Academic Requirements

Students pursuing majors in the College of Arts and Sciences are expected to complete all academic requirements pertaining to their major. Additional requirements may be identified by specific divisions or programs and students should contact those areas for further information.

Degree Requirements - College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

To earn a degree from Indiana Wesleyan University, undergraduate students must earn at least 30 semester hours of course credit needed to fulfill degree requirements at IWU, including a minimum of 18 credit hours from any major and 9 credit hours from any minor. Once students achieve senior status (90 credit hours earned), a student may transfer in no more than 8 additional credits. Students with incompletes are not eligible to participate in graduation ceremonies. The clinical experience required of medical technology majors, or a semester away in a university-approved program, is accepted as in residence.

Associate’s Degree

1. Completion of 62 semester hours (some majors may have additional hours to meet the requirement).

2. Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

3. Completion of at least 24 semester hours in the major area with a GPA of 2.0 or higher; major requirements as prescribed by each department must be met.

4. Completion of general education requirements. If a student chooses to have multiple majors, the degree designation is based upon the first major.

Bachelor’s Degree

1. Completion of at least 120 semester hours (some majors may have additional hours to meet the requirement).

2. Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

3. Completion of the designated semester hours in the major area with a major GPA of 2.25 or higher or as required by the major. Additional requirements as prescribed by each department must also be met.

4. Completion of general education requirements. If a student chooses to have multiple majors, the degree designation is based upon the first major.

Graduate Degrees: Master's and Doctoral

Please see each programs requirements as listed in the catalog sections and program handbooks.

Undergraduate Degrees and Majors Offered

Majors — A.S. and A.A. Degrees

Most programs leading to the A.S. or A.A. degree require 24 hours in the major subject. Each department offering these degrees specifies the required courses. Each major designates the degree.

Majors — B.S., B.S.E., B.S.N., B.Mus., B.S.W., B.F.A., and A.B./B.A. Degrees

A major will consist of at least a minimum of 40-48 hours of approved courses. Some programs may require more than 48 hours when required for accreditation standards, the Guild, or Graduate School. Each major specifies the designated course requirements.

A minimum of 12 hours in the major must be in courses above the sophomore level. A grade-point average of 2.25 or higher, or as defined in each major, must be earned in courses specified in the major. More than one major may be taken.

Students should make application for admission to the major by the end of the sophomore year in most cases.

Minors

Students may also take a minor subject as noted in each department. A minor will consist of a minimum of 18-24 hours in the subject area. Each department offering the minor may specify required courses. A grade-point average of 2.0 or higher, or as defined in each minor, must be earned in courses specified in the minor. No more than three hours may be shared between a minor and a certificate. A minor must include a minimum of 15 unduplicated hours between it and all other majors or minors.

Certificates

A certificate is a coherent collection of courses that fulfill specified learning outcomes leading to certification of mastery. A certificate must be 12 or more credit hours. Up to 3 credit hours may be shared between a certificate and a minor, or between a certificate and a concentration/specialization, or between two certificates. Up to 6 credit hours may be shared between a certificate and a major (undergraduate or graduate).

Specialization

A specialization (or concentration) is a coherent collection of courses, totaling at least 12 credit hours, that fulfills specified learning outcomes as an optional or elective part of a degree program. Up to 3 credit hours may be shared between a between a concentration/specialization and a certificate, or between two specializations/concentrations.

Second Majors

A second major may be declared with Registration by any current student. A student must earn a minimum of 51 unique (unduplicated hours) between the two majors. No more than six hours of credit may be shared between a major and a certificate. The student may select which major is considered the first major when the degrees of those majors are different. A minor must include a minimum of 15 unduplicated hours between it and all other majors or minors.

After graduating with a baccalaureate degree, a student may add a major by completing the requirements of the major subject as listed in the current catalog. If no additional coursework in the proposed added major have been taken within 10 years of graduation, a minimum number of nine new credits in the major are required. New general education requirements will not need to be met to post an additional major. Students adding a second major are not eligible to participate in graduation again. The second major can only be posted at one of the conferral dates.

