General Studies

Description of the Program

General Studies programs allow students creative options for individualized academic programming. The numerous resources available to WAU students may be utilized to suit individual goals in one or more of the following forms:

Option 1: Interdisciplinary studies with adequate concentrations in two or more academic fields.

Option 2: Student-designed majors as approved by appropriate committees.

If a student wishes to pursue an Individualized Academic Major, the following steps are needed to be accomplished through the Betty Howard Center for Student Success and the respective department chairs and/or faculty involved in the order listed below:

	1. The candidate for the Individualized Academic Major must meet with the Dean or the Associate Dean of the Betty Howard Center
	2. All Individualized Academic Major forms attained from the Betty Howard Center for Student Success must be signed by the following persons:

		i. Dean or Associate Dean of the Betty Howard Center for Student Success.
		ii. The Two or Three Department Chairs involved in the Individualized Academic Major.

3. The completed form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar where it will be determined if the academic plan will meet all graduation requirements. Steps will need to be repeated if the academic plan is not approved.

In order to carefully examine and meet the student’s career and educational goals, the General Studies program must be planned only upon consultation with the General Studies coordinator.

Students should declare by their junior year their intention to pursue a General Studies major with the Office of the Registrar.

A bachelor’s degree requires two concentrations that must equal at least 48 hours, with not less than 21 hours in one concentration. At least nine upper division hours are required for each of the two concentrations in residence; at least a 2.5 GPA in the two concentrations; no grade less than a “C” in any course counting toward the concentrations. The Academic Catalog year designates the minimum amount of credits (typically 120) needed to earn the bachelor’s degree. However, some majors will require more than the minimum.

Note: When two fields comprise a single concentration (e.g. Social Science and Religion), there must be a minimum of 9 credits from each field.

An associate degree would require a concentration of at least 24 semester hours, of which at least six hours must be taken in residence at Washington Adventist University. The concentration requires at least a 2.5 GPA with no grade below a “C.”

INFORMATION

Fitzroy Thomas | Chair, General Studies Program
The Betty Howard Center for Student Success
Washington Adventist University
301-891-4115
fthomas@wau.edu

Programs

Baccalaureate Degree