Undergraduate Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate Students

Baccalaureate Goals

The University of La Verne is dedicated to the intellectual, personal, and professional development of its students through a focus on the whole individual. Its faculty nurtures a love of learning and innovation, and encourages each student to make an informed and conscientious commitment to engage in an ever-changing world.

Every student from the University of La Verne will graduate with:

• Broad knowledge and appreciation of the liberal arts integrated with a depth of knowledge in a specialized discipline;
• Ability to think critically and creatively and apply those skills toward resolution of local, national and global problems;
• Excellence in written, oral and creative expression through a variety of traditional and contemporary media;
• Effective leadership and teamwork skills with cultural competence;
• Commitment to ethical, environmental and social responsibility accompanied by civic and community engagement.

Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

General Requirements

To obtain a bachelor’s degree from the University of La Verne, a student must complete the residency requirement, the minimum GPA requirement in the major, General Education requirements, all major requirements, upper division requirements, minimum course grade requirements, and the minimum number of semester hours required. Below you will find the specifics for each requirement. It is the responsibility of students to familiarize themselves with these requirements. Advisors are assigned to assist students with their degree objectives. All students are expected to meet with their academic advisors each semester in preparation for registration. Traditional undergraduates are required to meet with their academic advisors at least once each semester to discuss academic progress. Students are encouraged to develop Student Educational Plans (SEP) in consultation with their academic advisors to ensure satisfactory and timely degree completion. Students are encouraged to consult with academic advisors to jointly design plans and track progress that balance completion of general education and major courses.

Degree Completion Requirements

• A minimum of 120 semester hours, including all the general education requirements listed below and the appropriate major requirements listed in the Undergraduate Programs section of this catalog.
• A minimum of 44 semester hours must be successfully completed at the University of La Verne in residence. See Residency the Requirement section of this catalog for details
• A minimum of 44 semester hours at the upper division level (300-400 level) courses must be successfully completed. See the Upper Division Requirements section of this catalog for details.

Residency Requirement

Students must enroll in and successfully complete 44 semester hours of course work at the University of La Verne. At least 16 semester hours of the residency hours must be at the upper division level in the major. Students who declare a minor must have at least 16 semester hours of coursework completed in the minor at the University of La Verne. All traditional age undergraduate students on the main campus who have reached senior standing may transfer no more than 16 of the last 32 units; remaining units must be earned in residence.

Upper Division Requirement

Students must enroll and successfully complete a minimum of 44 semester hours of upper division coursework. This includes a minimum of 24 semester hours of upper division coursework in the student’s major(s). Students need to consult the major requirement section of this catalog for any other program specific upper division requirements. Students who have interest in adding a minor need to review the Bachelor’s Degree Minors section of this catalog for additional upper division requirements. Upper division courses at the University of La Verne are defined as 300-400 level courses.

GPA Requirements

To qualify for graduation, the student must have a minimum La Verne GPA and a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better, in the major, minor (if declared), and overall. The Programs section of this catalog lists any additional departmental GPA requirements. Refer to the Academic Information section of this catalog to find information in regards to graduating with Honors.

Course Grade Requirements

For the purpose of fulfilling elective requirements and general education requirements other than Written Communication, a course in which a D or D+ was received will be counted only if the course was taken at the University of La Verne. A grade of C- or better is required to fulfill the Written Communication general education requirement, and to count toward an academic major or minor. The grade of C- is also the minimum acceptable grade for prerequisites for undergraduate courses as well as for undergraduate prerequisite courses in the major. All major courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Senior Seminar/Culminating Activity Requirement

All undergraduate students of the University of La Verne must register for and complete their major/concentration senior seminar or major-designated culminating course in residence at the University of La Verne.

Minimum Number of Semester Hours

The minimum number required for degree completion is 120 successfully passed semester hours. Repeated courses, unless designated in the catalog as being repeatable, will be counted one time only. The minimum number of semester hours for a course to meet a GE requirement is 2 semester hours unless otherwise designated.

Degree Completion Date

The degree is not considered completed until all of the above requirements have been fulfilled, all relevant transfer work and grades have been received, and all applicable graduation or appeal fees have been paid. The degree date will be determined by the final event that completes the degree; this may be the final day of the semester, the date coursework is completed for an IP or INC grade, or the payment of required graduation and/or appeal fees. Degrees completed via transfer work will be assigned a degree date based on the nearest La Verne semester ending date, with certain exceptions determined by the Office of the Registrar.

