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    Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2020-2021 Undergraduate Bulletin [Archived Bulletin]

Graduation Requirements: The Hamline Plan


Graduation

Each student is personally responsible for following the procedures and meeting the requirements of the university as set forth in the Bulletin. Hamline University undergraduate students ordinarily fulfill the Bulletin requirements in effect at the time they first enter Hamline; however, they may choose to meet the requirements to any subsequent Bulletin during their enrollment. Students who interrupt enrollment for more than one academic year must fulfill the Bulletin requirements in effect at the time of reentry/readmission, or they may opt to fulfill the requirements in the last previous Bulletin. Only with the written approval of the appropriate department chairperson or program director can students elect to fulfill the requirements of any previous Bulletin. The department chairperson or program director assists with this choice and ensures that such changes are officially recorded with Registration and Records. Students must choose major, minor, and certificate requirements from the same Bulletin (catalog year).

The following sections list the Hamline University undergraduate graduation requirements. Successful completion of these requirements results in a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or Bachelor of Science degree. Requirements for transfer students, if they are different, are noted within each section in italic print. Other than where specified, Hamline Plan requirements can be fulfilled by transfer coursework.

The Hamline Plan requirements do not constitute a set number of courses. Courses that fulfill Hamline Plan categories are designated with the appropriate Hamline Plan code letter(s) on class schedules, available online at www.hamline.edu/classschedules. Grades of D- or higher are required in order to receive Hamline Plan designations. All students are responsible for understanding the Hamline graduation requirements. Contact the Registration and Records office or Academic Advising for clarification on any of the graduation requirements.



First-Year Seminar (FYSem) - 1 course

All new first-year students (age 24 or younger upon enrollment at Hamline) are required to take a First-Year Seminar in their first semester. First-year students who transfer Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) work are not exempt from this requirement. Students may not drop or withdraw from First-Year Seminar nor complete it on a Pass/No Pass grading basis.

Transfer students are exempt from this requirement unless special circumstances are determined in the admissions process.

Expository Writing (E) - 1 course

This requirement is generally fulfilled by FYW 1120 - Composition and Research, which must be completed during the first year at Hamline. Students who receive Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) English composition credit must still register for FYW 1120 or a writing-intensive FYSem. The AP or IB English credits count for credit toward the degree, but Hamline faculty members believe writing is an essential skill and thus require a first-year college-writing experience.

Students who receive credit for a PSEO or College in the Schools (CIS) English composition course are typically granted an equivalency for the first-year writing requirement. However, students are encouraged to enroll in a writing-intensive FYSem to continue developing their college writing skills. 

Writing Intensive (W) - 1 course minimum per year

Writing-intensive courses must be taken at Hamline, and a minimum of one writing-intensive course is required each year a student is in attendance. (Fall/spring is considered a year of attendance for students who begin at Hamline during the fall term; spring/fall is considered a year of attendance for students who begin at Hamline during the spring term.) For students who begin as first-year students at Hamline, FYW 1120 (E) is considered the writing-intensive course for the first year and one writing-intensive (W) course is required each subsequent year. Students who do not complete a writing-intensive course during a year must complete an extra writing-intensive course the following year; students who take two writing-intensive courses in one year may not apply one to a subsequent year.

Exception: Students enrolled in a Hamline-approved off-campus program for a full year do not have to complete a writing-intensive course for that year.

One writing-intensive course is required within the major department; if multiple majors are declared, one writing-intensive course must be completed in each major department.

Transfer students do not transfer writing-intensive courses to Hamline; one per year in attendance at Hamline is required in addition to satisfying the Expository Writing requirement. Transfer students needing six full-time (minimum of 12 credits) semesters to complete the Hamline degree must complete three writing-intensive courses. Transfer students needing four or five full-time semesters to complete the Hamline degree must complete two writing-intensive courses. Transfer students needing fewer than four full-time semesters to complete the Hamline degree must complete one writing-intensive course (and are encouraged to complete two).

Speaking Intensive (O) - 2 courses

The required speaking intensive courses can be taken at any time and in any academic department.

Transfer students may transfer one speaking-intensive course to Hamline; one must be taken at Hamline. Students transferring as juniors (64 or more semester credits) are required to take only one speaking-intensive course, but it must be taken at Hamline.

