Graduation Requirements

The Baccalaureate Degree Program

The strength of the Davis & Elkins College baccalaureate program rests upon its strong liberal arts curriculum. A student reflects on fundamental values, develops basic lifetime skills, and gains a broad understanding of concepts, methods, and findings in a number of intellectual and practical fields. Additionally, a student achieves a measure of mastery and integration by focusing on a selected subject as an academic major.

The general education requirements enable a student to explore literature and the fine arts, develop an increased awareness of other cultures, gain an introduction to history, religion and philosophy, and explore the natural and social sciences. The General Education Program at Davis & Elkins College builds on the mission of the college and incorporates the core values explicit in that mission. The purpose of general education is to promote the acquisition of a broad base of knowledge, abilities, and skills that serve to foster lifelong learning and prepare students for satisfying and successful lives. This includes preparing students to "communicate effectively, think critically and creatively, expand knowledge and understanding, apply learning to new and changing situations, exercise leadership and demonstrate social responsibility."

The general education program at Davis & Elkins College is designed to assure that the graduates of the College's Baccalaureate programs:

• Communicate clearly and effectively in written and spoken forms,
• Make discriminating judgments about the relative worth of ideas and arguments,
• Appreciate and critically evaluate representative systems of thought and religious belief,
• Understand the interrelation of events, people, and world conditions through time,
• Appreciate the creative process and the richness of human creativity,
• Function as informed citizens in a world and time that depends heavily on scientific, quantitative, and technological approaches to problem solving,
• Understand the personal and social dynamics that motivate people and social institutions,
• Increase awareness of the diverse world community, and
• Develop understandings and habits that promote lifelong learning and wellness.
  

The major provides for substantive depth in an academic discipline, whether chosen in preparation for graduate work, career, or simply to satisfy personal interests. Some academic majors require a minor, while other majors do not. The minor may complement the major or may be used to investigate at some depth another field of study.

A strong system of academic support services is available for all students, while an Honors Program adds further dimensions for those who seek additional academic rigor. All baccalaureate programs are designed for normal completion in four years; however, students may accelerate their programs or pursue a degree on a part-time basis.

Davis & Elkins College confers the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. The degree granted is determined by the student's choice of a major, or in the case of a student's completing two or more majors, by the "primary" major as confirmed by the student. Candidates for the bachelor's degree must satisfy the following requirements:

1. 124 semester hours of credit, excluding foundations courses (FND)
2. At least 36 semester hours of credit earned in residence at Davis & Elkins College, including the final 26 hours taken immediately prior to graduation
3. A cumulative grade point average of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) overall and in the student's major(s)
4. Verification of attendance at one convocation or major cultural event per semester of full-time enrollment at Davis & Elkins College (Convocations and/or cultural events are to be selected from a listing approved each semester by the Educational Policies Committee.)
5. Participation in assessment activities as required by the student's major department(s) and/or the college's Assessment Committee
6. Completion of an approved academic major, at least 15 semester hours of which must have been earned at Davis & Elkins College (Students may declare their major using any catalog from a year during which they were a matriculated student at Davis & Elkins College; however, in no case may a student graduate based on a program in a catalog that is more than seven years old.) Students wishing to earn a double major must select a major outside of the discipline of their first major and complete all requirements for each major.
7. Each student pursuing a baccalaureate degree may declare and complete a minor or minors. Students are allowed to declare more than one minor, as long as each minor area has a minimum of 12 semester hours distinct from their major(s) and any other minor area. Individual academic programs may require a minor. See major requriements under the 'Courses of Instruction' section of current catalog. (A student's minor must be declared in the same catalog as their major.)
8. Completion of the college's Baccalaureate General Education Curriculum (as described either in the catalog in effect when the student initially entered the College or in the catalog used to declare a major [see number 6 above])

Each candidate for the degree Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science must satisfy the following general education requirements. No single course may satisfy more than one general education requirement, with one execption: one of the two required Cultural Diversity courses may also satisfy another general education requirement of the same discipline.

