Graduate & Continuing Studies Undergraduate Catalog and Handbook 2007-2008
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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 a one hour 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. A syllabus
for each course, including a schedule, will be posted at the beginning
of the course. Online-based courses
will be offered in 8 week sessions or 16 week semesters, Fall and Spring. Summer courses are offered
in 8 or 10 week sessions. Exams times 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. To earn a degree from Stephens College, students nust complete a minimum of 36 semester hours 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 Degree Requirements The liberal studies major/degree completion is subject to the above guidelines and is planned by the student in conjunction with her/his adviser. A degree plan will be developed by the Academic Advisor in conjunction with the Registrar which will serve as the program of study. To receive a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) 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:
Majors available for the Bachelor of Arts degree include Liberal Studies/Degree Completion. 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:
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.
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. Requirements for a Minor Students completing a baccalaureate degree program may elect to include a minor. The requirements for minors available through Graduate & Continuing Studies can be found in the undergraduate catalog under the section entitled “Minors”. 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 Dean of Graduate & Continuing Studies for consideration. The Dean will refer these requests to the appropriate party depending upon the request. Decisions will be communicated to the student in writing.
Students plan their degree programs in accordance with the catalog 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 their 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. 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 the 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 must submit an Application for Degree form to their Academic Advisor 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 held in May or December. The Academic Adviser, Program Chair, and the Registrar will evaluate each student's transcript to ensure that degree requirements have been met. 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 student’s Academic Adviser. 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 form to their Academic Advisor in the Graduate & Continuing Studies office. Graduation
with Honors The criteria for graduation "With Honors" are:
The criteria for graduating with Latin designation honors are:
Degree candidates who have the requisite grade point averages 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
Liberal
Arts Requirements 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 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 hours of liberal arts 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, 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. Liberal Arts Courses 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. 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. 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) To meet this requirement, students choose from courses that introduce structure and modes of inquiry in the discipline through study in American, European or Far Eastern history, or the philosophical study of Western intellectual traditions. 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) The disciplines represented in this category encourage students to explore how humans function in highly complex organizational systems responding to change, how humans learn from the experience of living in a society, and how important the understanding of group life is to the achievement of a better common destiny. Moral
and Ethical Issues (E) (3 semester hours required) Courses Available to Meet Liberal Arts Requirements Communications COM107: Communications 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: Communications II This course introduces you to planning and writing strategies that will enable you to communicate more effectively in professional settings. Cultural Studies REL201: Religion Across Cultures History HIS210: King Arthur's Britain Historical Studies: Unruly Women Students in this course study the history of women in the United States through the perspectives of women that challenged the norms of society through their actions, lifestyles, race, and gender, focusing in part on women in Missouri's history. Languages and Literature ENG
225: Literary Studies: Short Stories from Around the World Mathematics and Analytical Reasoning MAT
207: Introduction to Statistics BUS205: Personal & Family Finance Examination and application of basic economics and finance principles as they relate to the individual. Topics include: budgets, banking, housing, taxes, insurance and investments. Natural
Sciences The course will introduce a number of specialized fields in forensic science. Through the analysis of hair, fluid samples, DNA evidence, drugs and alcohol, we will learn basic principles of biology and chemistry and how they can be applied to solve crimes. BIO
247: Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology I NSC
365: Women, Science and Society Social Science and Behavioral Sciences PSY
111: Introduction to Psychology NSC
365: Women, Science and Society LGS 242: Peacemaking in the Modern World LGS340:
Understanding Terrorism
Moral and Ethical Issues BUS318: Social and Ethical Issues in Business An applied ethics course in which techniques of moral reasoning are applied in the analysis of moral issues in business. Broad issues such as the moral justification of our economic system, the moral responsibility of corporations and the role of business in a global society are covered.
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