All courses listed in the 2008-2009 online catalog count toward the university graduation requirement.

Students earning undergraduate degrees must complete Common Studies requirements and a major.  The specific requirements for each major are outlined in the catalog.

3.2 Common Studies

Students who left the university because of illness or personal circumstances will be required to complete the most recent Common Studies program. 

Students should complete a large majority of these requirements by the end of their sophomore year for two reasons.  First, the program provides a broad foundation for the students’ programs of study.  Second, the junior and senior years include more required courses in the major, which makes a student’s schedule somewhat less flexible.

Student who transfer to WWU with an Associate of Arts degree are considered to have met the Common Studies requirements.  Students who have an Associate of Applied Science or and Associate of Science degree must complete the Common Studies requirements.

3.3 Degrees

WWU offers five undergraduate degrees:  Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). 

Associate of Applied Science applies only in Paralegal Studies.  It has a unique set of general requirements.

Majors associated with the BA are most appropriate to students seeking a liberal-learning, pre-professional or graduate school orientation.  The BA degree requires a minor and a year of foreign language.

Majors associated with the BS best serve students interested in preparation for more immediate career opportunities and provide more extensive coursework with an applied emphasis.  It does not require a minor or year of foreign language.

Majors associated with the BFA give students an opportunity for intensive study in selected fine arts programs.  It does not require a minor or year of foreign language.

The BSW prepares students for a beginning level generalist social work practice.  It does not require a minor or year of foreign language.

3.4 Double majors vs. double degrees

Double majors must apply toward the same degree.  Choosing two majors does not constitute a double degree. The requirement that double majors must have 30 distinct hours no longer applies, students may now use courses toward more than one degree.

3.5 Minors

There is no longer a distinct number of hours required for a minor that are not also part of a major.

3.6 Counting credit toward major, minor, and Common Studies

In some instances, students may count courses toward completion of a combination of Common Studies, major, and minor requirements.  In NO instance does a course count more than once toward the 122-hour graduation requirement.

Courses can count as meeting Common Studies and major requirements.  Example:  Business Administration majors can count ECN251 Macroeconomics toward the Social Science requirement in Common Studies and toward the Business Administration major.

Courses can count as meeting Common Studies and minor requirements.

Example:  Biology minors can count BIO114/115 General Biology I toward the Natural Science requirement in Common Studies and toward the Biology minor.

“Triple Dipping” is NOT allowed.  Students may not count a course toward their major, minor, and Common Studies. 

3.7 Graduation Checklists/Applications for Graduation

When a student reaches 90 credit hours, they are generally within two semesters of graduation.   At this point the advisor and the student should complete a graduation checklist (located on the registrar’s web site http://www.williamwoods.edu/ViewPage.asp?ItemID=689 under semester student forms).  This will allow the advisor and the student to check for missing major, minor and Common Studies requirements prior to registration for the next semester.

A Graduation Checklist should be submitted to the registrar’s office no later than the start of the semester of graduation.  It should also not be submitted any earlier than the semester prior to graduation.

The student is responsible for submitting an application for graduation to the registrar’s office.