Second Degrees

If an Indiana Wesleyan University graduate wishes to return to the university to earn a second degree at the same degree level, he or she may do so if pursuing a different degree and major. All current requirements for the second degree must be met, including general education requirements, and at least 30 additional semester (IWU) hours must be taken.

To have this opportunity, a student must make application to Registration & Academic Services at the beginning of the semester in which the second major/degree will be completed.

Late declaration of a major, double majoring, or the addition of a minor may delay the date of graduation.

General Education Requirements

The ultimate aim for the general education curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences is drawn from Jesus’s teaching in Mark 12:30-31. “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” The call to love God and love our neighbor is elevated by our Savior over all other human endeavors. As the Holy Spirit teaches and empowers us, we are enabled to walk rightly in the love of God and our neighbors which then forms us into the likeness of Jesus himself. It is to this end that we, an academic community committed to making disciples of Jesus, need curricular programming experienced by all IWU students that is intentionally focused toward this formational effort.

A true Christian education is not merely personal, it is ultimately relational. How could it be otherwise, if we are to end where we begin, with the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? To be truly Christian, education must be more than acquiring knowledge about God and creation, more than understanding how God works in the world, and more than understanding how natural processes occur. If knowledge and understanding are to be truth, they must lead to and be grounded in the love of God. As an expression of the love of God, general education in the liberal arts has as its end the love of God, neighbor, self, and creation that leads to human flourishing and the flourishing of creation, developing students to pursue, engage, and apply God’s truth ever more effectively as Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation in a broken world (2 Cor 5:17-20). This is the overarching telos, or ultimate aim, toward which we all—faculty and students—are walking together, and general education is a primary place whether this happens. In that way, the following student learning outcomes are all more than they seem. Each one has intertwined within it this telos, helping students see the world and apply skills in ways that express the love of God and neighbor.

1. Faith Integration: Integrate Christian beliefs with the student's character and scholarship.

2. Written Communication: Produce written work that is clear, effective, and original.

3. Speaking & Listening: Communicate effectively and empathetically with diverse audiences.

4. Quantitative Reasoning: Apply mathematical reasoning by solving problems and interpreting the results.

5. Scientific Knowing: Apply scientific principles to the study of the physical world.

6. Social and Behavioral Knowing: Explore the social, historical, and behavioral dimensions of human life.

7. Humanistic and Artistic Knowing: Demonstrate ways humans apply creative and intellectual capacities in the arts and humanities.

General Education Requirements - Associate Degree

Preparatory Requirements (0-4 credits)

All preparatory requirement courses require a “C” or higher. At the time students register at IWU, they will be informed whether it is necessary to take any of the following preparatory courses:

ENG-119 Effective Writing – Students who are admitted on conditional status (which includes having a High School GPA below 2.6) are required to take ENG-119 in their first semester.

MAT-102 Basic Mathematics – Students are required to take MAT-102 unless they have met one of the following components:

1. A 2017 or more recent ACT/SAT score of:

   a. Math SAT 480 or above (RSAT)

   b. Math ACT 19 or above

2. A High School GPA of 3.0 or higher as determined at time of registration

3. A transfer course or AP score that equates to a Math Course

4. Completion of a preparatory math course at another institution

This math preparatory requirement course will be taken concurrently with a general education math course and requires achievement of a score of “credit.”

Students who have not fulfilled this requirement within their first 30 hours will not be allowed to enroll in courses at IWU unless they are enrolled in MAT-102 and a general education math course.

Preparatory and Competency - Bachelor's Degree

Preparatory Requirements (0-4 credits)

All preparatory requirement courses require a “C” or higher. At the time students register at IWU, they will be informed whether it is necessary to take any of the following preparatory courses:

ENG-119 Effective Writing – Students who are admitted on conditional status (which includes having a High School GPA below 2.6) are required to take ENG-119 in their first semester.

