Academic Overview

Undergraduate and Graduate Programs | Glossary of Terms | Degrees | Four-Year Pledge to Students | Academic Organization | Preparatory Programs

This section of the catalog provides an overview of all of the academic programs at The College of St. Scholastica. Curriculum details for the undergraduate programs are provided in the Academic Program, Curriculum, and Course Descriptions sections of this catalog.

Undergraduate and Graduate Programs of the College

The table provides an alphabetical listing of the undergraduate and graduate programs offered by The College of St. Scholastica. Unless otherwise indicated all subjects are available on the Duluth campus; several are also offered in online formats or on one or more of the extended campuses in Duluth, Brainerd, Rochester, St.Cloud, and St.Paul. Undergraduate programs are described in detail in this catalog; updates are on the College Web site. Graduate program information is in the Graduate Catalog or on the Web site.

View Academic Overview Table

Glossary of Terms

Major: A designation signifying an area of academic emphasis; the completion of specific requirements in the major field indicates mastery of the subject as defined and approved by the appropriate department. The major is recorded on the student’s transcript. Majors come in three types: the departmental major, the school major and the self-designed major.

Departmental majors: Departmental majors are named on transcripts, listed in the catalog, have specific structures and requirements including prerequisites, and represent a commitment by the College to offer everything necessary for students to complete themajorwithin the Four-Year Pledge (and its exceptions). Most departmental majors are the same as academic departments, such as English, Nursing, or Psychology. Some academic departments house more than one major, such as Management, Applied Economics, and Accounting. The faculty member responsible for each major is listed in the catalog.

School majors: Four of the academic schools sponsor school majors. School major requirements are listed in the catalog under the school name. School deans are responsible for advising and approving school major plans.

Self-designed majors: The individual studentwho desires to pursue a course of study which does not fit any department or school structure can work with an individual faculty member to create a coherent program that reflects academic rigor and individual initiative. Self-designed plans need approval by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee before more than half of the planned credits are taken.

Minor: A designation signifying an optional area of academic emphasis in addition to the chosen major. The completion of specific requirements in the minor field indicates a working knowledge of a subject as defined and approved by the appropriate department. The minor is recorded on the student’s transcript.

Concentration: An area of specialization within a major. The concentration is recorded on the student’s transcript.

Certificate: A cluster of courses that results in the award of a certificate, but not a degree.

Licensure program: A specialized formof a certificate that enables students to pursue licensure in a particular profession. Licensure programs serve the needs of students who already hold a degree in another subject area and therefore do not require another degree. For example, to become eligible for licensure as a teacher, a student with no previous degree would work toward a bachelor’s degree with one of our education majors; a student who already has a bachelor’s degreewould enroll in one of our licensure programs.

Course offerings: A group of courses in a specific area without a corresponding major or minor.

Degrees

The College of St. Scholastica currently awards the following degrees:
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Master of Education (M. Ed.)
Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)
Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.)

Four-Year Pledge to Students

 The College of St. Scholastica pledges that new students who enter the College as first-year undergraduate students and follow the requirements below will graduate in four years. If you have followed the requirements below and do not complete your education in four years, St. Scholastica will offer you a grant (after federal and state financial aid have been credited to you) to cover tuition costs until the degree program is completed.

The College of St. Scholasticamakes this pledge because it is committed to quality education, has confidence in its advisement programand availability of course offerings, and desires to keep the College affordable to all students.

