University of Pittsburgh College of General Studies

The College of General Studies offers programs of special interest to adults and non-traditional students, including baccalaureate degrees (BA/BS) and standalone certificates.

On March 11, 1958, the Pitt Board of Trustees, following a recommendation by then Chancellor Edward Litchfield, approved the establishment of the School of General Studies primarily as an alternative for adults wishing to continuing education.

[3] Originally located on the fourth floor of the Cathedral of Learning, the 2,500-square-foot (230 m2) $537,000 McCarl Center was opened in 2002[7] and occupies space that once housed two levels of the main stacks of the university's library.

[9] The space was designed by Alan J. Cueri and his architectural firm Strada, LLC, and includes wood finishes, double-height spaces with high ceilings and windows, a main corridor conceived as an interior street, and many elements that refer to the Cathedral of Learning's Gothic architecture including decorative painted metal columns with contemporary buttress-style arches.

[10] The center included a resource library, meeting rooms, and a student lounge, and is staffed with academic advisors and has contains a reception area for the College of General Studies.