Formal Reasoning (R) and Quantitative Reasoning (M) - 1 or 2 courses

Students must complete both categories of Reasoning. This can be accomplished through one formal reasoning course and one quantitative reasoning course, or through one course that carries both the R and M designations.

Disciplinary Breadth

Students take courses in each of the following four areas of study:

Fine Arts (F) – 2 courses*
Fine arts courses can usually be found in Studio Art, Art History, Creative Writing, Music, and Theatre Arts.

*Music performance, ensemble, or lessons courses that are fewer than four credits must be taken enough times to equal eight credits in order to fulfill the fine arts requirement. Three-credit transfer courses may satisfy one fine arts requirement.

Humanities (H) – 2 courses
Humanities courses can usually be found in English, Modern Languages, Philosophy, and Religion.

Natural Science (N) – 2 courses (at least one must have a lab)
Natural science courses can be found in Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Criminal Justice and Forensic Science, and Physics.

Social Science (S) – 2 courses
Social Science courses can usually be found in Anthropology, Communication Studies, History, Legal Studies, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

Diversity (D) - 2 courses

Students are required to complete courses which engage them in intellectual discourse and reflection about and across differences. Diversity courses may be found across the curriculum.

Global Citizenship (G) - 1 course

Courses that address global citizenship can be found in many departments, including Global Studies, Modern Languages, and Political Science.

Collaboration (C) - 1 course

Students complete coursework that focuses on developing and strengthening collaborative skills. Collaboration courses may be found across the curriculum.

Independent Critical Inquiry and Information Literacy (Q) - 1 course

This requirement follows a developmental arc that begins with experiences in the First Year Seminar, is built upon in mid-level courses in a student’s major, and culminates in an advanced-level course. The Q is documented at the final, culminating course.

LEAP: Liberal Education as Practice (P) - 1 course or registered experience

One course or experience is required. Students are encouraged to participate in LEAP experiences in their majors and to engage in more than one LEAP experience during their Hamline career. LEAP experiences include LEAP (P) courses as well as faculty-advised internships, undergraduate research projects, apprentice teaching, and qualifying independent studies/projects.

Transfer students fulfill this requirement at Hamline under the direction of a Hamline faculty member.

Major Requirements

Students must complete one major. A major is a field of concentration, ranging from 32-74 credits, depending on its requirements. At least 16 credits in a student’s major must be taken at Hamline. A major must be declared by the end of the sophomore year and may not be declared before the spring semester of the first year. Students must be aware of the requirements for their major as outlined in the Hamline Undergraduate Bulletin and are expected to meet the major requirements that are in effect at the time they declare. Grades of C- or higher are required for all major courses, and the GPA for all major courses together must average 2.0 or better. Undergraduate program sheets listing requirements for each major are available at www.hamline.edu/ugrequirements

Individually designed majors can be developed by students who have other needs and goals, if the courses are available (see Flexible Curriculum Option). See www.hamline.edu/academics/ for a list of all available academic programs.

Transfer students must take at least 16 credits in their major at Hamline. Transfer students must meet with a faculty advisor upon arrival at Hamline to determine the transferability of their major courses. Written approval of major courses by the advisor is recommended as soon as possible after the first advising appointment. Advisors approving transfer work have the right to ask the student for course descriptions and have the option to defer the decision to the department chair.

Double Majors

A double major is the awarding of one degree with two majors. A student must declare both majors and fulfill all requirements of each in addition to satisfying all university requirements. Double majors must be within the same degree (e.g., both must be either a B.A. or B.S.). Following the conferral of the degree, the student transcript will note one baccalaureate degree with two majors. Students completing two majors with differing degree types (e.g., chemistry under the B.S. and German under the B.A.) are considered double degree students. See Double Degrees below for more information.

