March 27, 2002
Contact: Dr. Linda Beath (509-963-1404/fax 509-963-2025/e-mail: beathl@cwu.edu)
OLYMPIA, Wash. - At its meeting today (Wednesday, March 27) in Olympia, the Washington state Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) granted Central Washington University the authority to begin a new general studies degree program. CWU sought the OK to offer the bachelor’s program in Ellensburg and at its university centers.
“We wanted the ability to offer our students a broad-based, interdisciplinary, liberal arts degree program – one that is supplementary and complementary to our specialized disciplinary majors,” Dr. Linda Beath, associate vice president for undergraduate studies, says. “For many students, receiving a university education is more important than any particular specialization. This will be a good, solid baccalaureate degree.”
Through the general studies program, students will be able to attain either a bachelor of arts degree, through the College of Arts and Humanities; or a bachelor of science degree, through the College of the Sciences.
All of state’s other public, baccalaureate institutions already offer general studies degree programs, which are said to be among their most popular offerings. However, the CWU degree program will be structured differently than the others, including the ability for students to focus their studies in one of three specialization areas: arts and humanities, natural sciences or social sciences.
“Our students will also be required to choose from a list of approved courses,” Beath adds, “and take an introductory seminar and a culminating, end-of-major seminar, too.”
The new CWU general studies degree program will start being offered beginning next fall, Beath points out.
