What is the best first degree to obtain? Many people have told me that a General Studies is the way to go.

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:45:13 -0400

Not because it's "easy" but it's a degree that opens the doors to other so to speak?

Response by CSM Chuck Stafford made Sep 14 at 2016 11:47 AM

CSM Chuck Stafford — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:47:53 -0400

Unless you are laser focused, a general studies degree at the Associate level is safe - it gets you the paper, lets you know if college is for you, and it gives you time to find that laser focus. My two cents - Good Luck

Response by SPC(P) Patrick Westbrook made Sep 14 at 2016 11:48 AM

SPC(P) Patrick Westbrook — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:48:23 -0400

General studies is just credits towards a degree. The best degree to go for is something that is relevant to what you want to do when or if you get out. Or an upcoming field i.e. IT or medical. Those fields are booming. Medical since we need doctors and nurses and IT to protect data and companies

Response by ENS Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 14 at 2016 11:56 AM

ENS Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:56:23 -0400

I will either get mine in Biochemistry or Computer Sciences. At this point, it could go either way. I guess it really depends on what you want to do in the future.

Response by SGT David T. made Sep 14 at 2016 11:59 AM

SGT David T. — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:59:39 -0400

Honestly, unless you plan on going into a technical type fields (engineering, medical etc) it doesn't much matter what your degree is in. Look at me, I hold a B.S. and M.A. in history but I am a Project Manager who buys IT stuff. Go for the degree that you have a passion for. I started my PhD in management, but that bored me to no end so I stopped.

Response by Maj Marty Hogan made Sep 14 at 2016 11:59 AM

Maj Marty Hogan — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:59:45 -0400

I have a general studies degree with a concentration in business. My past careers have helped and the degree has furthered my current career.

Response by Sgt Chris Lima made Sep 14 at 2016 12:02 PM

Sgt Chris Lima — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:02:22 -0400

I don't think you can get a bachelor's degree in "general studies." If you're talking about an associate's degree, then "general studies" is what's called an AA (associate's in arts). That basically takes care of most of the first 2 years' worth of classes for a bachelor's degree. There's really no reason to get a specific associate's degree if your immediate plan is to move on to a 4 year program, unless you know what that program is, which it sounds like you don't.

For example, I got an AA at a community college and transferred to a state university for my bachelor's. I knew that I was going to pursue a degree in education (teaching), so I made sure that 3 of the courses I took in my AA were the 3 prerequisites for the teaching program. Most BS and BA programs have specific requirements for enrollment, so if you have an idea of what field you might want to get into, you should choose your AA classes accordingly.

Feel free to PM me if you need help navigating the GI bill or college admissions issues. I'm pretty good at that stuff.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 14 at 2016 12:02 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:02:45 -0400

SGT Private RallyPoint Member I have an A.A., Business Administration and a B.B.A., Business and Industrial Management. A degree in business would open more doors than a general studies degree.

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Sep 14 at 2016 12:10 PM

SPC Margaret Higgins — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:10:09 -0400

SGT Private RallyPoint Member: I would say that your best first degree, would be a B.A. That will open doors for you.
However, [And I don't work.] I believe that obtaining your Master's Degree; should be your second goal- with regards to your getting your foot in the door. An M.A., in today's society, I believe: will open far more doors for you.
-With My Kindest Regards, Margaret

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Sep 14 at 2016 12:28 PM

LTC Paul Labrador — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:28:26 -0400

It depends on what your ultimate goal is. A general liberal arts degree, other than giving you a eclectic education, doesn't necessarily "open doors". If your ultimate goal is to go into a specific career field, research that field and see if requires or prefers a specific degree. If you are looking at follow-on graduate education, then likewise you need to see what pre-requisite degrees that grad education requires. If your goal doesn't require a specific degree (ie a commission as officer), then do whatever interests you.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 14 at 2016 12:47 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:47:08 -0400

Ask yourself what you are interested in, PFC. Once you determine the answer then it is a little easier to figure out the degree you want to pursue. The further you go in higher education the more theory and gobbledygook is taught. If you are interested in gaining practical skills then vocational training is great. You may find the answer after studying the general stuff. Your education is entirely up to you. Each discipline has core courses and electives to complete the degree. There is no right or wrong answer in the path you choose because it is based entirely on your preferences and choices. Good luck.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Sep 14 at 2016 12:54 PM

LTC Yinon Weiss — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 12:54:05 -0400

1. If there is a topic you love and want a career in, get a degree that supports that pursuit.
2. If #1 doesn't exist, and if you have the aptitude for it, go for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). It will open the most doors for you.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 14 at 2016 1:51 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 13:51:10 -0400

There may be some immediate gains related to quickly acquiring an associates degree... however your focus should really be on where you want to be in 5 and 15 years. If you are not sure, then an General Studies Associate degree is a good place to get started.

