Part-time Undergraduate Programs

Degrees

The bachelor's degrees offered by SPS are: 

All degrees have a writing requirement and a foundational disciplines requirement to complete coursework in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences.

Bachelor of Philosophy

The SPS Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) is conferred by the Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. The BPhil degree is distinguished from the BSGS degree by its requirement for proficiency in a language other than English.

The BPhil degree is awarded to students who major in

• Economics
• English: Writing
• Humanities
• Organization Behavior
• Psychology
• Social Sciences

To earn the BPhil degree, students must complete a total of 45 units*, including a writing requirement, a foundational disciplines requirement, two years of study in a language other than English (or demonstration of equivalent language proficiency), a major, and electives. Language proficiency may be demonstrated by completion of a second-year language sequence with a grade of C or better at an accredited college or university. Minors are optional.

^{*Each course carries 1 unit of credit unless otherwise noted in academic catalog.}

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Bachelor of Science in General Studies

The SPS Bachelor of Science in General Studies (BSGS) is conferred by the Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. The BSGS degree is awarded to students who major in

• Biological Sciences
• Economics
• English: Writing
• Humanities
• Organization Behavior
• Psychology
• Social Sciences

To earn the BSGS degree, students must complete 45 units*, including a writing requirement, a foundational disciplines requirement, a major, and electives. Minors are optional.

^{*Each course carries 1 unit of credit unless otherwise noted in academic catalog.}

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Bachelor of Philosophy in Communication

The Bachelor of Philosophy in Communication (BPhilCom) is conferred by the School of Communication. The degree is awarded to students who major in Communication Studies.

To earn the BPhilCom degree, students must complete a total of 42 units*, including a writing requirement, a foundational disciplines requirement, a major and electives. Minors are optional.

^{*Each course carries 1 unit of credit unless otherwise noted in academic catalog.}

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Bachelor of Science Degrees

The SPS online Bachelor of Science degrees in Enterprise Leadership (BSEL), Health Sciences (BSHS), Information Systems (BSIS), Social Sciences (BSSS), and Strategic Communication (BSSC) are conferred by the School of Professional Studies. 

To earn the BSEL, BSHS, BSIS, BSSS, or BSSC, students must complete a total of 45 units*, including a writing requirement, a foundational disciplines requirement, the major core, concentration, and elective certificate requirements, and electives. Minors are not available for the Bachelor of Science degrees.

_{*Each course carries 1 unit of credit unless otherwise noted in academic catalog.}

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About the Writing Requirement

The writing requirement ensures that students have the skills necessary to meet the rigorous writing demands of subsequent SPS courses in all majors, degrees, and disciplines. Expository writing courses —  ENGLISH 111 Writing Seminar II and ENGLISH 205 Intermediate Composition — provide the tools to meet the demands of advanced academic writing.

Completion of ENGLISH 111 Writing Seminar II and ENGLISH 205 Intermediate Composition with a grade of C or higher satisfies the writing requirement in all SPS bachelor’s degree programs. 

Writing requirement courses may not be audited or taken on a pass/no credit basis. Performance-Based Admission students are required to complete ENGLISH 111 and ENGLISH 205 as two of their first four courses.

Writing Requirement Appeals

Students who have been admitted into a degree program as transfer admits may appeal the writing requirement. The writing requirement appeal is reserved for students who can demonstrate the necessary skills for writing university-level research and analytical papers by submitting previous college research papers written within the last three to five years. The papers submitted for the appeal will be evaluated for standards of good expository writing, including: a fully developed thesis; sound logic and adequate evidence in support of the thesis; effective organization, coherent structure, and an overall unity; correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

A successful appeal does not result in credit for the writing requirement courses; the requirement for ENGLISH 111 and 205 is waived. Students must complete other courses in place of the writing requirement that meet the curriculum requirements of their program.

Performance-Based Admission students may not appeal the writing requirement.

To appeal the writing requirement, students should submit a student affairs petition, a letter of appeal, and two college/university papers written during previous studies within the last three to five years.

For writing appeal submission procedure, see the Undergraduate policy in the SPS Academic Catalog or consult your academic advisor.

About the Foundational Disciplines Requirement

Students complete coursework in three foundational disciplines—humanities, scientific inquiry and quantitative reasoning, and social sciences—to obtain broad experience in the liberal arts. Included in the foundational disciplines requirement are two courses that apply perspectives on power, justice, and equity: one course focused within the United States and one course focused globally. A philosophy course on professional ethics is required for one of the four humanities courses.

BSEL, BSHS, BSIS, BSSS, BSSC Foundational Disciplines Courses

Students in Bachelor of Science degrees in Enterprise Leadership, Information Systems, Health Sciences, Social Sciences, and Strategic Communication select from online courses in the humanities, scientific inquiry and quantitative reasoning, and social sciences areas that satisfy the foundational disciplines requirement, including the two U.S. and global perspectives courses and one business ethics philosophy course (PHIL 264 or PHIL 364). See course schedules within each online degree program for areas and courses.

BSGS, BPhil, BPhilCom Foundational Disciplines Courses

Students in the Bachelor of Science in General Studies, Bachelor of Philosophy, and Bachelor of Philosophy in Communication degrees select courses from the following areas that satisfy the foundational disciplines requirement, including the two U.S. and global perspectives courses and one business ethics philosophy course (PHIL 264 or PHIL 364).

Humanities

Art history, classics, comparative literary studies, English literature, languages other than English (up to two units), history, humanities (HUM), music history, philosophy, religion, and some courses in black studies, languages with literature, gender studies, performance studies, radio/television/film, and theatre.

Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning

Astronomy, biological sciences, chemistry, computer information systems, earth and planetary sciences, engineering, mathematics, physics, and some courses in anthropology, communication sciences and disorders, psychology, radio/television/film, and statistics.

Social Sciences

Anthropology, economics, history, linguistics, political science, social sciences, sociology, and some courses in black studies, communication sciences and disorders, gender studies, psychology, and statistics.

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