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BACHELOR’S DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Since receiving its statewide liberal arts and sciences mission in 1985, Truman’s faculty, staff, and students have been studying and deliberating the meaning of a quality liberal arts and sciences education as they seek continuous improvement in their programs. These conversations culminated in a new liberal studies curriculum in 1998 that heavily utilized the recommendations of the University’s Liberal Arts and Sciences Task Force and the national publications of Phi Beta Kappa for evaluating essential characteristics of a liberal education. The University’s Liberal Arts and Sciences Task Force identified two important models of the liberal arts tradition and recommended that Truman’s curriculum embrace them both as necessary and interdependent learning paths for the whole, liberally educated person. The artes liberales model emphasizes social virtues, community and good citizenship through the study of established knowledge and norms while the liberal free model emphasizes individual freedom through independent intellectual exploration and development of critical and integrative thinking skills.
From Phi Beta Kappa, the University’s Liberal Studies Program (LSP) adopted the following standards to help clarify the characteristics of liberal arts and sciences courses and a liberal education:
- “In acquiring a liberal education, the undergraduate will study primarily subjects which illuminate the human condition, subjects which explore aspects of taste and feeling, of the reasoning process, of the physical and moral worlds, of individual and group responsibility, of the meaning of life as a whole;”
- that “a liberal education is not primarily vocational;”
- that “a liberal education seeks to quicken the mind and spirit by encouraging the full development of human capacities;” and
- that “it is true that often a liberal education may have a definitive market value and may in that sense be considered vocational. It is true also that vocational programs sometimes contain liberal content. Nevertheless, the main lines of cleavage can, in practice, be seen. It is not difficult to distinguish between broad cultivation and technical competence.” (Phi Beta Kappa: The Founding of New Chapters, 1985, pp. 3-4)
To accomplish these objectives, Truman State University created a Liberal Studies Program that consists of three areas: (a) essential skills needed for life-long learning; (b) breadth across the traditional liberal arts and sciences and their modes of inquiry; and (c) interconnecting perspectives that stress interdisciplinary thinking and multiple cultural perspectives regardless of a student’s academic major. Students are also encouraged to supplement these requirements by taking advantage of some of the other opportunities the University offers such as: academic minors, the Honors Scholar Program, undergraduate research, study abroad, internships, service learning, and numerous academic organizations.
GRADUATION POLICIES
A graduation application is required for a student to be eligible for graduation and to be included in the commencement ceremony at the end of each semester. An undergraduate student may file an application for graduation any time after the completion of 90 credits while there is not an application deadline, students are encouraged to get their applications on file early. Detailed information can be found on the Registrar’s website.
All problems cited by the Registrar after review of the graduation application must be resolved within the time period specified, or the student is removed from the graduation list.
Students having questions concerning graduation requirements should consult this catalog and speak with their academic advisor. In addition to the items stated above, candidates should also take note of the following:
- Off-campus courses taken during the final semester must be cleared with the advisor, the Department Chair, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Registrar.
- All courses substituted or waived must be submitted through the Registrar’s Office using a Substitution Form. To be used in degree requirements, a substitution or waiver must be approved by the Department Chair and Dean of School.
All graduating students have successfully completed a minimum of 63 credits of liberal arts and sciences coursework of which 31-57 credits are derived from Liberal Studies Program offerings, and a major program of study that reinforces liberal studies objectives and culminates in a capstone experience. Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degrees have demonstrated intermediate proficiency in one foreign language, and all candidates for the Bachelor of Science degrees have an elementary proficiency in one foreign language. Additionally, Bachelor of Science graduates have at least six credits of quantitative coursework.
MULTIPLE BACCALAUREATE DEGREES
The University confers five types of baccalaureate degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Students may earn only one of each type of baccalaureate degree. For example, a student may earn a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree, but not two Bachelor of Arts degrees. A student may still, however, earn a single degree with multiple majors, such as a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in English and French.
Students may receive more than one degree from the University only when the following requirements are met:
- To earn more than one degree, students must complete at least twelve credits in addition to those required by the degree with the highest cumulative credit requirement.
- Students may not earn a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in the same major.
POST-BACCALAUREATE MAJORS AND ADDITIONAL DEGREES
A student who has earned a baccalaureate degree and who wishes to pursue further undergraduate work may complete a post-baccalaureate major and have it noted on the transcript with the date of completion, or earn a second degree if it is different from the first degree (for example, earn a Bachelor of Science degree if the first degree earned was a Bachelor of Arts).
