Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Graduation Requirements

The requirements for graduation at Chapman are commensurate with the school's liberal arts philosophy. The program of studies is designed to ensure a breadth of subject matter in the liberal arts as well as a depth in the preparation in the major field. A student's curriculum includes preparatory courses, the general education program, major requirements and free electives.

For all bachelor degrees:

A minimum of 124 credits in addition to any necessary preparatory skill credits.
42 credits earned in upper-division coursework.
A minimum of 38 credits earned from Chapman; 21 of which must be upper–division, with 15 of those 21 upper-division credits in the student's major (military students contact the VA representative).
General education requirements differ for the bachelor of music degree (see Conservatory of Music).
All transfer credit applied towards the degree must be evaluated and approved by the Office of the Registrar. In addition, transfer work going towards the student's major may require departmental approval. No transfer work with grades earned below "C–" will be accepted towards meeting graduation requirements, but will be counted within the student's overall cumulative grade point average. Once students are enrolled at Chapman University it is strongly recommended that prior to taking courses elsewhere, students check the online transfer articulation database to determine whether or not the course(s) are transferable to Chapman University.
2.000 grade point average on a 4.0 scale at Chapman and a 2.000 GPA for all work leading to the degree, including transfer work.
2.000 GPA for all major coursework and all upper-division major coursework.
Resolution of all NR and I grades.
Students completing a bachelor of arts degree must have a minimum of 62 credits outside of the discipline of the major.

Limitation of Credit

The number of credits allowed toward any baccalaureate degree may be limited by the following:

A maximum of 32 credits may be earned in passing courses by examination.
The maximum number of credits acceptable from two–year colleges is 70.
A total of not more than 15 credits may be accepted of baccalaureate level correspondence, extension, or continuing education courses. Of these 15 credits, no more than 6 credits may apply toward General Education credit and no more than 6 credits may apply towards the major. General Education courses must be approved by the Office of the Registrar, and major courses must be approved by the department chair.
A maximum of 4 credits in physical activity courses and 12 credits in applied dramatic art and music ensembles will be counted toward the baccalaureate degree. Athletic training and dance majors, and members of athletic teams may take up to 12 credits in physical education activity courses toward their baccalaureate degrees.
A maximum of 12 credits of cooperative education and internship, combined, may count toward the baccalaureate degree.
Credits from institutions of collegiate level which are not regionally accredited are not accepted in transfer.
No more than 27 credits taken at Chapman in non–matriculated status may be applied toward a bachelor's degree. Students who have not been admitted by the time they have completed 27 credits in a non-matriculated status will not be allowed to register for additional courses. (See Classification.)
No more than 46 credits may be accepted for U.S. military coursework. The 46 credits include 6 credits for U.S. military service. No more than 6 of the 46 credits may be accepted at the upper–division level. All military credit accepted applies only as general elective credit.

No more than 32 credits will be awarded for dual credit (college work taken while concurrently enrolled in high school or GED program), including Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate credit. The Freshman Foundations Course will be required of all new students entering directly from high school, as well as new students having taken less than 15 college credits between the date of high school graduation and matriculation at Chapman.

Preparatory Courses

Preparatory Requirements

The preparatory skills must be completed before the beginning of the third semester. All new students will be placed in required preparatory skills in their first semester according to assessed skill levels. Preparatory skills credits do not count towards the 124 credits required for graduation. All preparatory skills courses are graded pass/no pass.

Students who do not complete the preparatory skills before the beginning of the third semester will be placed on administrative probation and will be placed in the remaining requirements. If the requirements are not completed after one semester on administrative probation, the students will not be allowed in further coursework until the requirements are completed.

Mathematics

Passing score on the mathematics placement test; or score of 500 or higher on the mathematics section of the SAT; or 21 or higher on the mathematics sub-score of the ACT; or mathematics 098 and 099.

General Education Program

Shared Inquiry Courses (18–19 credits)

Courses in the shared inquiry categories are distinguished primarily by inquiry approaches rather than individual disciplinary areas. They engage students in both active learning and reflective thought, emphasizing critical inquiry in major liberal arts areas. All students take a course that has a primary focus in each of the following areas of inquiry:

Artistic inquiry (3 credits): Provides students an opportunity to explore artistic media, performance and/or creative expression.
Natural Science Inquiry (3–4 credits): Provides students an opportunity to engage in the scientific method of experimentation and research.
Quantitative Inquiry (3 credits): Provides students an opportunity to investigate and explore university-level mathematical and/or computer science analysis.
Social Inquiry (3 credits): Provides students an opportunity to explore processes by which human beings develop social and/or historical perspectives.
Values and Ethical Inquiry (3 credits): Provides students an opportunity to explore values and ethical perspectives in humanistic, aesthetic, religious and/or philosophical contexts.
Written Inquiry (3 credits): Provides students an intensive course in academic writing at the first–year or intermediate level, according to demonstrated competence; includes attention to media–based composing and delivery.

Completion of the full CSU or UC IGETC certification satisfies all shared inquiry categories.

