Academics

Core Curriculum Overview

The academic requirements of the College Catalog in effect at the time of a student’s matriculation at Thiel are requisite for his or her graduation; however, requirements may change without advance notice for any program subject to external certification.

If a student withdraws or is suspended from the College and subsequently re-enters, he or she must observe the catalog requirements in effect when he or she re-enters.

Graduation Requirements for Degrees in Bachelor of Arts, Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Associate of Science

Students are required to participate in assessment testing or surveys to provide information to the faculty and administration for the improvement of college programs. Participation is a graduation requirement. Data from testing will be used only collectively for institutional research purposes. Ample notification will be given of testing schedules.

Students must take the last 30 credit hours at Thiel College. Waivers of this policy are granted by the Academic Standing Committee only upon the receipt of evidence of compelling extenuating circumstances.

An overall 2.0 GPA is required for graduation and students must also have at least a 2.0 GPA in all courses required for the major and minor fields of study.

In addition, some departments require a C minus or better in all courses required for the major and/or minor fields of study. See individual departmental requirements.

For some programs, the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree may be the more appropriate degree. Students should consult with their academic adviser before pursuing a particular degree.

Although academic advisers are available to assist students in fulfilling major, professional and graduation requirements, the ultimate responsibility for checking and fulfilling these requirements rests with the student.

Bachelor of Arts Degree

A. Credit Hours

  1. 124 credit hours of successfully completed course work shall be required for the Bachelor of Arts degree.
  2. The 124 credit hours shall be distributed approximately as follows:
    1. 25 to 30 percent for the Core Curriculum Requirement
    2. 30 to 45 percent for the major
    3. 25 to 45 percent for electives

B. Literacy Series

  1. Composition (3 CH) - Successfully complete ENG 101: College Writing with a grade of C minus or higher.
  2. Presentation (3 CH) - Successfully complete INDS 101: Introduction to Presentational Literacy with a grade of C minus or higher.
  3. Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning (10-12 CH)
    1. Quantitative Reasoning - Students must earn a grade of C minus or higher in MATH 125, MATH 211, or higher.
    2. Scientific Reasoning - Successfully complete one natural or physical science laboratory course.
    3. Additional Quantitative /Scientific Reasoning Course - Successfully complete one additional course satisfying either Quantitative or Scientific Reasoning: computer science, mathematics, natural or physical science course—biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, geology, neuroscience, mathematics, or physics.  PSY/SOC 233, Statistics for Social Sciences, will also fulfill this requirement. (Courses with the CIS prefix will not satisfy this requirement.)
  4. Creative and Humanistic (12 CH)
    1. Creative (3 CH) - Successfully complete a course (or earn at least 3 CH) in art, music or theatre excluding THAR 101: Theatre Practicum.
    2. Humanistic (3 CH) - Students must successfully complete REL 120, 121, 122 or 123 and one additional course in English, history, languages, philosophy or religion.
    3. Additional Creative and Humanistic Courses (3 CH) - Students must successfully complete an additional course satisfying either Creative or Humanistic:  art, music, theatre, history, English, philosophy, religion or a Spanish culture course (250 for example).  This course must be outside the student’s major (i.e. cannot be a course with the same department prefix as the major).
  5. Socio-Political (3-4 CH) - Successfully complete one course in economics, geography, political science, psychology, sociology or criminal justice studies. (Courses with the prefix ACCT, BADM, EDUC, ECE, SPED, and SECED will not satisfy this requirement.)
  6. Foreign Language (0-6 CH) - The foreign language requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways:
    1. Earn a final grade of C or better in two years of the same foreign language in high school;
    2. Take the placement test and test out of a class or the requirement altogether;
    3. Complete (C minus or better) two semesters of a foreign language at the introductory level;
    4. Complete (C minus or better) one semester of a foreign language at the intermediate level.

C. Seminar Series (9 CH)

The Seminar Series at Thiel College is designed to introduce students to engaged, participatory learning. This series of three courses is intended to be the centerpiece of the core curriculum, emphasizing student-centered learning and investigation of big ideas, the interconnected nature of the disciplines, as well as creative and team-based problem solving.

  1. SEMS 110: Introduction to Seminar Series (3 CH)
    • This seminar, taken during the student’s first year at Thiel College, is the first seminar within the core series. It is designed to introduce students to seminar style learning in a disciplinary context.  SEMS 110 must be completed with a C minus or higher to meet graduation requirements.
  2. SEMS 250: World Cultures (3 CH)
    • This seminar is to be taken during the student’s second, third, or fourth semester. By the end of this seminar, students will have the resources to develop into mature, informed, critically thinking citizens through the exploration of similarities and differences between cultures. This seminar will be cross-listed with pre- approved courses that are discipline-specific. (P: SEMS 110)
  3. SEMS 400: Global Issues (3 CH)
    • This is the final seminar in the core seminar series. The topic will be determined by the instructor and the consulting faculty. The purpose of the course is for the class to give an in-depth analysis of an issue of current global importance. Students will be expected to bring their own experience from the previous seminars as well as their expertise from their own major to bear on the issue at hand. (Recommended P: junior or senior standing and SEMS 110 and 250)

D. Concern for Physical Well-Being (2 CH)

Thiel College hopes to engage our students in activities that build their appreciation for and participation in healthy activity.  These courses are designed to promote an intellectual understanding of physical well-being and development to provide the opportunity for students to apply theory in a variety of structured options.

Students will successfully complete two credit hours of theory courses such as AH 105 Taking Care of your Health, AH 115 Food Patterns and Health, AH 125 Nutrition, HPED 198 Slimnastics, or HPED 199 Fitness for Life and Wellness.

Bachelor of Science Degree

A. Credit Hours

  1. 124 credit hours of successfully completed course work shall be required for the Bachelor of Science degree.
  2. The 124 credit hours shall be distributed approximately as follows:
    1. 25 to 30 percent for the Core Curriculum Requirement
    2. 30 to 45 percent for the major
    3. 25 to 45 percent for electives

B. Literacy Series

  1. Composition (3 CH) - Successfully complete ENG 101: College Writing with a grade of C minus or higher.
  2. Presentation (3 CH) - Successfully complete INDS 101: Introduction to Presentational Literacy with a grade of C minus or higher.
  3. Quantitative/Scientific Reasoning (10-12 CH)
    1. Quantitative Reasoning - Students must earn a grade of C minus or higher in MATH 142 or any calculus course.
    2. Scientific Reasoning - Successfully complete one natural or physical science laboratory course.
    3. Additional Quantitative/Scientific Reasoning Course - Successfully complete one additional course satisfying either quantitative or scientific reasoning: computer science, mathematics, natural or physical science course—biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, geology, neuroscience, mathematics, or physics.  PSY/SOC 233, Statistics for Social Sciences, will fulfill this requirement. (Courses with the CIS prefix cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.)
  4. Creative and Humanistic (12 CH)
    1. Creative (3 CH) - Successfully complete a course (or earn at least 3 CH) in art, music or theatre excluding THAR 101: Theatre Practicum.
    2. Humanistic (6 CH) - Students must successfully complete REL 120, 121, 122 or 123 and one additional course in English, history, languages, philosophy or religion.
    3. Additional Creative and Humanistic Course (3 CH) - Students must successfully complete an additional course satisfying either Creative or Humanistic:  art, music, theatre, history, English, philosophy, religion or a Spanish culture course (250 for example).  This course must be outside the student’s major (i.e. cannot be a course with the same department prefix as the major).
  5. Socio-Political (3-4 CH) - Successfully complete one course in economics, geography, political science, psychology, sociology or criminal justice studies. (Courses with the prefix ACCT, BADM, EDUC, ECE, SPED, and SECED will not satisfy this requirement.)
  6. Foreign Language (0-6 CH) - The foreign language requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways:
    1. Earn a final grade of C or better in two years of the same foreign language in high school;
    2. Take the placement test and test out of a class or the requirement altogether;
    3. Complete (C minus or better) two semesters of a foreign language at the introductory level;
    4. Complete (C minus or better) one semester of a foreign language at the intermediate level.