Commencement Ceremony Participation Policy

The University of La Verne holds commencement ceremonies each year in the Spring. A candidate qualifies to participate in commencement upon successful completion of all degree and program requirements during the preceding Fall Semester, or when the student has enrolled in all final courses during the current Spring Semester. A candidate may also qualify to participate in commencement upon showing proof of enrollment in final courses or requirements during the following Summer Semester. Cleared candidates may only participate in one ceremony for each earned degree. Commencement participation does not constitute graduation. The University Registrar defines graduation as the completion of all degree requirements upon acceptance of passing grades and the posting of the degree completion date on the student academic record. Candidates who need proof of degree completion with an actual completion date may purchase an official transcript.

The Bachelor’s Degree Major

A major consists of not less than 40 semester hours of which at least 24 must be upper division. No more than 16 semester hours may be required beyond this as prerequisites.  Traditional age students may choose an established departmental or interdepartmental major, or they may design a major of their own with faculty advisement and approval. The Adult Learner student must select a structured major and may only choose from those offered at a regional campus. A concentration in a major is available in selected departments. A concentration requires a student to complete a minimum of 12 upper division semester hours or greater, none of which may be used to fulfill requirements in other concentrations or majors. Available concentrations are listed in the Programs section of this catalog. Concentrations are noted on the transcript.

Freshmen are strongly encouraged to declare a major at point of entry, but must declare a major prior to enrollment in their junior year. Transfer students with junior standing at point of entry must declare a major. All students who reach junior status may not change their declared major to undeclared major. Undeclared students with junior standing will not be allowed to register for classes or make changes to their course schedules until they declare a major. All students are encouraged to discuss and explore their proposed declaration of major with an academic advisor and Career Services. All major declarations must be made at the advising office of the student’s campus.

No course, whether a prerequisite, core requirement, elective or culminating requirement can be applied toward a major unless a grade of C- or better was earned. A course in which CRD was received cannot be applied. Some majors require students to pass a set of comprehensive examinations and/or complete a senior project/seminar.

Bachelor’s Degree Double Majors

The University of La Verne permits students to pursue a double major. Students who desire to double major should make this decision early and meet with the advisors of both majors. The minimum requirements for graduation with two majors are as follows:

1. Completion of all the requirements in both majors.
2. In cases where there is no duplication of major requirements, completion of a minimum of 80 semester hours in the two fields (40 semester hours in each major), of which 48 semester hours (24 semester hours in each) must be at the upper division level.
3. In cases where there are overlapping upper division major requirements (not including prerequisite requirements), completion of additional upper division electives in the fields equal to the number of overlapped courses.

Note: Students who declare double majors that are designated B.A. or B.S. must choose one of the designations. Students obtain a single degree, B.A. or B.S.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

A student already holding a bachelor’s degree may earn an additional bachelor’s degree by satisfying the requirements of that degree in residence, general education, and upper division course work. To satisfy the residency requirement for the second bachelor’s degree, a student must complete a minimum of 44 additional semester hours at the University of La Verne of which 16 must be upper division. The major, general education, and upper division requirements in effect at the time of matriculation for the second bachelor’s degree must also be completed, but courses taken for the first degree may be applied to the second.

Bachelor’s Degree Minors

Students may declare a minor in a second field upon the approval of the appropriate academic department, if the student has completed 20 semester hours of upper division work in the minor, or 24 semester hours in the minor of which 16 are upper division, or 30 semester hours in the minor of which 12 are upper division. Students who declare a minor must have at least 16 semester hours of coursework completed in the minor at the University of La Verne. Individual departments may require specific courses and/or additional work for the minor as specified in the Undergraduate Programs section of this catalog. Courses declared as part of the major (not including prerequisite requirements) cannot be applied toward the minor. No course can be applied toward a minor unless a grade of C- or better was received. A course in which a grade of CRD was received cannot be applied to a minor.

Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies Program

An Associate Degree is offered at selected locations. An Associate of Arts Degree consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours, at least 30 of which must be at the lower division level. A minimum of 20 semester hours must be earned in residency. A minimum of 30 semester hours is required in the major of which 12 must be from the University of La Verne and a minimum of 18 semester hours in General Education. To earn an Associate Degree in General Studies, a student must complete the requirements listed in the program section of this catalog.

