The Bachelor of Individualized Studies (B.I.S) is administered by University College or the Office of the Provost as appropriate. Students interested in a B.I.S. program should contact an advisor in University College to declare the major.

The B.I.S. is a general undergraduate degree.  It is not intended to prepare students for a specific career path.  However, it does provide an opportunity for degree completion to students in a number of situations:

1. Students who wish to earn a baccalaureate after completion of an associate degree in a discipline for which there is no formal program at the university (i.e., Music, Theatre, etc.).
2. Students who have accumulated hours at other institutions, or at SSU, sufficient to earn a degree but in disparate areas, which, nonetheless, might be able to be combined into a coherent degree program.
3. Students seeking to combine two or more programs to constitute a new major program (i.e., Arts Administration, Communications and Marketing, Sociology and Anthropology, Urban Planning, etc.).
4. Students seeking a baccalaureate degree to improve advancement opportunities in their current careers.

This degree may be particularly useful to working students who are limited to evening, off-campus, or distance learning classes.  Students planning to pursue graduate or professional degrees are encouraged to avoid the B.I.S., because most of these programs require a traditional major at the undergraduate level.

A student may choose to complete a minor as part of the B.I.S. program.  Graduates of this program will earn diplomas that read “Bachelor of Individualized Studies”.

Admission to the Bachelor of Individualized Studies

After admission to the University, a student makes an appointment for a conference with an advisor in University College.  During this conference, the advisor will explore with the student the appropriateness of the Bachelor of Individualized Studies, given his or her background, and academic or career goals.  The University College advisor will then direct the students to a faculty advisor in the appropriate area(s) of concentration.

To obtain formal admission to the Bachelor of Individualized Studies, the student must complete a B.I.S. application form with an advisor in University College and with the faculty advisor.  This application for admission to the Bachelor of Individualized Studies will be reviewed by the student’s faculty advisor and at least one other faculty suggested by the faculty advisor in consultation with the appropriate college’s dean (i.e. CAS or CPS).  If the application and proposed course of study is approved by the advisory committee, these items will be forwarded to the Dean of the University College for approval and the registration of these degree requirements by the Registrar.

Advising

The student pursuing an individualized studies major is encouraged to seek academic advising each semester.