Degrees, Credits, and Calender
Graduate & Continuing Studies Undergraduate Catalog and Handbook 2006-2007 Degrees,
Credit, Calendar Flexibility and quality are the hallmarks of the Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies program. In an effort to stand by our mission and to assist new students in making a successful transition back into college, Stephens requires that all new students complete an online orientation during the first week of classes. As part of the orientation, students will complete comprehensive assignments designed to familiarize them with all aspects of Blackboard as well as Stephens College policies and procedures as outlined in the Student Handbook. Effective January 1, 2006 this orientation will be a one credit hour course that is Pass/Fail. A
syllabus for each course, including a calendar, will be posted
at the beginning of the course. Online-based
and blended courses will be offered for either 8 or 14 weeks,
with 8-week sessions offered twice per semester. Summer online-based
and blended courses are on an 8 or 10 week term.
Exams will be listed in the syllabus. Each student must have
an approved proctor on file with Graduate & Continuing
Studies prior to the first day of the classes. A minimum of 36 semester hours must be taken with Stephens College faculty. Most students take more than the required 36 semester hours at Stephens. Associate of Arts Degree Requirements All degree-seeking students are admitted to Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies as Bachelor of Science degree candidates. However, students may earn an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree. The Associate of Arts degree signifies completion of a two-year academic program, primarily in the liberal arts. The Associate of Arts degree may be conferred in December, May or August. An A.A. student will:
Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements To receive a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, the candidate must complete a minimum of 120 semester hours. This requirement will not be waived. It should be noted that after meeting the degree requirements of Stephens College, students with transfer credit from other institutions may have more than 120 semester hours upon graduation. As part of the required 120 semester hours, the degree-seeking candidate will:
Bachelor of Science Degree A bachelor of science major includes at least 45 specified semester hours, of which at least 15 must be at or above the 300 level. As many as 66 semester hours may be required in the major, including those specified in the prefix of the major and those specified in other prefixes. Students may elect additional courses in the prefix of the major, up to the limit of 66 hours in a 120 hour degree program. Some majors require liberal arts hours, as listed under the requirements for the major. Some courses that count as liberal arts courses may not count in the major. The last 15 semester hours of credit in all degree programs must be earned through Stephens College. Majors available for the Bachelor of Science degree include Health Information Administration and Entrepreneurship & Business Management.
A baccalaureate degree requires completion of at least one major. Students are expected to declare a major prior to attaining junior standing. General information about the types of degrees offered at Stephens College is given below. Specific information about the requirements for each major is found in the academic sections of the Undergraduate Catalog and Handbook. Minors Students completing a baccalaureate degree program may elect to include a minor, as offered by the academic areas of the college; there is no student-initiated minor. The requirements for minors are found in the academic sections of the handbook. A minor requires a minimum of 15 semester hours, of which 6 must be 300 level or above. Students may elect additional courses in the prefix of the minor, up to a maximum of 24 hours courses in a 120 hour degree program. Lower-level courses required for a major, but not in its prefix, may also count toward a minor. Three (3) lower- or upper division liberal arts semester hours may also count in a minor. Minors completed are recorded on the student's academic record but not on the diploma. Waivers of Degree Requirements or Other Academic Policies Under unusual or extraordinary circumstances, some students will have reason to petition for the waiver of an academic policy or procedure. Such students may submit a written petition to the Executive Director of Graduate & Continuing Studies for consideration. Decisions will be communicated to the student in writing.
