The Curriculum

General Degree Requirements

Transylvania awards the Bachelor of Arts degree in 49 majors. To be eligible to graduate, a student must have satisfactorily completed at least 36 course units and must have achieved at least a C average (2.0 grade point average). In addition, a student must have fulfilled the distribution requirements listed below and the requirements of an approved major pattern. Requirements for the various major patterns are listed under Academic Majors, Minors, and Preprofessional Studies . A student must also complete a total of 18 units of course work, including eight of the final nine courses, in residence.

A returning student who has not been enrolled at Transylvania for three or more consecutive regular terms must meet the curricular requirements in effect at the time of reenrollment.

Two preengineering partnership programs and a partnership with the University of Kentucky for a prepharmacy and doctorate of pharmacy program are described in  Academic Divisions and Programs  and Preprofessional Studies .

Second Degrees

Recipients of a Transylvania Bachelor of Arts degree are not eligible for a second degree at the university. Transylvania graduates may, however, have additional majors posted to the academic record by completing all outstanding courses required at the time of completion and with the approval of the appropriate program director and the dean of the university.

Baccalaureate degree holders from other institutions may be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree from Transylvania after they (1) meet the university’s residency standards, (2) complete a major pattern of study and (3) complete the general education distribution requirements.

General Education Curriculum Requirements and Regulations

The college believes that all students, no matter what career or vocation they choose, benefit from liberal education; and so the college encourages the free search for knowledge and understanding drawn from the natural and social sciences, the humanities and the arts. By so doing, the college strives to empower students to develop lifelong habits of learning and intelligent, respectful discussion. Therefore, students must fulfill requirements in five general areas:

Foundations   

Approaches to Learning   

Cultural Traditions  

Upper-level Liberal Arts (2+2)  

Writing Intensive   

Regulations

1. Students may not use a single course to satisfy more than one General Education (GE) requirement, except for writing intensive courses.

2. Ordinarily, transfer courses may not be used to satisfy upper-level liberal arts courses or Writing Intensive GE requirements.

3. Except in Foundations, no course may be used to satisfy both a primary major requirement and a GE requirement. However, students may satisfy both GE and minor or allied requirements with the same course.*

4. Students must complete GE Approaches to Learning requirements by the end of the junior year, but they are strongly encouraged to complete all of their GE requirements by that time.

5. For matriculated students, GE courses must be taken on campus unless prior approval for transfer credit is granted by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with the appropriate program.

6. Students entering Transylvania with an Associate of Arts degree through an approved pathway from a Kentucky Community Technical College System institution fulfill the General Education Foundations, Approaches to Learning, and Cultural Traditions requirements with successful completion of the Associate of Arts degree.

* Students with multiple majors must designate one major as their primary major. A course may satisfy both a GE and a requirement for a second or third major pattern.

Writing Requirement

At Transylvania, basic instruction in writing is provided in the First-Year Seminar Program, required of all students. Students who need further skills development may register for WRC 1112 - Writing Partnerships  (CR/NC grading, 1/2 course unit). In addition, all Transylvania students may obtain special writing assistance and/or instruction as needed in the Writing Center.

Transfer students may be given up to two terms of credit in Freshman English or English Composition, even though such courses are not a part of the Transylvania curriculum.

Sophomore transfer students with two terms of credit for composition may be exempt from First-Year Seminar and First-Year Research Seminar, pending approval of the program director.

Junior and senior transfer students with one or two terms of credit in composition are exempt from First-Year Seminar and First-Year Research Seminar. Junior and senior transfer students with no credit in composition, although also exempt from First-Year Seminar and First-Year Research Seminar, must pass a placement examination administered in the Writing Center or register immediately for WRC 1112 .

Academic Policy and Curricular Standards Appeals Procedures

Academic and curricular policies are established and governed by the Transylvania University faculty, as articulated in the faculty constitution and bylaws. Any institutional decision regarding academic policy or curricular standard may be appealed to the Committee on Admissions and Academic Standards (CAAS). As the standing faculty committee charged with hearing such appeals, the CAAS meets regularly and is empowered to allow exceptions to academic policies/procedures. In all cases, CAAS represents the university faculty, and its decisions are considered final.

The Office of the Registrar, located in Old Morrison 100, will provide information and instructions for those wishing to petition the CAAS.

Foreign Language Requirement

Students who have completed the equivalent of two or three years of high school foreign language may take the 1014 level of that language only for CR/NC grading at Transylvania.  Students with four or more years or AP level may take the 1014 and 1024 levels of that language only for CR/NC grading at Transylvania. 

Exemption from the foreign language requirement may be granted in one of three ways: (1) by demonstrating on the Transylvania placement examination a level of proficiency equivalent to completion of 1034, (2) by scoring four or five on an Advanced Placement (AP) language exam and (3) by having an exemption granted by the foreign language program director.

May Term Requirement

May term is considered an integral part of the academic year. Students must be enrolled in at least one unit of credit during May term to live in campus housing during this period unless prior approval has been granted by the Dean of the University or the Dean of Students. Students enrolling in May term must register for at least one full unit of credit.

Major Pattern Requirement

In addition to the general requirements described above, each student must complete an approved major pattern. A minimum grade of C- in all major courses, except allied courses, is required, and students must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.0. These patterns are described in the Academic Majors, Minors, and Preprofessional Studies  section. Additional major patterns may be arranged by special agreement with the dean of the university.

We recommend that major patterns be declared toward the end of the first year or during the sophomore year. Students are required to make the declaration before registering for the first term of their junior year.

Minors

Transylvania University offers 42 different minors. These minor patterns are described in the Academic Majors, Minors, and Preprofessional Studies  section. Minors are optional. Students may choose to declare a minor only after declaring a major. Once a minor is declared, it must be completed or officially removed by the student prior to graduation. Students should review the requirements of each minor carefully for restrictions on using credits for more than one major/minor.

Sponsored Learning: Internships

Transylvania offers sponsored learning opportunities through academic internships. Academic internships are offered in public and private organizations, with positions available in human service agencies, government agencies and private businesses. The internship is normally completed in an off-campus work setting and includes both academic and non-academic requirements, which are jointly supervised by a work supervisor, a faculty member and Career Development.

Students must have completed a minimum of eight course units and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 to participate in an academic internship. Internships are customarily taken in the junior or senior year in a student’s major field or in a field where significant coursework has been completed. Specific academic and work requirements for each student are stated in a learning-work agreement that is signed by the faculty member, the work supervisor, the Career Development Center and the student.

Programs that offer academic internships are normally numbered 4204, 4208 or 4212 in the course description  section. Further program requirements are specified by the programs offering credit. A maximum of three course units of internship credit may be counted toward university graduation requirements. Students may take one academic internship for fall term, winter term or May term credit as an overload without incurring an overload tuition charge. Students may register their first summer internship for academic credit without incurring tuition charges.

Information on specific requirements, opportunities and application procedures is available from Career Development.

Summer Term

Transylvania regularly offers a summer term. A tentative schedule of courses is available in the Office of the Registrar after April 1.