Undergraduate Programs

• Areas of Study

This section includes course descriptions, general information and specific course and credit requirements for the University Core, undergraduate majors, minors and other programs of study.

Core Curriculum Requirements

All undergraduate students at BW pursue a course of study sufficiently varied to acquaint them with a broad spectrum of knowledge and to provide them a strong foundation in core academic skills. The knowledge and skills that students utilize and develop through their core courses are essential to their success in academic work as well as in their personal and professional lives. The core requirements include course work in the following areas: foundation courses in Mathematics, English Composition, and First-Year Experience (FYE 100 ); perspectives courses in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences; wellness courses in Allied Health, Sport & Wellness; extension courses in writing and quantitative reasoning; International coursework or experiences; and coursework in Diversity Studies. Each core course provides an opportunity for students to develop their knowledge in at least one of the following areas:  effective communication; critical thinking; quantitative literacy; cultural knowledge and competency; civic learning; or demonstrate depth of knowledge in a chosen discipline.

Bachelor of Arts and Sciences Core

First-Year Experience (FYE 100 )

First Year Experience is required of all entering first-year students, including those first-year students who complete college credit as part of their high school curriculum (i.e., College Credit Plus/dual enrollment prior to high school graduation). Transfer students who have completed more than 15 transferable credit hours after they graduated from high school are exempt from the FYE-100 requirement.

Mathematics

MTH 101 , MTH 105 , MTH 108 , MTH 120 , MTH 121 , MTH 140 , MTH 141 , MTH 142  or MTH 151 . Students majoring in Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Mild/Moderate Educational Needs take MTH 111  (4 credits) and MTH 113  (4 credits) for core. Prerequisite: Registration into these courses (except for MTH 101 , MTH 105 , MTH 108 ) requires students to have scored at least 22 on the quantitative portion of the ACT, a SAT Math Section Score of 550 or higher, or a SAT Math Test Score of 27.5 or higher. For students with both ACT and SAT scores, the higher placement will be used. Students who wish to challenge their ACT- or SAT-based placement, or students entering Baldwin Wallace University without ACT or SAT test scores, must take a mathematics placement test in order to take their MTH core course. Students should complete their MTH core requirement during their first two semesters at BW if they meet the prerequisite upon entry, or within their first three semesters if the prerequisite must be completed first.

*Exception to requirement: Students who received credit for AP Statistics or AP Calculus are exempt from the MTH core requirement and will receive credits as follows:

English Composition

ENG 131  - Workshop in Exposition and Argument. Prerequisite: ENG 111  or placement. Students placing into ENG 131  should take it within their first two semesters at BW. Students required to take ENG 111  should take it during their first semester at BW, and should take ENG 131  no later than their third semester at BW.

English Composition placement determined by ACT and SAT scores as follows:

Perspectives

Students must complete at least 28 credits of perspectives courses as outlined below.

     A. One course from each of the following Humanities groups:
          a. Aesthetic Understanding
          b. Historical Thinking
          c. Philosophical & Religious Traditions
          d. Creative Expression and Communication

     B. Two Social Science courses from at least two separate departments

     C. Two Natural Science courses, one of which must be a lab science

     D. One Interdisciplinary course

Writing and Quantitative Extension

Students must complete one course designated as writing extension and one course designated as a quantitative extension.

Wellness

Students are required to take 2 credits to fulfill the Wellness requirement with core-designated (W) activity, technique, or health and wellness related courses.  The W course requirement could be completed at any time and up to one credit hour can be transferred into BW.

Diversity (courses with a ‘D’ designation)

Diversity (D) courses go beyond the mere acknowledgment of difference to address the systematic silencing of marginalized people as we work toward creating a more just world. Diversity encompasses multiple dimensions, including but not limited to race, ability, nationality, ethnicity, religion/faith, geographic origin, class, sexual orientation and identities, gender, gender identities and expressions, and age.

D courses promote students’ critical engagement with issues arising from the historical exclusion of oppressed voices. By interrogating systems of power that suppress diversity, these classes seek to advance BW’s mission statement of preparing students to become contributing, compassionate citizens of an increasingly global society. As such, courses with a diversity designation enhance student awareness of current and past injustices, as well as the potential role of diversity in enriching society. Upon completion of D courses, students will be given the foundation to:

1. Develop questions about the ways in which systems of power influence individual and group identity, and how these identities shape perceptions of systemic power within social, economic, or historical contexts.
2. Analyze how individuals, organizations, and institutions create, perpetuate, adapt to, or challenge inequality. 
3. Demonstrate how their intersectionality impacts their thinking and problem-solving within a broad range of contexts.

Students must complete one core-designated (D) diversity course.

International

The International Studies (“I”) core requirement requires students to engage with a cultural perspective different from that of dominant American (U.S.) culture(s). In an increasingly global society, it has become more important for people to be able to think from multiple frames of reference so that they can see global issues from more than one cultural perspective. Students will have the opportunity to learn about and engage with a non-US culture or cultures in order to understand their languages, histories, customs, values, cultural institutions and artifacts, and/or socio-political structures.

Students must fulfill one of the following three options:

1. World Languages: Two semesters of world language excluding World Languages & Literature courses taught in English.
2. Study Abroad: Earn academic credit in a BW-approved Global Explorations study abroad program.
3. International Coursework (courses with an ‘I’ designation): Choose two courses from two different departments. Courses that fulfill the International Studies requirement must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Perspective: Courses that explore cultural, social, economic, and political approaches to issues affecting one or more cultures outside of the United States.
• Analysis: Courses with a comparative, multidisciplinary, or interdisciplinary focus on specific cultures, communities, civilizations, or global systems that do or do not include the United States.
• Application: Courses that engage in hands-on exploration, international collaboration, or project-based learning activities in a culturally responsive and self-reflective way.

Click for a specific list of courses that apply toward the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences Core.

Course Letter Designations:

Areas of Study