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Graduation Requirements

These graduation requirements are effective for students entering between Fall 2005 and Spring 2012.

Graduation requirements and special academic programs at DePauw University lead to the Bachelor of Arts degree and three degrees in the School of Music: Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Musical Arts and Bachelor of Music Education. The curricula are developed through departmental and interdisciplinary programs in the Asbury College of Liberal Arts and in the School of Music.

Normally, students are subject to the graduation requirements that are in effect when they first enroll at DePauw. If graduation requirements are subsequently changed, students have the option of graduating under the new requirements. Students who require more than four and one-half courses to complete their degree and interrupt their studies for more than a total of five years must meet the graduation requirements currently in effect when they graduate. Coursework more than 10 years old will be reviewed by the appropriate department to determine whether it is still applicable toward the degree or needs additional work to bring it up-to-date.

Graduation Rate

DePauw graduates 80 percent of first-time degree students in four years. An additional 3-4 percent will graduate within 6 years of enrolling at DePauw.

Academic Expectations

DePauw has considerably different academic expectations than those of high school, and it is important that students adjust to these new expectations early in their college careers.

1. College is not the end of the educational process but a foundation for a lifetime of continued learning and growth. Therefore, two of the central goals of college are to help students develop a sense of responsibility for their own learning and the ability to learn on their own.

2. Accordingly, college students spend much less time in class than they did in high school; but are correspondingly expected to do much more work outside of class than they did in high school.

3. Full-time students should plan to spend between 40 and 50 hours a week (or more) on their academic work, the equivalent of a full-time job.

4. Students are responsible for learning a great deal of the material on their own outside of the classroom.

5. Students should expect that course material will be covered at a much more rapid pace than they have experienced before. This expectation is partially based on the assumption that students are preparing carefully for class so that more material can be covered in class.

6. Students are expected to come to class prepared and ready to participate actively in the class session. They are expected to have read the texts and used other required materials carefully and comprehensively before the class session.

General Policies for all Undergraduate Degree Programs

The policies and requirements below apply to all students earning a bachelor's degree at DePauw. Although faculty advisors and others assist in academic planning, students are responsible for planning their programs and meeting all requirements for graduation.

  • Thirty-one courses are required for students earning Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music (B.M.) and Bachelor of Musical Arts (B.M.A.) degrees. The Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) degree requires at least 33 courses. Required ensemble credit is above the 31 or 33 credits for Music degrees.
  • Each student must complete a major and achieve a 2.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in that major and satisfy the senior major requirement. See Majors, for more information.
  • Fifteen courses, including six of the last eight courses leading to a bachelor's degree, must be completed in residence at DePauw or in a DePauw University-approved program.
  • Students must attain a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Students in the B.M.E. program need a minimum 2.5 GPA.
  • All first time degree students must enroll in a first-year seminar.
  • Students must complete distribution requirements appropriate to their degree objective. Satisfactory performance in proficiency examinations may count toward meeting distribution requirements.
  • Students in the College of Liberal Arts must demonstrate competence in writing (W), quantitative reasoning (Q) and oral communication skills (S). Students in the School of Music B.M., B.M.A., and B.M.E. degree programs complete W and S certification.
  • Students must complete three Winter Term projects with satisfactory grades.

Transfer students must earn a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for all courses taken at DePauw and meet the requirements of the class with which they expect to graduate.

Maximum Limits

A maximum of one course credit of physical education (PE) activities is applicable toward the bachelor's degree and Group 6 (in the 2005 distribution requirements). Students in the College of Liberal Arts (including music majors) may apply up to four course credits of participatory courses in music toward the 31 course credits required for graduation. Participatory courses include applied music lessons (MUS BAS-VOC), applied music classes (MUS 901-908), dance classes (MUS 171-179), and ensembles (MUS 271-289). A maximum of four course credits in ROTC may be applied toward an undergraduate degree at DePauw.

Students may take up to three Pass/Fail courses, excluding physical education activities and English 120. Pass/Fail, for additional information. A maximum of three internship course credits and five internship experiences (including Winter Terms) may be applied toward the bachelor's degrees.

