2007-08 Undergraduate Catalog
Indiana, Pennsylvania 15705
 

Undergraduate students at IUP may pursue programs of study in any one of seven undergraduate colleges: the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology, the College of Education and Educational Technology, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Health and Human Services, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, or the School of Continuing Education. A student may earn the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or the Bachelor of Science in Education. The Eberly College of Business and Information Technology, the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the School of Continuing Education offer Associate of Arts degree programs. The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics also offers Associate in Applied Science and Associate in Science degrees.

 
To meet graduation requirements in a baccalaureate or an associate degree program, the student must satisfy all of the degree requirements, which fall into three categories: 1) university requirements, 2) college requirements, and 3) department requirements. Requirements of the latter two categories may be found under the college and the department in which the student is pursuing a program of study.
 

University requirements for graduation in all curricula consist of Liberal Studies requirements, residency requirements in regard to awarding of degrees, and the credit and cumulative grade-point average requirements.
 

Exception: Students who enrolled in a degree program prior to June 1, 1989, are not subject to Liberal Studies requirements; they will complete degree requirements including the General Education components outlined in earlier editions of the Undergraduate Catalog. Transfer students entering the university between June 1, 1989, and June 1, 1991, were assigned either to General Education or Liberal Studies at the time their transcripts were evaluated. All transfer students admitted after June 1, 1991, are subject to the Liberal Studies requirements.
 

A student may earn a second undergraduate baccalaureate degree by completing a minimum of 30 additional credits. A student may complete one or more secondary majors while earning the primary degree or may complete a dual baccalaureate degree.
 

Academic Life During the Freshman Year

During the Summer Orientation, as described in the section on orientation, students meet with faculty advisors to plan a program of courses for their first year. This careful planning considers students’ individual preferences, the results of placement testing, and degree program requirements.

 
With a typical freshman academic schedule, students progress both in the universitywide Liberal Studies program and in their intended majors.
 

Four Liberal Studies course areas are designed especially for freshmen, and all students are expected to complete these courses during their first year. These are ENGL 101 College Writing, HIST 195 The Modern Era, a course from a list of Fine Arts selections, and a Health and Wellness course from those selections. ENGL 101 enhances skills in written expression that are essential to success at the university. HIST 195 builds critical thinking skills and provides a foundation of knowledge for subsequent courses. Whichever fine arts course is chosen encourages an appreciative participation in campus cultural life. Courses in the Health and Wellness component address the many facets of wellness that contribute to health.
 

Professors teaching these courses work cooperatively with each other and with Student Affairs Division staff to integrate class work with campus lectures and arts events. Study skills development courses and tutoring resources are offered as available.
    

Credit and Cumulative Grade-Point Average Requirement

Each student must complete a minimum of 120 credits to graduate, including a minimum or 48 credits in Liberal Studies (all on a passing basis) and must have a 2.0 (C grade) cumulative GPA and a 2.0 (C grade) GPA in his/her major and/or minor field. Some programs require more than 120 credits for graduation.
  

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Liberal Studies

All students must fulfill the requirements of the university’s Liberal Studies program. This involves a minimum of 48 credits divided among Learning Skills, Knowledge Areas, and Synthesis. The number of credits may rise slightly depending on student choices. Different colleges and sometimes departments within colleges may have specific variations as to how these Liberal Studies requirements are to be met.
 

Liberal Studies provides the broad vision and understanding that enable individuals to enjoy full, rich lives and to play constructive roles in their communities. The goals for Liberal Studies include 1) the development of important modes of thinking and intellectual skills: critical thinking, literacy, understanding numerical data, historical consciousness, scientific inquiry, ethical perception, and aesthetic sensitivity; 2) the acquisition of a body of knowledge or understanding essential to an educated person; and 3) an understanding of the physical, as well as the intellectual, nature of human beings.
     

Liberal Studies Requirements

Note: Specific courses may be required or recommended by colleges or major departments; see degree program outlines for specifications.
 

Additional courses may be added to some categories during the next academic year.
 

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Writing Across the Curriculum: Minimum of Two “W” Courses

All students must include among the total courses required for graduation a minimum of two designated writing-intensive courses. One of these courses must be in the student’s primary major; the other(s) may be in Liberal Studies, college or major requirements, or free electives. Such courses, which involve extensive use of writing as part of the learning experience, are identified with a “W” as part of the section number in each semester’s schedule of classes listing on URSA.

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Eligibility and Application for Graduation

Commencement ceremonies at IUP are in May at the conclusion of the spring semester and in December at the conclusion of the fall semester. Only students who have completed all requirements for graduation by the end of the semester are eligible to participate in the commencement exercises. Students who have withdrawn from courses or have elected to take incompletes or have failed courses during the semester and thus have not met the requirements for graduation may not participate in commencement exercises until those requirements have been fulfilled. Students completing requirements in August and December are included in the program list for the December ceremony.

