UNLV's new Bachelor of Science in General Science is designed for students who have successfully completed a large number of credits yet, for various reasons, have not completed the requirements for another specific science degree.
Reasons a student may have stopped just short of completing a degree are wide ranging — from not settling on a major, to working full time, to juggling other life changes that make focusing on degree completion difficult despite having completed a majority of credits.
“A program like this can allow them to turn the courses they have already completed into a degree and give them a leg up in their career search,” says Andy Andres, executive associate dean for the College of Sciences. “By allowing a wider variety of upper-level STEM classes from different sciences to fulfill the degree requirements, students are provided with more options to complete a program of study.”
This program will be helpful to students returning from an extended leave as well as student athletes, transfer students, and even educators, giving them a working knowledge in science principles and skills with more flexibility in the courses available to meet those requirements.
Based off of current data, the College of Sciences is confident this new program will help at least 50 students per year by providing more coursework options for completion. This will increase graduation rates while also reducing some of the financial impact students face when repeating courses and changing majors.
This degree path will give College of Sciences advisors another option to offer to students. These students may not be making the sequential progress required by the more traditional majors at the College of Sciences. Advisors will help students declaring this major to identify courses toward the General Science degree which will still suit their desired career path.
“This option will allow another path forward toward completing a program that is less dependent on sequenced classes, without compromising the rigor of a science degree,” says Andres.
Increasing the graduation rates of STEM students is a national priority that should provide NSHE, UNLV, and the College of Sciences with additional opportunities to apply for national funding to assist students, faculty, and staff with new and innovative programs for student success. “Providing this program will allow more students to complete a degree and find careers in science and tech fields such as teaching junior high and high school science courses, being skilled science technicians, or supporting wildlife or environmental organizations to name a few,” says Andres.
Before declaring the General Science major, students will need to have 30 credits at UNLV or have transferred from another institution, as well as a GPA greater than 2.5. They will also need to be placed in MATH 126 or higher.
Students need 120 credits and a cumulative GPA of 2.00 to graduate with their B.S. in General Science degree.
For more information on the program, or to potentially declare this major – students should contact the College of Sciences advising office at sci.advising@unlv.edu or 702-895-2077 to request an appointment with an advisor.