Grade Requirement

The minimum cumulative GPA required for graduation is 2.0 for all courses in which a final grade has been recorded. See Repetition of a Course, for details about how repeated courses affect the GPA. Transfer students also must earn a cumulative 2.0 average for all courses taken at DePauw. Courses taken elsewhere do not affect the grade average at DePauw. The Bachelor of Music Education program requires a 2.5 GPA.

Residence Requirement

Fifteen courses applicable toward the degree, including six of the last eight, must be completed in residence at DePauw University or in a DePauw University-approved program. Second semester seniors are not, however, eligible to participate in off-campus or internship programs.

Explanation of Graduation Requirements

First-Year Seminar

First-Year Seminars introduce students to college work and prepare students for the courses they will take later at DePauw. They are offered as full credit courses to first-year students in the fall term. While First-Year Seminars differ from one another in topic and in the kind of assignments they ask students to complete, they are similar in the following ways. Each seminar:

  • creates a sense of intellectual community for the students and faculty member involved;
  • uses discussion as the primary basis for classroom learning;
  • emphasizes critical thinking and critical reading;
  • encourages the academic growth and development of individual students; and
  • uses a variety of writing, research, or problem-solving assignments designed to give students skills and modes of analysis that will serve them well in their other courses at DePauw.

Students will not be required to repeat the seminar. Students may withdraw from the First-Year Seminar only under exceptional circumstances with the permission of the Petitions Committee. Matriculated students entering in the spring semester and transfer students do not take First-Year Seminars.

The Senior Capstone Experience

In their first and second years at DePauw students experience multiple modes of inquiry, cultivate rhetorical, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and explore the different realms of human knowledge. Subsequent off-campus experiences (Winter Term, off-campus study, internships) help students develop intellectual and personal maturity, as well as a spirit of independent inquiry. The increasingly complex courses within the major field of study during their first three years provide students with a deep knowledge of a particular area and an understanding of its fundamental questions and methodologies.  The senior year at DePauw University represents the culmination of students’ curricular experience. Seniors use this time to draw together and synthesize these various threads of study and experience through a variety of intellectual activities: senior seminars, comprehensive exams, theses, projects, performances and/or exhibitions.  Satisfactory completion of a senior capstone is required to complete a major at DePauw. Departments, schools, and programs are responsible for determining that each student in the major is sufficiently prepared in the field as a whole, and for certifying that the student has satisfied the senior capstone requirement.  Departments, schools, and programs must notify students of their senior capstone requirements by the seventh week of the first semester each year. 

In the senior capstone experience, students intentionally integrate, interpret, and create knowledge in their chosen fields through scholarly or artistic exploration and expression.  This is both the challenge and the reward of their four years spent in the intellectual life of the University. Capstone experiences also prepare students for the intellectual, ethical, interpersonal, and professional challenges that lie ahead after graduation, whether or not they go on to formal graduate study. Academic disciplines vary, so each department, school, and program has designed its own senior capstone requirements.  These are described in detail in this catalog under the requirements for each department, school, or program, and on the department, school, or program website.  

A number of departments, schools, and programs offer students a senior seminar that provides a summative experience of the discipline. Some senior seminars focus on particular topics or themes. Senior seminars often require completion of a substantive piece of original work.

A department, school, or program may require students to complete a senior thesis or project over the course of one or both semesters of their senior year. Some departments, schools, and programs provide an option for students who have completed the core senior requirement to pursue additional independent work. All seniors with appropriate academic credentials, as determined by each department, school, or program, may apply for the opportunity to conduct a departmental or interdisciplinary capstone project or thesis by contacting a faculty member of their choice.

Departments, schools, or programs may require examinations that serve as a comprehensive review and synthesis of crucial material in the discipline as a component of the senior capstone.  Satisfactory performance on these exams is required to earn a major. Students who do not perform satisfactorily on a comprehensive examination the first time have the right to be reexamined once. Students must pass the comprehensive examination within one academic year after the first commencement date following the initial examination. At the discretion of the department, school, or program, a student may take a maximum of two re-examinations.

