Admission
No. The program is only available to former BYU students who have already completed at least 27 credit hours at the BYU campus in Provo as an admitted day student. The 27 credits do not include BYU-Idaho, BYU-Hawaii, or BYU Pathway Worldwide credit.
Yes, they will count toward total credit hours, even if they don’t fill a specific course requirement.
Application
- BGS Admission Application
- All transcripts from colleges, universities, or institutes of religion other than BYU
- $35 application fee
The application process includes an official evaluation of your previously earned credit. Academic advisors can provide an unofficial evaluation of your credits to give you an idea of what you would have left to graduate. The specific courses and requirements needed for graduation can only be made after the official evaluation is complete.
Only if you completed additional classes at that school after the transcript was originally sent to BYU.
Once we have received ALL application materials, we will conduct a thorough evaluation of your transcripts and credits. This process can take up to four weeks depending on the recency of the completed courses and the amount of transfer work completed.
Program
- Application fee: $35
- Independent Study course tuition: $256 per credit hour (2025-26 academic year)
- Textbooks: variable, if required
- Annual matriculation fee: $80
BGS students are unfortunately not eligible to receive Federal Financial Aid.
Once admitted, you may qualify for financial assistance available through the BGS Department. See program costs for more information on financial aid. Some third-party scholarships may also be used depending on the provider's requirements.
A BGS student’s major is general studies with an emphasis in one of the following areas: American studies, business, education, English, exercise and wellness, family life, history, or psychology. If you were close to finishing your degree on campus, you may want to contact your previous college advisement center to find out if it is possible to finish through your original major.
Once you are admitted to the BGS Program, it is expected that you will complete your remaining courses through BYU. Pre-approvals for earning and transferring credit from accredited colleges and universities after formal admission are given only for special circumstances to fill the university core foreign language requirement.
It depends on how many credits you have left to complete for your degree and how much time you have to devote to your studies. Generally speaking, full-time on-campus students complete 25-30 credits per year. Many BGS students have other commitments such as work, family responsibilities, etc., averaging 9-15 credits per year. However, even completing this many credits will require a significant amount of time and commitment. Once you are admitted to the BGS Program, you will have up to eight years to complete your degree.
Yes. Graduation ceremonies are held each year in April.
BYU only accepts credit for courses completed at accredited institutions on official school transcripts.
The Bachelor of General Studies is a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University designed to help you finish at home what you started at BYU. As with any degree, the type of job you obtain after graduation will depend on the type of job you are seeking and the other job skills you possess, as well as your bachelor’s degree. BGS graduates have found employment in several different fields. Others have continued their education and have been successful in a variety of graduate programs, including business, law, nursing, and various social science fields.