MAT-102 Basic Mathematics – Students are required to take MAT-102 unless they have met one of the following components:

1. A 2017 or more recent ACT/SAT score of:

   a. Math SAT 480 or above (RSAT)

   b. Math ACT 19 or above

2. A High School GPA of 3.0 or higher as determined at time of registration

3. A transfer course or AP score that equates to a Math Course

4. Completion of a preparatory math course at another institution

This math preparatory requirement course will be taken concurrently with a general education math course and requires achievement of a score of “credit.”

Students who have not fulfilled this requirement within their first 30 hours will not be allowed to enroll in courses at IWU unless they are enrolled in MAT-102 and a general education math course.

NSO/FYE Requirement (1 credit)

New Student Orientation and First Year Experience courses are designed to connect students to the IWU community, to prepare them for their experiences here, and to begin developing an understanding of IWU's mission and philosophies of General Education and Life Calling. In these ways, these two interconnected programs seek to foster student success and flourishing by aiding in a smooth transition to college and by guiding students into the pursuit of truth for lives of service as Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation in a broken world. All students are required to participate in NSO and FYE during their first semester and are not eligible as transfer credit once the student is enrolled.

Writing Competency Requirement (0-3 credits)

ENG-120 Research Writing – Successful demonstration of this competency can be achieved by one of the following: a 3.5 high school GPA; test scores of 670 SATRW, RSATWL 36+, or ACTE 29+; transfer equivalency (dual credit, transfer credit, or 4 on AP test), or successful completion of ENG 120. Students may elect to take ENG 120 if they have not yet met the Competency with credit or completed their Writing Requirement. This competency requirement must be met within the first 30 hours of coursework.

Courses taken to satisfy this competency must be passed with a grade of “C” or better.

Intercultural Experience (IE) Competency Requirement (0-3 credits)

Requirement may be met by taking an approved course. Some majors have designated a specific course; other majors allow the student to select from a university approved list. Some courses will involve travel. They may not be met by CLEP, AP Credit, or transfer credit. The following courses meet the General Education Intercultural Competency requirement for students in majors that allow them to select from a university approved list only: ART-476, ACC/BUS-390, BIO-325, CHI-117, CHI-118, CHI-237, CHI-238, ENG-239, GEO-202, HNR-375, HST-280, HST-321, INT-124, INT-220, INT-322, INT/COM-280, LDR-265, NUR-400 with 400L, PHE-248, PHL-248, POL-232, PSY-291/ADC-291, REL-240, SOC-210, SOC-225, SWK-291, TSL-203, TSL-385, WRI-370, WOR-238.

In addition, the Academic Affairs Office oversees many experiences which may also be approved to fulfill this requirement, including a student portfolio option for students whose upbringing or a previous course or experience may satisfy this requirement.

General Education Requirements - Bachelor’s Degree

General Education Requirements

Alongside the formation of students toward our telos, or ultimate aim, of loving God and neighbor, the general education requirements also provide a common experience for all students; therefore, courses in the Humanities Core must be completed at Indiana Wesleyan University and are not eligible as transfer credit once the student is enrolled.

Indiana College Core - Formerly Statewide Transfer General Education Core

Indiana Wesleyan University participates voluntarily in the Indiana College Core program in order to serve students who begin their studies at other schools; however, we recognize immeasurable benefit to completing general education courses at IWU, rather than elsewhere. The IWU general education curriculum is integrated with the Christian narrative of our relationship with God and his creation. It leads us to love God and others more fully and more deeply. As stated above and ingrained in our philosophy of general education, “As an expression of the love of God, general education in the liberal arts has as its end the love of God, neighbor, self, and creation that leads to human flourishing and the flourishing of creation, developing students to pursue, engage, and apply God’s truth ever more effectively as Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation in a broken world (2 Cor 5:17-20).” (Reconciling Truth Through Love: A Philosophy of General Education, IWU College of Arts and Sciences)

The Indiana College Core is a block of 30 credit hours, defined individually by each participating Indiana educational institution, that fulfills six specific general education competencies. Participating schools agree to certify transferring students who have completed the core and to honor the certification of other schools regarding transfer students. A student completing the core at any participating institution is counted as having completed the core at every other participating institution, even though the courses are not identical. Completion of local College Core requirements will be validated and documented by the institution or campus of enrollment. A full explanation is available through the Indiana Department of Education site.

