Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science
- Complete a minimum of 120 credit hours with a minimum of 45 credit hours chosen from junior- and senior-level courses.
- Complete FILA general education requirements. (Students completing a transfer-oriented associate degree prior to transfer will be exempt from all FILA general education requirements except FILA-350EW and FILA-450.)
- Complete course requirements for the major.
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in courses required for the major.
- Complete a minimum of 33 credit hours with 30 of the last 33 credit hours of academic work in residence at Bridgewater College or at a College-approved study abroad program. In addition, complete at least 9 credit hours of the major at Bridgewater College.
It is the responsibility of the student to enroll in the appropriate courses to meet degree requirements.
Requirements in the Major Field
A departmental major consists of not less than 32 credit hours and not more than 54 credit hours, with no more than 48 credit hours within a specific academic discipline. Prerequisite and supporting courses are included in this total, with the exception of prerequisite courses to entry-level courses in the major. At least 9 credit hours of the major must be completed at Bridgewater.
During the sophomore year, a program of courses in the major department and related courses that make up the Plan of Major is developed for each student by the student and his or her academic advisor for the major. A copy of this plan must be approved by the registrar and filed in the office of the registrar. Any changes in the proposed plan of the major must likewise have the approval of both the student's advisor for the major and the registrar and be recorded in the office of the registrar.
Each student must earn at least a 2.0 grade point average in courses constituting the major. Suitable majors from which the student may choose are listed in this academic catalog.
Each student will designate a primary major in order to determine the degree received and establish a single primary academic advisor. A student who wishes to achieve a major in two fields must recognize the possibility that more than four academic years may be required to complete such a program. A student who pursues two major fields must complete the requirements for both programs. No more than two major fields will be denoted on a student's permanent academic record.
Requirements for an Emphasis within a Major Field
An emphasis within a major field is a curricular design that offers a student the option to consolidate electives within a major or from uncommitted electives that are a normal part of the undergraduate program, to gain additional depth in the chosen major field of study.
An emphasis consists of at least 18 but no more than 24 credit hours. In order to be eligible for admission to an emphasis program, a student must have declared the major upon which the emphasis is built. Other requirements, such as enrollment in a specific degree program, may also apply. All courses will be taken from a list of courses approved for the program by the department sponsoring the emphasis and the academic advisor for the major. A limited number of courses, specified and designated by the department, may count for both the major requirements and the emphasis requirements and will be denoted on the Plan of Major.
In order to obtain recognition for the emphasis, the student must achieve a grade point average of 2.0 or above for the courses in the program.
The satisfactory completion of an emphasis within a major field will be noted on the student's official grade transcript. No more than two emphases will be denoted on a student's permanent academic record.
Requirements for a Minor
A departmental minor consists of not less than 18 credit hours and not more than 32 credit hours, with no more than 27 credit hours within a specific academic discipline. Prerequisite and supporting courses are included in this total, with the exception of prerequisite courses to entry-level courses in the minor. At least 6 credit hours of the minor must be completed at Bridgewater.
A program of courses comprising the Plan of Minor is developed by the student, his or her academic advisor for the major, and his or her academic advisor for the minor. A copy of this program must be approved by the registrar and filed in the office of the registrar. Any changes in the proposed Plan of Minor must likewise have the approval of the student's academic advisor for the major, academic advisor for the minor, and the registrar and must be recorded in the office of the registrar.
A student may not complete a minor in the same discipline as his or her major, though minors in related disciplines or topic areas within disciplines (even when housed in the same academic department) are permissible.
To complete the requirements of the minor, a student must earn at least a 2.0 grade point average in the credits that make up the minor. The satisfactory completion of a minor field of study will be denoted on the student's official grade transcript. No more than two minors will be denoted on a student's permanent academic record.
Students may elect any of the minors listed in this academic catalog.
Requirements for an Academic Concentration
A concentration is a curricular design that offers a student the opportunity to gain additional depth within a specific content area, whether that content area is within or outside the student's major (or minor) program of study.
A concentration consists of at least 9 but no more than 18 credit hours. All courses will be taken from a list of courses approved for the program by the department (or departments) sponsoring the concentration. A Plan of Concentration is developed by the student, his or her academic advisor for the major, and his or her academic advisor for the concentration. A copy of this plan must be approved by the registrar and filed in the office of the registrar. Any changes in the proposed Plan of Concentration must likewise have the approval of the student's academic advisor for the major, academic advisor for the concentration, and the registrar, and must be recorded in the office of the registrar.
A student may not complete a concentration in the same discipline as his or her major or minor (including a specific track within a particular major or minor), though concentrations in related disciplines or topic areas within disciplines (even when housed in the same academic department) are permissible.
In order to obtain recognition for the concentration, the student must achieve a grade point average of 2.0 or above for the courses that make up the concentration. The satisfactory completion of a concentration will be noted on the student's official grade transcript. No more than two concentrations will be denoted on a student's permanent academic record.
Students may elect any of the concentrations listed in this academic catalog.
Elective Courses
Elective courses should be selected with care to fulfill needs to enter graduate school, for licensure to teach or for other special purposes. Students interested in teaching in the public schools should read the requirements for teacher licensure and confer with the chair of the teacher education program no later than the end of the freshman year.
Academic Advising
Students are assigned a faculty advisor upon matriculation at the College. The primary responsibilities of the academic advisor are to develop a mentoring relationship with their students, to help students with course planning appropriate to their interests and needs, to assist students in connecting their overall educational plan to career and life goals, to encourage students to take advantage of campus opportunities and resources, and to nurture students' self reliance and independent decision making.
In addition to the individual academic advisor, the College also provides an Academic Advising Center which provides a variety of resources and programs for student development, especially for those who have not yet decided on a major. There are also many other campus advising and counseling resources on campus, including the Academic Support Center, Health Services, the Counseling Center, the Center for Diversity Education and Advocacy, and the Center for Career Development.