Degrees and Credentials

Graduate Degrees

Earning a graduate degree indicates a level of achievement beyond that required for earning a bachelor’s degree. An earned undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university or an equivalent degree from an accredited institution outside the United States is prerequisite for entering a program of study leading to a graduate degree. The University offers a limited number of accelerated graduate programs. Concurrent enrollment in an undergraduate degree pathway represents a corequisite for admission to some of these programs.

Doctoral Degree

Doctoral degrees are among the highest awards a student can earn for graduate study. Doctoral degrees include such degrees as the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (ODT); Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT); and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is awarded in many academic fields. A Doctoral degree indicates that the individual who has earned the degree has demonstrated mastery of a particular academic discipline, field, or profession.

The academic and professional rigor and expectations associated with a doctoral degree are among the most exacting in higher education. One type of Doctoral degree, including many PhDs, is awarded in the liberal arts and sciences for demonstrating professional-level scholarship in a subject, field, or discipline. A second type of Doctoral degree is designed to prepare graduates for licensure and for entry into clinical practice. Doctoral degrees that prepare students for entry into clinical practice include those in occupational and physical therapy.

The University offers a doctoral degree in the following disciplines or fields:

  • Business Administration (DBA)
  • Nursing Practice (DNP)
  • Marriage and Family Therapy (DMFT)
  • Occupational Therapy (ODT)
  • Physical Therapy (DPT)

Master's Degree

A master's degree is awarded for successful completion of an academic program requiring the equivalent of 1 to 2 years of full-time college-level study beyond the bachelor’s degree. One type of master’s degree, including the Master of Arts degree, or M.A., and the Master of Science degree, or M.S., is awarded in the liberal arts and sciences for proficient scholarship in a subject, field, or discipline and demonstrated ability to perform scholarly research. A second type of master’s degree is awarded for the completion of a professionally oriented program leading, in some cases, to licensure (e.g., a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a Master of Speech Language Pathology (MSLP), or a Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS).

The University offers a master’s degree in the following disciplines or fields:

  • Accounting (MACC)
  • Business Administration (MBA)
  • Education (MAEd / MSEd)
  • Exercise Physiology (MSEP)
  • Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT)
  • Nursing (MSN)
  • Organizational Leadership (MOL)
  • Pastoral Theology (MPTh)
  • Physician Associate Studies (MPAS)
  • Speech Language Pathology (MSLP)
  • Social Work (MSW)

Undergraduate Degrees & Credentials 

Bachelor’s degree

A bachelor’s degree is granted for the successful completion of a baccalaureate program of study and, typically, requires at least 4 years (or the equivalent) of full-time college-level study. Both discipline-specific and interdisciplinary degrees are built from a foundation of program mission and student learning outcomes. A discipline-based degree (e.g., a Bachelor of Arts degree in English or a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing) indicates that the individual who has earned the degree has demonstrated satisfactory mastery of foundational knowledge, skills, and dispositions associated with a specific a discipline, field, or profession. An interdisciplinary degree indicates that the individual who has earned the degree has demonstrated satisfactory knowledge, skills, and dispositions as identified by the learning outcomes of the interdisciplinary program of study. It also demonstrates that the individual has successfully completed all other requirements of the degree including core curriculum (or general education) requirements.

Bachelor's degrees at the University consist of a minimum of 120 credit hours distributed in ways specified by a student’s major. Most undergraduate degrees awarded by the University are either Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. These degrees are awarded across a range of fields. Generally, a Bachelor of Arts degree is associated with fields in the humanities, social sciences, and arts while a Bachelor of Science degree is associated with fields in math, science, and technology. Occasionally, the same field may offer both a BA and a BS degree, expressing different emphases within a particular field. In addition to BA and BS degrees, the University also offers several discipline specific degrees such as the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), the Bachelor of Music Education (BME), and the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW).

  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Business Administration
  • Bachelor of Music Education
  • Bachelor of Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering
  • Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing
  • Bachelor of Social Work

Majors

A student’s major (or majors) indicates a student’s chosen field of study (e.g., a bachelor’s degree in biology, a bachelor’s degree in marketing, or a bachelor’s degree in nursing). A major is a structured and prescribed set of classes and experiences that a student must successfully complete to earn their degree. Both discipline-based and interdisciplinary degrees are built from a foundation of program mission and student learning outcomes. A discipline-based major offers depth of study in a particular area; successful completion of that degree indicates that a student has demonstrated satisfactory mastery of foundational knowledge, skills, and dispositions associated with a specific a discipline, field, or profession. An interdisciplinary major offers both depth and breadth of study across select fields and areas of inquiry; successful completion of an interdisciplinary degree indicates that a student has demonstrated satisfactory mastery of knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified by the program as learning outcomes.

