Requirements

Graduation
  

A student must complete at least one major and at least one minor. If a student completes two majors, a minor is not required unless it is a specific requirement of one of the majors. Candidates for BA and BS degrees must complete 124 semester hours plus one hour of First-Year Introduction (FYI) required of all first-year students. Candidates for the BMus must complete 128 semester hours, plus one hour of FYI required of all first-year students. No more than 8 hours of ROTC or Theater Workshop may count toward graduation. No more than 8 hours of Horsemanship unless student is in the Recreation major with the Equestrian track. Also, no more than 8 hours of applied music may count toward graduation for students who are not majoring or minoring in music. The minimum quality point average for graduation is 2.0. Grades in major, minor and concentration courses must be "C-"level or higher.

Residency Requirements

A student must complete at least 30 hours, one-half of the major and 18 of the last 24 hours at Houghton (except those under the senior-in-absentia privilege or those with special permission whose major or minor require them to be off campus). Other cases require a petition.

Second Degree

A student completing two majors, one leading to the BS degree and the other leading to the BA degree, is asked to choose which of the degrees to receive, and then graduates with one degree and two majors. The only situation in which a student may be awarded two different baccalaureate degrees simultaneously is by completing all requirements for both a BMus and either a BA or a BS, including the relevant integrative studies hours for each. Students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree, either at Houghton College or elsewhere, may earn a second baccalaureate degree by completing all Houghton College requirements for the degree and earning at least 30 credit hours in residence at Houghton College subsequent to the awarding of the first degree. If the first degree was granted by Houghton College, the second degree must be a different degree, e.g., a BS earned subsequently to a BA. The cumulative grade point average of work subsequent to the first degree must be 2.0 or higher. As with all Houghton degrees at least half of the hours for the major must be earned from Houghton; however, they do not all need to be earned subsequent to the first degree.

Changes in Requirements

Changes in graduation requirements may occur during a student’s career. On such occasions, students generally complete requirements as specified in the catalog for the year of their matriculation. However, the student may select a subsequent catalog in effect during his or her college career. Occasionally changes are made which include more precise implementation guidelines. If the student believes the program is unfairly or unreasonably modified, the student should consult the Academic Records Office.

Liberal Arts Requirements

Most of the courses at Houghton College are liberal arts courses, designed either for contributing to a general education or for enhancing understanding of a particular subject area or discipline of inquiry. Other courses are professional in nature, designed to prepare a student for a specific occupation, e.g., education, business, ministry.

The State of New York and Houghton College require a minimum of 93 hours of liberal arts courses for the BA degree and 62 hours for the BS degree (in addition to specialized areas of professional work), and a minimum of 32 hours for the BMus degree. These various curricula are designed to ensure that these minimums are achieved.

Master of Arts in Music; Master of Music

A candidate for a master’s degree chooses a curriculum from the listings to be found in The Greatbatch School of Music Graduate Bulletin.

Bachelor of Arts

A candidate for the Bachelor of Arts degree selects a major and that choice must be approved by the chair of that department.

The BA degree requires a minimum of 93 hours of liberal arts and a total of 124 hours (plus one hour of FYI for Houghton first-year students). An academic minor is also required unless otherwise specified.

Bachelor of Science

A candidate for the Bachelor of Science degree may select a major from business administration, communication, computer science, Bible, educational ministries, childhood education, physical education, recreation, science, or writing. The BS degree candidate must also complete a minor or minors, plus sufficient elective hours to complete 124 hours. The minor(s) may be either in an area of liberal arts or in a professional field. The BS degree requires a minimum of 62 liberal arts hours and a total of 124 hours (plus one hour of FYI for Houghton first-year students).

Bachelor of Music

A candidate for the bachelor of music degree chooses a curriculum from the listings to be found under music in the Academic Programs section.

Associate of Arts

The AA degree is designed to prepare students for continued studies in the liberal arts. However, the program also provides a general education for those wishing a two-year course for their own cultural enrichment.

The Integrative Studies requirements for the AA:

Required courses - 10

3 hours of Principles of Writing or Advanced Composition

4 hours of Western Civilization

3 hours of Biblical Literature

Additional hours - 30