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ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
In each term, day classes meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays or on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Evening classes meet on Mondays and Wednesdays or on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Term courses are equivalent in credit hours to those offered on a semester plan. SUMMER SESSIONS Mercyhurst operates one 3 week pre-summer session, one 6 1/2-week session and one 9-week session (weekend classes). A normal load for students during the summer is two courses (or a 6-credit internship). Courses in many disciplines are scheduled as day and evening classes on weekdays and Sundays. The schedule of summer courses is available mid-March. A complete listing may be accessed at the website www.mercyhurst.edu. Preregistration for summer courses is conducted after the schedule is published. It continues through the Spring Term. Room and board accommodations are available during the summer sessions.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Students earn semester credits at Mercyhurst. The graduation requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degree are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
That a minimum of 120 credits be successfully completed. That at least 30 credits be taken in the major program unless the program has been exempted from this regulation. That all of the courses in the Common Core and Distribution Core be successfully completed. Students are personally responsible for ensuring that they meet these requirements. If a student has a question about any one of the courses, the question should be referred to the Registrar or the Office of Academic Affairs. That a cumulative grade point average of at least C (2.0 GPA) or higher be earned as specified by program requirements. That all requirements in the major department be successfully met. This includes the required cumulative GPA, the required courses, theses, practicums, etc. That at least 45 credits be completed at Mercyhurst. This includes at least half the total credits in the major program. That at least 24 credits of the last 30 be completed under the auspices of Mercyhurst College. Credits with a course number 098 and 099 DO NOT count toward graduation. Only six credits offered by the Department of Military Science (ROTC) count toward graduation.
The graduation requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
That a minimum of 141 credits be completed. That a cumulative overall average of at least C (2.0 GPA) be earned for the Bachelor of Music in Performance degree and a cumulative average of at least B (3.0) be earned for the Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree. That a cumulative average of at least C+ (2.5 GPA) be earned in the major area of concentration for both Performance and Music Education degrees. That all requirements in the area of concentration be completed, including the required courses, recitals, language proficiencies, etc. That at least 25 credits of the last 35 be completed under the auspices of Mercyhurst College. That candidates for the Bachelor of Music degree and the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music must fulfill the recital attendance requirements. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in delay of graduation.
The graduation requirements for the Associate of Science and Associate of Arts degrees are: 1. 2. 3.
That a minimum of 60 credits be successfully completed (exclusive of lab credits). That a student take at least 15 credits outside the departmental area. That a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 be earned as specified in program requirements.
4. 5. 6.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
That all requirements of the program be successfully completed. This includes the required cumulative average, the required courses, internships, etc. That at least half the total credits in the program be completed at Mercyhurst College. That the Associate Degree cannot be designated retroactively after a Bachelor’s Degree has been earned.
DEGREE COMPLETION TIME FRAMES Degree requirements must be completed within 10 years of the date from which the student first matriculated at Mercyhurst. Earned credits over ten years old will only apply to a degree if the grade for that credit is C (2.0) or better and when accepted as applicable by the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Non-traditional (Adult Students) should consult with the Catherine McAuley Adult Education Center about the applicability of prior learning and/or credit for work that would be affected by the ten year rule. APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION Students must complete a minimum of 120 creditss to meet the graduation requirements of Mercyhurst College. Application to the Registrar for graduation must be made before February 1st of the senior year. Application forms must carry the signature of the department chair indicating which major requirements should be successfully completed before the end of spring term. Students who do not complete their program before the end of spring term, but who could do so by the end of the Fall Term following the graduation ceremony in May by taking no more than six credits, may participate in the graduation ceremonies. They will not receive a signed diploma. Students who have completed their program except for student teaching may also participate in the graduation ceremonies. Any change in a student’s graduation status must be reported to the Registrar’s Office by April 15th.
STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY
It is the responsibility of each student to know both the College-wide graduation requirements as well as those in their chosen major, and to meet all requirements satisfactorily for graduation. Students have the assistance of numerous College personnel to help them understand these requirements. The academic advisor, the Department Chairperson, the School Dean, the Office for Academic Affairs, and the Registrar’s Office are all available to answer questions about these requirements. It is the responsibility of each student to use their program evaluation on WebAdvisor to determine what courses they need to take.
CORE CURRICULUM
Starting in the fall of 1997, all entering students must complete the Core Curriculum. In the case of students returning to college after an interruption of study, these students also must complete this Core Curriculum. RATIONALE The Core Curriculum is a comprehensive program of liberal studies whose source is the mission and history of Mercyhurst College. The Mercyhurst Core Curriculum establishes the primary academic experience and learning foundation for all Mercyhurst College students. Its component parts are organized into a framework which offers each student the opportunity to become familiar with the intellectual, ethical and spiritual ideals of the College and to adopt them as his or her own. The Mercyhurst College Core Curriculum is a coordinated curriculum, not a collection of unrelated courses. Its purpose is less the teaching of facts than the teaching of ways to think and ways to learn. “The Common Core: Modes of Inquiry and Methods of Interpretation” promotes the transmission of knowledge as well as the acquisition of cognitive skills. Since the cultivating of academic expertise is not the exclusive province of a single discipline, the Core Curriculum assists the student in gaining these skills gradually throughout the curriculum. Written, oral and informational proficiencies attained in the early stages of the learning process are expanded during their application across the curriculum, both in the student’s major field of study and in the options available in “The Distribution Core: A Range of Disciplines and a Concern for Values.”
2010-2011 Mercyhurst College Course Catalog • www.mercyhurst.edu