C. Seminar Series (9 CH)

The Seminar Series at Thiel College is designed to introduce students to engaged, participatory learning. This series of three courses is intended to be the centerpiece of the core curriculum, emphasizing student-centered learning and investigation of big ideas, the interconnected nature of the disciplines, as well as creative and team-based problem solving.

  1. SEMS 110: Introduction to Seminar Series (3 CH)
    • This seminar, taken during the student’s first year at Thiel College, is the first seminar within the core series. It is designed to introduce students to seminar style learning in a disciplinary context.  SEMS 110 must be completed with a C minus or higher to meet graduation requirements.
  2. SEMS 250: World Cultures (3 CH)
    • This seminar is to be taken during the student’s second, third, or fourth semester. By the end of this seminar, students will have the resources to develop into mature, informed, critically thinking citizens through the exploration of similarities and differences between cultures. This seminar will be cross-listed with pre- approved courses that are discipline-specific. (P: SEMS 110)
  3. SEMS 400: Global Issues (3 CH)
    • This is the final seminar in the core seminar series. The topic will be determined by the instructor and the consulting faculty. The purpose of the course is for the class to give an in-depth analysis of an issue of current global importance. Students will be expected to bring their own experience from the previous seminars as well as their expertise from their own major to bear on the issue at hand. (Recommended P: junior or senior standing and SEMS 110 and 250)

D. Concern for Physical Well-Being (2 CH)

Thiel College hopes to engage our students in activities that build their appreciation for and participation in healthy activity.  These courses are designed to promote an intellectual understanding of physical well-being and development to provide the opportunity for students to apply theory in a variety of structured options.

Students will successfully complete two credit hours of theory courses such as AH 105 Taking Care of your Health, AH 115 Food Patterns and Health, AH 125 Nutrition, HPED 198 Slimnastics, or HPED 199 Fitness for Life and Wellness.

Associate of Arts Degree

The College currently offers three associate degrees— Associate of Arts, Liberal Studies; Associate of Arts, Business Administration; and Associate of Arts, Criminal Justice. All associate degrees require a minimum of 60 credit hours (CH), with at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Associate of Arts Degree - Core Requirements

  • ENG 101 College Writing (3 CH)
  • INDS 101 Presentational Literacy (3 CH)
  • MATH 125 Quantitative Reasoning (3 CH)
  • Lab Science Natural/Physical Lab Science (4 CH)
  • REL 120 Interpret Jew/Christan Scripture or REL 121 Intro to Old Testament/Hebrew Bible or REL 122 Intro to the New Testament or REL 123 Intro to Christianity (3 CH)

Choose one course from each of the following (12-14 CH):

  • Humanities (3 CH)
  • Fine Arts (3-4 CH)
  • Social Science (3 CH)
  • CSCI/MATH/SCIENCE (3-4 CH)
  • SEMS 110 First-Year Seminar (3 CH)
  • HPED Theory (2 CH)

Total Core Credit Hours = 33-35

The Associate of Arts, Liberal Studies, includes broad preparation in foundational skills and knowledge and five electives in the student’s prospective area of study (minor). The Associate of Arts, Business Administration, includes broad preparation in foundational skills and knowledge and 30 specified credit hours in Business Administration. The Associate of Arts, Criminal Justice Studies, includes broad preparation in foundational skills and knowledge and 27 specified credit hours in Criminal Justice.

When core and disciplinary requirements are met, additional credit hours may be elected by the student, with approval by the student’s advisor. Successful completion of the program provides students the opportunity to complete a baccalaureate degree or enter the professional workforce.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thiel College
75 College Ave
Greenville, PA 16125
1-800-248-4435