Adult Degree Programs/ Continuing Studies

Transcription

1 Adult Degree Programs/ Continuing Studies Cheryl Florea Vawter (Director), Diana Churchill (Assistant Director and Academic Advisor) The Department of Continuing Studies administers the Evening College and Summer College programs along with the bachelor of liberal studies and bachelor of arts in organizational management degree-completion program. Call the Department of Continuing Studies ( ) for more information on any of these programs. Continuing Studies offers a variety of programs for adult students. Evening College is designed for working adults in the greater Spokane area who need to complete their degrees on a part-time basis. Evening College offers degrees primarily in organizational management and liberal studies at a tuition rate competitive with area public universities. In addition, Continuing Studies offers a bachelor of liberal studies degree at reduced tuition for adults who are able to attend full time during the day. This degree is also available on a part-time basis or through Evening College. Whitworth s Summer College offers a wide array of courses suited for traditional-age students as well as adult learners. Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management Degree-Completion Program Whitworth College developed the bachelor of arts in organizational management in response to an increased need among adults in the greater Spokane area for a degree that blends theory with practice and allows adults who work full time to complete a degree in the evening and on weekends. Whitworth College

2 The degree-completion program, part of the School of Global Commerce and Management, is characterized by several unique features when compared to more traditional degree programs. First, the program can be done more quickly. Students can complete a 36-semester-credit major in approximately 17 months, compared to the normal 24- to 30-month time span for a part-time student. Each course meets one evening per week for six weeks, with two Saturday sessions. Second, the program is offered only to a cohort of students. Simply put, this means that a group of approximately 20 students will take the courses for the organizational management major together, and will take each course in the major in sequence. Admission Requirements The following requirements are necessary for admission into the bachelor of arts in organizational management degree-completion program: 1. Due to the experiential nature of the cohort model, applicants must be 25 years of age or older, or they must have three years of post-high-school, documented full-time professional experience in the workplace. 2. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 60 semester credits (90 quarter hours) of prior transferable college work with a grade-point average of 2.0 or above from accredited colleges or universities. 3. Applicants must submit an application packet (obtained through the Department of Continuing Studies) that includes the following: a completed Application for Admission, along with a $25 application fee; two references from persons qualified to assess the student s academic or professional competency, and a reference option sheet; a writing sample that demonstrates competency in the writing skills necessary for success in the program; completion of an on-site writing assignment. Portfolio Assessment Students enrolled in the organizational management program who have obtained knowledge outside of the traditional college classroom through prior experiential learning may earn college credit through portfolio assessment. Designed for the adult who is self-motivated and highly skilled in analytical process, portfolio development involves knowledge assessment, documentation, third-party verification, and an understanding of college-level learning expectations. Examples of appropriate college-level learning might be work-related training seminars or self-directed study. Up to 32 semester credits may be earned through portfolio assessment. Degree Requirements Academic requirements for the bachelor of arts in organizational management degree include: completion of the Whitworth College general college requirements; completion of organizational-management courses totaling 36 semester credits; completion of 126 total semester credits; a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 in all Whitworth courses and in the organizational-management major. Organizational-Management Curriculum Students take one course at a time. Each course requires six weeks to complete, meeting for one four-hour session per week, as well as two all-day Saturday sessions. Students earn three semester credits for each course. The entire organizational-management component of the bachelor s degree is completed in approximately 17 months. Each course is a prerequisite for the course that follows. A passing grade must be achieved in order for a student to continue on to the next course. A failing grade (F) will necessitate withdrawal from the program. 176 Whitworth College

3 First Semester (For course descriptions, see pages 64-65) BU 352 Human Behavior in Organizations... 3 BU 354 Human Resource Development... 3 BU 457 Employment Law and Regulations... 3 Second Semester BU 462 Applied Research... 3 EC 356 Applied Economic Principles... 3 BU 355 Concepts in Accounting and Finance for Managers... 3 BU 459 Management of Innovation and Technology... 3 Third Semester SP 460 Principles of Human Communication... 3 BU 461 Ethics in Management... 3 BU 458 Application of Management Principles... 3 BU 353W Organizational Development and Change... 3 Degree-completion students may choose to enroll in one additional course each regular semester (fall, spring, summer) through Whitworth s Evening College; tuition for these courses will be charged at the current Evening College tuition rate. Degree-completion students may not take more than one additional evening course at Whitworth each regular semester in addition to the degree-completion courses. Bachelor of Liberal Studies Whitworth s liberal studies degree is a bachelor s degree offered to adults as an alternative to traditional degree programs. The liberal-studies degree builds on the strength of a liberal-arts core curriculum, providing the adult student with a balanced and coherent study of the arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences. Whitworth s liberal-studies program allows adult students to select courses that meet their individual goals and lifelong learning needs. Whitworth is dedicated to providing an academically excellent liberal-arts education that will equip each student with the skills necessary to respond creatively to the personal and professional challenges of life. Required Courses for Majors in Liberal Studies Program Management (36) BU 315 Funding and Grant Writing... 3 BU 330 Fund Accounting and Budget Management... 3 EC 345 Economics of Social Issues... 3 BU 373 Human Resources Management... 3 BU 374 Principles of Management... 3 BU 396 Applied Marketing and Public Relations... 3 BU 450W Social and Ethical Issues in Business... 3 Twelve approved credits in related areas Social Services (36) SO 311W Families and Society... 3 BU 315 Funding and Grant Writing... 3 EC 345 Economics of Social Issues... 3 SO 368 The Helping Process in Social Services... 3 PO 371 Introduction to Public Administration... 3 PO 396 American Political Process... 3 SO 425 Making Change: Social Intervention Strategies... 3 Twelve approved credits in related areas Whitworth College