Senior Capstone Celebration

DePauw University is proud of the work done by our senior students.  To express this pride, and to recognize student work, the university sets aside time in the Spring semester for campus-wide celebration of senior accomplishments.  The university encourages departments, schools, and programs to highlight or display the work of all successful senior capstone students in ways that are most appropriate for the discipline (e.g., public poster presentations, performances, exhibitions, readings, etc.).  In addition, the university publicly honors the best senior work in various ways such as a special awards ceremony, a senior honors booklet, and/or on the university website.

Competence Requirements

Competence requirements represent a University-wide commitment to the basic areas essential to a liberal arts education:

  • expository writing
  • quantitative reasoning
  • oral communication

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree must earn certification in all three competencies. Students pursing the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Arts, or Bachelor of Music Education must earn certification in the Writing and Oral Communication competencies. Students must demonstrate their competence in these areas by satisfactorily completing courses that integrate these skills with academic subjects. Competence course offerings may not be taken Pass/Fail unless the student has previously established competency and has the permission of the instructor.

Writing

All English composition courses begin with critical thinking. Their aim is to teach college level thinking through college level writing. Courses are designed to position students for academic success.

The writing program at DePauw has a range of levels to meet students' needs. Students are placed into the writing program based on a variety of factors: standardized test scores (SATV and ACTE), Advanced Placement in Writing (AP) score, writing samples, portfolios of previous college-level writings, transfer credit and college professors' recommendations. They may be placed into College Writing I, College Writing II, Writing Seminar for Non-Native Speakers of English I or II, or a W course. W courses may not be taken on a Pass/Fail basis, and certification of writing competence is separate from the grade earned in the course.

Writing Seminar for Non-Native Speakers of English I and II (ENG 110 and ENG 115) are offered as prerequisites to College Writing II (ENG 130) for students whose first language is not English. English courses for non-native speakers of English are aimed at strengthening existing language skills and developing new skills necessary for academic success. Placement in the appropriate English courses is made based on three criteria: 1) English language assessments administered on campus during orientation, 2) recommendation from the English language coordinator, and 3)confirmation by appointed faculty representing the English department (department chair, W Center director, etc.). Successful completion in each course is required to advance to a higher level course.

College Writing I (ENG 120) stresses the development of writing skills fundamental for expressing ideas, imagination and opinion. By means of short essay assignments, some of which may be reflections on their own experience, students will build fluency in written expression, clarity of style and proficiency in the use of language. ENG 120 is offered on a Pass/Fail basis.

College Writing II (ENG 130) refines and builds writing skills. It stresses the development of critical thinking skills, logical development of ideas and a coherent and readable style. In the course, students base their writing on both personal experience and the critical reading and viewing of materials from a variety of disciplines.

Students are expected to complete ENG 110, 115, 120 or 130 in the semester assigned. They may withdraw from these courses only under exceptional circumstances, such as extended illness, with the permission of the Petitions Committee.

In addition to the writing courses, students must fulfill the University's expository requirement in W courses taught by faculty members representing most departments throughout the University.

A student is eligible to elect a W course either through placement or after earning the grade of C- or better in College Writing II (ENG 130). Several W courses are offered each semester, have limited enrollments and carry one course credit each.

They combine an emphasis on academic content with practice in writing. Such courses encourage:

  • the logical development of argument, clear and precise diction and a coherent prose style;
  • the development of general skills of expository writing as they apply in the academic disciplines; and
  • the responsible, appropriate and effective use of sources and special or technical language.

Students must achieve W certification by the end of their sophomore year. (Music degree students have until the second semester of their junior year.) If certification is not attained before the second semester of the sophomore year, students must complete a W course each succeeding semester until they achieve certification.

In a few exceptional cases, students may fulfill the W requirement through a portfolio of college-level writings. To request this exception, students must:

  • be eligible to take a W course;
  • submit an application (and learning contract, if certification is to be based on anticipated work) to the Writing Placement Coordinator with a copy to the Office of Academic Affairs by the eighth week of the first semester of their sophomore year, or, in the case of those who transfer after that, by the eighth week of their first semester at DePauw; and
  • submit a portfolio of their own college-level writing, done either at DePauw or at another college or university, in courses that provide attention to the writing process similar to that found in W courses at DePauw.

