Academic Requirements

• Academic Definition of Student Status
• Graduation Requirements for First-Time Freshmen & First Year Students
• Graduation Requirements for Transfer Students
• Grade-level Progression
• Graduation

Academic Definition of Student Status

A First-Time Freshmen (FTF) is any Longwood student with a high school diploma (earned traditionally, through a home school program, or GED) who has not attended or earned credit from a college or university after high school graduation or GED completion. Students with an Associate’s degree earned in high school via dual enrollment are also classified as FTF. A First-Year Student (FYS) is any Longwood student who attended and earned 1-24 transferrable credits from a regionally accredited college or university after high school graduation, home school program completion, or receiving a GED. A Transfer Student (TS) is defined as any Longwood student who attended and earned 25 or more transferrable credits from a regionally accredited college or university after high school graduation, home school program completion or receiving a GED.

A continuing or returning Longwood student, previously under the requirements of an earlier catalog, who elects or becomes subject to this catalog, will have requirements as dictated by the number of credits earned at the time the student adopts this catalog. Specifically, a Longwood student with 1-24 credits who adopts this catalog will be considered a First-Year Students (FYS), and a Longwood student with 25 or more credits at the time they adopt the catalog will be considered a Transfer Student (TS) for purposes of determining graduation requirements.

Graduation Requirements for First-Time Freshmen & First-Year Students

Longwood University awards the Bachelor’s degree to students who have fulfilled the following requirements:

1. Completion of all study required in one of the six degree programs offered. (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Bachelor of Music).
2. Completion of the Civitae Core Curriculum, and Additional Degree Requirements.
3. Completion of 120 semester hours of credit for graduation in major programs unless otherwise noted for a major degree program.
4. A minimum average of C (grade point average of 2.0) on all work taken at Longwood and a minimum average of C (grade point average of 2.0) in those courses constituting the major subjects or field. These are minimum requirements; some programs may require higher levels of achievement. By definition, the major subject or field consists of all courses listed as “major requirements” in the major program curriculum plus all additional courses taken in the same discipline as the major, except those courses which may be specifically excluded by the major department. Students choosing to minor in a field of study must have a 2.0 GPA in courses in that field of study.
5. A minimum of 25 percent of the degree credit must be earned at Longwood University.
6. At least 30 credit hours at the upper level must be earned at Longwood University. (Exceptions: A. Biology majors with a concentration in Clinical Lab Sciences who take 300-400 level courses at affiliated institutions will be allowed to count that course work toward fulfilling the 30 hours upper-level graduation requirement; B. students who participate in international exchange programs may request an exception to the 30 hour upper-level graduation requirement. Exceptions must be approved in writing by the student’s college dean prior to the study abroad.)
7. Approval of the individual by the general faculty as a candidate for graduation.
8. A formal Application for Degree. File an application for degree in the Office of the Registrar no later than the completion of 75 credit hours.

The Longwood University Civitae Core Curriculum

The Civitae Core Curriculum experience, combined with students’ disciplinary study in the major, fulfills Longwood’s institutional mission to develop citizen leaders. A citizen leader is someone who is academically and personally transformed by knowledge of fundamental modes of inquiry and informed civic engagement and who then applies the virtues of a Longwood education to serve and transform communities.

The Civitae Core Curriculum affords an extensive, intellectual vision for every Longwood graduate. Foundations courses that span the liberal arts and sciences - with a focus on effective communication, fundamental knowledge, and informed citizenship - formed the pillars of the curriculum, providing each student with the broad horizons and scholarly curiosity characteristic of all educated citizens. Perspectives courses, which build upon the Foundations, are a series of visionary, integrative experiences that offer up-to-date, practical lenses facilitating more nimble, reflective thinking. The Civitae curriculum culminates in a Symposium on the Common Good that asks students to reflect upon and activate the skills and perspectives developed throughout their undergraduate career.  Through the Civitae Core, every Longwood student develops the imagination, forethought, discipline, confidence, and empathy required to make positive contributions to society. A total of 39-40 credit hours is required for the Civitae Core Curriculum program (see the Civitae Core section of the catalog for a complete description). Students may take more than the required 39-40 credits as part of the Civitae Core, either because of major requirements or student choice. In such cases, the additional credits will be included in the credit totals for major requirements or general electives, respectively.

Civitae Core  

Additional Requirements for Specific Degrees

In addition to the 39-40 hours of core courses required for the Civitae Core Curriculum, students must fulfill the following requirements for specific degrees:

Bachelor of Arts Degree - one course in Humanities or Foreign Language

Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree - one course in Humanities, Foreign Language, or Social Science

Bachelor of Science Degree - one course in Computer Science, Mathematics, Natural Science, or Social Science

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree - one course in Mathematics or Natural Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree - one course in Natural Sciences or Social Sciences 

Bachelor of Music Degree - one course in Humanities

The following disciplines fall within the categories of Humanities or Social Sciences:

Graduation Requirements for Transfer Students

Transfer students with 25 or more transferrable credits earned after high school will substitute the General Education, Writing Intensive, and Speaking intensive requirements for the Civitae Core Curriculum program. The General Education, Writing Intensive, and Speaking Intensive requirements substitute for the Civitae Core Curriculum everywhere in the academic Requirements or Major Requirements except where a specific course is required as part of the requirements for a major.  In this case, the transfer student must complete that course (where applicable such courses may double count towards General Education or the additional degree requirement, but not both for transfer students).