The College Core constitutes a portion of the entire IWU general education curriculum. Students transferring in with the Indiana College Core certification are still required to fulfill the remainder of the general education curriculum. Students are also required to fulfill all Academic Requirements of IWU. Students should notify IWU-Marion’s Registration & Academic Services Office of their Indiana College Core completion to ensure proper registration. The following table details the IWU general education courses not included in the Indiana College Core.

*The combination of the Indiana College Core courses, additional transfer credits, and these additional courses must total a minimum of 42 General Education hours for CAS. If that number of hours has not been achieved in the combination of the three, students may choose to take any course(s) in the IWU General Education package that they have not already taken. Transfer students should work with their academic advisors to find which course(s) would be best.

Acceptance of Indiana College Core certification is separate from the acceptance of transfer-in courses, credits, and grades, which is governed by separate university policy as detailed in the university catalog. It is conceivable that an incoming student whose completion of the core included courses with grades below a C could bring in certification of the completed core but transfer in fewer than 30 credits of general education courses. Such students will be required to complete the appropriate additional general education requirements as listed in the table above, fulfill all requirements of their chosen major(s), and accumulate the required minimum number of credits for graduation through a combination of general education, major, and elective courses. In addition, completion of the Indiana College Core does not add to, subtract from, or alter any other degree requirements, including major, minor, or certificate requirements. Students must, therefore, work closely with an advisor to determine what relationship, if any, exists between requirements for general education and other degree requirements.

The IWU courses that fulfill the Indiana College Core are listed in the following table (for students transferring from IWU):

Major Requirements: 40-60+

Each major has a specified list of courses and requirements. Some major requirements overlap with general education requirements. Students should consult the major requirements before registering for any course. Students are responsible for registering for the proper courses and should do so only after consulting with their academic advisor.

Graduation Requirements and Procedures

Application for graduation must be made one year before the expected graduation date. Application forms are available in The Center for Academic Thriving office and on The Center for Academic Thriving portal page. The application form must be completed and signed by all academic advisors. A student may complete his/her requirements at midyear, in the spring, or in the summer. Commencement exercises are held in December and April. Students who have met graduation requirements for August conferral would walk in the previous April. Students who have met graduation requirements for February conferral would walk in the previous December. Students will be conferred on the conferral date after completion of all requirements and certifying of such requirements. Conferral of degrees also happens on the second Friday in October, February, June and August. Students who have been conferred on a non-graduation ceremony date may walk at the following ceremony. Notification of participation in ceremonies will need to be made to The Center for Student Thriving office at the time the graduation application is submitted.

Total Credits Needed for Graduation (120 semester hours)

• Completion of 120 semester hours; however, some majors may result in the student earning greater than 120 credit hours by graduation.

• Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

• Completion of the designated semester hours in the major area with a GPA of 2.25 or higher as required by the major. Additional requirements as prescribed by each department must also be met.

• Completion of all general education requirements

Attendance at graduation exercises is expected. Please notify The Center for Student Thriving if you need to graduate “in absentia” and will not be present for the ceremony.

Students may receive one degree only per commencement. A student who is enrolled in two majors with different degrees may select which major is considered the first major so that the appropriate degree will be awarded at the ceremony. Students meeting requirements for more than one degree must apply for and participate in two different ceremonies. Any university-approved dual degree program is an exception to this policy.