Updated: October 21, 2024

General Studies at UTSA Online

Are you considering returning back to school and want to make the most of your existing college credits? Or do you want to earn a degree, but you can’t find the right major for your interests or career goals? Or maybe you are interested in several subject and don’t want to focus on only one. A general studies degree program might be the right fit for you!

What is a General Studies Degree?

A general studies degree combines multiple areas of study to create a customized degree program based on your unique interests. This flexibility allows you to combine different fields into a structured program.

When you combine the benefits of a general studies degree with the benefits of UTSA Online, you’ll not only pursue a program that is unique to your academic and career goals, but you’ll also receive a quality education that offers unparalleled value.

The benefits that come with pursuing a general studies / multidisciplinary studies degree from UTSA Online include:

• Affordable tuition
• Flexible class options to fit your schedule
• A wide range of focus areas and course topics to match your interests
• Courses taught by full-time UTSA faculty
• Maximization of your transfer credits
• Quicker path to graduation

How General Studies Works at UTSA Online

At UTSA Online, we refer to our general studies program as Multidisciplinary Studies, and the program involves coursework from departments across UTSA. Even though our general studies program is named a little differently, you’ll still have the opportunity to tailor your coursework to your diverse personal interests and talents through a combination of study and academic experiences designed to meet your educational and long-term career goals. Additionally, and more importantly, if you have previously completed coursework, this program is designed to allow you to utilize the credits you’ve already earned!

In this program, the 120-credit-hour coursework will be divided into:

• Core Classes: 42 credit hours
• Focus Areas: 15 credit hours (focus area 1) | 12 hours (focus area 2) | 12 hours (focus area 3)
• Electives: 27 credit hours
• Foundation Courses: 12 credit hours

Choose from 11 focus areas:

1. Business | A fundamental understanding of business skills will make any candidate more valuable to their organization. The business concentration offers you the ability to study a variety of topics such as economics and accounting, legal and ethical issues, business information systems, management skills, and marketing.
2. Communication | Communication skills are crucial to any industry. Whether you work in business, healthcare, government, education, or any other type of organization, the ability to clearly communicate with customers, co-workers, clients, managers, or vendors is non-negotiable. Valuable information is wasted if it can’t be clearly communicated to the necessary stakeholders.
3. Data Science | All industries are experiencing a growing need for professionals skilled in collecting and understanding data that is used to help make crucial business decisions. Whether you work in the private sector, for a non-profit, or for a public business, all organizations use data to make business, staffing, and financial decisions.
4. Digital Media Influence | The Digital Media Influence focus area will allow you to learn or improve your skills to create content and media for digital platforms. Regardless of the type of industry you choose, the ability to communicate effectively through digital platforms is extremely valuable.
5. Geography and Environmental Studies | With this concentration, you will learn the linkages and differences in cultures, political systems, economies, landscapes, and environments across the world, while using geographic technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and online mapping.
6. Global Affairs  | With this concentration, you’ll develop analytical skills to understand different regions of the world and the interactions between people, states, international organizations and private entities that occur in world politics.
7. Health | With this concentration, you’ll learn valuable skills and information about managing public health, planning and evaluating public health programs, and understanding the needs of their community.
8. Humanities | This concentration offers you an excellent foundation for any career, cultivating critical and analytical skills, communication skills, and research skills. Additionally, the program fosters liberal education and optimum use of intellect while simultaneously cultivating an appreciation of the vast scope of human creativity.
9. Medical Humanities | With this focus area, you’ll be prepared to  understand the social, cultural, ethical, and humanistic dimensions of medicine and healthcare. Through integrating different disciplines, you’ll learn a more holistic view of patient care, emphasizing empathy, communication, and critical thinking.
10. Political Science | In this concentration, you’ll gain an understanding of current political events in a larger context. The program offers you the opportunity to pursue a political career in city, state, or national government, work in a community, governmental, or non-governmental organization, or attend law school.
11. Sociology | The ability to understand social life and changes in social groups and institutions is a unique skill that will be valued in any industry. With this concentration, you’ll study a variety of topics such as gender, race, family structures, criminology, human relationships, and more, which can help you make crucial business decisions and design programs based on human behavior.

Career Opportunities for General Studies Graduates

With a general studies degree, you have a wide range of career options available to you, depending on your interests and the focus areas you choose. This Multidisciplinary Studies program is designed to encourage creativity, innovation, and critical thinking, while also preparing you with marketable skills that can help you successfully pursue and thrive in a wide range of careers including:

• Education
• Government
• Management
• Human Resources
• Law Enforcement
• Nonprofit management

In addition, many students have chosen an online degree in Multidisciplinary Studies when they want to move up in an existing career and better prepare themselves for management and leadership roles. The great news is that our faculty will also guide you on how to communicate the value of the Multidisciplinary Studies degree with your current or prospective employers and how it will add value to their organization!

Do You Feel Overwhelmed with All the Options Available?

Selecting your program is an important decision. We know this can be a little overwhelming, which is why UTSA Online offers white-glove enrollment counseling services to our prospective students!

You’ll receive one-on-one advising from higher education experts to not only find the right general studies degree plan for your goals and interests but also have peace of mind in knowing that you’ll be correctly registered for classes and on track to graduate.

Other Reasons to Go 100% Online with UTSA:

In addition to offering you the same degree, same faculty, and same rigor that UTSA offers to students on campus, UTSA Online was ranked by U.S. News and World Report in 2023 as:

• #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in San Antonio
• #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in the UT System
• 7th Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Texas
• Top 25% Best Online Programs in the Nation

If you are still considering if an online degree is the right choice for you, we recommend you read our previous blog post: Benefits of Earning an Online Degree. On the other hand, if we have done a good job clarifying what you can expect from an online degree in Multidisciplinary / General Studies and you are interested in our program, you can get in touch with UTSA Online’s Enrollment Team at 210-458-4000 or onlineenrollment@utsa.edu.