Longwood University awards the Bachelor’s degree to students who have fulfilled the following requirements:

1. Completion of all study required in one of the six degree programs offered. (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Bachelor of Music).
2. Completion of the General Education and Additional Degree Requirements.
3. Completion of 120 semester hours of credit for graduation in major programs unless otherwise noted for a major degree program. If a student has courses that fulfill multiple requirements, then he/she will have to take additional elective credits to reach the 120 credit degree requirement.
4. A minimum average of C (grade point average of 2.0) on all work taken at Longwood and a minimum average of C (grade point average of 2.0) in those courses constituting the major subjects or field. These are minimum requirements; some programs may require higher levels of achievement. By definition, the major subject or field consists of all courses listed as “major requirements” in the major program curriculum plus all additional courses taken in the same discipline as the major, except those courses which may be specifically excluded by the major department. Students choosing to minor in a field of study must have a 2.0 GPA in courses in that field of study.
5. All students will earn a grade of C- or better in at least two writing-intensive courses beyond courses required for General Education in Goals 1-11, and 13.
6. All Students will earn a grade of C- or better in at least two speaking-intensive courses beyond courses required for General Education in Gaols 1-11, and 13.
7. A minimum of 25 percent of the degree credit must be earned at Longwood University.
8. At least 30 credit hours at the upper level must be earned at Longwood University. (Exceptions: A. Biology majors with a concentration in Clinical Lab Sciences who take 300-400 level courses at affiliated institutions will be allowed to count that course work toward fulfilling the 30 hours upper-level graduation requirement; B. students who participate in international exchange programs may request an exception to the 30 hour upper-level graduation requirement. Exceptions must be approved in writing by the student’s college dean prior to the study abroad.)
9. Approval of the individual by the general faculty as a candidate for graduation.
10. A formal Application for Degree. File an application for degree in the Office of the Registrar no later than the completion of 75 credit hours.

The General Education Program for Transfer Students

The purpose of the General Education Program at Longwood University is the development of disciplined, informed, and creative minds.  General Education is the foundation upon which all other learning is built and is therefore the central component of a Longwood education. A total of 38 hours of courses is required for the General Education Program (see the General Education for Transfer section of the catalog for a complete description). 

Major programs may not require or specify courses to be used to satisfy general education goals, with the following exceptions:

• A major program may designate which Goal 12 course a student must take.
• A major program may include the course that its students take to satisfy Goal 12 as a requirement of the major.
• Students who complete a required internship, guided field experience or directed research experience as part of their major course of student are exempted from Goal 14.

The Dean may authorize a waiver for any goal a student, due to major requirements, must take at least two courses listed for that goal.

Note: Goals 12, 13 and 14 compromise requirements that are not fulfilled through articulation agreements.

Veterans who have served six months of active duty may be granted two semester hours of physical education credit (providing they have no previous credit in this area), satisfying Goal 11, based on the Report of Separation (DD-214). Additional credit may be given for successful completion of selected service schools.  This credit is determined on the basis of recommendations in A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experience in the Armed Services.  In cases where there is question regarding applicability of credit to the student’s program of student, the Dean of the appropriate College is consulted and the Dean my consult the appropriate Department Chair.

Transfer Student General Education  

Additional Requirements for Specific Degrees

In addition to the 38 hours of core courses required for the General Education Program, transfer students are required to take additional course, at minimum three (3) credits, to earn a degree. This course may be specified by the major.

Bachelor of Arts Degree - one course in Humanities or Foreign Language

Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree - one course in Humanities, Foreign Language, or Social Science

Bachelor of Science Degree - one course in Computer Science, Mathematics, Natural Science, or Social Science

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree - one course in Mathematics or Natural Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree - one course in Natural Sciences or Social Sciences 

Bachelor of Music Degree - one course in Humanities

The following disciplines fall within the categories of Humanities or Social Sciences:

Major Program Requirements

The specific major requirements of individual disciplines are listed separately in the Academic Programs section of this catalog. The Dean may authorize a waiver for any general education goal when a student, due to major requirements, must take at least two courses listed for that goal.

The Writing Intensive Course Policy

All students will earn a grade of C- or better in at least two writing-intensive courses beyond courses required for General Education in Goals 1-11, and 13. Writing-intensive courses shall be designated in the Catalog, in the registration schedule, and on the course syllabus. Each major discipline should offer at least one writing-intensive course each year. Transfer courses do not satisfy writing intensive requirements.