Exploration Clusters (27 credits)

All Chapman students will create a uniquely Chapman experience, including the Freshman Foundations Program, an Inter/Multidisciplinary Cluster, and Global Citizen Cluster of focused, self–selected courses and/or experiential learning opportunities.

Freshman Foundations Program (3 credits): Provides students an introduction to university–level critical inquiry, anchored in the cross–disciplinary Freshman Foundations course and including the summer reading program, academic orientation, and associated co–curricular events. The Freshman Foundations Course will be required of all new students entering directly from high school, as well as new students having taken less than 15 college credits between the date of high school graduation and matriculation at Chapman.
Global Citizen Cluster (12 credits)
1. Global Study (6 credits): Students choose six credits from across the curriculum that allow them to explore the diversity inherent in our social and natural environments, including human diversity and world cultures. Study abroad, a travel course, or experiential learning pre–approved for this global study (i.e., 120 hours of documented work relating to the category) is strongly recommended and may be used to satisfy units in this portion of the general education program.
2. Citizenship, Community, and Service (3 credits): Students select a learning experience that focuses on citizenship, community, or service; may be a course or experiential learning pre–approved for this cluster (e.g., service learning internship or 120 hours of documented service learning).
3. Language Study (3 credits): Students complete part of their general education program in a language other than English. This may be accomplished through a language course at or above the 200–level, a course taught in the language, or documented functional language use.
Inter/Multidisciplinary Cluster (12 credits): Provides students an opportunity to explore an area of interest from an inter/multidisciplinary focus: four related courses outside the student's designated degree program or major. At least two courses in the cluster must be upper–division. A student pursuing a second major or a minor fulfills this requirement.

Completion of the full CSU or UC IGETC certification or other states equivalent transfer certification prior to matriculation at Chapman satisfies the following Exploration inquiry categories: Freshman Foundations Program, Global Study and Citizenship, Community and Service.

Please see the Transfer Policies section of the catalog for GE Block Transfer acceptance requirements.

Free Electives

Courses of a student's own choosing taken beyond requirements of general education and major/minor in order to meet minimum credit requirements for graduation.

Majors and Minors

Majors

Credits and specific courses are determined by departments; see department listing. Students must follow the general education and major requirements of the same catalog year.

A minimum of 21 credits of upper-division coursework in the major are required; a minimum of 2.000 (C) average on a 4.0 scale in the major overall and in upper-division coursework. A lower- division course does not count towards the upper-division requirement for all majors.

For a split major (bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree) a minimum of 15 upper-division credits are required in one department and 21 upper--division credits in another; consult departments before planning a split major. The majors must be appropriate to the degree.

Self–Designed Major/Minor

A student may design his/her own major in consultation with an academic advisor. The student designs a program from existing courses, which opens up a new direction of study or allows for significantly more intensive study in an area offered at Chapman.
Approval of an academic advisor, a sponsoring department and the Academic Council is needed.

Dual Major with the Same Degree

Completion of all requirements for both majors.
A minimum of 18 credits may not be duplicated by the second major.
Only one diploma will be awarded showing the majors completed within the same degree at the time of graduation.

Dual Bachelor's Degree

Dual degrees may be pursued concurrently; diplomas will be awarded concurrently.
32 semester credits in residence beyond the minimum requirements for the first bachelor's degree for a minimum total of 70 semester credits in residence and a minimum total of 156 semester credits.
Students will be held to the general education requirements for both degrees.

Second Major with the Same Degree

Once a degree has been conferred:

A student must apply for readmission to seek a minor or a second major in the same degree. However, if a student has not broken enrollment (see Interrupted Enrollment) the student need not apply for readmission. A second diploma will not be issued.
Completion of all requirements for the major.
A minimum of 18 credits may not be duplicated by the second major.

Second Bachelor's Degree with First Degree Earned at Chapman

Once a degree has been conferred:

A student must apply for re–admission to seek a second bachelor's degree, major, or minor. However, if a student has not broken enrollment (see Interrupted Enrollment) the student need not apply for readmission.
32 semester credits in residence beyond the minimum requirements for the first bachelor's degree for a minimum total of 70 semester credits in residence and a minimum total of 156 semester credits.
Request degree evaluation by the Office of the Registrar before beginning the program.
Students will be held to the general education requirements for both degrees.

Second Bachelor's Degree with First Degree Not Earned at Chapman

Student must apply for admission and meet all standard admission requirements.
Student must meet standard degree credit, residency, upper-division, and major requirements.
General Education requirements will be waived for all areas other than the foreign language requirement if first degree was completed from a regionally accredited institution.

Minors

A minor is optional. It must be completed in a discipline outside the student's major.

A minimum of 18 credits, 9 of which may not be duplicated by the major.
A minimum of 9 upper-division credits. A lower-division course accepted as a substitution or equivalent to an upper-division course does not count towards this requirement.
A minimum of 6 upper–division credits completed in residence.
2.000 cumulative grade point average and 2.000 GPA for all upper-division coursework.
Minors may be completed only in those departments listing specific minor requirements (See department listings).
For students with an interdisciplinary major, the designated department is the department in which the greatest number of upper–division credits are used in the major.