Just remember that when jobs mention a required college degree, what they are talking about is a Bachelors degree, if you want to stand out in a sea of bachelors degrees you are probably going to need some good certifications and/or a masters degree.

There is an advantage to getting the certifications first. First, the certifications are usually worth a fair share of college credit... while college credit isn't going to get you a certification. In order to keep a certification, your going to need continuing education credits which are extremely easy to get if you are still working on a degree.

Response by LTC Kevin B. made Sep 14 at 2016 3:22 PM

LTC Kevin B. — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 15:22:32 -0400

I agree with SGT Efaw (Mick) G. in that you have a lot of naysayers on here who apparently don't have much insight on what the General Studies degree actually is, nor how it can be useful. It's definitely not just a means to easily compile credits and then call it a "degree". A General Studies degree is a useful tool that many universities offer, in a very structured way, to help students develop a curriculum that meets their needs. For instance, if you want a broad undergraduate degree that exposes you to a wider array of disciplines, and you then want to acquire more focus at the graduate level, the General Studies degree allows you to acquire that breadth (which serves as a foundation for a more focused education at the graduate level). That type of curriculum plan would require a certain number of upper-level classes across multiple colleges/schools within the university. Try taking upper-level math classes without having substantial lower-level math classes. That's definitely not easy. Try taking upper-level computer science classes without having substantial lower-level computer science classes. That's not easy either. Another perspective is if you want to combine two areas in order to create a unique degree program that isn't offered at a particular university. For instance, if you want to open your own business (say, a chain of fitness centers), you could use a General Studies program to develop your own structured curriculum in both Business and Exercise Science (rather than having to pick one or the other, or having to do both). Those are just two examples of how it can be useful.

Keep in mind that the degree is not good for everyone (or even most). If you just want to use it to get a job (with only that undergrad degree), you will face the challenge of trying to articulate your degree to employers. Many will be like some of the other posters on here, and others may draw assumptions and not even reach out to you. If you're using it to meet your own unique needs, or if you're planning on specializing at a higher level (which subsequently makes the GS degree moot), then you won't have to make that argument.

When students are thinking about an academic discipline to pursue, "chasing a job" should take a back seat to "chasing your interests". If something doesn't interest you, a lifelong pursuit of jobs in that career field will not be a fun life.

Response by MSgt James Mullis made Sep 14 at 2016 3:54 PM

MSgt James Mullis — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 15:54:23 -0400

It depends on your goals in life and your personal aptitude. If you want to leave your options open for the widest number of positions, then general studies is good. However, If you want the security that comes with being able to get a job practically anywhere in the country and at any time you want one, go for nursing.

Response by PO1 Felix Rivera made Sep 14 at 2016 6:04 PM

PO1 Felix Rivera — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 18:04:21 -0400

If you are not certain what route you want to take in the future then a degree in general studies is the way to go. This major will let you take a variety of courses and figure out what subject matter you will be more interested in. On a positive note, general studies is known as a gateway degree that many undecided first year students will start off with before they switch to a more focused area of study. On a negative note a general studies degree lacks specificity and focus; say for example a degree in business or engineering where the courses you have taken indicate the skills you have acquired during your education. Hope that helps.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 14 at 2016 6:24 PM

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 18:24:20 -0400

Well General studies won't get you anything haha, ask yourself what you want to be and aim your education towards that. If you like your MOS I would suggest going to Embry Riddle..... Again, the answer is going to vary by WHAT you want to be

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Sep 14 at 2016 8:20 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 20:20:22 -0400

While you are in, burn off "prereq" credits. Things like your General Math, English, etc. Do this while you are not burning valuable GI Bill time. "Most" of these are cross discipline, and will account for 45-60~ (about half) of a BA/BS degree (or an AS/AA) degree.

If you combine these with CLEP & DANTE (free to military through Base Education), you can knock out quite a few credits (most schools will take up to 30).

Once you have those done, you can start to get a feel for what you want to specialize in. Whether it is career oriented, or otherwise.

Response by CW3 Harvey K. made Sep 14 at 2016 10:48 PM

CW3 Harvey K. — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 22:48:50 -0400

I recall a quote (the source of which I cannot find) to the effect ----
"A liberal education enables you to hold in contempt the life of material success which it disqualifies you from ever enjoying."
Choose wisely.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 15 at 2016 5:19 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 17:19:21 -0400

The best degree would be the degree you are actually interested in. People will pitch ideas all day, but if you genuinely have no interest, it is a waste of a degree.