The portfolio must contain both out-of-class and in-class writing (essay examinations, for example). There must be a minimum total of 16 pages (at least 4,000 words) in the portfolio. The quality of the writing in the portfolio must correspond to the quality of writing of those who have completed W courses at DePauw, according to the judgment of the Writing Placement Coordinator and at least one other W-certified instructor. The Writing Placement Coordinator will notify the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Academic Affairs of the outcome and report this action to the Writing Program Coordinating Committee.

Quantitative Reasoning

Courses designated as fulfilling the quantitative reasoning (Q) competency requirement encourage:

  • understanding quantitative concepts, representational formats and methodologies of a particular discipline;
  • evaluating quantitative evidence and arguments;
  • making decisions based upon quantitative information; and
  • learning through problem-solving, laboratory experiments and projects.

Students must achieve Q certification by the end of their junior year. If students do not achieve certification by the end of the first semester of the junior year, they must complete a Q course each succeeding semester until certification is achieved. Q courses are offered in several academic subjects each semester, subject to approval by the Q committee, and normally carry one course credit each. They emphasize both quantitative reasoning and mastery of course content.

Based on standardized test scores and other evidence of preparation, incoming students may be invited to take Introduction to Quantitative Reasoning (UNIV 101) as preparation for a Q course. UNIV 101 reviews and develops quantitative reasoning skills through problem-solving and the application of mathematical concepts (such as measurement, geometry, statistics and algebra) in various contexts.

Under unusual circumstances, students may receive Q certification in a non-Q course taken at DePauw that includes substantial quantitative work when the following criteria are met:

  • the course meets the guidelines for a Q course;
  • the student is eligible to take a Q course upon entering DePauw;
  • the instructor is Q-certified;
  • the student's application and learning contract (available in the Office of Academic Affairs) are approved by the instructor and the Office of Academic Affairs prior to the beginning of the course; and
  • the instructor examines the student's work in consultation with another Q-certified instructor and notifies the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Academic Affairs of the outcome.

Oral Communication

Effective expression in speech as well as writing has been perennially at the core of liberal education. The competent expression, exchange and examination of facts and ideas remain vital to the educational process itself. It is also essential for service and achievement in professional, civic and personal life.

In order to graduate, a student must demonstrate such competence in an S course or in a designated alternative. S courses are offered in several departments, at the 300-400 level, and have common entry and exit standards.

Under unusual circumstances, students may receive S certification outside of an S course, while enrolled at DePauw, when the following criteria are met:

  • the course meets the guidelines for an S course, or the activity is equivalent to college-level work with the complexity of ideas worthy of at least a 300-level course;
  • the instructor or supervisor of the activity is S-certified;
  • the student's application and learning contract (available in the Office of Academic Affairs) are approved by the faculty member and the Office of Academic Affairs prior to the beginning of the course or activity;
  • the activity must be a sustained one, usually over a full semester or Winter Term;
  • arrangements are made prior to the senior year;
  • the activity is initiated by the first semester of the senior year; it may extend into the second semester, but may not be initiated then; and
  • the faculty member notifies the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Academic Affairs of the outcome.

 

Winter Term

Every DePauw student must complete three Winter Term projects with a satisfactory grade. (Winter Term projects are graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.) Only one of the three required Winter Term projects may be satisfied by participation in a semester off-campus study program or Fellows internship. Students opting to fulfill one of their Winter Term credits in this way will not receive additional credit if they participate in a Winter Term project during January of the same academic year.

One Winter Term project is considered full time, and students may be enrolled in only one project per January session. DePauw Winter Term projects do not receive regular units of academic credit and do not meet distribution requirements for graduation or requirements toward a major. Students are expected to be aware of and follow all appropriate procedures and deadlines, which may be found on the Winter Term web site [www.depauw.edu/admin/winterterm].

Students who receive incomplete (I) grades in a Winter Term project must complete the project by the end of the following semester or the grade will automatically convert to an unsatisfactory (U). Students who have a deficient number of Winter Terms may petition to the director of Winter Term to make up a project during the summer. Graduating seniors who receive an unsatisfactory Winter Term grade during the senior year may petition to make up the project during the final spring semester if appropriate arrangements can be made. Tuition is charged to enroll in a make-up Winter Term project.