Students pursuing two majors must:

  • Complete a writing-intensive (W) course in both major departments
  • Have at least four unique courses in both majors or four unique courses in the concentration if one or both of the majors are interdisciplinary
  • Complete 48 credits outside both major departments–in these cases, each major will usually count outside the other

Majors Available within the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC)

A major that Hamline does not offer may be completed at any of the other four ACTC colleges if it is obviously within the liberal arts tradition (examples are classics at the University of St. Thomas or geology at Macalester College). Additionally, a major of up to eight specialized courses with a specific career orientation may be completed at one of the other ACTC colleges provided the student also has an appropriate liberal arts major at Hamline. Students who wish to complete a major at another ACTC college must submit a flexible curriculum major proposal to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. The form is available at www.hamline.edu/registrar/forms.

Flexible Curriculum Option

The flexible curriculum option is offered for students who wish to develop a major or minor that is unique to their needs, but which satisfies the spirit and intent of Hamline’s graduation requirements. Such a major or minor might involve a coherent interdepartmental sequence of courses that addresses a particular topic or theme. 

The flexible curriculum option requires the approval of an appropriate Hamline faculty advisor and the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Students should be prepared to state why their proposal is important to their program or educational intellectual development. Flexible curriculum proposal forms can be obtained in the Registration and Records office or at www.hamline.edu/registrar/forms and must be approved no later than the end of the junior year.

Minors

A minor is not required to graduate from Hamline although many students take advantage of the opportunity to complete minors. Most minors require five or six courses. Students completing a minor that is similar to their major must have at least three unique courses in the minor that are not used in the major or interdisciplinary major concentration. Multiple minors with overlapping coursework must also have three unique courses in each minor. Grades of C- or higher are required for all minor courses, and the GPA for all minor courses together must average 2.0 or better. See All Academic Programs  for a list of all available minors.

Transfer students must seek approval from their minor department chair for transfer work to apply toward a Hamline minor.

Breadth of Study Requirement (credits outside the major department)

Students must complete a minimum of 48 credits outside of their major department. These credits usually come from courses that do not have the designation of the major department.

Majors that require supporting courses from other departments may count those courses toward the breadth of study requirement. Interdisciplinary majors usually have an area of concentration. The concentration courses and any courses that have the designation of the major department are counted as inside the major; supporting courses from other departments count as outside the major for the purposes of the breadth of study requirement. When completing an interdisciplinary major that does not have a concentration, all courses not from the major department and all courses not specified as required will count toward breadth of study.

If students choose to take courses that are within their major department but are beyond what is required for their major, those courses will not count toward the breadth of study requirement. Students completing multiple majors must have 48 credits outside each major department. In these cases, each major will usually count outside the other.

Residency Credits

All Hamline students must complete a minimum of 128 credits to graduate and obtain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0. 

28 of the last 32 credits, and at least 56 total credits, must be completed in residence at Hamline or within the ACTC exchange, Hamline approved off-campus programs, or HECUA. Sixty residency credits graded A-F are required to be eligible for Latin honors at graduation.

Conferral of Degree

The conferral of degree will occur once all graduation requirements have been satisfied and the degree has been cleared by Registration & Records. Once the degree has been conferred, the academic record is considered sealed and no changes will be made. The academic record includes, but is not limited to the following: grades, GPA, majors, minors, degree type, etc. Once a degree is conferred, a student may not return to add a major, minor, or concentration to that degree.

Double Degrees

The double degree is the concurrent awarding of two different baccalaureate degree types (e.g., B.A. and B.S.). A student who completes two majors within one degree type will be awarded a double major (one degree with two majors), not two degrees regardless of the number of credits earned. (See Double Majors above.) A double degree may not be earned with the same major (e.g., a B.A. and B.S. in Physics). Following the conferral of both degrees, the student will receive two diplomas.

A Hamline University student may earn two different degrees if the following criteria are met:

  • Degree types must be different
  • At least 140 credits must be completed
  • Both sets of degree requirements must be fulfilled before either degree is awarded

Subsequent Degrees

Some students decide to return to their studies after they have received their first baccalaureate degree. A subsequent degree is the awarding of a baccalaureate degree different from the first degree awarded. A student may not earn multiple degrees of the same type. A student returning to Hamline University to complete a second baccalaureate degree must apply for admission and meet admission criteria for that degree.

To receive a second baccalaureate degree, a student must complete (1) all degree requirements not satisfied by the previous degree and (2) a minimum of 12 additional credits taken in residence at Hamline University. Coursework seven or more years old approved by the academic department might apply toward the second baccalaureate degree.