Mar 29, 2024  
2016-2017 SGPP Catalog and Handbook 
    
2016-2017 SGPP Catalog and Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Undergraduate Requirements and Shared Core Courses


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Undergraduate Degree Requirements

  1. A minimum of 122 semester credits is required for graduation with a bachelor of science degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
  2. Students must demonstrate competency in 5 thematic general education areas prior to graduation. No course can fulfill more than one general education requirement.
  3. At least 36 classroom-based semester credits must be completed at Saint Mary’s University as designated by specific program requirements.
  4. At least 62 of the total 122 degree credits must be transcripted credit from a regionally-accredited institution of higher learning.
  5. A minimum of 60 credits must be in a classroom, online, or blended setting.
  6. Six credits must be in coursework identified as Communication courses.
  7. Students must have at least a 2.0 grade point average to graduate.

Double Major Requirements

Students at the bachelor’s level may elect to pursue two or more majors in the bachelor of science program. Multiple majors will be granted upon the successful completion of the following:

  • required courses for all programs;
  • minimum of 54 credits total completed at Saint Mary’s University; and
  • all other requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree.

University Delivery

Each of the three semesters of Saint Mary’s University’s academic year are divided into two eight-week sessions. Fall semester is September through December, Spring is January through April, and Summer is May through August. Students can begin classes anytime throughout the year.

Saint Mary’s offers a flexible program offered primarily in the evenings with some weekend sessions. Students may take as few or as many classes as they can manage successfully each semester. Six credits per semester is considered half-time status whereas full-time status requires the student to take 12 credits per semester.

Financial aid is available to bachelor degree completion students taking a minimum of six semester credits.

Courses are offered on the Twin Cities campus and at approved off-campus locations. Students are free to take courses at any of the sites unless the schedule indicates that the site is open to employees only.

Students enrolled in BS programs with a GPA of 3.0 or higher may take up to 6 graduate-level credits within the bachelor’s program from a specified list of courses offered by Saint Mary’s University. The courses must be part of their final 12 credits taken in the bachelors candidate program. These courses will satisfy the residential credits as part of both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. To receive graduate credit, the student must earn a grade of B or higher.

General Education Requirements


The general education requirements, along with the core program curriculum at Saint Mary’s University, reflect a commitment to Saint Mary’s mission to “awaken, nurture and empower learners to ethical lives of service and leadership.” The general education requirements ensure that graduates have acquired a breadth of knowledge and skills enabling them to think critically to engage the world around them, to understand the ethical implications of their actions, and to communicate with diverse audiences. This core learning provides a broad foundation upon which students build expertise in their professional field while allowing them to explore new areas as lifelong learners.

Five themes have been identified that reflect areas of knowledge that are foundational to a well-educated individual of the 21st century. The themes encompass learning throughout multiple disciplines and are Creativity and Human Expression, Global Human Perspectives, Ethics and Civic Responsibility, the Natural World, and Engaging the Future.

A minimum of 30 semester credits for general education requirements must be distributed among the themes as follows:

Creativity and Human Expression - 12 cr.

  • 6 cr. humanities and fine arts
  • 6 cr. oral and written communications

Global Human Perspectives - 3 cr.

Ethics and Civic Responsibility - 6 cr.

  • 3 cr. ethical and civic responsibility
  • 3 cr. history, social, or behavioral sciences

The Natural World - 6 cr.

  • 3 cr. math
  • 3 cr. science

Engaging the Future - 3 cr.

  • 3 cr. from among information literacy, creative problem solving, or multi-disciplinary learning

Transfer students who have completed the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum or an Associate of Arts degree from an accredited institution are considered to have met Saint Mary’s University general education requirements.

These competencies can be demonstrated by

  • transferring credit for coursework and/or training;
  • completing the prior learning assessment (PLA) process to recognize competence through life experiences;
  • completing a Saint Mary’s University course; and/or
  • completing successfully standardized examinations such as CLEP or DSST.

The general education competencies may be addressed in courses within the major. The course content and expectations are designed to facilitate application of the competencies.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)


Saint Mary’s University recognizes that many students come to the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) with college-level learning that has occurred outside of the traditional college classroom.  Students may obtain college credit for this learning by participating in the Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) process.

Students seeking credit through the PLA process must first obtain approval from their program director.  Once approved, students take COM325  – Prior Learning Exploration during which they create a portfolio that documents evidence of their learning.  PLA assessors then review the portfolio for college credit.  Students may be granted up to 35 credits for their PLA portfolios. 

Students who transfer PLA credits from other colleges or universities are ineligible for Saint Mary’s University’s PLA process.

General Education Courses


General Education courses provide exposure to a variety of approaches to learning, culture, and experience.

Electives in Other Majors


With approval of the program director, students may register for courses in other majors. Students must still complete all requirements within their own majors. They must also meet all prerequisites for non-major courses for which they are registering.

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