Institutional Requirements
The Institutional Requirements Rationale Statement
Preparing students to enter a world of constant change entails preparing them for a global multicultural world. Changes in the cultural and international profile of the world have been constant and continue to impact the consciousness of us all, even in isolated rural areas of the world. In today’s world, it is rare to be involved in business or leisure activities that do not involve diversity of class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, exceptionality, religion, language, and age. Helping students to understand the importance of recognizing and respecting differences in behaviors, values, opinions, and points of view across these dimensions will greatly enrich their lives as they enter an environment of change and diversity. Technology, also, is constantly evolving. In fact, changes occur at such a fast pace that skills acquired only months ago can quickly become outdated. Thus, in order to prepare students to be autonomous learners, students should understand cutting edge technologies; how technology shapes and forms us as individuals, as communities, and as a world; and how technology enables us to continue to improve and evolve.
The Institutional Requirements Portion of Degree Requirements
In order to complete the bachelor’s degree, students must take the general education requirements for their specific degree, plus institutional requirements for their specific degree, plus major and/or minor requirements as specified by the department, plus electives as needed to total a minimum of 124 semester hours.
It is important for students to work closely with their academic advisors when selecting courses, as not all courses fulfill requirements for all degrees. Students who change their majors, choose double majors or additional certification, or who do not choose courses carefully may need more than 124 semester hours to complete a degree program.