Each student must complete all three of the following: (1) General requirements for the bachelor’s degree, described below; (2) Requirements for one major, found in the Undergraduate Course Descriptions section, or an Independent Major found under Academic Rules for Student-Designed Coursework in the following section; (3) Electives to complete the 120 semester hours required for the degree, chosen from all courses offered, within the limits stated below.
Required Credit Hours and Grade Point Average
The following are the requirements for all bachelor’s degrees:
- A minimum of 120 semester hours
- A maximum of 7 semester hours in physical and health education and a maximum of 15 semester hours in internships
- A maximum of 6 semester hours of graduate-level coursework (unless admitted into a joint bachelor’s-master’s program, in which case additional credits are allowed, and additional charges will apply)
- Cumulative, un-rounded GPA of at least 2.0 overall
- Cumulative, un-rounded GPA of at least 2.0 in the major
- A minimum of 18 semester hours in the major, including the senior project, taken at Mary Baldwin University
- A minimum of 36 total semester hours taken at MBU.
Program Evaluation
Students are required to participate in official activities designed to assess the effectiveness of the academic program as a condition for graduation. These activities are required by government and accrediting organizations.
General Education Requirements
All students must complete the General Education requirements. See the General Education Courses section of this catalog for a list of courses that meet these requirements.
Note: The following General Education Requirements apply to all matriculates beginning in fall 2020 and replace the previous Common Curriculum requirements. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2020 should consult their advisors and refer to archived catalogs that outline the previous general education requirements.
The General Education curriculum at Mary Baldwin University develops the critical, creative, and reflective reasoning skills of its students, challenging them to ask important questions of themselves and others while growing in their awareness of diverse viewpoints.
General Education Core Requirements (36 hours):
- Two courses in the Arts (6 hours)
- Two courses in the Humanities (6 hours)
- Two courses in the Natural Sciences (6 hours)
- Two courses in the Social Sciences (6 hours)
- Two courses with International or Foreign Language focus (6 hours)
- English 102: College English (3 hours)
- INT 103: Information Literacy (1 hour)
- Civic Engagement (1 hour)
- Physical Education (1 hour)
No more than four courses may double count between the general education core and the major.
Additional Mary Baldwin requirements - Engaging diverse viewpoints and developing skills: Courses in this category may double count with courses in the General Education Core, the major, minor or electives at MBU.
- Gender (3 hours)
- Race and Ethnicity in the United States (3 hours)
- Two courses in Quantitative Reasoning (6 hours)
- Writing (3 hours)
- Oral Communication Competency (3 hours)
Students fulfill the Research (R) credit designated by their major. If no R course is designated by the major, students fulfill this requirement through any course carrying the Research (R) credit. Students fulfill the Major (M) credit designated by their major.
The Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) or Associate of Arts and Sciences (A.A.S) or Associate of Applied Science in Nursing (A.A.S. in Nursing) or Associate Degree in Nursing (A.D.N.) or Associate of Applied Science in Human Services (A.A.S. in Human Services) degree is accepted in fulfillment of all general education requirements listed above, except for the Research (R) and Major (M) requirements. Students are required to provide official transcripts indicating the degree conferral of one of the six approved associates degrees in order to be exempt from the Mary Baldwin University General Education Requirements (except for the Research (R) or Major (M) requirements).
Mary Baldwin University enables graduates to be confident, compassionate changemakers through the power of communication, investigation, and rational thought. Graduates use words and numbers fluently and accurately to communicate. They are able to access information and evaluate the credibility of sources. They construct solutions to challenges through the application of rational methods of analysis and give judicious consideration to the ethical dimensions of their actions.
Note: General Education courses may also count toward majors, minors, or certificates, when appropriate. For more information on rules and applicable courses, see the MBU website or contact your advisor, or the Office of the University Registrar. No more than four courses may double count between the general education core and the major.