When a person returns to the University to pursue an additional major or degree after stopping out, he or she must file for admission through the Admission Office. The student is required to earn an additional 12 credits in residence after the first degree, and complete all requirements for the post-baccalaureate major or degree, including all Liberal Studies Program, Required Support, and BA/BS requirements.
COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES
Commencement exercises are held at the end of the fall and spring semesters. To participate in the commencement ceremony, students must have an approved graduation application on file in the Registrar’s Office, and must have been cleared to graduate pending the satisfactory completion of final degree requirements.
May and December degree candidates should be present for commencement except under unusual circumstances, and should usually participate in commencement at the end of the semester during which they complete their degree. May and December degree candidates may petition to participate in a later commencement ceremony by filing a petition through the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. May and December degree candidates may not participate in the commencement ceremony in a semester earlier than their semester of graduation.
August degree candidates can participate in the May commencement ceremony immediately prior to their August graduation if a graduation application is accepted by the Registrar’s Office, or in the December commencement ceremony following their August graduation. August degree candidates must notify the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Office of the commencement ceremony in which they wish to participate.
The Bachelor’s degrees granted by Truman State University are:
| BA |
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Bachelor of Arts |
| BFA |
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Bachelor of Fine Arts |
| BM |
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Bachelor of Music |
| BS |
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Bachelor of Science |
| BSN |
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Bachelor of Science in Nursing |
For information about graduate degree requirements, see the Masters Programs in the Academic Programs section of this catalog, or see the Graduate Studies section for general graduate information.
“Major” refers to the primary area of specialization for which recognition is given by the conferring of a degree. Course requirements of the major are given in each major’s description in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.
“Area of Concentration” refers to additional coursework in the major which allows a student to explore an area of interest in greater depth.
“Minors” provide contrasting and parallel study to the major. Serving to complement the major and help students further expand and integrate knowledge, academic minors are offered in a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary subjects. Students who choose to pursue minors should seek advice from faculty members in their minor disciplines as well as from their advisors in their major program(s).
UNDERGRADUATE AREAS OF STUDY:
MAJORS OFFERED (BY SCHOOL)
Any student may apply “pre-law,” “pre-medicine,” “pre-Master of Arts in Education,” “pre-dental,” “pre-occupational therapy,” “pre-medical technology,” “pre-pharmacy,” “pre-physical therapy,” “pre-physician’s assistant,” or “pre-veterinary” to almost any major. These are not majors and students should consult their advisors as soon as possible when choosing one of these designations.
SCHOOL OF ARTS & LETTERS
Art (BA)
Art (BFA) with concentrations in:
Studio Art
Visual Communications
Art History (BA)
Classics (BA)
Creative Writing (BFA)
English (BA)
French (BA)
German (BA)
Linguistics (BS)
Music (BA) (General)
Music (BA) (Pre-Certification)
Music (BA) with concentration in: Liberal Arts
Music (BM) with Emphasis Groups
Romance Language (BA)
Russian (BA)
Spanish (BA)
Theatre (BA)
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Accounting (BS)
Business Administration (BA/BS) with concentrations in:
Finance
International Business (BA only)
Management
Marketing
SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES & EDUCATION
Athletic Training (BS)
Communication Disorders (BA/BS)
Exercise Science (BS) with concentrations in:
Applied/Clinical
Physical Education/Health
Pre-Medical Sciences
Health Science (BS) with concentrations in:
Community, Worksite, and Public Health
Health Administration
Individualized
Pre-Medical Sciences
Pre-Occupational Therapy
Nursing (BSN)
SCHOOL OF SCIENCES & MATHEMATICS
Agricultural Science (BS)
Biology (BA/BS)
Chemistry (BS)
Computer Science (BS)
Mathematics (BA/BS)
Physics (BA/BS)
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL & CULTURAL STUDIES
Communication (BA) with concentrations in:
Communication Studies
Journalism
Public Communication
Economics (BA/BS)
History (BA/BS)
Justice Systems (BS)
Philosophy & Religion (BA)
Political Science (BA/BS)
Psychology (BA/BS)
Sociology/Anthropology (BA/BS)
INTERDISCIPLINARY
Interdisciplinary Studies (BA/BS)
MINORS OFFERED (BY SCHOOL)
A minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required for all coursework within each Academic Minor Program. A minimum of nine credits of the coursework for Academic Minor Programs must be taken through Truman unless the discipline specifies a greater number of credits at Truman. A student cannot pursue a minor and a major in the same area.
