Did you take a lot of college classes in several areas, but never complete enough credits in one academic area to graduate? If so, now is your chance to return to college and earn that degree. This fall, Missouri Western began offering a Bachelor of General Studies degree, intended for students who have earned credit hours in several academic areas.

Dr. Jeanne Daffron, provost and vice president of academic affairs, said the degree is individualized for each student. Students must complete all general education courses, and then pick two concentration areas, one of which must be an existing minor. The second concentration area will be customized according to the credits the student has already earned.

“I’m really excited about it,” Jeanne said. “We’ll look at where this individual person is and how their coursework can take them where they want to go.”

When the degree was in the planning stages, the University met with many employers in the community who were very interested so their employees could advance in their careers.

The new degree was a large part of the proposal for the $1 million campus innovation grant that Missouri Western received from the state last summer. The grant establishes an Innovation Campus, which will help employees and potential employees in high-demand businesses and industries complete post-secondary degrees.

Missouri Western will work closely with community business partners which were included in the grant to align degrees with workforce needs.

Beginning this fall, the MWSU Innovation Campus program will enroll adults and high school students in relevant educational tracks, with financial aid of up to $7,500 to pursue college degrees. Partners include Missouri Western, the St. Joseph Metro Chamber, the Community Alliance of St. Joseph, Metropolitan Community College, the St. Joseph School District, the Northwest Workforce Investment Board and eight business partners: Heartland Health, Hillyard Industries, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Gray Manufacturing, Lifeline Foods, Altec Industries, Blue Sun Biodiesel and Albaugh.

The partnering businesses will provide substantial and targeted on-site training and mentoring for participants beyond what would otherwise occur within the company. Participants may also receive college credit for these applied learning experiences.

Although Missouri Western has offered the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies for several years, the Bachelor of General Studies is a little different. The BGS, Jeanne said, is more flexible than the BIS, and is really geared for those who are working full-time and had previously earned  a lot of credit hours.

“The degree makes sense for individuals, families, the community, and for the overall economic development of the state,” Jeanne said.