All-University Degree Requirements
Responsibility for Meeting Degree Requirements
A minimum of 124 semester hours is required for all baccalaureate degrees. The curricula of certain departments require as many as 150-155 semester hours. Students who maintain continuous enrollment and who complete work toward the baccalaureate degree within five years from the date of entry may graduate under either the catalog in effect at the time of entrance or under the catalog in effect at the time of graduation. A change in major could mean meeting new requirements in force at the time of the change as a condition for acceptance into that major. Students whose work has been interrupted for one or more semesters may be held to requirements in effect at the time of their re-enrollment.
Residence Requirements
Only work registered through Bradley University during the two regular semesters or the interim and summer sessions is considered as residence work. No proficiency examinations, correspondence, extension courses, or credit earned through the College-Level Examination Program may be counted as residence work. All candidates for the bachelor’s degree must meet the following residence requirements:
- A minimum of 30 semester hours earned in residence is required of all students.
- 24 of the last 30 semester hours must be earned in residence.
Junior-Senior Credits
Candidates for a bachelor’s degree must present a minimum of 40 semester hours in junior and senior courses (those numbered 300 and above). Check your college requirements for proper distribution of these courses.
Bradley Core Curriculum*
*For students entering Bradley University on or after Fall 2016. Students entering Bradley University before Fall 2016 should refer to the General Education Requirements as articulated in their Undergraduate Catalog year. Course listing in this 2016-17 Undergraduate Catalog include tags for both Core Curriculum and General Education for the convenience of all students currently enrolled at Bradley University.
Bradley Core Curriculum Purpose
The Bradley Core Curriculum exposes all students to the requisite range of knowledge, skills and perspectives that prepares them for further learning, as well as guides them on the path of continued development and growth to facilitate their success and fulfillment in a changing, complex world. In essence, the Bradley Core Curriculum lays the foundation for a lifetime of intellectual development. By equipping students with enhanced critical and creative-thinking, communication and quantitative skills and a greater understanding of others and themselves, they will have a foundation for effective and informed decision-making, ethical reflection, engagement with the arts and responsible action as members of society. The Bradley Core Curriculum achieves these goals by emphasizing breadth of study, exploration of multiple ways of thinking and knowing across a variety of areas of study, and the ability to integrate information and ideas from a variety of sources and viewpoints.
The Bradley Core Curriculum is grounded in values and is designed to help students achieve specific learning outcomes.
Bradley Core Curriculum Values
The Bradley Core Curriculum was designed with a set of fundamental perspectives and values in mind, values that lie at the heart of the University’s scholarly enterprise:
- Curiosity
- Freedom of inquiry and expression
- Belief in the unity of knowledge
- Pursuit of knowledge as its own end
- Dedication and persistence in learning
- Strong work ethic
- Humility and circumspection toward what is known
- Habit of self-reflection
- Integrity
- Flexibility
- Civility
Bradley Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes
Critical and creative thinking. Bradley graduates will think critically, independently and creatively, and will employ evidence-based decision-making to solve problems and build new knowledge.
Effective communication. Bradley graduates will be effective oral, written and non-verbal communicators, as well as active readers and listeners.
Multidisciplinary integration. Bradley graduates will approach learning in an integrated manner, connecting knowledge and skills across multiple disciplines.
Practical application. Bradley graduates will apply knowledge and skills from the classroom in real-world situations.
Social awareness. Bradley graduates will understand and act ethically upon their connections to larger communities.
Bradley Core Curriculum Requirements
The Bradley Core Curriculum requires 36 credit hours, comprised of courses taken across eight Areas of Inquiry plus additional Core Practices as follows:
- A total of three courses (9 credit hours), comprised of one course from each of the following areas within the Communication Area of Inquiry:
Communication (CM)
Written Communication 1 (W1) – 1 course
Written Communication 2 (W2) – 1 course
Oral Communication (OC) – 1 course
2. A total of seven courses (21 credit hours), comprised of one course from each of the following Areas of Inquiry:
Fine Arts (FA)
Global Perspectives (GP) one course from World Cultures (WC) or Global Systems (GS)
Humanities (HU)
Knowledge and Reasoning in the Natural Sciences (NS)
Knowledge and Reasoning in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SS)
Multidisciplinary Integration (MI)
Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
- A total of two elective courses (6 credit hours) from any two Areas of Inquiry (the two courses cannot be taken from the same Area of Inquiry):
Global Perspectives (GP), can be selected from World Cultures (WC) or Global Systems (GS)
Humanities (HU)
Knowledge and Reasoning in the Natural Sciences (NS)
Knowledge and Reasoning in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SS)
Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
- A minimum of two courses or registered experiences designated as Writing Intensive (WI).
5. A minimum of two courses or registered experiences designated as Integrative Learning (IL) experiences (recommended).
- No more than two courses with the same subject prefix can be used to satisfy Area of Inquiry requirements in the Bradley Core Curriculum. This rule does not include the Communications Area of Inquiry.
Courses and registered experiences approved by the University Senate to fill the Bradley Core Curriculum Areas of Inquiry or Core Practices are listed below and are marked with the appropriate Bradley Core Curriculum code in the Undergraduate Catalog and the Schedule of Classes. Additional policies regarding the Bradley Core Curriculum may be found on the Bradley Core Curriculum webpage.