Transfer students receive credit for one Winter Term project for every full year of full-time study at another institution.

 

Distribution Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree

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Fall 2010

These requirements are effective starting with the Fall 2010 entering class. Students who entered DePauw between Fall 2006 and Spring 2010 may complete these requirements or the requirements effective in Fall 2005 (see below).

Liberally educated students connect disciplines and approaches, integrate learning, consider the ethical values and problems inherent in the acquisition and interpretation of knowledge, and develop skills to communicate clearly the results of their investigations. With these purposes in mind, students explore different modes of inquiry, content areas, and languages early in their college career, becoming aware of their intellectual opportunities and better informed to choose meaningful paths for their lives.

To build a foundation for a liberal arts education at DePauw University, students complete two course credits in each of three distinct areas of study and attain second-semester ability in a language other than English. Each of the six course credits used to complete the Arts and Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Science distribution requirements must be from different course listing areas to ensure that students explore a broad spectrum of the liberal arts and are introduced to the ways these areas study and describe the world.

Arts and Humanities

Two course credits in the arts and humanities. These courses explore fundamental questions of experience, belief, and expression. Through critical observation, textual analysis, and creative engagement, they consider the realms recalled or imagined in the arts, history, literature, philosophy, and religion.

Science and Mathematics

Two course credits in the behavioral, computational, mathematical, and natural sciences. These courses explore the physical, mechanical, and quantitative working of numbers, matter, and life. Through observation, experimentation, and scientific and mathematical reasoning, they seek to comprehend the world and model its operations.

Social Science

Two course credits in the social sciences. These courses explore cultural, economic, political, and social questions. Through observational, comparative, and analytic methods, they seek to understand human identities and interactions at the personal, local, and global levels.

Language Requirement

Students attain second-semester ability in a language other than English. In these courses students practice effective and appreciative communication within another language and across cultures. Students also may satisfy this requirement through a proficiency/ placement examination or participation in an off-campus study program in a non-English-speaking country and enrolling in a minimum of two courses, including a language course and a course related to the program’s location. Students whose first language is not English may be certified as meeting this requirement through the Office of the Registrar.

Courses that meet the distribution requirements are listed both in Majors and Minors and in the Schedule of Classes each semester, with the abbreviation of the area of study following the course title.

Policies for Distribution Requirements—Fall 2010

  • Working closely with their academic advisors, students should complete these requirements within the first two years. If the requirements in Arts and Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Science have not been completed by the end of sophomore year, students must enroll in at least one eligible course in each succeeding semester until they complete the requirements.
  • Each of the six course credits used to complete the Arts and Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Science distribution requirements must from different course listing areas. The course listing area is denoted by the text code that precedes the course number in the schedule of classes and on the transcript.
  • No course may satisfy more than one distribution requirement.
  • Courses used to fulfill distribution requirements may not be taken on a Pass/Fail basis.
  • Course credit used to fulfill the distribution requirements in Arts and Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Science must be earned through courses offered at DePauw. Advanced placement and transfer credit does not apply to completing distribution requirements.
  • Individual departments, programs, and the School of Music, with the guidance and approval of the Committee on the Management of Academic Operations (MAO), determine which of their courses meet distribution requirements.

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Fall 2005

These requirements became effective with the Fall 2005 entering class. Students who entered DePauw between Fall 2006 and Spring 2010 and are continuing Fall 2010 may complete these requirements or the requirements effective in Fall 2010 (see above).

Students accomplish broad-based study by taking courses distributed over the following six areas:

  • natural science and mathematics
  • social and behavioral sciences
  • literature and the arts
  • historical and philosophical understanding
  • foreign language
  • self-expression through performance and participation

Courses that meet the distribution requirements are listed in the Schedule of Classes each semester and after the course title and credit in the catalog. These courses introduce students to sound ways of reasoning as well as specific fields of inquiry and often usefully guide students in their choice of a major.

Courses which meet group distribution requirements list the group number following the course title in Courses Section.

