requirements set for traditional first-time freshmen. This is determined by ACT, SAT, COMPASS, or placement tests.

Note: If the math ACT/SAT sub-score is met and the English sub-score is within three points of the needed sub-score and all of the above requirements are met, a student could be admissible to LSUS. Additionally, if the English sub-score is met and the Math sub-score is within three points of the required sub-score the student could be admissible.


Transfer

  • Earned at least 18 college-level academic hours.
  • Be eligible to return to the institution from which he or she is transferring
  • 2.0 GPA on all college-level course work attempted
  • Completed a college-level English and a college-level mathematics course with at least a "C" grade
  • Students with less than 18 college-level academic hours must meet all other transfer requirements and admission standards for a first time freshman.

Note: Applicants are required to submit all transcripts to the LSUS Admissions Office for an admissions decision. The LSUS Registrar's Office will review all transcripts and determine the LSUS Equivalency. The LSUS Academic Department determines which credits apply to the degree. 


Official transcripts, official test scores, and other materials that come from third-party sources should be mailed to:

LSUS
Admissions and Records Office
One University Place
Shreveport, LA 71115

Transcripts may also be submitted via secure means—e.g., eSCRIP-SAFE—to admissions@lsus.edu.

Career Opportunities Online General Studies

  • Community Health
  • Engineering
  • Sales and Marketing Director
  • Nonprofit Program Manager
  • Brand Manager
  • Media Relations Manager
  • Public Relations Director
  • Market Research Analyst
  • Employee Communications Manager
  • Executive Assistant
  • Social Worker

What Will I Learn? Online General Studies

The Online General Studies program encourages students to choose classes that combine different fields of study in creative, innovative ways. Through careful advising, students are encouraged to design a course of study to meet their personal needs and interests to prepare them for the job market.

 

In consultation with their advisors, students design a program of study built around courses  selected from one of four Areas of Concentration: 

  • Applied Sciences: Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Science, Criminal  Justice, Education, Finance, Graphic Design, Health and Physical Education, Kinesiology  and Health Science, Leadership, Library Science, Management, Marketing, Community Health, Nursing;
  • Humanities: Digital Arts, Communication, English, Film, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, History,  International Studies, Mass Communication, Music, Philosophy, Electronic Media;
  • Social Sciences: American Studies, Criminal Justice, Economics, International  Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Social Welfare, Sociology, Nonprofit Organization Studies, Geography. 

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Take the first step forward by completing the form and our enrollment team will contact you soon to discuss:

  • Additional information on the Bachelor of General Studies online program
  • Financial aid options (employer funding, military benefits)
  • Receiving credit for past education (transfer, professional development)
  • The admissions process and timeline

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