It is the basic responsibility of all students to be knowledgeable about the academic policies and procedures of the College, as published in the Graduate & Continuing Studies Undergraduate Catalog and Handbook. Students plan their degree programs in accordance with the handbook of the year they enter Stephens College . Students are responsible for insuring they will fulfill all degree requirements by the date they plan to graduate. Each student will have an approved degree plan with Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies at the beginning of their degree program. This plan will be placed in the permanent file. The plan will be the student's guide in selecting and completing course work and will be the official communication to Stephens College regarding the student's plan for a degree. All requests for changes in the degree plan must have written approval from the appropriate program. The student is responsible for insuring that degree plans and any revisions will meet the degree requirements in effect for the student's graduation. Students are expected to progress through their degree plan and earn their degree in a reasonable amount of time. The time allowed for completion of a bachelor's degree program, under the catalog in which a student enters will depend on the number of semester hours the student transfers in: 0-24 semester hours 10 years 25-48 semester hours 8 years 49-72 semester hours 6 years 73+ semester hours 4 years Post-baccalaureate certificate students are expected to complete the program within 4 years, regardless of entering semester hours. These time limits are based on students being enrolled part time, completing 12 semester hours per year. Exceptions to these limits will require a petition submitted by the student. Petitions must be approved by student's advisor or department chair and the registrar. Students who do not complete their degree in the allowed timeframe will need to re-apply and be subject to current degree requirements and catalog policies. Application for Degrees and Certificates Students intending to graduate or receive a certificate (May, August or December) must submit an Application for Degree form to the Academic Advisor of Graduate & Continuing Studies at least six months in advance of the proposed graduation date. Forms are available online at: http://www.stephens.edu/gcs/current-student-res.php. Degree seeking students are encouraged to attend the commencement ceremony at Stephens College (held in May only for December, May, and August graduates). The Academic Advisor, Program Chair, and the Registrar will evaluate each student's transcript to ensure that degree requirements have been met correctly. The student will receive a copy of the evaluation. The Registrar must certify that all degree requirements have been met prior to the time the student receives the degree. Students will receive their diplomas approximately twelve weeks after graduation. All Outstanding accounts must be paid prior to diplomas being mailed. Changes in Graduation Plans All changes in graduation plans should be reported in writing to the Academic Advisor of Graduate & Continuing Studies. Outstanding assignments must be received by the instructor prior to midnight preceding graduation day. Failure to complete assignments and meet degree requirements will require the student to submit another Application for Degree from to the Academic Advisor in the Graduate & Continuing Studies office. Graduation with Honors Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies degree candidates who demonstrate academic excellence will be eligible to graduate "With Honors," or with one of the following Latin honors designations: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude. The criteria for graduation "With Honors" are:
The criteria for graduating with Latin designation honors are:
May degree candidates who have the requisite grade point averages at the end of the fall semester will be nominated for graduation honors. Honors are determined after second semester final grades are recorded, and it is ascertained that requirements are met. Graduation honors are noted on diplomas and official transcripts. Commencement Commencement is held only in May of each academic year. Students who graduated the previous December and those who file a plan with the Registrar that enables them to graduate the following August may participate in May Commencement. Students will be assessed a $100 graduation fee regardless of participation in the graduation ceremony. Students who have submitted the Application for Degree by the deadline will be sent information regarding cap and gown rental from the Bookshelf.
Courses representing many disciplines have been identified to meet liberal arts requirements. The courses selected by a student to fulfill this degree requirement will represent a broad perspective on various aspects of human experience. These courses are developmental in nature, building from introductory level in several disciplines to upper-division study that is broader in concept. Students may meet the liberal arts requirements through any of the learning options described. For example, assessment of prior learning, transfer of credit, or CLEP tests can be used to demonstrate knowledge. Students who transfer to Stephens College Graduate & Continuing Studies will be given every consideration in determining which transfer courses count toward the liberal arts requirements. Stephens College students who wish to earn part of the liberal arts requirement at another regionally accredited college may seek approval to do so by providing catalog descriptions of the courses they wish to take to the Academic Advisor for review. Permission to take a transfer course in the major or minor is obtained from the appropriate department chair. To ensure transferability, written approvals must be obtained prior to enrollment. (Forms are available from the www.stephens.edu/gcs web site) All degree programs require a minimum of 30 lower-divisions semester hours of credit representing the following categories: humanities/religion/philosophy, history, languages and