Individualized Studies [BGS]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid

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The Individualized Studies Program (ISP) is designed to assist undergraduates whose educational and/or career goals can’t be satisfied by existing programs of study. ISP fulfills major and minor requirements for graduation. After completing all requirements for graduation, students will earn a Bachelor of General Studies.

Advisor Information

Coordinator of Individualized Studies, University Advising & Career Development Center, 200 McKenny, 734.487.0400

Program Requirements

In consultation with an advisor in the University Advising and Career Development Center, a student wishing to pursue an Individualized Studies Program will design a major which meets the following requirements:

Must include three areas of concentration. A unique title for each concentration; titles must be different from all majors/minors.
At least 20 unique credit hours in each concentration. ESLN courses may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
Must include at least 15 credit hours of 300-level (or above) EMU credit to meet the residency requirement.
Must include at least one writing-intensive course
No minor required
2.0 GPA in the major required

Any adjustments to the individually designed major must be documented by the advisor and approved by appropriate staff.

If a draft ISP includes courses with enrollment restricted by academic departments or colleges, department or college approval may be necessary for enrollment. Courses must be excluded from a program if a student does not receive permission to take them.

The student must have earned 60 hours before contacting an advisor to develop an Individualized Studies Program.

The student is required to complete all General Education program requirements.

The student must meet all other university graduation requirements (including a minimum of 120 hours of 100-level or above credit, 30 credits at EMU, and a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0). Upon the recommendation of an Individualized Studies Program advisor and approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, a waiver may be granted to reduce the minimum number of senior-level college credits from 60 to 45.

The ISP is a non-teaching degree. If you are interested in earning teaching certification, keep in mind that completing an ISP may restrict or prevent your admission to an education-related academic program in the future. Second Bachelor’s degree students are not eligible for ISP.

General Education Requirements:

For specific requirements, see General Education or view the General Education Worksheet [PDF] .

Major Requirements: 60 hours

Each student must choose a writing intensive course as part of the major completion requirements. Consult your advisor for course options.

Concentration One: 20 hours

Students will work with the Coordinator of Individualized Studies to choose at least 20 credit hours worth of courses. A concentration may include courses from one or several departments, provided the courses are consistent with the concentration’s focus.

Concentration Two: 20 hours

Concentration Three: 20 hours

Minor Requirement:

This major does not require a minor.

Program Total:

Students must earn a minimum total of 120 credits at the 100-level or above.

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements (or their equivalents) of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

Minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University

Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult this catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

Earn a minimum total of 120 credit hours at the 100-level and above.
- Courses numbered below 100 are not counted toward this degree requirement.
- At most, eight credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses are counted toward this requirement.
Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below), including completing a Writing Intensive (GEWI) course in the student’s major.
Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details).
Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor. A double major automatically satisfies the need for a minor unless one of the two majors requires a specific minor. Students should check the requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits over the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
- Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
- Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
- Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used to calculate an EMU GPA.
Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses a student takes at EMU and those applied to their major or minor are used to calculate their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements - EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.