Requirements of the St. Scholastica Four-Year Pledge:

1. Enroll in a full course load for your intended major every semester. For most majors this requires an average of 16 credits per semester; selected majors with external licensure requirements (for example,nursing and education) have higher semester course load requirements.
2. Be formally accepted into the major you graduate with according to the schedule specified by the major. In most cases this is no later than the spring semester of your second year, though some majors with external licensure requirementsmay require earlier application to the major.
3. Follow the major course sequence in the advisors’ manual, and maintain the major’s required academic progression and skills requirements. For students in majors with external licensing requirements, students must follow the course sequence in the four year schema for the major from the first semester of enrollment; graduating with these majors in four years requires that students undertake carefully planned, ambitious course schedules fromthe start of their academic careers at The College of St. Scholastica.
4. Attain the required grade in all courses in your major and maintain the grade point average required of your major;
5. Do not fail or withdraw from any course without making up the credits during this four-year period of time
6. Enroll without “stopping-out” for personal, financial, or other reasons; The pledge does not apply if a student elects additional majors, minors, or certifications that extend the course of study. In addition, this pledge does not apply to students in the Chemistry, Middle and Secondary Education major, as the dual science and education requirements often extend the degree beyond four years.

Academic Organization

The undergraduate majors and minors of the College are housed within six academic schools. A seventh school, the School of Extended Studies, collaborates with the other schools to offer programs in nontraditional formats on the Duluth campus and at extended campuses across Minnesota.

School of Arts and Letters

Advertising and Public Relations
American Indian Studies
Art
Catholic Studies
Communication
English
French
German
History
Humanities
Languages and International Studies
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Music
Philosophy
Photography
Political Science
Russian
Social Studies
Secondary Education
Spanish Theatre
Theatre Management
Theology and Religious Studies
Women’s and Gender Studies

School of Business and Technology

Accounting 
 Computer Science / Computer Information Systems
Economics, Applied
Management
Marketing
Organizational Behavior

School of Education

Educational Media and Technology
Elementary and Middle Education
Middle and Secondary Education
Ojibwe Language and Culture Education

School of Health Sciences

Exercise Physiology
Health Information Management
Health Sciences
Social Work

School of Nursing

Nursing

School of Sciences

Biochemistry
Biology
Chemistry
Gerontology
Natural Sciences
Mathematics
Psychology
Social Sciences

School of Extended Studies*

Accounting
Communication
Computer Science / Computer Information Systems
Management
Marketing
Natural Sciences Nursing - RN to BA Completion Program
Organizational Behavior
SocialWork

* Please refer to the extended campus of interest to determine which programs are offered at that site.

Preparatory Programs

The College offers excellent preparation for graduate, professional study in a number of disciplines. Students who are planning to attend graduate professional schools select an undergraduate major that enables them to meet the admission requirements of the program and work carefully to meet specific course requirements and grade point averages required for consideration for admission.

Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Professions Advising
 Students seeking admission to a health professional program often complete a major in the sciences and are advised by science faculty with experience working with students who plan to attend medical, pharmacy, dental, veterinary, optometry, podiatry, or chiropractic school.

Students seeking admission to the graduate program in occupational therapy or physical therapy at The College of St. Scholastica often work toward a Health Science major with admission after three years of undergraduate study. In the fourth year of study these students complete the first year of the professional program,which also serves as the final year of the Health Science undergraduate major. Some students prefer a fuller traditional undergraduate experience and a wider choice of majors, entering the graduate Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy Program after completion of a bachelor’s degree.

In addition to individualized pre-medical and pre-health professions advising by faculty members, The College of St. Scholastica has formed the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Board, consisting of respected medical and health practitioners in the region who serve as resources to the College and its students.

Pre-Law Advising
Students seeking admission to law school are not restricted to one certain major, but may major in any one of a number of academic disciplines, most of which reside in the humanities. These students will have access to an experienced pre-law advisor who will assist them in all steps of the application to law school process, including writing a competitive personal statement and LSAT preparation.

Pre-law advisement and programming at The College of St. Scholastica is guided by a Pre-Law Advisory Board, consisting of respected attorneys in the region who serve as resources to the College and its students.

Other Pre-Professional Advising
Students seeking admission to other professional programs in disciplines such as library science are well served by members of the faculty who have the expertise to guide themin selecting majors and activities that support their admission to these programs.