Posthumous Awards

The University of La Verne, in order to express our sense of regret and loss of a University student and as a gesture to the family, may on occasion award a posthumous degree “IN HONORIS CAUSA”. The University may request to award a posthumous degree to the surviving family member for students who met the appropriate final degree requirements. A recommendation from the Dean of the College from which the student was earning his or her degree must be submitted. The College Dean submits the request to the Provost to make the recommendation to the President of the University for a final decision.

Fulfilling La Verne General Education via Transfer Work

In order to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of La Verne, all students must complete La Verne’s General Education requirements. General Education is comprised of three components: Critical Skills, Areas of Knowledge and Values. Students may transfer course work to fulfill requirements/courses in the Critical Skills and Areas of Knowledge and Values. 

Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT)

Students, who earn an Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or an Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degree from a California Community College, can transfer their degree in total to the University of La Verne. Students will automatically be credited as meeting the University of La Verne General Education requirements with the exception of the La Verne Experience requirement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (LVDI), University Values (LVUV), Community Engagement (LVCS), and University Reflection (LVUR) in residence. Lower division major requirements will be credited if the transfer degree program is deemed similar to a corresponding major program at the University of La Verne. Students must remain in the corresponding major program for the bachelor’s degree. Students who transfer the ADT should be able to graduate in 2 years. This assumes a student follows the degree pathway plan created for the student at the time of advising.

General Education Requirements — Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Philosophy

The General Education program at the University of La Verne fosters transformative experiences by promoting the integration of theoretical knowledge with practical application. The program supports the university’s core values while emphasizing critical thinking, innovative problem-solving, and an awareness of interconnectedness and a sense of belonging among both local and global communities.

GE Program Learning Outcomes:

LO 1: EXPANDING YOUR MIND 

Students will explore a wide array of courses, disciplines, and ideas to understand a diversity of perspectives, from local to global. Through disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary connections, students will expand their minds, engage in innovative, multidisciplinary thinking, and move beyond their own social and cultural comfort zones.

Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the complexity of cultures.
• Demonstrate foundations of disciplinary knowledge and apply integrated knowledge in multidisciplinary settings.
• Demonstrate persistence and initiative in overcoming academic obstacles.
• Learn new technologies and explore their application in academic and professional settings.

LO 2: DEVELOPING YOUR VOICE

Students will engage in self-discovery of and self-reflection on individual and social identities using varied modes of communication to explain, analyze, and express the meaningfulness of these identities. Students will explore these identities and connections with their communities, taking risks and communicating their ideas in critical and creative ways, through various genres and for various rhetorical purposes.

Students will be able to:

• Use written, oral, and non-verbal mediums, including multimodal and/or digital means, to communicate clearly, ethically, and purposefully.
• Demonstrate various rhetorical approaches and use a variety of genres to connect with diverse audiences, reflecting an awareness of how communication expresses ideas about identity and social power.
• Demonstrate confidence in communicating for various rhetorical purposes.

LO 3: ASKING CRITICAL QUESTIONS

Students will analyze and synthesize diverse information and construct evidence-based, coherent explanations of complex issues to enhance their intellectual growth. Moreover, students will learn to critically challenge assumptions, articulate informed perspectives, and defend their viewpoints logically within diverse social, cultural, and ethical contexts.

Students will be able to:

• Analyze complex issues to deepen understanding of underlying assumptions.
• Integrate information from diverse sources to construct coherent and evidence-based explanations.
• Evaluate personal perspectives and the positions of others to enhance ethical understanding.
• Formulate well-reasoned responses and questions that address ethical ramifications and multiple viewpoints.

LO 4: GENERATING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

Students will develop their capacity to work collaboratively in broadening their understanding of the complex, interconnected challenges facing the world. They will generate innovative solutions based on an interdisciplinary synthesis and evaluation of existing ideas with wide-ranging applicability.

Students will be able to:

• Research, examine, and define a problem while being sensitive to the ethical, logical, and cultural dimensions of that problem.
• Explore their existing knowledge of a problem, and actively seek out untested and potentially risky avenues for crafting viable solutions.
• Collaboratively develop and articulate a logical, consistent plan to solve the problem, which integrates alternate, divergent, or contradictory perspectives.
• Formulate potential solutions in keeping with the history of the problem while evaluating the feasibility of implementing each solution.

