University Studies (UVST) Bachelor's Degree

Thank you for your interest in the University Studies (UVST) Bachelor’s degree offered through the department of Student Leadership & Success Studies in the School of Education. The UVST bachelor’s degree is individually tailored to provide a unique, nontraditional major for students whose goals and objectives cannot be met through existing degrees.

  • Prior to completing the UVST application you are required to be an admitted UVU student, meet with a UVST bachelor’s degree advisor, and complete a Plan of Study proposal. 

 

click on this link to submit your application.

How to Apply for a Custom Degree

1) Requirements, From Catalog

Requirements to Enter the UVST bachelor’s degree Programs:

  1. Be admitted to UVU as a student.
  2. Prepare a Plan of Study proposal that focuses on the achievement of clearly defined personal, career, or professional goals, as part of the application process for the major.
  3. Minimum 2.0 grade point average.
  4. Completed 60 or more semester credit hours.

Requirements for graduation from the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Art Degree Program:

 Bachelor of Science:

  1. Completion of 120 semester credits.
  2. Overall grade point average of 2.0 (C) or above.
  3. Residency hours: minimum of 30 credit hours through course attendance at UVU, with at least 10 hours earned in the last 45 hours.
  4. At least 40 credit hours in upper division courses.
  5. Completion of General Education requirements.
  6. Completion of specific departmental (major) requirements.
  7. Successful completion of at least one Global/Intercultural course.
  8. Successful completion of at least two Writing Enriched (WE) courses. 

Bachelor of Art:

  1. Completion of 120 semester credits.
  2. Overall grade point average of 2.0 (C) or above.
  3. Residency hours: minimum of 30 credit hours through course attendance at UVU, with at least 10 hours earned in the last 45 hours.
  4. At least 40 credit hours in upper division courses.
  5. Complete 16 credit hours of course work from one language to include the 1010, 1020, 2010 and 202G/2020 levels, or transferred equivalents.
  6. Completion of General Education requirements.
  7. Completion of specific departmental (major) requirements.
  8. Successful completion of at least one Global/Intercultural course.
  9. Successful completion of at least two Writing Enriched (WE) courses.

2) Advisor Contact & Approval Process

The approval process includes:

  1. Visit with and review of application by the UVST Bachelor's Degree Academic Advisors:
    1. Shalyse Nakayu
    2. Gabe Black, or
    3. Ashley Graham
  2. Review by the UVST Committee
    1. Chris Goslin and Theresa Haugg-Belvin (Capstone) or
    2. Michael Jensen and Cathy Chartrand (Internship)
  3. Review by the UVST Faculty Director
    1. Douglas S. Gardner

If you have questions or need assistance during the applicaion process, please please see your UVST bachelor's degree advisor.

Once you have been accepted to the UVST degree you will be notified at your UVU email (UVID@uvu.edu).

3) Plan of Study Proposal

  • You are required to write and submit a Plan of Study as part of your admission application for the University Studies bachelor’s degree. Please follow the instructions below as you complete and upload your Plan of Study.
  • The Plan of Study helps the committee know whether the University Studies (UVST) bachelor’s degree is right for you. Your ability to address the Required Sections (below) in writing is one of the factors considered in evaluating your admission to the UVST bachelor’s degree.
  • You will need to complete the writing for your Plan of Study in a separate document and then copy and paste each section of the Plan of Study in the UVST bachelor’s degree Application.
  • You may find it helpful to meet with a writing tutor before submitting your Plan of Study. A writing tutor can review your writing and give you feedback. Visit the UVU Writing Center website to make a free one-on-one appointment with a writing tutor.

Required Sections:

Minimum of 300 words for each of the four sections below.

1. Past Educational Experience

    • What has been your educational experience up to this point?
    • How would the University Studies degree build on what you have accomplished so far in your education?

 

2. Current Circumstances

      • Describe how you obtaining the UVST bachelor’s degree is realistic and obtainable as well as the time frame you will meet in the completion of the UVST bachelor’s degree.
      • How do you plan to achieve the UVST bachelor’s degree? What tactics or resources do you have that will help to make this happen? What resources and/or support are you in need of?
      • As you work toward your UVST bachelor’s degree you have an opportunity to focus your course work in a few interest areas. What are your areas of focus? What is it about these areas that interest you? Please identify the departments you anticipate taking your course work within. Describe why you selected this as your focus? Please limit your interest areas to no more than three(3).

 

3. Capstone or Internship Rationale: Please indicate whether a capstone or internship experience is best for you and explain your rationale. Address the points for either the capstone or internship describing how the selected experience is the best option for you.