Approved Bradley Core Courses
Communication (CM)
Written Communication 1 (W1), choose from
- CIV 111 and 112 (both courses must be take to fulfill W1 and MI credit)
- ENG 101
Written Communication 2 (W2), choose from
- ENG 300
- ENG 301
- ENG 302
- ENG 304
- ENG 305
- ENG 306
Oral Communication (OC)
- COM 103
Fine Arts (FA), choose from
- ART 107
- ART 109
- ART 131
- CIV 113 and 114 (both courses must be taken to fulfill two Area of Inquiry requirements (FA, HU or MI) and one WI tag)
- MUS 109
- PHL 350
- THE 131
- THE 141
- WLF 351
- WLT 151
Global Perspectives (GP), choose from either World Culture (WC) or Global Systems (GS)
World Cultures (WC)
- ANT 101
- ANT 305
- COM 315
- ENG 123
- ENG 130
- ENG 381
- ENG 385
- ETE 280
- HIS 205
- HIS 206
- HIS 207
- HIS 208
- HIS 329
- HIS 336
- HIS 340
- I B 204
- I B 205
- I S 104
- I S 182
- I S 322
- I S 353
- I S 355
- I S 363
- I S 385
- RLS 121
- RLS 225
- RLS 300
- RLS 313
- RLS 331
- RLS 332
- RLS 338
- SOC 300
- SOC 311
- WGS 200
- WLF 370
- WLS 202
- WLS 360
Global Systems (GS)
- ECO 391
- HIS 203
- I B 206
- I S 100
- I S 103
- I S 305
- I S 306
- I S 318
- I S 363
- I B 391
- I S 410
- PLS 208
- RLS 321
Humanities (HU), choose from
- CIV 113 and 114 (both courses must be taken to fulfill two Area of Inquiry requirements (FA, HU or MI) and one WI tag)
- ENG 115
- ENG 123
- ENG 124
- ENG 127
- ENG 129
- ENG 190
- ENG 381
- ENG 385
- ETE 115
- HIS 203
- HIS 205
- HIS 206
- HIS 207
- HIS 208
- HIS 329
- HIS 336
- HIS 340
- HIS 342
- I S 250
- PHL 103
- PHL 347
- PLS 207
- RLS 101
- RLS 121
- RLS 200
- RLS 225
- RLS 300
- RLS 302
- RLS 313
- RLS 332
- WLS 315
Knowledge and Reasoning in the Natural Sciences (NS), choose from
- AST 300
- BIO 101
- CHM 100
- CHM 110 and 111 (both courses must be taken to fulfill the requirement)
- CHM 112
- CHM 300
- PHY 100
- PHY 107
- PHY 108
- PHY 110
- PHY 123
- PHY 201
- PSY 201
- SCI 103
Knowledge and Reasoning in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SB), choose from
- BLW 342
- ECO 100
- ECO 221
- ECO 222
- FCS 100
- FIN 220
- PLS 105
- PSY 101
- RLS 321
- SOC 100
- SOC 205
- SOC 312
- SOC 313
- SOC 315
Multidisciplinary Integration (MI), choose from
- BUS 361
- BUS 362
- BUS 400 and ML 452 (both courses must be taken to fulfill the requirement)
- CIV 100
- CIV 101
- CIV 102
- CIV 111 and 112 (both courses must be take to fulfill W1 and MI credit)
- CIV 113 and 114 (both courses must be taken to fulfill two Area of Inquiry requirements (FA, HU or MI) and one WI tag)
- CIV 200
- COM 315
- ENG 130
- ETE 115
- HIS 317
- HIS 342
- I S 275
- I S 307
- LAS 300
- M L 452 and BUS 400 (both courses must be taken to fulfill the requirement)
- RLS 330
- SOC 205
- WGS 200
Quantitative Reasoning (QR), choose from
- MTH 101
- MTH 111
- MTH 115
- MTH 116
- MTH 119
- MTH 121
- MTH 122
- MTH 223
- Q M 262
Writing Intensive (WI), choose WI-designated sections from
- ART 131
- BIO 152
- BUS 400
- CIV 114
- ECO 498
- ENG 124
- ENG 347
- ENG 407
- ENG 408
- ETE 120
- ETE 227
- ETE 228
- FCS 372
- HIS 205
- HIS 208
- MIS 375
- NUR 303
- PHL 202
- PSY 206
- PSY 439
- RLS 225
- SCI 103
Integrative Learning (IL), choose IL-designated sections from
- ETE 227
- ETE 228
- ETE 313
- IS 495
- WGS 300
Grade Point Average for Graduation
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 based upon hours taken at Bradley is required for graduation.
Requirements for the B.A. Degree
All candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree must present credit for two years of college-level foreign language or its equivalent. This requirement may be met by the completion of a 202- or 300-level course or by transfer of similar credits from another institution or by a proficiency examination. Students with four units of high school language must successfully complete a 202- or 300-level course or satisfy this requirement by a proficiency examination in order to receive the Bachelor of Arts degree.
Students who have taken a foreign language in high school and wish to continue studies in the same language will be required to take a placement examination to assure placement at the proper college level.
Requirements for the B.S. Degree
In order to receive the Bachelor of Science degree, students must successfully complete at least 15 hours of courses selected from mathematics, computer science, and the natural sciences. The following courses may be used to fulfill the requirement for the B.S. degree—all courses in astronomy (AST), biology (BIO), chemistry (CHM), computer science and information systems (CS and CIS), geological sciences (GES), physics (PHY), science (SCI), mathematics (MTH, except MTH 109); any course cross-listed with a course offered under any of the prefixes listed above; any course approved for QR and NS credit; and, in addition, all other courses approved for B.S. credit by the University Senate.
Other courses approved for B.S. credit
This is the official catalog for the 2016-2017 academic year. This catalog serves as a contract between a student and Bradley University. Should changes in a program of study become necessary prior to the next academic year every effort will be made to keep students advised of any such changes via the Dean of the College or Chair of the Department concerned, the Registrar's Office, u.Achieve degree audit system, and the Schedule of Classes. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the current program and graduation requirements for particular degree programs.