LO 5: SERVING YOUR COMMUNITIES

Students will apply their academic knowledge and personal experiences to actively contribute to communities. These service experiences will help them develop collaboration skills to work with diverse teams. By becoming agents of service and change, students can gain a deeper understanding of the confluence between community and social responsibility while also developing an awareness of issues related to sustainability and social justice.

Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate teamwork and leadership skills to foster inclusivity and equity.
• Analyze and evaluate the effects of service activities on sustainability and social justice.
• Reflect on personal and academic growth as agents of service and change in communities.

For each General Education requirement, acceptable courses are marked with a GE attribute in the La Verne Course Catalog, located on the LaVerne Portal, and shown below in parenthesis. One “course” is defined as a minimum of two semester hours, and no course can be used to meet more than one General Education requirement. Students may take a maximum of two (2) courses in their major and a maximum of one (1) course in their minor to also fulfill their General Education requirement.

The University of La Verne is dedicated to broad integrated knowledge and appreciation of the liberal arts. Students satisfy this requirement by taking:

1. Critical Skills
   1. Written Communication A (LVWA)¹ 1 course
   2. Written Communication B (LVWB)¹ 1 course
   3. Oral Communication (LVOC) 1 course
   4. Quantitative Reasoning (LVQR) 1 course
   5. Lifelong Wellness (LVLW) 1 course
2. Areas of Knowledge
   1. Humanities (LVHU) 2 courses
      The following are examples of areas that may fulfill the LVHU requirement:
      Art History/Appreciation, Communications, English/Literature, History, 2nd Semester of College Level Foreign Language (required for selected majors), Music History/Appreciation, Philosophy/Religion, Theatre History/Appreciation, Humanities, General Studies
   2. Social Sciences (LVSS) 2 courses
      The following are examples of areas that may fulfill the LVSS requirement:
      Anthropology, Economics, Geography, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
   3. The Natural World
      Life Science (LVLS) 1 course
      Physical Science (LVPS) 1 course
   4. Creative Expression (LVCE) 1 course
      The following are examples of areas that may fulfill the LVCE requirement:
      Art, Music, Photography, Theatre, Creative Writing, Communication (Video)
3. Values: Students satisfy this requirement by taking:
   1. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (LVDI) 1 course
   2. University Values (LVUV) 1 course
   3. Community Engagement (LVCS) 1 course

¹

Minimum grade of C- fulfills the requirements for College Writing A and College Writing B.

Some majors require foreign language as part of the Humanities requirement. Students meet this requirement by completing, transferring in, or testing out of second semester college-level foreign language as one of their two Humanities requirements.

The following majors require foreign language: Anthropology, Art History, Communications, Creative Writing, Criminology, Digital Media, French, History, International Business and Language, International Studies, Journalism, Liberal Arts, Political Science, Rhetoric and Communication Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Spanish, and Studio Art. Students whose first language is not English and who successfully pass (C- or better) RCS 110 College Writing A or RCS 111 College Writing and Research will have their Foreign Language requirement waived.

The following general education areas can be fulfilled through certification: Written Communication, Quantitative Reasoning, Foreign Language, Creative and Artistic Expression, Community Service, and Lifelong Wellness. Certifications do not carry course credit. However, students certified in Written Communication or Community Service have the option of paying the course challenge fee and receiving course credit. Students who wish to meet a requirement through certification should contact the appropriate department for information.

Writing Requirement for Undergraduate International Students: An International student who has been accepted into an undergraduate program by demonstrating English competency as described in the Admissions section of this catalog, but who has not passed a transferable course in written composition equivalent to RCS 110 College Writing A, Written Communication A, must have scores on file in the Admissions Office from one of the following proficiency tests before registration for his or her first semester at La Verne: the iBT (TOEFL), the SAT, the IELTS or ELS Language Centers level 112. This includes students who are transferring from other institutions in the United States. Fall admitted freshmen are expected to register in Written Communication A (RCS 110 College Writing A) as part of FLEX Learning Communities; spring admitted freshmen should register in Written Communication A (RCS 110 College Writing A) based on placement. Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate scores will earn elective credit. Freshmen who transfer a college course that earns Written Communication credit should consult with the Office of Academic Advising for appropriate placement.