Departments will strive to limit enrollment in such courses to 20 students when possible, or to otherwise manage faculty workload to promote writing instruction.

1. Writing-intensive courses comprehensively integrate written assignments with course objectives and outcomes, such that students may master course content and develop the abilities to provide professional contributions.
2. Writing assignments must comprise a minimum of 31% of the final course grade.
3. Writing-intensive courses must provide explicit instruction on disciplinary expectations as to how to complete formal writing assignments.
   Course-specific writing instruction may take many forms, including engaging students in discussions of the relevance of writing to the discipline; asking students to analyze course readings by looking specifically at the rhetorical strategies; facilitating frequent workshops to engage in interactive and context-specific analysis of writing style, usage, or mechanical issues; providing students with style guides or texts on writing appropriate to the discipline; discussing procedures for gathering and organizing information; and providing appropriate models.
4. Students must write a minimum of 3,000 words or the equivalent of finished writing, distributed over two or more formal papers that use appropriate resources. This does not include essay examinations. Group-authored documents may be part of a writing-intensive course, but each student must meet the minimum word count.
   The intent of this requirement is that each student completes a substantial amount of writing. The amount of finished product that constitutes “substantial” varies among disciplines. One thousand words of political science or literature differs from one thousand words of mathematical writing; in the sciences and in business and economics, figures, captions, and charts, for example, frequently require substantial effort. The emphasis here, however, should be on the completion of a substantial amount of writing.
5. Faculty will provide students with a detailed assignment sheet and a rubric explaining the specific grading criteria for each piece of formal writing. The syllabus must indicate where these are available.
6. Faculty in writing-intensive courses must provide substantial feedback on formal writing assignments and allow revision in response to that feedback.
   Writing is learned through revision. A common form of feedback for revision is for students to submit drafts of all or part of an assignment with sufficient time allowed for revision. However, other forms of feedback are possible, including conferences with the faculty member. With group-authored documents, courses are expected to implement a process whereby each student benefits from a course-determined revision process.
7. Students must earn a C- or better in the course in order to apply it toward their writing-intensive course requirement.

The Speaking Intensive Course Policy

All students will earn a grade of C- or better in at least two speaking-intensive courses beyond courses required for General Education in Goals 1-11, and 13. Speaking-intensive courses shall be designated in the Catalog, in the registration schedule, and on the course syllabus.

To qualify as speaking-intensive, a course must meet the following guidelines:

1. Speaking-intensive courses should require at least one formal speaking occasion for each student.
2. Instructors in speaking-intensive courses are encouraged to require informal speaking opportunities to lead students to explore and articulate course content.
3. Instructors in speaking-intensive courses should give explicit instruction in how to complete the required assignments. This explicit instruction must include giving detailed assignments and a scoring guide showing the explicit criteria, including grading scale, used to score the assignment. If possible, this information should be attached to the course syllabus. Other explicit instruction might include discussing procedures for gathering and organizing information, providing models of appropriate forms, and encouraging rehearsal and revision.

Transfer courses do not normally satisfy speaking intensive requirements.

Grade Level Progression

Responsibility

It is solely the responsibility of the candidate for graduation to meet all of the above requirements, including the completion of 120 semester hours, unless otherwise noted for that major degree program.

Graduation

Students who will have one course or 7 or less credits remaining may apply to participate in commencement. Please submit the appropriate Commencement Participation Application (http://www.longwood.edu/registrar/graduation-requirements/) to be considered for participation in the May ceremony. The application must be complete with all required documentation attached at the time of submission. To have your name appear in the commencement brochure, your application must be received by the Office of the Registrar, Barlow Hall no later than 5pm on April 1, 2019.

Diplomas will be mailed to students normally within eight weeks of commencement.

Graduation Honors

Those students who have earned 57 or more hours at Longwood and whose general averages for all Longwood credits offered for a degree are 3.35 or above are graduated with the following honors:

Cum Laude - 3.35-3.54
Magna Cum Laude - 3.55-3.74
Summa Cum Laude - 3.75-4.00

Longwood also recognizes graduating seniors who have successfully completed an honors program in a specialized academic area.

Second Baccalaureate Degree: A student who has earned a baccalaureate degree from Longwood or any other accredited institution may earn a second baccalaureate degree by satisfying the following requirements:

1. Submit an undergraduate Application for Admission, a non-refundable application fee, and all official college transcripts directly to the Office of Admissions.
2. Submit a completed undergraduate Application for Degree to the Office of the Registrar. In order to complete the Application for Degree, the student must meet with the appropriate Department Chair. (Note: The admission process will not be completed until this application has been filed.)
3. Complete all coursework required by the second program to earn the degree specified for that program. At least 30 hours for the second degree must be completed at Longwood.
4. All general education requirements and speaking and writing intensive course requirements are met by the first baccalaureate degree. Additional degree requirements are met by the first degree where applicable.
5. Maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average cumulatively and in the major unless a higher minimum grade point average is specified for a particular major.