1. The Freshman Experience (GNST 100)      (2 Semester hours)
   Waived for students who enter Davis & Elkins College with 24 or more semester hours of college credit.
2. English Composition I and II (ENGL 101 and 102)      (6 semester hours)
   Grade of C or better required in both courses. Students must enroll in ENGL 101 within the first 31 semester hours of coursework and ENGL 102 within the first 62 semester hours of coursework.
3. Introduction to Public Speaking (COMM 107)      (2 semester hours)
4. Physical Education      (2 semester hours)
   PHED 101: Fitness for Life (0.5 semester hours) and PHED 104: Physical Activity (1 semester hour) (Intercollegiate athletics will count as two PHED 104 courses) and
   Any additional Physical Activity course selected from PHED 104, PHED 114, RMTO 221-224, or THRE 232. [One semester hour of Physical Education is awarded to those who have completed six months or more of active military service within ten years prior to entering Davis & Elkins College. Those who qualify for this credit may complete the Physical Education requirement by satisfactorily completing any combination of courses listed above totaling 1 semester hour.]
5. Fine and Performing Arts     (5 semester hours)
   A selection of courses from Art (ART), Music (MUSC), Theatre (THRE), or ENGL 200, including one of the following: ART 207, 208, 209, MUSC 100, 101, 201, 202, THRE 115, 211 and at least one performance course
6. History     (6 semester hours)
   Include at least one of the following: HIST103, 104, 105, 106
7. Philosophy     (3 semester hours)
8. Religion      (3 semester hours)
9. Literature     (6 semester hours)
   Any literature courses, including literature offered in a foreign language or a foreign literature course offered in translation.
10. Social Science     (6 semester hours)
    Two courses at the 100 or 200 level selected from two of the follwoing disciplines: Economics (ECON), Political Science (POLS), Psychology (PSYC), Sociology (SOCI).
11. Mathematics (numbered MATH 101 or higher)     3 semester hours)
12. Mathematics OR Foreign Language     (6 semester hours)

    a. Two additional courses in mathematics numbered MATH 101 or higher, or
    b. Two courses in a single foreign language

13. Cultural Diversity     (3 or 6 semester hours)
    (One of the required Culture Diversity courses may also apply toward satifying another general education requirement of the same discipline.)

    a. One course in U.S. cultural studies selected from ENGL 151, HIST 251, POLS 101, SOCI 225, and
    b. One course in global cultural studies selected from ART 207, 208, 209, ENGL 118, 131, 261, 271, GEOG 204, HIST 105, 106, 242, 250, 252, 254, 303, SPAN 110.

14. Gomputer Literacy     (3 semester hours)

    a. CSCI 100, or
    b. CSCI 101, or
    c. CSCI 140, or
    d. An approved discipline-based substitute in the student's major as noted in the major requirements in the catalog

15. Natural Science     (7 semester hours)
    A combination of courses selected from Biology (BIOL), Chemistry (CHEM), Environmental Science (ENVS), Natural Science (NSCI), or Physics (PHYS), including at least one laboratory course.

The Davis & Elkins College associate degree program is built on a strong liberal arts curriculum that provides opportunities for students to develop important life skills and awareness. The associate degree general education curriculum also prepares students for lifelong learning and to be successful in their chosen field.

Davis & Elkins College confers the Associate in Science degree with concentrations in four disciplines. Each associate degree concentration provides a foundation for continued study leading to a bachelor's degree. Students who have achieved junior or senior status in a baccalaureate degree program (60 semester hours or more) are eligible to earn an associate degree only if (1) the associate degree is to be the terminal degree awarded by Davis & Elkins College or (2) the concentration is in a discipline distinct from the bachelor's degree major the student is pursuing. Candidates for the associate degree must satisfy the following requirements:

1. 62 semester hours of credit, excluding foundations courses (FND)
2. At least 28 semester hours of credit earned in residence at Davis & Elkins College, including the final 20 semester hours taken immediately prior to graduation
3. A cumulative grade point average of 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale)
4. Verifcation of attendance at one convocation or major cultural event per semester of full- time enrollment at Davis & Elkins College, or in the case of part-time enrollment, for each 16 semester hours attempted at Davis & Elkins College (Convocations and/or cultural events are to be selected from a listing approved each semester by the Educational Policies Committee.)
5. Participation in assessment activities as required by the department of the student's concertation and/or the college's Assessment Committee
6. Completion of an approved concentration in Accounting, Business, Computer Business Systems, or Nursing, at least half of which must be completed in residence at Davis & Elkins College
7. Completion of the college's Associate Degree General Education Curriculum

Each candidate for the Associate degree must satisfy the following general education requirements.

1. The Freshman Experience (GNST 100)     (2 semester hours)
   Waived for students who enter Davis & Elkins College with 24 semester hours of college credit.
2. English Composition I and II (ENGL 101 and 102) (6 semester hours)
   Grade of C or beter required in both courses. Students must enroll in ENGL 101 within the first 31 semester hours of coursework. Nursing students must enroll in ENGL 101 by the fall semester of their second year.
3. Physical Education      (1 semester hour)
   Fitness for Life (PHED 101, 0.5 semester hours) and
   Physical Activity (PHED 104, 0.5 semester hours)
   (Intercollegiate athletics will count as two PHED 104 courses.)
   [One semester hour of Physical Education is awarded to those who have completed six months or more of active military service within ten years piror to entering Davis & Elkins College. Those who qualify for this credit will have completed the associate degree Physical Education requirement.]
4. Selections from two of the following groups     (6 semester hours)

   a. Art, Music, Theatre Arts
   b. History, Philosophy, Religion
   c. Literature
   d. Mathematics
   e. Biology, Chemistry, Enviromental Science, Natural Science, Physics
   f. Economics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology