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Undergraduate Academic Policies and Information
Graduate Academic Policies and Information
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Undergraduate academic policies & information
General Education Statement of Purpose General Education Requirements Competency, Advanced Placement/Credit
Upon satisfactory completion of the requirements for graduation, Wheaton College confers upon the student one of four degrees—Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Music, or Bachelor of Music Education. The Bachelor of Science degree is granted to majors in the sciences, mathematics, and applied health science unless the student requests the Bachelor of Arts degree. A student can earn a second baccalaureate degree upon completion of at least 30 hours beyond the 1st degree (minimum of 154 semester hours) in a major of a different degree program (i.e., BA, BS, BM or BME). See the Registrar’s Office for the policy. Consult the Graduate Programs section of this catalog for graduate degree requirements. A student is subject to the requirements listed in the catalog for the year in which the first enrollment occurred or to the requirements of a subsequent catalog under which the student is enrolled. Transfer students are allowed to use the catalog one year prior to entry at Wheaton, if they so choose. All requirements must be met, however, under the same catalog. The College reserves the right to change academic policies and procedures during a student's time of enrollment. Students are expected to complete the general education, major, minor, and/or certificate programs with the listed catalog courses. Course substitutions can be made by departmental recommendation (see department); exceptions to policy, procedure, or general academic requirements are handled with the academic petition process (form available in the Registrar's Office). A student who completes degree requirements in December, May, or August may participate in the annual May commencement and will receive the diploma when all requirements are finished. Criteria to determine commencement participation include: 1) completion of all general education requirements, 2) completion of all requirements for one major, and 3) completion of the required total hours for graduation. Students who will be completing degree requirements during the summer must be registered for appropriate courses prior to the May commencement ceremony with full intention of completing the courses as scheduled in order to participate.
The following requirements must be met for graduation:
The purpose of General Education at Wheaton College is to introduce men and women to an understanding and appreciation of God, His creation and grace, and to our place of privilege and responsibility in the world He has made. To this end, the curriculum encourages students to ground all aspects of life in the Word of God, leading to a firm commitment to Christ and His Kingdom. General Education exposes students to the fundamental ideas of their shared theological, cultural, intellectual, and scientific traditions, and also to concepts and issues outside the framework of their own cultural background. It engages students in various disciplines with their means of discovery, helps students grasp relationships between different fields of knowledge, and encourages them to appreciate and experience the unity of God's truth. The teaching of General Education is designed to develop the student's ability to be creative, to think critically, and to reason analytically and quantitatively. It enables students to develop proficiencies in research methodologies, in oral and written expression, and in aesthetic appreciation. General Education encourages independent thought and action, nurturing the desire and capacity for informed moral choices and lifetime learning. It supports the general goal of the College to prepare students—intellectually, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and socially—for life in church and society, for involvement in Christ's redemptive work in creation, and for lives of joy and service to the glory of God.
These general education requirements apply to students in the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs except for students who are majoring in Elementary Education or who are completing secondary education teacher certification requirements along with their major (see Education Department section of this catalog for requirements). Requirements for Music degrees are listed in the Conservatory of Music section of this catalog. The credit hours listed for each requirement are based on Wheaton College course offerings. Variations may occur when requirements are met through testing and/or with transfer credit.
Competencies are essential academic skills indispensable to advanced study in the liberal arts. The Departments of Biblical and Theological Studies, Communication, English, Foreign Languages, and Mathematics have identified specific basic skills and literacies that should be characteristic of the Christian educated in the liberal arts. All students will demonstrate competency in these skills areas, whether by testing in lieu of course work or by completing appropriate courses whose final evaluation will be a version of the competency test in that area. All competencies should be completed by the end of the sophomore year, unless otherwise noted. To be met as follows: See requirements listed under Studies in Faith and Reason. Foreign Language - (variable hours) The student will demonstrate competency to perform basic functional survival/scholarly activities. In ancient languages these skills include translation, reading, and grammar analysis. In modern languages these skills include listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In addition to the languages taught at Wheaton (French, German, Koiné Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Spanish) competency examinations are currently available in Afrikaans, Albanian, Arabic, Aymara, Bulgarian, Cakchiquel, Cambodian, Cantonese, Cebuano, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Farsi/Persian, Fijian, Finnish, Modern Greek, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Maori-NZ, Mongolian, Navajo, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Quechua, Rarotongan, Romanian, Russian, Samoan, Serbo-Croatian, Swedish, Tagalog, Tahitian, Thai, Tongan, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Welsh. Test availability may change without notice; thus, the Foreign Languages Department offers competency examinations in these or other languages only when an acceptable examination and a qualified examiner are available. This competency must be begun by the beginning of the sophomore year or earlier and finished by the end of the junior year. Pass a foreign language competency exam offered by the Foreign Language Department, OR Pass the final exam in the 201 course [Hebrew 401] meets the competency. Students who have completed fewer than two years of a high school language or who choose to begin a new language should take one of the following course sequences (passing the final exam in the 201 course meets the competency requirement):
Students who have completed two years (through level 2) of language in high school should take one of the following course sequences (passing the final exam in the 201 course meets the competency requirement): French 103, 201; Spanish 103, 201; German 103; 201. Latin 102, 201 OR 201 with department’s permission. Students participating in Wheaton's overseas programs in French or German may substitute the 209 Intermediate course for 201.
Students who have taken more than two years of high school language or have acquired language ability without taking formal courses must take a language placement test to determine the appropriate course to be taken or whether the competency requirement has been met. Students who have a qualifying score on the SAT Subject Test or an AP score of 2 or above are not required to take the language placement test. Students with language SAT Subject test scores or AP scores determine appropriate course work as follows: SAT Subject Test: Take 103, 201 in the same language (passing the final exam in the 201 course [Hebrew 401] meets the competency requirement) if score was below:
Take 201 in the same language (passing the final exam in the 201 course [Hebrew 401] meets the competency requirement) if score is in the following ranges:
The competency requirement is met if score was as follows:
AP language or literature test:
Quantitative Skills - (0-2 hours) The student will be able to demonstrate an appropriate skill level in the following areas: 1) simple calculations, 2) interpretations of data, 3) statistics, 4) graphs, 5) error and approximations, 6) problem-solving, 7) projections, and 8) critical thinking/analytical reasoning. This requirement must be completed by the end of the sophomore year. Pass QUANTITATIVE SKILLS TEST offered by the Mathematics Department (waive requirement; no credit), OR Pass MATH 101 Quantitative Skills (2) – Prerequisite: Quantitative Skills test, OR Pass one of the following courses at Wheaton or transfer in credit for one of the following: MATH 218 Intro to Calculus with Precalculus (4) Students with AP Calculus AB score of 3, 4, or 5, or AP Calculus BC score of 2, 3, 4, or 5 meet competency requirement. Oral Communication - (0-2 hours) The student will be able to demonstrate competency in 1) inventional speaking, 2) the effective organization of messages, 3) audience analysis and ethical adaptation, and 4) confident, extemporaneous delivery before an audience. This requirement must be completed by the end of the sophomore year. Pass oral competency exam offered by the Communication Department which consists of presenting a persuasive speech to a jury composed of one or more members of the Communication faculty (waive requirement; no credit) OR Pass one of the following courses:
Writing helps to develop thoughtful reading, sound reasoning, and clear communication; therefore, it is an essential aspect for liberal arts education and life-long learning. Composition and Research promotes strong thinkers and resourceful writers who can construct convincing arguments written in effective prose for a variety of audiences. The general education requirement in writing seeks to help students learn how to write persuasively, clearly, and concisely; engage in critical thinking and reading; organize material with regard to audiences; undertake research using library resources and computers; and demonstrate competency in foundational editing skills. Students should fulfill this requirement in their first year so that they will be introduced to ideas and skills that will be crucial for their progress through their liberal arts education. All students must complete the writing requirement by the end of their sophomore year. Since writing is a life-long skill, students are encouraged to take additional writing courses beyond Composition and Research. Successful completion of the freshman writing requirement is a prerequisite for enrollment in any upper division writing course. Meeting the Writing Requirement You may satisfy the writing requirement by taking ENGW 103 Composition and Research (4) and earning a grade of C or higher. You may satisfy the writing requirement by taking ENGW 104 Composition and Research (2) and earning a grade of C or higher if:
Options to Waive the Requirement with Academic Credit 1. If you score a 4 or 5 on the LANGUAGE/Composition Advanced Placement exam, you earn 4 semester hours of writing credit and have completed the writing requirement. 2. If you score a 3 on the LANGUAGE/Composition Advanced Placement exam, you earn 2 semester hours of writing credit. You may complete the 4-hour requirement by taking ENGW 104 Composition and Research (2) or passing the Writing Competency Exam ($30 charge for the exam) that is given each semester to freshmen or transfers only. No academic credit is given for passing the exam. Option to Waive the Requirement without Academic Credit The Writing Competency Exam is given each semester (on a date to be announced in the Broadcaster) and is open only to freshmen and to transfer students. Students have one opportunity to take the exam in the fall or spring of their first year at Wheaton. Students must pass the first part of the exam (Library Research Skills) to qualify to take the second part of the exam (Research Essay). Students must pass both parts of the exam to waive the writing requirement. The total cost of the exam is $30. If students do not qualify to waive the requirement, they will be placed in ENGW 103 or ENGW 104 based on their score. No advanced standing credit will be awarded to students taking ENGW 104. Applied Health Science - 3 hours total 1. AHS 101 Wellness (2) is required during the first or second semester of matriculation and is to be completed before other Applied Health Science courses are taken. 2. One hour to be taken from the Applied Health Science courses numbered 105-174 or DANC 122-124. Studies in Faith and Reason - 14-18 hours total To be met as follows: 10-14 hours in Biblical and Theological Studies and 4 hours in Philosophy
Biblical and Theological Studies
1. BITH 111 Gospel, Church and Culture (2) – (waived for junior/senior transfer students)
2. Old Testament - 2 or 4 hours a. If student passes Old Testament competency test (see note #1), take 2 hours from BITH 331-349, or 433-449. b. If student chooses not to take competency test, or takes test and does not pass, take (1) BITH 211 Old Testament Literature and Interpretation (4), OR (2) ARCH 211 Old Testament Archaeology (4), OR (3) BITH 212 Old Testament Literature and Interpretation (2) plus 2 hours from BITH 331-349, or 433-449.
3. New Testament - 2 or 4 hours: a. If student passes New Testament competency test (see note #1), take 2 hours from BITH 351-368, or 454-469. b. If student chooses not to take competency test, or takes test and does not pass, take (1) BITH 213 New Testament Literature and Interpretation (4), OR (2) ARCH 213 New Testament Archaeology (4) OR (3) BITH 214 New Testament Literature and Interpretation (2) plus 2 hours from BITH 351-368, or 454-469.
4. Christian Thought - 4 hours: a. BITH 315 Christian Thought (4) is recommended, OR b. BITH 316 Christian Thought (2) plus 2 hours from BITH 372-396 or 483-489.
NOTES: 1) Biblical Content Competency- The student will demonstrate an appropriate level of familiarity with the people and events, as well as the primary story line in the Bible, some of the principal theological themes in the Bible, and the culture, history, and geography of the biblical world as it enhances the meaning of the Bible. Competency tests are offered by the Biblical and Theological Studies Department. 2) Students must take 200-level courses before enrolling in 300- and 400-level courses. 3) BITH 317-318 Studies in Biblical Lands (4) may satisfy part of Bible general education requirements. See Biblical and Theological Studies Department. PHIL 101 Introduction to Philosophy (4) is recommended, OR PHIL 215 Contemporary Moral Problems (4), OR 6 hours of other philosophy courses approved by the department. Studies in Society - 12 hours total To be met as follows: 4 hours in history plus 8 hours in two social science disciplines. Society Cluster general education requirements must be met by selecting from the following courses: 1. History courses - 4 hours in world history HIST 105 World History (4), OR HIST 111 World History: Ancient to Modern (4), OR HIST 115 World History to 1600 (4) meet the requirement. HIST 131 Topics in World History (2) meets the requirement when recommended by the History Department. (Primarily for students who have AP or transfer credit in World or European history, but fewer than three semester hours.)