Majors vary widely with respect to the number of credit hours required to complete a major. Some students wishing to complete their degree in four years of full-time study may need to begin their major program of study in their first year of enrollment if they wish to complete their degree in four years. Other majors may be completed in shorter time periods. All bachelor's degrees at the University require a minimum of 120 credit hours (distributed in a manner specified by the student’s major).

Multiple Majors

Students may elect to major in more than one field, discipline, or interdisciplinary area. Depending on the majors selected, this may impact their time to completion. When declaring more than one major, the student must identify one major as their primary major with the Office of the Registrar. This major determines the college within which the student is matriculating and the degree that will be conferred when all graduation requirements for the primary major have been met. A student pursuing more than one major receives a transcript identifying their majors.

Students pursuing more than one major must:

  • Meet all admission and retention requirements for each of the declared majors.
  • Meet all graduation requirements for each major.
  • Ensure there are at least fifteen credits of unique, non-overlapping coursework in each major.

Students pursuing a double major may not:

  • Pursue more than one degree option (e.g., BA vs. BS, BA vs. BBA) in the same discipline.
  • Pursue more than two majors concurrently without permission from the Registrar.

Transcript-Recognized Undergraduate Minors

Transcript-recognized undergraduate minors are optional, organized programs of study requiring the successful completion of fifteen (15) to twenty-four (24) prescribed credit hours in a particular discipline or disciplines. Transcript-recognized minors may only be completed in conjunction with an undergraduate degree at the University. A minor within a particular discipline has less depth than a major but provides students with a foundational understanding of a particular discipline or field. An interdisciplinary minor, by contrast, explores particular topics, themes, skills, and/or ideas (or combinations thereof) across multiple disciplines. A minor complements a student’s major and must be taken in a field other than the field in which a student is majoring.

At least nine credit hours applied toward a minor must be distinct from those used to fulfill the requirements of the student’s major. Exceptions to this rule may be granted by the joint approval of the Chief Academic Officer and the appropriate College Dean based on a sound and compelling academic and/or professional rationale. Courses in the minor may fulfill other degree requirements (e.g., electives or a core curriculum requirement). The program of study for a single minor may include a maximum of one core curriculum course. Transcript recognition is awarded when the student completes their undergraduate degree. Minors will not be added retroactively to a student's record after the major degree is conferred. A minimum grade point of 2.0 average is required for a minor.

Transcript-Recognized Concentrations

A transcript-recognized concentration is a specialized and structured course of study within a student’s major. Concentrations can range from twelve (12) to twenty-eight (28) credit hours of prescribed coursework. Transcript recognized concentrations may only be completed in conjunction with an undergraduate degree at the University. Transcript recognition is awarded when the student completes their undergraduate degree.

Transcript-Recognized Certificates

Transcript-recognized certificates are focused on courses of study ranging from nine (9) to twelve (12) credit hours. In contrast to minors, which are slightly larger, focus more on content, and generally include some level of student choice in the courses selected for completion, transcript-recognized certificates are outcomes-focused, concentrated programs designed to build skills, impart foundational knowledge in a given area, or explore a complex issue or theme.

Transcript-recognized certificates may only be completed by degree-seeking undergraduate students at the University. Transcript recognition is awarded at the time of the completion of the student’s undergraduate degree and cannot be added retroactively after a degree is conferred. Completion of a certificate requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in the set of courses making up the certificate. 

Only one core curriculum course may count toward the required courses of an individual certificate.

Non-Transcript Recognized Credentials

The University offers non-transcript recognized credentials (e.g., certificates and micro credentials) that focus on acquiring specialty skills or competencies designed to lead to employment, post-employment credentialing, sustained employment, advancement, or promotion in a recognized occupation. Students need not be enrolled as degree-seeking students to pursue a non-transcript recognized certificate. These certificates are awarded upon completion. They may, or may not be, credit-bearing.