SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
General Arts and Sciences Major (GAS)
Program Chair: Dr. Joshua Shaw
814-898-6444; jjs34@psu.edu
The General Arts and Sciences program offers students great flexibility-this major is a clean slate that becomes what you decide to make it.
The General Arts and Sciences major most often is chosen by students who, after a year or two of study, decide that their interests and career goals are not met by a traditional major. They need freedom to select from a wide variety of courses, and they are willing to shoulder much of the responsibility for planning their education.
The major also is popular with returning adult students who want to use transfer credits to their greatest advantage, and with students who don't have a firm career plan but know they will be more successful with a college degree than without one.
Students pursuing the college's 4+1 certification program in education, a collaboration with Mercyhurst College, have found this major to be an excellent career foundation.
Why major in General Arts and Sciences if you plan a more traditional career path? Because employers and graduate schools increasingly recognize that liberal arts graduates have the solid foundation in critical reading and analytical thought, along with strong writing skills, that are needed for flexible thinking and lifelong learning. This ability to adapt to constant change is a highly valued skill.