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 Health and Physical Education; 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; application of complex thinking skills; human behaviors, cultures, and the natural world; how to contribute to the common good and employ ethical reasoning; behaviors that promote lifelong health and wellness; as well as develop depth in an academic area outside of their major.

Bachelor of Arts and Sciences Core

First-Year Experience (FYE 100 )

First-Year Experience is required of all entering students or of transfer students bringing in less than 15 credits.

Mathematics

MTH 135  or higher depending on major and minor.* Students majoring in Early Childhood Education take MTH 111  (4 credits) and MTH 113  (2 credits); Mild/Moderate Educational Needs majors take MTH 111  (4 credits) and MTH 112  (4 credits) for core. Prerequisite: Registration into these courses (except for MTH 137 ) 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:

Students may challenge their placement in ENG 111  or 131  by taking the English challenge exam, in which they write an essay under supervised conditions.  Students exempted from ENG 131  satisfy the core requirement.

Perspectives

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

     A. Four courses from four of the five following Humanities groups:
          a. General Humanities
          b. Fine Arts: Creative Expression
          c. Fine Arts: Aesthetic Appreciation
          d. Cultural Literacy
          e. Meaning and Purpose

     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

HPE 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)

Students must complete one course designated as meeting the domestic diversity requirement. Courses that fulfill the Diversity requirement have a significant amount of course content devoted to the analysis of domestic diversity, such as culture, race, religion, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, and social class. Courses that fulfill the Diversity requirement meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. Help students understand the historical or contemporary experiences of underrepresented groups in U.S. society.
2. Introduce students to the ways in which diversity in America enriches our intellectual, social and cultural lives.
3. Assist students in their preparation for both professional and civic life, by providing them perspective and insight on the diversity they will encounter in their workplaces and communities.
4. Provide students the foundation for asking and answering insightful questions about the ways in which diverse peoples interact with each other and the consequences of these interactions.

International

Students must fulfill one of the following three options*

Foreign Language: One year of one foreign language excluding Foreign Languages & Literature courses taught in English.

Study Abroad: This requirement can be fulfilled by one of the following:

1. Earning academic credit in a BW-approved Explorations study abroad program.
2. Living abroad and attending a non-U.S. elementary or secondary school for at least one academic year.
3. Military deployment(s) or overseas duty station(s) for at least one academic year.
4. Other experiences abroad as approved by the Core Curriculum Committee.

International Coursework (courses with an ‘I’ designation)

Three courses with no more than two from the same department. Courses that fulfill the International Studies requirement meet at least one of the following criteria:

1. Explore an international cultural or cultures, past and/or present.
2. Explore current global problems.
3. Develop competencies in international communications.
4. Explore international aspects of political and economic systems.

*International core requirement does not apply to Music Education majors.

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

Course Letter Designations:

Areas of Study