General Studies

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General Studies Overview

Designed for working adults who want a degree that can augment their work experience, the BA in General Studies offers four concentrations: Arts & Humanities Studies, Social Science Studies, Science & Health Studies, and Professional Studies. Students work closely with an academic advisor to develop an individualized program aligned with their academic and professional interests. 

Degrees Offered
  • BA
Program School
School of Arts, Science & Business

In a world where change is constant, a liberal arts training is the time-tested way to build the adaptability and strength needed to achieve one’s own personally defined forms of success. Chatham’s General Studies degree, with its flexible design and persistent emphasis on critical thinking and interdisciplinary connections, supports students on this journey toward greater effectiveness in their personal, professional, and public roles.

—Dr. Karen S. Kingsbury, Humanities Department Chair

Explore the General Studies Degree:

  • Designed for those who want a flexible degree, the program is customizable.
  • The program supports exploration of two or more disciplinary areas within one degree, and emphasizes critical thinking and interdisciplinary connections.
  • The BA in General Studies can provide those in the workforce the opportunity to further their skills in order to advance in their field.

Research Methods

This seminar in the methods appropriate to the field—whether quantitative, qualitative, theoretical, empirical, team-based, individual, lab or studio or database-supported—provides students with the tools needed to develop and complete a capstone project.

Capstone

The integrative capstone, undertaken by the student during the senior year, is an extended project that helps the student complete their transition from an undergraduate student to a world-ready professional. The study usually centers on the student’s major and may be conducted, at least in part, in the context of a group experience. Such programs are crafted to meet the unique needs of each major, and could include, for example, fieldwork, theater production, creative work in the arts, independent research, or independent readings. 

Curricular paths depend on the concentration chosen; for further details consult with an Admissions Advisor.

Our Faculty

If one word could best sum up Chatham's faculty, it would be engaged. Professors bring experiences to relate the course lessons to real-world situations.

Full Faculty
Decorative image reading Integrated Degree Program (IDP)

Integrated Degree Programs

The general studies program also works as an integrated degree program with graduate degrees in the School of Arts, Science, and Business, including the Master of Professional Writing, Master of Communication, MBA, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.

Integrated Degree Program Info : Checkerboard 1 - Integrated Degree Programs
Photo of Chatham University students sitting in wooden cubicles, studying between stacks of books in Jennie Mellon King Library.

A World of Opportunities

Graduates can explore business fields like banking, marketing, and management; humanities and arts fields like writing, communication, and design; education fields like daycare administration, non-profit education, and educational settings outside of the school, such as afterschool programs and day camps; and social science and science fields like administration, policy, public education, and research.

Photo of Chatham University students sitting outside on a wraparound porch, some standing and some seated in wicker chairs, talking and studying together.

Set Up For Success

Students come to Chatham to study arts, science, business, communication, and education because our programs blend small class sizes with entry into vibrant communities and networks throughout Pittsburgh and across the country. Our location in the heart of vibrant, innovative Pittsburgh puts students at the nexus of career, culture, and civic connections on and off campus, and our low student-faculty ratio makes possible a high degree of individualized planning for academic success and increased career readiness.