Group 1. Natural Sciences and Mathematics: two courses, one of which must be a laboratory science course. These courses shall consider ways in which humans attain knowledge of the natural world.

Group 2. Social and Behavioral Sciences: two courses. These courses consider ways in which we attain knowledge of the human world and the problems of ethical values that arise in or because of such knowledge.

Group 3. Literature and the Arts: two courses, one of which must be a literature course or an interdisciplinary course with a literary component. These courses consider the ways in which artists interpret the world and the problems of ethical values that arise in or because of such interpretations.

Group 4. Historical and Philosophical Understanding: two courses. These courses attend to the historical or philosophical study of classical writings from periods or movements. They also consider ways in which historical or philosophical understanding is attained and the problems of ethical values that arise in or because of such understanding.

Group 5. Foreign Language: one course at the second-semester proficiency level or participation in an overseas program in a non-English speaking country and enrolling in a minimum of two courses of different disciplines related to the location of the program.

Students whose first language is not English may be certified as meeting Group 5 through the Office of the Registrar.

Group 6. Self-Expression: one and one-half courses or the equivalent. All methods of fulfilling the Group 6 requirement must include actual participation as a major part of the course or activity. Students must complete at least one-half course in physical education (PE) activities courses. Only 1.00 course credit of PE is applicable toward the bachelor's degree and Group 6. In addition to studio art, PE activity classes and some courses in the departments of Communication and Theatre and English, Group 6 may be partially fulfilled in the following ways:

Music: Participatory courses in music include applied music lessons (MUS BAS-VOC), applied music classes (MUS 901-908), dance classes (MUS 171-179), and ensembles (MUS 271-289).

Co-curricular participation: The equivalent of one-fourth course may be earned in any semester through non-credit participation in DePauw Theatre, forensic team, Eye on the World, Midwestern Review, Mirage, The Cauldron, The DePauw, student TV or WGRE-FM faculty-directed activities. Editors of The DePauw earn the equivalent of one-half activity credit per semester. No academic credit is awarded toward the 31 courses required for graduation.

Varsity Athletic Participation: The equivalent of one-fourth course PE credit may be earned in any semester through participation in a season of a varsity sport. No academic credit is awarded toward the 31 courses required for graduation. (This policy was passed by a vote of the faculty on Feb. 4, 2008, and goes into effect in Fall 2008.)

Additional Policies for Distribution Requirements (Fall 2005)

  • No course may satisfy more than one distribution requirement, and no more than two courses from any department may be used to fulfill the requirements of Groups 1 through 4.
  • With the exception of physical education activity courses, courses used to fulfill distribution requirements may not be taken on a Pass/Fail basis.
  • Students may satisfy graduation requirements by satisfactory performance in proficiency examinations.
  • Credit earned for AP courses generally does not fulfill distribution requirements, but there are some exceptions. Check the current AP credit policy at http://www.depauw.edu/admin/registrar/ap.asp.
  • A student may receive up to two course credits toward the distribution requirements by participation in a DePauw-approved Off-Campus Program. No more than one course may be counted in any group. Approval of these courses is granted by the Registrar.

Summary of Minimum Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree

  • A minimum of 31 courses
  • One major subject that includes satisfactory completion of a seminar, project, thesis or departmental comprehensive examination
  • At least a 2.0 GPA in the major subject
  • First-Year Seminar for beginning students
  • Nineteen courses outside the major subject (16 courses outside the subjects in interdisciplinary majors)
  • At least a 2.0 cumulative GPA
  • Writing competence
  • Quantitative reasoning competence
  • Oral communication competence
  • Satisfactory completion of distribution requirements
  • Three Winter Term projects
  • Not more than three Pass/Fail registrations (excluding physical education activities courses and ENG 120)
  • A maximum of three internship course credits and five internship experiences (including Winter Terms)
  • Fifteen courses, including six of the last eight courses leading to a bachelor's degree, must be completed in residence at DePauw or in a DePauw University-approved program.

Minimum Requirements for the Three Degrees in the School of Music

See School of Music, for minimum degree requirements for the Bachelor of Music Degree, the Bachelor of Musical Arts Degree and the Bachelor of Music Education Degree.