Biola University 2014–15 Catalog
All prerequisites, supporting courses and departmental requirements (i.e. Writing Competency) for each major must be completed. The second major must have a ‘minimum’ of 18 upper-division credits unique to that major (i.e., minimum of 48 major credits and 148 total credits required–see individual major requirements). Students must confer with the departments in which they will major and with the Office of the Registrar. Minors Although Biola University does not require the student to have a minor for graduation, there are a number of instances in which a student may wish to take a minor, especially in planning for a career in teaching. By checking the various departments in the catalog, a student may determine if a minor is offered. A minor usually requires a “minimum” of 18 credits, 12 of which must be upper-division and 6 of these should be unique to the minor, i.e., not counted toward any other requirements. A minimum of 6 upper-division credits must be taken in residency. Students should confer with the departments in which they will minor and with the Office of the Registrar. Writing Competency Requirement Before graduation from Biola, every student must fulfill the Writing Competency Requirement with a passing score. This requirement tests a student’s ability to write clear and correct English prose. This requirement will not be given separately from the standard curriculum. Instead, each department has designed its requirements to suit the particular demands of its own discipline. Students with more than one major must fulfill the requirement in each major. The Writing Competency Requirement should be met during the junior year. Students with junior status should enroll in at least one of the Writing Competency courses offered by their department. Most departments identify their Writing Competency courses in the Schedule of Classes. Several departments offer more than one Writing Competency course. If a student enrolls in more than one Writing Competency course, that student may choose the course in which he or she will attempt to fulfill the Writing Competency Requirement. Some departments require a student to submit a portfolio of the student’s written work from several upper-division courses. Students should find out from their department about its requirements. ELSP students must have passed ENGL 171, and all students must have successfully completed ENGL 100 or 112 and ENGL 113 before attempting to fulfill the Writing Competency requirement in their departments. Students who do not pass the Writing Competency Requirement on their first attempt must re-attempt to pass it during a subsequent semester. After their second failure, students must take ENGL 210, Writing for Competency. A grade of C+ or higher in this course will satisfy the Writing Competency Requirement. Students may not enroll in ENGL 210 unless they have failed their department’s requirements twice. Delaying the fulfillment of the Writing Competency Requirement may jeopardize the student’s graduation. A notation will be made on the student’s transcript once the Writing Competency Requirement has been passed. It is strongly recommended that students plan to fulfill the Writing Competency Requirement by the time they turn in their Graduation Petition. Students will find it helpful to take their papers to the Biola University Writing Center in the Library before submitting them to their departments. First Year Seminar Requirement All students are required to complete a First Year Seminar (GNST 102) course. This requirement is waived for students with more than 12 transferable credits from a college or university (excluding AP, IB, dual credit, or CLEP). Undergraduate Graduation Petition Graduating seniors must file a “Graduation Petition” form with the Office of the Registrar and submit any departmental checklists one year prior to graduation. Students filing late will be charged a late graduation petition fee. A late petition is defined as any graduation
petition received after classes begin in the student’s graduating semester. Late petitions for graduation will be accepted prior to November 1st for Fall commencement and April 1st for Spring commencement. Thereafter, the student must participate in the next available commencement ceremony. Requirements for All Baccalaureate Degrees 1. All baccalaureate degrees require a minimum of 130 degree applicable credits for graduation. Each major consists of a minimum of 30 credits of which 24 must be upper-division. The Bachelor of Music degree requires 142 credits. A degree in Nursing requires 141 credits. For specific major requirements please see indicated major listings. In the case of repeated courses, only the credits from one of the repeated courses apply. 2. Completion of all academic requirements. Obtain approval of the student’s graduation petition by the major advisor and a graduation counselor in the Office of the Registrar one year before graduation. To ensure completion of degree requirements, the normal academic load, during the last year, for a student anticipating graduation, is 18 credits. Those students who wish to take more are expected to notify their graduation counselor. Approval for additional credits beyond the norm will be made through the Office of the Registrar. 3. A minimum of 30 credits must be taken at Biola University, at least 15 credits (upper-division level) in the major field. Biola has a residency requirement for biblical studies. Of the 30 credits of Bible required of all students, 15 credits must be taken at Biola. Transfer credit, credit for prior learning, credit by examination and off-campus programs may not be used to fulfill the minimum residency requirement. 4. A minimum “C” average (or a 2.0 grade point average) in the major and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 taken at Biola University. (Note: GPA requirements are higher in some majors. See departmental requirements.) 5. All transcripts counting toward graduation must be received by the Office of the Registrar prior to November 15th for Fall commencement and April 15th for Spring commencement. 6. All students who have entered the University Fall 1986 or later and who will be graduating in Spring 1990 or later must pass the Writing Competency Exam. Note: All graduation requirements may be met within four school years by carrying approximately 16 or 17 credits each semester. A student may still be graduated within four years if he wishes to take a lighter load and enroll in Summer Session and/or Interterm. Graduation Honors—Undergraduate Programs Honors at graduation for baccalaureate recipients are based on grade point average, overall performance, Christian values, and a minimum 60-credit residency. Honors are not automatically granted. Faculty may raise the standards at any time. Honors are granted by the faculty and may be denied or higher standards may be applied. The University honors have been defined by the Academic Standards Committee as: Honor GPA Cum Laude 3.50–3.69 Magna Cum Laude 3.70–3.89 Summa Cum Laude 3.90–4.00 Honors recognized in the graduation ceremony may be changed based on the processing of final grades. GPA standards for honors must be met with no rounding of numbers. Graduate students should check with their program section in the catalog for honors qualification. Honor Society A select group of graduating seniors are chosen by the faculty each year to membership in Epsilon Kappa Epsilon, the baccalaureate honor society of Biola University. Eligibility is based on invitation from the Dean of Arts and Sciences. Students receiving an invitation must complete the application form and return it to the Dean of Arts
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