Elected Studies / Bachelor of Elected Studies

Application for Admission

The development of an approved program of study is an integral part of the process of application and admission to the B.E.S. degree program. Upon admission to the University, B.E.S. applicants are assigned to a College of Arts and Sciences counselor for assistance with the formulation of a proposed program of study for the degree. Admission to the Bachelor of Elected Studies degree program is final upon the Dean's approval of the proposed program of study. The B.E.S. is a stand-alone major.

The major component of the B.E.S. degree is the “concentration.” The concentration is composed of at least 40 credits of approved coursework selected by the student to meet personal or career goals and objectives. Courses for the concentration may be drawn from most of the undergraduate departments at Lewis.

Bachelor of Elected Studies Requirements

  1. Complete at least 128 semester hours of credit.
  2. Achieve a 2.00 grade point average for all courses taken at Lewis University.
  3. Complete at least 20 credits of upper-division coursework at Lewis (courses 300 and above).
  4. Complete the University General Education requirements, which include an appropriate advanced writing component approved by the advisor.
  5. Complete an individually designed concentration of at least 40 credits of coursework. Courses that fulfill General Education core requirements may also be included in the concentration. Achieve a 2.00 grade point average in Lewis University courses constituting the concentration.
  6. Complete elective coursework in addition to General Education and concentration requirements to achieve the minimum 128 credits for graduation.
  7. General Education, concentration and elective requirements may be met by transfer credits, courses taken at Lewis, CLEP tests, proficiency exams, and credit for life experience.
  8. At least 15 credits from the General Education core and 20 credits for the concentration must be taken at Lewis.
  9. Credit hours applied to the “concentration” in Elected Studies may not also be counted toward a minor.