Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science
- Complete a minimum of 123 credit hours with a minimum of 48 credit hours chosen from junior- and senior-level courses.
- Complete general education requirements for the respective degree.
Bachelor of Arts - successful completion of a foreign language through the intermediate (202) level. If a student is double majoring and one of the majors requires the bachelor of arts degree, the student must meet the bachelor of arts requirements for graduation.
Bachelor of Science - successful completion of a foreign language through the elementary (102) level or successful completion of two additional courses taken from the Europe and/or Global Diversity lists. - Complete course requirements for the major.
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in courses required for the major.
- Complete a minimum of 33 credit hours with 30 of the last 33 credit hours of academic work in residence at Bridgewater College or at a College-approved study abroad or Washington Semester program. In addition, complete at least nine credits of the major at Bridgewater College.
It is the responsibility of the student to enroll in the appropriate courses to meet degree requirements.
Major Requirements
A departmental major consists of not less than 32 credit hours and not more than 54 credit hours, with no more than 48 credit hours within a specific academic discipline. Prerequisite and supporting courses are included in this total, with the exception of prerequisite courses to entry-level courses in the major. At least nine credit hours of the major must be completed at Bridgewater. An exception to the 54 credit hour limit is made for the athletic training major due to the requirements of an outside accrediting agency.
During the fall semester of the sophomore year, a program of courses in the major department and related courses comprising the plan of the major is developed for each student by the student and his or her academic advisor. A copy of this program must be approved by the registrar and filed in the office of the registrar. Any changes in the proposed plan of the major must likewise have the approval of both the student’s advisor and the registrar and be recorded in the office of the registrar.
Each student must earn at least a 2.0 grade point average in courses constituting the major.
A student who wishes to achieve a major in two fields must recognize the possibility that more than four academic years may be required to complete such a program. A student who pursues two major fields must complete the requirements for both programs. If one of the majors being pursued requires a bachelor of arts degree, the student must meet the bachelor of arts degree requirements for graduation. No more than two major fields will be denoted on a student’s permanent academic record.
Minor Requirements
A departmental minor consists of not less than 18 credit hours and not more than 32 credit hours, with no more than 27 credit hours within a specific academic discipline. Prerequisite and supporting courses are included in this total, with the exception of prerequisite courses to entry-level courses in the minor. At least six credit hours of the minor must be completed at Bridgewater.
A program of courses comprising the minor is developed by the student, his or her academic advisor and the chair of the department offering the minor. A copy of this program must be approved by the registrar and filed in the office of the registrar. Any changes in the proposed plan of the minor must likewise have the approval of the student’s academic advisor, the chair of the department offering the minor and the registrar, and must be recorded in the office of the registrar.
To complete the requirements for a minor, a student must earn at least a 2.0 grade point average in the credits comprising the minor.
Academic Concentration Requirements
A concentration is a curricular design that offers a student the option to consolidate electives within a major or from the uncommitted electives that are a normal part of the undergraduate program to gain additional depth in the chosen major field of study.
A concentration consists of at least 18 but no more than 24 credit hours. In order to be eligible for admission to a concentration, a student must have declared the major upon which the concentration is built. Other requirements, such as enrollment in a specific degree program, may also apply. All courses will be taken from a list of courses approved for the program by the department sponsoring the concentration and the academic advisor. In order to obtain recognition for the concentration, the student must achieve a grade point average of 2.0 or above for the courses comprising the concentration.
The satisfactory completion of a concentration within a major will be noted on the student’s official grade transcript.
Elective Courses
Elective courses should be selected with care to fulfill needs to enter graduate school, for certification to teach or for other special purposes. Students interested in teaching in the public schools should read the requirements for certification stated on page 107 of the Academic Catalog and confer with the chair of the department of education not later than the end of the freshman year.
Academic Advising
Students are assigned a faculty advisor within the department of their intended major. Because the primary responsibility of a faculty advisor is to assist the student with course requirements, registration and academic regulations, personal counseling needs are usually referred to an appropriate staff member in counseling or academic support. Freshman students also are assigned a PDP advisor, who serves as a guide throughout the first year of college.
