General Academic Plan - Bachelor

General Academic Plan - Bachelor’s Degree

Brenau University undergraduate (Bachelor’s Degree) academic plans consist of the following three components:

1. Liberal Education Requirements (Note: The Liberal Education program is divided into four learning portals: World Understanding, Scientific and Analytic Curiosity, Artistic and Creative Imagination, Communication and Language Fluency.)
2. Major Programs of Study
3. General Electives

Minimum Hours Required to Graduate – 120  Note: some majors require additional hours.

In addition to these components, students entering the university with academic deficiencies diagnosed by placement testing may need to take developmental study coursework to remedy those deficiencies before enrolling in regular college level courses. Developmental coursework carries academic credit for financial aid purposes and enrollment status (part-time, full-time, etc.) but it does not count toward graduation. For example, if a student takes three hours of developmental coursework and the student’s major usually requires 120 hours to graduate, that student will need 123 hours to graduate because the developmental hours can not count toward any graduation requirements, including general electives. Those courses are:

• EH 099 - Writing Laboratory
   
• EL 212 - ESL Oral Communication
   
• EL 202 - ESL English Grammar Lab
   
• EL 215 - ESL Writing/Reading
   
• MS 098 - Survey of Basic Mathematics
      *
• MS 099 - Basic Algebra
    *

* This course is offered for zero hours credit.

Developmental Studies courses and English as a Second Language courses completed at other institutions do not transfer to Brenau University.

Students are advised that the statement of minimum hours required to graduate assumes the student does not need developmental coursework and has met all requirements outlined for the major in question. Additional coursework taken beyond liberal education or major requirements may result in the accumulation of credit hours beyond the stated minimum needed to graduate. Likewise, students should note that special professional accreditation requirements of a particular field of study may require hours in excess of the minimum 120 stated above. Individual programs of study should be consulted for specific requirements.

No more than 27 semester hours earned outside of regular coursework (i.e., CLEP, Military Credit, Experiential Credit, Challenge Exams, Directed Independent Study, etc.) may be applied toward the degree. These types of non-traditional credit may not be applied toward the minimum residency requirement of 30 semester hours.
 

1) Liberal Education Requirements

Note:

1. Interdisciplinary Courses can be applied as an elective in any of the four portals.
2. Students with an A.A., A.S. or a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution are exempt from Liberal Education requirements. This exemption does not does not extend to any other associate’s degree (ex. A.A.S., A.A.T). This exemption does not affect transfer credit. All college-level credit that conforms to Brenau’s transfer credit policy will be recorded on the student’s Brenau transcript. This exemption does not affect any major courses required or any major foundation courses required.

General Liberal Education requirements are listed below. The individual liberal education course choices are listed within each major program of study and well as in the Academic Portal Information  page.

World Understanding Learning Portal (9 hours):

• 3 hours - Historical Perspective
• 3 hours - Global and Civic Perspective
• 3 hrs - World Understanding Portal Electives - Choose an additional Historical Perspective or an additional Global and Civic Perspective.

Scientific & Analytic Curiosity Portal (13-15 hours):

• 3 hours - Mathematics - course taken depends upon math placement of the student
• 7 hours - Science
• 3-4 hours - Reasoning

Artistic and Creative Imagination Portal (9 hours):  

• 3 hours - Fine Arts or Literature
• 3 hours - Lifetime Fitness - Women’s College students must have three hours of lifetime fitness which must include: one hour of Women’s Health (WH), one hour of Lifetime Fitness (LF) or Leisure Sports (LS) and one hour of either WH/LF/or LS. University students may take HS 105 Healthy Lifestyle Habits for three hours or transfer the three individual courses outlined above. Note: Nursing and Dance majors have specific Lifetime Fitness requirements. Please see those major sections for information.
• 3 hours - Artistic and Creative Imagination Elective

Communication and Language Fluency Portal (12-15 hours):

• 6 hours - Writing
• 3 hours - Speaking
• 0-3 hours - Modern Language - Communicate in a non-native language. Students must have competency through the 102/115 level. Students may take through 102/115 or may attempt a placement exemption. See the modern language requirement  section of the admissions page for specific information about the modern language requirement.
• 3 hours - Communication and Language Fluency Elective

** International students will exempt the Modern Language requirement with a TOEFL score of 500 or above.

2) Major Programs of Study

The requirements for each major program of study available at Brenau are described in detail in the relevant departmental sections of the Catalog. The following list represents the undergraduate major offerings of the Undergraduate School and the Women’s College. Not all majors are available from all divisions. Program availability depends on demand and feasibility of offering certain majors in selected locations. 

3) General Electives

The purpose of general electives is to provide students with greater breadth in their undergraduate experience, beyond their liberal education and major course requirements.