Capstone:

      • Requires the innovating, planning, and carrying out of a research-based-project that fills an identified need.
      • This 3-credit-hour class is a designated Writing Enriched (WE) course involving multiple drafts of a written paper, which is about the researched based project and is developed during the course.
      • Requires a final presentation to peers and the UVST Committee.
      • An ideal capstone project topic is one that is personal to the students’ interests, current work, and can be planned and carried out on a small scale within the time frame of the course.
      • Why is the Capstone best suited for you personally?
      • What are a few ideas or topics you could see yourself researching, writing, and presenting on?

Internship:

      • Best Suited for students who are seeking to make the transition from school to career.
      • May take place in students current work setting/but new or additional duties must be assigned beyond current work responsibilities.
      • Students are not required to have an internship specified but need to have at least 2-3 internship ideas that could be opportunities.
      • UVU Internship personnel will help students identify internship opportunities, students are required to make contacts with the organization/mentor.
      • May be 2 to 8 credits per semester for a maximum allowed of 16 credit hours; 60 hours of work is required per credit hour.
      • The student is responsible for making the case for how the internship uses the skills and knowledge gained through college coursework and how the internship connects to current and future work.
      • Why is the Internship best suited for you personally?
      • What are 2-3 internship ideas you could see yourself successfully completing?

 

4. Future Personal, Educational, and Career Plans and Goals

      • What are your post-baccalaureate (post-college) plans and goals and how will the UVST bachelor’s degree help you to attain your plans and goals?
      • How do your ideas for the capstone or internship connect with the course work you have completed and your interests to help you accomplish these goals?
      • What are your other educational, personal, and career goals that the UVST degree helps to bring about?

4) Application Instructions and Deadlines

UVST BA/BS DEGREE ADMISSION APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please follow all instructions when completing the application.

Step 1: Meet with a UVST Academic Advisor

  • Before applying you must be admitted to UVU as a student and meet with a UVST bachelors degree academic advisor to discuss your academic, personal, and career goals. Once you and your advisor have determined you are ready, you will need to complete the admission application.

 

Step 2: Determine If the Capstone (UVST 4930-WE) Course or the Internship Option is Best for you

  • As part of the UVST degree, you have the option to take the UVST Capstone class or complete an internship. The Capstone course should be taken during your last semester before graduation. You will work with your Internship Coordinator to plan your internship.

UVST Capstone course (UVST 4930-WE)

  1. Requires the innovating, planning, and carrying out of a research-based-project that fills an identified need.
  2. This 3-credit-hour class is a designated Writing Enriched (WE) course involving multiple drafts of a written paper, which is about the researched based project and is developed during the course.
  3. Requires a final presentation to peers and the UVST Committee.
  4. An ideal capstone project topic is one that is personal to the students’ interests, current work, and can be planned and carried out on a small scale within the time frame of the course.

 

Internship (UVST 481R)

  1. Best Suited for students who are seeking to make the transition from school to career.
  2. May take place in students current work setting/but new or additional duties must be assigned beyond current work responsibilities.
  3. Students are not required to have an internship specified but need to have at least 2-3 internship ideas that could be opportunities. · UVU Internship personnel will help students identify internship opportunities, students are required to make contacts with the organization/mentor.
  4. May be 2 to 8 credits per semester for a total of 16 credit hours; 60 hours of work is required per credit hour.
  5. The student is responsible for making the case for how the internship uses the skills and knowledge gained through college coursework and how the internship connects to current and future work.

 

Step 3: Write Your Plan of Study Proposal 

  • You will complete the Academic Plan of Study while completing the UVST Application. Your Academic Plan of Study will address each of the required elements for matriculation into the UVST degree and graduation with the UVST degree.

 

Step 4: Submit UVST BS/BA Application Submission

  • After you click on the application button below, you will be asked to provide the following information:

· Academic Plan of Study

 

APPLY FOR UVST Bachelor's Degree

5) Submit UVST Bachelor's Degree Application

Submit UVST BS/BA Application Submission

After you click on the application button below, you will be asked to upload a copy of your Plan of Study. 

Apply here

As part of the UVST degree, you will have the option to take the UVST Capstone class or complete an Internship. The Capstone course should be taken during your last semester before graduation. You will work with your internship Coordinator to plan your Internship.

UVST 4930 - UVST Capstone
The UVST Capstone course (UVST 4930) is designed to provide an opportunity to develop and complete a project addressing an issue relevant to your personal, educational, professional and/or career goals.
UVST 481R - Internship
An Internship experience is an academic endeavor, with identified learning objectives, for students to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to the professional world and to gain experience in a desired career field.