The General Studies curriculum comprises lower-division general education courses required of students intending to earn an Associate of Arts (A.A.)., Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree through the College of Adult & Professional Studies. Certain general education courses are also required for the Associate of Science (A.S.) degree. A.A. degree students will take elective courses or earn credits through the other elective credit options to complete the remainder of the 60 credits required for the A.A. degree.

The CAPS general education curriculum encompasses the courses that all students who are seeking an associate's or bachelor's degree are required to complete. General education courses are categorized into six goal areas corresponding to the goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. However, use of parallel categories is not intended to imply that courses would be accepted in transfer to another school to meet the same goal areas.

In each general education course, students work on one or more of the personal capacities, such as mathematics, writing, and speaking. For the Associate of Arts Degree, the general education and elective courses that students select constitute the total CAPS academic program and result in a minimum of 60 semester credits for graduation. For the Associate of Science Degree, the general education, major, and elective courses that students select constitute the total CAPS academic program and result in a minimum of 60 semester credits for graduation. For baccalaureate degrees, the general education, Bethel Distinctives, major, and elective courses that students select constitute the total CAPS academic program and result in a minimum of 122 semester credits for graduation. Credits earned at a higher level may be counted toward required credit minimums.

The CAPS general education requirement in academic research writing may be fulfilled by the completion of a course or sequence of courses typically comprising at least 3 credit hours of instruction in written English only if the course(s) display all of the following components:

• Academic focus: Students compose, format, and edit text according to the language expectations of the academic community.
• Research: Students complete a library research project at the undergraduate level.
• Research writing: Students compose a formal essay compiling accumulated research.
• Documentation: Students document their information sources according to a standard academic format such as those maintained by the APA or MLA.
• Completion of sequence: The course completes a lower division sequence of writing courses required of all graduates.

Associate of Arts Degree

Associate of Science Degree

Baccalaureate Degree

Students may take more than the minimum of 60 or 122 credits required to graduate. Additional elective credits are created when a course satisfies more than one requirement. This does not reduce the total credits required for graduation.

Minors: Although minors are not required, many students choose to complete one in order to pursue an area of interest or to complement their baccalaureate major. Students may choose to use their elective credits toward the minor or take additional credits. Students may not earn a minor in a program in which they are earning or have earned a major or certificate except where specifically noted in the Academic Programs and Disciplines section of this catalog.

Bethel Distinctive Courses

The Bethel Distinctives curriculum comprises two upper-division courses (6 credits) required of students intending to earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree through the College of Adult & Professional Studies.  Bethel Distinctive courses must be taken in residence. Students who have already completed a bachelor's degree from the College of Arts & Sciences are exempt from this requirement.

Foundations of Academic Readiness (FAR)

The Foundations of Academic Readiness (FAR) curriculum consists of courses for students whose cumulative high school or college GPA shows that additional preparation is needed in order to increase the probability of success in CAPS programs.

The Foundations of Academic Readiness (FAR) curriculum is required for all new students who are admitted to CAPS with a cumulative high school or college GPA below 2.5 and with fewer than 45 transfer credits. Likewise, FAR curriculum will be required for all new students admitted to CAPS with a combined GED score below 451 and with fewer than 45 transfer credits.

Based on GPA, a test-out option for the writing courses may also be available as outlined below:

Fewer than 45 credits

• GPA Below 2.0, or GED Below 401: FAR curriculum required. Test-out option not available.
• GPA 2.0 to less than 2.5, or GED score 401-450: FAR curriculum required. Test-out option available.
• GPA 2.5 and above, or GED of 451 and above: FAR curriculum not required

45 credits or more: 

• FAR curriculum not required

The FAR curriculum consists of two Bethel courses and a zero-credit online preparation assessment/course for  a total of 6 credits. Foundational courses are considered remedial credit and do not apply to degree, certificate, or license requirements. Financial Aid is available for students who are required to enroll in the FAR classes.