NOTE: AP or transfer credit in U.S. History does not satisfy the requirement. 2. Social Science courses - 8 hours required in at least two disciplines from (only) the following approved list: ANTH 216 Introduction to Anthropology (4) ANTH 354 Culture in the Contemporary World (4) B EC 211 Principles of Microeconomics (4) HNGR 112 Third World Issues (2) + IR 155 Comparative Politics (4) + IR 175 International Politics (4) + PSCI 135 American Politics and Government (4) + PSCI 145 Political Philosophy (4) PSYC 101 Introduction to Psychology (4) PSYC 241 Social Psychology (counts only for psychology discipline) (4) PSYC 317 Developmental Psychology (4) SOC 115 Introduction to Sociology (4) SOC 385 Social Change (for HNGR students only) (4)
NOTES: 1) HNGR students meet Society Cluster requirements with HNGR courses plus 4 hours of history. 2) Education students refer to Education Department General Education Requirements for social science and history requirements. 3) Students may not take both PSCI and IR (noted above with a +) in fulfillment of the eight-hour social science requirement. Studies in Nature - 8 hours total To be met as follows: a) At least one 4-hour lab course plus 2 hours at *300-level to be selected from the lists below b) A minimum of 2 hours must be in biology, environmental studies, or geology, and at least 2 hours in astronomy, chemistry, or physics Any general education laboratory course is prerequisite for any 300-level course in this listing. Exceptions must be approved by the Science Coordinator. Nature Cluster general education requirements must be met by selecting from the following courses: 1. Laboratory courses - 4 hours required
2. Non-laboratory courses *ASTR 301 Planetary Astronomy (2) *ASTR 302 Stellar Astronomy (2) *BIOL 303 Contemporary Issues in Biology (2) *BIOL 314 Issues in Environmental Science (2) *BIOL 315 Special Topics for General Education: Human Genetics (2) *BIOL 319 Introduction to Environmental Ethics (2) *BIOL 381 Public Health and Nutrition (2) CHEM 203 Drugs and Society (2) CSCI 231 Introduction to Computer Science Concepts (2) (does not count for either Biology/Environmental Studies/Geology or Astronomy/Chemistry/Physics area distribution requirement, but does count toward Nature Cluster requirement) *ENVR 319 Environmental Ethics GEOL 205 Natural Disasters (2) GEOL 208 General Oceanography (2) GEOL 215 Environmental Geology in the Field (2) *GEOL 306 Earth Resources and Environment (2) *GEOL 311 Geology of National Parks (2) MATH 205 Great Ideas in Mathematics and Their Influence (2) (does not count for either Biology/Environmental Studies/Geology or Astronomy/Chemistry/Physics area distribution requirement, but does count toward Nature Cluster requirement) *PHYS 301 Origins of Science (2) *PHYS 302 Ideas of Science (2) *PHYS 303 Ideas in Quantum Mechanics (2) SCI 211 Natural Systems of the Northwoods (2) (only for students seeking teacher certification) Taught summers at HoneyRock. *SCI 301 Natural Science: Foundations, Methods, Challenges (4) (meets both area distribution requirements) *SCI 311 Theories of Origins (4) (Counts for either Biology/Environmental Studies/Geology or for Astronomy/Chemistry/Physics area distribution requirement) *Course meets 300-level science requirement. NOTES: 1) The entire Nature Cluster requirement may be completed in one 8-week summer session at the Black Hills Science Station in South Dakota (except for students certifying to teach at the elementary school level). One 4-hour course and two 2-hour courses should be taken from the following: GEOL 201, Introductory Geology in the Field (4); GEOL 215, Environmental Geology in the Field (2); BIOL 314, Environmental Science (2); ASTR 302, Stellar Astronomy (2). 2) Students certifying to teach cannot use CSCI 231 Introduction to Computer Science Concepts or MATH 205 Great Ideas of Mathematics to meet any science requirements. 3) Students who have at least twelve hours of courses (with the appropriate distribution of courses described in b. above) from among the following are exempt from the required 300-level course described above: BIOL 241, 242, CHEM 221, 222, 236, 237, ENVR 221, GEOL 201, 211, 221, PHYS 221, 222, 231, 232. Credit earned through Advanced Placement tests, or via transfer from other institutions does not apply to this general exemption. Literature and the Arts Cluster - 8 hours total To be met as follows: 4 hours of literature and 4 hours of fine arts.