4 Humanities (45) Students have the opportunity to design their own academic program in consultation with an advisor. A minimum of 45 semester credits is required for the completion of the humanities track. 30 credits must be from the following areas: art, communication studies, English, history, music, philosophy, religion, theatre 15 credits must be from the above areas or from the social sciences: economics, political studies, psychology, sociology One of the above courses must be a writing-intensive course, designated by a W after the course number. Bachelor of Liberal Studies Upside-Down Degree Program for Community College A.A.S. Degree Holders This degree is often referred to as an upside-down degree because it reverses the normal order of beginning with general college course requirements and finishing with studies in a specialized field in order to complete a four-year bachelor s degree. This program allows a student to complete an A.A.S. degree at a Washington state community college in a specific field and subsequently come to Whitworth for completion of the general college requirements as well as the upper-division credits required for a bachelor s degree. A.A.S. Degree Credits Accepted by Whitworth Whitworth will accept credit from selected associate of applied science degrees from regionally accredited Washington state community colleges if the student chooses to apply that credit toward a bachelor s degree in liberal studies (the upside-down degree). The degree must have been obtained within the last 10 years. The student will transfer in with semester credits (depending upon the total number of credits earned through the A.A.S. degree), and will be granted junior standing. A list of accepted A.A.S. degrees is available through the Office of Continuing Studies. Admission Requirements for Bachelor of Liberal Studies Degree Programs All Bachelor of Liberal Studies students must be 25 years old or older. However, special consideration will be given to applicants under the age of 25 who want to enroll in the upside-down degree program if they have demonstrated high academic ability in obtaining their A.A.S. degrees. All applicants must meet with an advisor from Continuing Studies prior to admittance into any BLS degree program. An applicant must have a grade-point average of at least 3.25 and must achieve a satisfactory score on a standard written English exam (if requested by the academic advisor). If the score on the English test indicates inadequate writing skills, completion of remedial coursework may be required. Requirements for Completion of Bachelor of Liberal Studies Degree (All Areas of Concentration) 1. a minimum of 126 semester hours total, including those transferred from other institutions; 2. a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.0 in all courses taken at Whitworth; 3. the completion of 36 semester hours of upper-division courses (numbered 300 or above); 4. at least 32 semester hours must be earned in a degree program at Whitworth, including the last semester of the senior year; 5. satisfactory completion of Whitworth s general college requirements. Please note: Students may not complete minors in the BLS program. 178 Whitworth College

5 Continuing Studies Part-time Evening Students Students enrolled as Continuing Studies part-time evening students may not be required to take all general college requirements if those requirements are not available in the evening. This change in requirements, as authorized by the faculty, may also affect the total number of semester credits needed for graduation. Contact the Office of the Registrar or the Office of Continuing Studies for more details. Core 150, 250, 350 requirement (See Page 58 for course descriptions.) Core course requirements for students admitted through the Continuing Studies Office are as follows (also, students with an AA degree from a Washington community college should consult the guidelines for the Direct Transfer Agreement on Page 19): Part-time evening students (attending 50 percent or more of their classes during the evening) must take Core 250 only. Full-time or part-time day students (attending 50 percent or more of their classes during the day) must take all three Core classes. Full-time day bachelor of liberal studies students in the upside-down degree program must take two Core courses of their choice. Evaluation and Acceptance Into Continuing Studies Programs Each application for a Continuing Studies degree program is carefully reviewed before the Continuing Studies Office grants admission to the college. The following criteria may be considered in the admission decision process: transfer credit grade point average, personal interview, availability of appropriate academic program, prior coursework, quality of writing samples and references. Applicants will receive notification of their admittance status from the Office of Continuing Studies. Whitworth College