Graduation Requirements

The College of Liberal Arts offers the baccalaureate degrees Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music. To earn a degree, a candidate must successfully complete the General Education Program, specific degree, and major program requirements.

All candidates for graduation with the Baccalaureate Degree must:

1. Satisfactorily complete 31 credits, of which no more than 2 may be earned in internships. At least 15 of these credits must be earned in residence. The final year of study shall be spent in residence or in Willamette-approved off-campus study programs. (Note: One Willamette credit is equal to 4 semester hours or 6 quarter/term hours).
2. Apply no more than 10 credits in a single department and no more than 14 credits in any major program toward the minimum of 31 credits required for graduation. Internship credits are exempted from this limitation.
3. Satisfactorily complete the General Education Program which includes:
   • College Colloquium
   • Three writing-centered courses
   • Two Quantitative and Analytical Reasoning courses
   • Study in a language other than English

   In addition, students will complete work in each of six broadly defined modes of inquiry that encompass crucial elements of a general education:

   • Understanding the Natural World
   • Creating in the Arts
   • Analyzing Arguments, Reasons and Values
   • Thinking Historically
   • Interpreting Texts
   • Understanding Society

   Please see the General Education at Willamette section, for a more complete description of these individual requirements.

4. Satisfactorily complete an approved major program, including the Senior Year Experience. The following majors leading to the degree Bachelor of Arts have been approved by the faculty:
   • American Studies
   • Anthropology
   • Art History
     Asia Studies
   • Biology
   • Chemistry
   • Classical Studies
   • Comparative Literature and the History of Ideas
   • Computer Science
   • Economics
   • English
   • Environmental Science
   • Exercise Science
     Film Studies
   • French
   • German
   • History
   • Humanities
   • International Studies
   • Japanese Studies
   • Latin American Studies
   • Mathematics
   • Music
   • Philosophy
   • Physics
   • Politics
   • Psychology
   • Religious Studies
   • Rhetoric and Media Studies
   • Science Studies
   • Sociology
   • Spanish
   • Studio Art
   • Theatre
   • Women’s and Gender Studies

   A student may devise a special major program to meet individual needs or objectives not served by the above listed major programs. Such a program must: (a) satisfy the criteria for approved major programs; (b) be endorsed by a special committee of three faculty members, from at least two departments, who are familiar with Willamette’s academic programs and goals; (c) be submitted for approval by the Academic Council no later than the end of the sophomore year, or in the case of a student transferring more than 12 credits to Willamette University, by the end of the first semester in residence.

   In addition to completing one or more approved major programs, a student may declare a minor in one of the following disciplines which have been approved by the faculty:

   • American Ethnic Studies
   • Anthropology
   • Art History
   • Asian Studies
   • Biology
   • Chemistry
   • Chinese Studies
   • Classical Studies
   • Computer Science
   • Economics
   • English
   • Environmental Science
   • Film Studies
   • French
   • Geography
   • German
   • History
   • Japanese Studies
   • Latin American Studies
   • Mathematics
   • Music
   • Philosophy
   • Physics
   • Politics
   • Psychology
   • Religious Studies
   • Rhetoric and Media Studies
   • Russian
   • Science Studies
   • Sociology
   • Spanish
   • Studio Art
   • Theatre
   • Women’s and Gender Studies
5. Achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 (C), and a grade point average in the major of at least 2.00 (C). Courses presented toward fulfillment of the General Education Program must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.

Bachelor of Music

Candidates for the Bachelor of Music should see the Music Department section for additional requirements specific to that degree. The foreign language requirement differs for the Bachelor of Music.

Double Degrees Policy

Willamette offers no formal program enabling a student to earn degrees concurrently. However, it is possible to carry out a double major in two fields simultaneously. Also, in special cases, a student may petition for permission to earn two degrees, one in music (B.M.) and one in another field (B.A.). In this case the following guidelines will be relevant:

1. Petitions must be submitted prior to the end of the second semester of the sophomore year.
2. Petitions must contain 1) a complete program proposal, including the student’s objectives in pursuing the double-degree program, 2) a full statement of completed and proposed courses, and 3) the intended date of graduation.
3. A minimum of forty (40) credits must be earned.
4. Within the minimum forty (40) credits, a maximum of twenty (20) may be earned in courses having a prefix of Music.
5. Approval of both academic advisors, the Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and the Chairs of both the Department of Music and the Academic Status Committee is required.
6. All University graduation requirements, including requirements for each degree and major, must be met.