1. Literature courses- 4 hours. Recommended English courses are
ENGL 101 Classics of Western Literature (4), OR ENGL 105 Modern Global Literature (4)
The requirement may also be met by other English Department literature courses (except for Children's and Adolescent Literature) or by these foreign language literature courses:
FREN 346 or 347 Masterpieces of French Literature (4) GERM 344 or 345 Masterpieces of German Literature (4) SPAN 336 Survey of Spanish Literature (4) SPAN 337 Survey of Spanish-American Literature (4)
2. Fine Arts courses- 4 hours total (2 hours art plus 2 hours music). Select from the following courses:
ART 101 Art Survey (2) OR ART 102 Issues in Art (2) MUCS 101 Intro to Music: Historical Survey (2) OR MUCS 102 Intro to Music: Interdisciplinary Emphasis (2) OR MUCS 103 Intro to Music: Twentieth Century and World Music (2) Senior Capstone Requirement - 2-4 hours total To be met as follows: Students will complete a 494 course in their major, as designated by that department. All prospective students are required to submit either ACT or SAT scores as a part of the admissions process. The writing subscores from ACT and SAT may be used to meet part of the competency requirements for writing. Students commonly use the College Board SAT Subject Tests to waive college requirements although in most cases no college credit is given for them. Tests are available in literature, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, several languages, American history, and world history. Normally, students sign up for these examinations through their high school guidance counselors. The Advanced Placement (AP) tests are given in the same areas as the SAT Subject Tests but may be used to earn college credit. They are typically taken by students after taking an AP course in high school. Courses taken as a part of the International Baccalaureate program can be used for college credit if a grade of 5 or higher was earned. More specific information concerning the scores that are needed to waive a course or receive credit is available from the Registrar or the Director of Freshman Advising at Wheaton College.
Wheaton College welcomes students who wish to transfer from another college. Most credits earned at another accredited college will transfer to Wheaton if the courses are applicable to a liberal arts program. Courses of a vocational or technical nature or courses in which a grade below C- was earned are not transferable. Courses taken at an unaccredited college may receive some credit with the approval of the Registrar. The College reserves the right to decide the acceptability and applicability of degrees and credits earned at other institutions. Grades for credits accepted for transfer courses are not included when determining a student's cumulative grade point average at Wheaton. Students who transfer from a community college can transfer a maximum of 62 semester hours of credit. Courses taken at two-year colleges may not be used to satisfy Wheaton's upper division course requirement. A maximum of 30 semester hours of credit earned by distance learning may be applied toward a degree. Such work should be taken only from well-recognized programs through accredited institutions. Students interested in taking distance learning courses should receive approval from the Registrar's Office before registering for the courses. Accepting courses for transfer and applying them toward degree requirements are separate considerations. Courses may transfer as elective credits but not be applicable to specific requirements. Transfer students are expected to meet all graduation requirements and general education requirements as listed in the appropriate sections of the catalog. Students may be requested to supply specific course information for a department in order to receive transfer credit. In some cases, students may be requested to take additional courses if the department determines that the necessary areas of study were not included. General education graduation requirements include passing a foreign language competency exam. If some foreign language has been taken at another college, students may continue that language at a level recommended by the department. Passing the final exam in an intermediate foreign language course at Wheaton will meet the competency requirement. Students who have completed one semester of intermediate language at another college must verify competency by taking Wheaton's competency exam. Transfer students who, before enrolling at Wheaton, completed at least one year at the intermediate level will be considered to have met the competency requirement. Once initial enrollment at Wheaton occurs, the competency exam must be passed even if the student takes an advanced level language course at another college. Transfer credit will not be granted for online modern language courses. Freshman and sophomore transfer students must meet the general education requirement of 14 credits in Bible as described under Biblical Content and Studies in Faith and Reason above. Junior and senior transfer students may exclude the BITH 111 course making their requirement 12 hours. Transferred courses which are equivalent to Wheaton's required Bible and Theology courses may be used to meet the requirement. Transfer students seeking Illinois teacher certification are expected to take all required 300- and 400-level education courses at Wheaton. Exceptions may be granted with departmental approval. Courses that have been taken more than eight years prior to transferring to Wheaton are subject to department approval for transfer if they are to be used to meet any general education, major, minor, or teacher education requirements. As the Internet has made electronic communication increasingly widespread, convenient, and reliable, organizations of all types have begun using the mechanisms it provides for official communication, alongside traditional paper documents. At Wheaton College two of these mechanisms are now used for official communication between campus offices and students: BannerWeb and electronic mail. BannerWeb is a component of BannerÔ, the College's administrative database system, and allows communication via the Internet between campus offices and students, including online registration for classes and communication of class schedules, grades, student account balances, and financial aid information. Data encryption and user authentication using PIN numbers provide safeguards for the personal information accessible through BannerWeb. Students are given college sponsored email accounts when they enroll at the College. Official notifications made by campus offices are increasingly made using email, rather than by paper memos sent through the campus post office. Electronic mail used for such notifications will be delivered to the student's College email account. Students are expected to read their campus email, and must use their campus email accounts in official correspondence with campus offices, to ensure proper identification. Revision Date: May 1, 2008
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