SCHOOL OF ARTS & LETTERS
Art History
Art Studio
English
French
French Minor in Translation
German
Greek
Jazz Studies
Latin
Linguistics
Music
Photography
Russian Studies
Spanish
Spanish Minor for the Professions
Theatre
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Business Administration
SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES & EDUCATION
Coaching
SCHOOL OF SCIENCES & MATHEMATICS
Actuarial Science
Agricultural Business
Agricultural Studies
Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Equine Studies
Information Systems
Mathematics
Physics
Psychology
Statistical Methods
Statistics
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL & CULTURAL STUDIES
Anthropology
Communication
Economics
Geography
History
Justice Systems
Military Science
Philosophy & Religion
Political Communication
Political Science
Public Administration
Sociology
INTERDISCIPLINARY
African/African-American Studies
Asian Studies
Celtic Studies
Classical Studies
Cognitive Science
Disability Studies
Environmental Studies
Film Studies
Folklore
Forensic Science
International Studies
Italian Studies
Mathematical Biology
Medieval Studies
Women’s and Gender Studies
Bachelor’s Degree Requirements
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- Grade Point Average Requirements
- Total Credit Requirement
- Course Level Requirement
- Residency Requirement
- Truman Week Requirement
- Liberal Studies Program Requirement
- Writing-Enhanced Course Requirements
- Liberal Arts and Sciences Credit Requirement
- Missouri Statute 170.011 Requirement
- Requirements for Specific Bachelor Degrees
- Major Component Requirement
- Assessment Requirements
- Clearance Materials
Grade Point Average Requirements
A 2.0 minimum cumulative grade point average (unless a higher requirement is specified in the Academic Programs section of this catalog), a 2.0 minimum cumulative grade point average in all coursework completed at Truman State University, and a 2.0 minimum major grade point average (unless a higher requirement is specified) are required to graduate from Truman State University.
Total Credit Requirement
Students must complete and pass a minimum of 120 total credits to earn a Bachelor’s degree at Truman State University.
Course Level Requirement
Students must complete and pass at least 40 credits in 300-, 400-, and 500-level courses in order to meet graduation requirements for all baccalaureate degrees.
Residency Requirement
The minimum residence credit required for a Bachelor’s degree is 45 credits, 28 of which must immediately precede completion of requirements for the degree. At least 15 of the 45 credits must be for courses which count toward the student’s major requirement. These requirements may be waived only with approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Students are advised that an official transcript for coursework completed from another college or university must be received by the Truman Registrar’s Office prior to the first day of classes of the last 28 credits immediately preceding completion of degree requirements, or an approved waiver of the residency requirement is required.
Truman Week Requirement
The primary purpose of Truman Week is to help first-year students in their personal and academic adjustment to university life and thus enhance their academic success. Included in the activities is a required interdisciplinary short-term course. The one-credit pass/fail course is an experience that applies interdisciplinary connections, employs various collegiate and intellectual skills, and uses knowledge-building resources of the University. While general guidelines are set for all sections, the approach, techniques, and specific content of the course may vary with each section.
Liberal Studies Program Requirement
Students must complete the requirements outlined for the Liberal Studies Program to total 31-57 credits.
Writing-Enhanced Course Requirements
All students must complete one writing-enhanced Junior Interdisciplinary Seminar (JINS) course and two additional writing-enhanced courses. (Preferably one writing-enhanced course should be completed in the major and one writing-enhanced course should be completed outside the major.) Selected courses may fulfill other requirements, including LSP Modes of Inquiry. Specific sections and specific instructors of writing-enhanced courses are designated in each Open Course List.
Liberal Arts and Sciences Credit Requirement
Each student must complete 63 credits of courses designated Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Missouri Statute 170.011 Requirement
All students receiving baccalaureate degrees must comply with the provisions of Missouri Statute 170.011. Students may meet the requirements of this law by taking a course at Truman. To see the list of courses please go to this link Missouri Statute Courses .