literature, mathematics, natural sciences, and social/behavioral sciences. Lower-division requirements are to be met prior to the attainment of junior standing. Students in all degree programs also complete upper-division coursework, or course content that meets the intent, in the category of moral and ethical issues. Transfer credit will count toward the liberal arts requirements when approved by the Registrar. Liberal arts courses with the prefix of a student's major count in the major (and not toward liberal arts), unless they are set aside in the catalog as required liberal arts courses for that major. As for the minor, according to a motion passed by the faculty on April 26, 1989, three (3) lower- or upper-level division liberal arts semester hours with the same prefix as a student's minor may count as liberal arts credit and in the minor. This means that if more than one course is in question, the student either replaces the liberal arts credit with courses outside the minor or decides not to declare the minor. Courses approved to meet the liberal arts requirement must be graded A-D and registered for credit. Meeting the Lower-Division Liberal Arts Requirement The lower-division liberal arts requirement is met when 21 semester hours are completed that represent each category of liberal arts described below. Each semester the course schedule lists courses approved to meet the requirement. Communications (6 semester hours required) Students must successfully complete 6 semester hours of communications with a grade of C- or better. Equivalent English composition course credits may be transferred from another institution. Students failing to demonstrate competent communication skills in their coursework at Stephens College may be required to take additional writing courses during their first year of enrollment. Cultural Studies (A) (3 semester hours required) To meet the intent of this requirement, students choose from courses that help them understand how the arts influence our lives and how social and technological change affect the arts, or from the courses that help them understand how beliefs shape cultures and the lives and actions of all peoples as they form personal commitments and seek to have a better understanding of life. History
(H) (3 semester hours required) Languages
and Literature (L) (3 semester hours required) Mathematical
and Analytical Reasoning (M) (3 semester hours required) Natural
Sciences (N) (3 semester hours required) Social
and Behavioral Sciences (S) (6 semester hours required) Meeting the Upper-Division Liberal Arts Requirement (3 semester hours required)
Moral
and Ethical Issues (E) (3 semester hours required) Courses Available to Meet Liberal Arts Requirements Communications COM107: Communication I This course introduces you to tools that will enable you to communicate more effectively. "Good" communication is never one thing: what counts as good communication depends on the "scene" in which you're communicating: who is your audience, and what is your purpose in writing? What are the expectations that this particular audience will bring to your text? In this class, you'll learn how to evaluate communicative situations, and you'll practice developing a repertoire of strategies that will enable you to communicate effectively in a variety of situations: in the college classroom, at work, and in public. COM108: Communication II This course introduces you to planning and writing strategies that will enable you to communicate more effectively in professional settings. Humanities PHL 104: Introduction to Philosophy Develop critical habits of thinking by studying major philosophical methods, concepts, thinkers and questions. Questions include: What is reality? How do we know? Does God exist? What is the moral good? History HIS260: The American Revolution This course analyzes the various events and the many diverse conflicts that led the American colonists on the road to rebellion. It evaluates the roles of African Americans, Native Americans and women showing how they contributed to the struggle for independence from Great Britain . The significance of the military, diplomatic, and political conflicts will be explored. Also, the consequences of the colonial rebellion and the establishment of a new and independent nation will be covered. PSC201:
American Government: Structure and Process
Languages and Literature ENG
255: Literary Studies: Austen, Brontë, Burney, Eliot
SPN
357: Topics in Hispanic Literature Mathematics and Analytical Reasoning MAT 207: Introduction to Statistics Prerequisites: Elementary Algebra or one year of high school algebra and good arithmetic skills. A study of elementary statistics as used in psychology, business or information management. Topics include organization of data, measures of central tendency and variability, the normal distribution, sampling distributions, estimation, statistical inference, correlation, and chi-square tests. Equipment: Calculator with a square root key. PHL
201: Logic/Critical Thinking Natural Sciences BIO
111: Biological Concepts BIO
247: Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology I NSC
115: Introduction to Physical Science
NSC
365: Women, Science and Society Social Science and Behavioral Sciences NSC
365: Women, Science and Society PSC201:
American Government: Structure and Process PSY
111: Introduction to Psychology Moral and Ethical Issues PHL
310: Biomedical Ethics PHL 318: Social and Ethical Issues in Business Note:
Cross-listed as BUS318 PHL 320: Topics: Ethical Issues Prerequisite:
One PHL or PSY course Liberal and Professional Studies LPS
206: Experiential Learning Outcomes Enrollment must take place during the student's first year at Stephens College, with submission of all work required within one year of the course start date. Tuition cost covers up to 9 semester hours. Additional credit is billed individually. A student may earn a maximum of 30 semester hours to apply toward the 120 semester hours required for the bachelor's degree. Credits earned through experiential learning do not count as courses taken with Stephens College faculty.
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