I would suggest finding a degree in a field you not only enjoy, but something you could see yourself doing for the rest of your life.

Response by Cpl Mark A. Morris made Sep 15 at 2016 7:33 PM

Cpl Mark A. Morris — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 19:33:08 -0400

PFC,
There is excellent advise here on your question. I hope you follow these members of the greatest team the world has ever known suggestions.
A degree in any field can help. Some help more. But, goal accomplishment, Grammer and punction matter in our society.
Grow connections here and in what you want to do for the next 10 to 15 years.
Break a leg.
M. Morris RVT

Response by SSG Stephan Pendarvis made Sep 15 at 2016 8:38 PM

SSG Stephan Pendarvis — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 20:38:21 -0400

If you are not sure of what you want to study, Gen studies is a way to go because it is doing something VS doing nothing.

Response by SPC Cleta Kawa made Sep 16 at 2016 7:20 PM

SPC Cleta Kawa — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 19:20:18 -0400

I started with just an Associates of Arts because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for sure and most general studies degrees classes transfer well. Now currently getting my second bachelors. First I got a BS in Sociology and am currently working on a BS in criminal justice with an emphasis on human services. Had no issue with credit transferability. Most the classes I took for my AA took up about a third of my needed classes for both Bacholors. Didn't have to retake any of the basics (math, English, ect). Just able to focus on degree specific classes. Pretty nice

Response by MAJ Raúl Rovira made Sep 17 at 2016 12:41 AM

MAJ Raúl Rovira — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 00:41:51 -0400

A degree is a degree unless you need a specific credential (engineering, business...). You can also take many classes on topics you enjoy and get personal satisfaction out of college.
MAJ Yinon Weiss make a good point about STEM degrees. They do open doors.
Also think long term as there is nothing that stops you from perusing a master later on.

Response by SPC Librado Martinez made Feb 3 at 2017 2:11 AM

SPC Librado Martinez — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 02:11:12 -0500

Advice: what do you want to do the rest of your life? then get a degree on that as an expert on it- dont half ass it. General studies is what you do in High School.

Response by MAJ David Brand made Feb 3 at 2017 7:04 PM

MAJ David Brand — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 19:04:45 -0500

I agree with just getting a degree. Contact Kristina Noriega at [login to see] and she will show you the best way to get the most value for your military training in your quest to get a bachelors degree! Good luck with it! Dave

Response by MSG John Duchesneau made Feb 15 at 2018 10:07 PM

MSG John Duchesneau — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 22:07:45 -0500

Unless you have a definite idea of what you want to study, I would say get a "hard skill" degree so you can get a job. General Studies / Liberal Arts is a good foundation to build on but it won't help you get your career started.

Response by SFC M Thomas made Dec 16 at 2019 9:05 AM

SFC M Thomas — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 09:05:06 -0500

Spc Sword, for what it is worth, here is my recommendation. If you are unsure which path/field of study you will eventually chooses but want to get your college studies underway, then I would recommend:

For a 2 year program - General Studies. This allows you to get the general classes, that you are required to complete (math, social sciences, etc, out of the way.

For a 4 year program, you can choose “undeclared” at the start. If memory serves me right, you again have two years to get all your general class requirements completed before you will have to declare a path of course study.

Here is a true life example - me: I started college perusing my degree in the legal field, because I was a Legal Clerk. However, by the time I received my bachelors degree, my focus had changed. I wanted to study technology.

Although, I had 120 credit hours already, less than 80 went towards my degree in computer science. I therefore, had to extend my studies to meet the new requirements. Although I did complete my Bachelors Degree in Computer Science, and went on to complete my Masters Degree, I sometimes ask myself why I did not choose to go “undeclared” at least until I was certain.

Please know, I have no regrets because I learned so much studying both paths, but I could have saved a lot had I been sure.

I hope this helps you in your decision, however, in the end you have to choose what you feel is right. We (RP) can only give you advice based on our experiences and what you post.

I wish you the beat of luck !

Response by SSG Kenneth Ponder made Mar 7 at 2020 1:26 PM

SSG Kenneth Ponder — Sat, 07 Mar 2020 13:26:59 -0500

It's the easiest to get AD in General Education(Studies) then I got AD in Design Engineering, then BS in Chemical Engineering. Did it all while on AD USArmy

Response by SP5 Matthew J. Palazola made Mar 8 at 2020 2:32 PM

SP5 Matthew J. Palazola — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 14:32:36 -0400

I might suggest something like a Respiratory Therapist. The two year degree gives you the necessary skill set to work in the profession upon graduation.