 
Students are responsible for knowing and fulfilling the requirements for graduation in their degree program. All students who expect to graduate are required to apply for graduation. Dual baccalaureate degree students must file a separate graduation application for each degree. Undergraduate students should check the published deadlines for graduation application and should apply on the web at www.iup.edu/ursa by logging in to the secure website and clicking on the “Academic Records” link under the “Student Records and Financial Aid” menu. Further information on applying for graduation may be obtained at the associate dean’s office of the student’s major college.

 
Degrees will not be posted until approval by the associate dean of the college of the student’s primary major is received in the Registrar’s Office. Diplomas will then be issued provided all financial obligations and requirements (including primary major, secondary majors, and minors) have been satisfied.
 

Pre-Approval for Transfer Coursework

Students enrolled at IUP who wish to take coursework at another institution (either during the summer or regular semesters) must complete an Application for Pre-Approval of Coursework at Another College/University prior to taking the course(s). Only the credits from the course(s) transfer, not the grade; therefore, students cannot use outside coursework for IUP’s repeat policy. Only the credits for which students receive the grade of A, B, or C will transfer. If P/F is the only grading option available, there must be a narrative evaluation from the faculty member certifying that the work was of “C” level or better. No more than 60 credits total may be earned at a junior or community college for application toward an IUP degree. If the courses are being taken within the student’s last 30 credits, the courses must be taken at IUP unless the student’s residency requirement for awarding of degrees is waived by the college dean. Courses without prior approval are taken at the risk of the student; there is no obligation on the part of any officer of this university to accept or transfer such credit.

 
Forms for approval of off-campus coursework are available in the office of the department chairperson of your major or the Office of Transfer Credit Evaluation/Admissions Office. Full directions on the form outline the steps involving the transfer evaluation, student’s advisor, and college dean, or designee. After completing off-campus coursework, students should have the institution at which the work was taken send a final official transcript directly to IUP, Transfer Services, 117 Sutton Hall, 1011 South Drive, IUP, Indiana, PA 15705. Copies of transcripts that are opened or unsealed will not be accepted.

 
Reevaluation of Transfer Credit

If a student feels a course was evaluated incorrectly, a reevaluation form can be printed by visiting www.iup.edu/admissions-office/transfer. A link on this page will lead to the reevaluation form.
 

A reevaluation form can also be picked up in G27 Sutton Hall. Once the student has the form, it should be filled out and syllabi for the course(s) that are under question should be attached to the form. The form along with the syllabi can be dropped off in G27 Sutton Hall for review by the Transfer Services Coordinator. If syllabi are not provided, the reevaluation cannot be done.
   

Program Changes

To insure their quality and relevance, academic programs at IUP are subject to review and change by duly appointed and responsible university groups. Because of this, the university recognizes that provisions must be made to prevent hardship to students already enrolled in programs if changes later occur in specific or general program requirements. Students affected by changes in programs, policies, and regulations are therefore given the option of following those requirements that are in effect when the student was first enrolled in the program or those in effect at the time of expected graduation. The student cannot, of course, combine chosen elements of the two. Should a question of rule interpretation arise with respect to changes, the student, the student’s advisor, or both should petition the college dean for a decision about which requirements apply.

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Residency Requirement for Awarding of Degrees

All students receiving an initial IUP baccalaureate degree are required to complete 45 credits in IUP courses. At least 15 credits in IUP courses are required to fulfill an IUP major and a minimum of 6 credits for a minor. Normally, the student will complete the final 30 credits in residence in IUP courses, unless specific approval has been secured from the dean of the student’s college. Exception to the above requirements for courses to be earned in residence at IUP may be granted by the college deans based upon the appropriateness and academic integrity of the courses in question. This approval is generally sought as part of the process for prior approval of off-campus coursework.
 

Non-Native Students: English Language Requirements

Non-native students of English, either international students or those from the U.S. for whom English is not their first learned language who have not been admitted as undergraduate students are required to take an ESL Screening/Placement Test prior to registration in the first semester attending IUP. The test is administered prior to registration in both the fall and spring semesters. Results of this test are used to determine for which English course (ENGL 100/ESL, ENGL 101/ESL, ENGL 202/ESL, ENGL 121/ESL) a newly admitted non-native student must register. In addition, any currently enrolled non-native student can take the regularly scheduled test to determine registration for non-ESL English courses. For further in-
formation, contact Director, American Language Institute, 724-357-6944.

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Timely Completion of Degree Requirements

The minimum total credit requirement for a baccalaureate degree at IUP is 120. Students who enroll in degree programs that require more than 120, or who seek the added benefit of a double major, minor, or specialized program, or who change majors should plan their sequence of courses carefully with an advisor. Such students should be alert to the possibility that they may need to carry a heavier-than-average class load in order to complete the degree in eight semesters. In some situations, summer work or an extra semester may be necessary. The need to enroll in remedial or other preparatory coursework or to repeat courses may also affect progress toward a degree.
  

Undergraduate Catalog Applicability Time Frame

The university reserves the right to modify degree requirements through established governance channels. However, the general policy has been established that the following time frame regulations form the basis for application of the university’s undergraduate degree requirements:
 

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