Transfer students who have completed an American History course including the Constitutional Period and the Missouri Constitution at another Missouri institution may be certified for graduation. AP credit, CLEP credit, and transfer courses from institutions outside Missouri do not meet this requirement.
Transfer students who have completed an American History or American National Government course including the Constitutional Period outside the State of Missouri may qualify by taking one of the following courses:
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
- Liberal Studies Program. 31-57 credits.
- Foreign Language. Intermediate proficiency (0-6 credits) in ONE foreign language must be earned in addition to the Liberal Studies Program requirements. As a proficiency requirement, courses used to demonstrate proficiency may be used to satisfy other degree requirements. For further information, please see the foreign language sections of Transferring In and Testing Out and Academic Policies and Procedures in this catalog as well as requirements of the desired degree major.
- Major Subject. A major consists of no fewer than 30 credits. The sequence of courses for each major is found in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.
- Electives to bring the total to a minimum of 120 credits.
Bachelor of Music Degree Requirements
- Liberal Studies Program. 31-58 credits including MUSI 340 and MUSI 341.
- Foreign Language. Intermediate proficiency (0-6 credits) in ONE foreign language must be earned in addition to the Liberal Studies Program requirements. As a proficiency requirement, courses used to demonstrate proficiency may be used to satisfy other degree requirements. For further information, please see the foreign language sections of Transferring In and Testing Out and Academic Policies and Procedures in this catalog as well as requirements of the desired degree major.
- Major Subject. The Bachelor of Music (BM) degree constitutes the initial professional collegiate degree in music. Truman’s BM performance concentration provides a course of studies designed expressly for students who possess superior capabilities and demonstrate sustained, outstanding achievement in applied performance. Both a junior and a senior public recital are required. The course sequence for the performance concentration is listed under the Academic Programs offerings.
- A total of 120 credits.
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree Requirements
- Liberal Studies Program. 31-57 credits.
- Foreign Language. Intermediate proficiency (0-6 credits) in ONE foreign language must be earned in addition to the Liberal Studies Program requirements. For further information, please see the foreign language sections of Transferring In and Testing Out and Academic Policies and Procedures in this catalog as well as requirements of the desired degree major.
- Major subject requirements as specified by degree programs. The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree represents the first professional degree step in creating and contextualizing art. Therefore, the BFA Creative Writing degree has a heavy program of writing and literature courses. The BFA Studio Art and the BFA Visual Communications degrees have heavy programs of studio and art history courses; these two programs normally require an extra summer for completion. Course sequences for all three BFA degrees are listed under the Academic Programs offerings.
- Electives to bring the total to a minimum of 120 credits.
Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements
- Liberal Studies Program. 31-57 credits.
- Additional required math and science-based courses, minimum 6 credits.
- Major Subject. A major consists of no fewer than 30 credits. The sequence of courses for each major is found in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.
- Electives to bring the total to a minimum of 120 credits.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree Requirements
- Liberal Studies Program. 31-57 credits.
- Major subject. A major in Nursing consists of 50 credits. The sequence of courses for the program is listed in the Academic Programs section of this catalog.
- Each student must complete 24 credits of discipline directed and BS degree Liberal Studies Program requirements. The requirements and sequencing of these courses are listed in the Nursing (BSN) degree description under Academic Programs.
- Electives to bring the total to a minimum of 122 credits.
Major Component Requirement:
Students must complete a minimum of 30 credits in a Truman-designated major. Fifteen of those credits must be earned at Truman, unless a major specifies a higher minimum requirement.
Assessment Requirements:
- Portfolios: Undergraduate students are required to maintain a portfolio containing representative pieces of work from their in- and out-of-class experiences at Truman. The purpose of the portfolio is fourfold: (a) to provide students with a record of their academic growth and achievement; (b) to encourage self-reflection on what has been learned; (c) to give advisors useful information about what their advisees are learning; and, (d) to allow the University to ascertain what knowledge and skills are promoted by a variety of courses and University experiences across the curriculum.
- Senior Tests: All students are required to complete a nationally-normed or licensing exam in their major or a designated alternate senior exam during the senior year and prior to graduation.
- Graduating Student Questionnaire: As part of the graduation clearance process, students are required to complete an exit survey online during their final semester at Truman.
Clearance Materials
Each student must complete the clearance materials to be cleared for graduation. This includes the graduation fee, other outstanding fees, and the Graduating Student Questionnaire.
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