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Thirty-one undergraduate majors are currently offered. For more detailed information, see requirements listed in the appropriate department of this catalog.
Students should be aware that not all courses are offered in the evening. Students who are only able to enroll in classes 4 pm or after should consult the appropriate department chairperson for information about the availability of evening sections of courses required in a specific major, concentration and/or minor.
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science
The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs prepare students for fields of endeavor related to the following areas of study and for graduate school. Some of the degree programs prepare students for secondary, middle school or PreK-12 specialist teaching if secondary education is selected as a minor.
Accounting and Finance
Anthropology
Art
Athletic Training
Aviation Science
Biology
Chemistry
Communication Studies
Computer Science
Criminal Justice
Earth Sciences
Economics
English
Geography
Health Studies
History
Management
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Physical Education
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Social Work
Sociology
Spanish
The decision as to whether to award the degree of Bachelor of Arts or the degree of Bachelor of Science shall be consistent with the standards in the student’s major field as determined by the major department.
In cases where students with double or dual majors are eligible for a BA, BS and/or BSE degree, the student will select which major department will make the decision regarding the degree to be awarded.
Students are advised to consult with their department chairperson or major adviser early in their academic career, but no later than the end of the sophomore year, in order to be certain that course selection will allow graduation with the desired degree.
Bachelor of Science in Education
All candidates for Massachusetts Educator Licensure are advised to check with their individual education departments or the College of Education and Allied Studies regarding proposed regulations changes that may have an impact on their licensure program.
All undergraduate and graduate students seeking licensure must consult the section of this catalog titled “College of Education and Allied Studies ” for important licensure information including institutional deadlines.
The Bachelor of Science in Education is offered in the following areas
Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Special Education
In cases where students with double or dual majors are eligible for a BA, BS and/or BSE degree, the student will select which major department will make the decision regarding the degree to be awarded.
Major
Students must meet all requirements of the major as specified under the departmental listings. A minimum of 30 credits and a maximum of 36 credits within the major may be required by a department. The 30 to 36 credits reflect all courses taken in the major department, including those that are listed under the distribution of Core Curriculum Requirements. At least one half of the required courses in the major field (excluding cognate requirements) must be successfully completed at this university. A minimum 2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation. The major GPA includes all courses completed in the major field (excluding cognate requirements). The minor GPA includes all courses required for completion of the minor, regardless of the department in which the courses are offered. Students should select a major by the end of the sophomore year.
Double Major
In order to graduate with a double major, students must meet all requirements of both majors. Completion of the double major will be reflected on the finalized transcript.
Students who wish to be elementary, early childhood or special education teachers are required to select a major in elementary, early childhood or special education and a major in the liberal arts or sciences.
Concentration
A concentration is a unified set of courses usually composed of core requirements and of those additional course requirements particular to the chosen area of concentration. The total number of core and particular requirements must be at least 24 but not more than 36 credit hours. Cognate courses (required courses outside the major department) are not counted as part of the 36 hours. Only students selecting the major field of study may complete a concentration within that major. The concentration is noted on the transcript. Concentrations are available in:
Accounting and Finance
Accounting
Finance
Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
General Anthropology
Public Archaeology
Art
Art Education
Art History
Crafts
Fine Arts
Graphic Design
New Media
Photography
Aviation Science
Aviation Management
Flight Training
Biology
Secondary Education
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Environmental Chemistry
Professional Chemistry
Communication Studies
Communication and Culture
Dance Education
Film, Video and Media Studies
Strategic Communication
Theater Arts
Theater Education
Criminal Justice
Victimology
Early Childhood Education
Early Education and Care, PreK-K
Earth Sciences
Environmental Geosciences
Geology
English
English Education (High School, Middle School)
Writing and Writing Studies
Health Studies
Community Health
School Health
History
Military History
Management
General Management
Global Management
Information Systems Management
Marketing
Operations Management
Music
Music Education
Philosophy
Applied Ethics
Physical Education
Coaching
Exercise Science/Health Fitness
Motor Development Therapy/Adapted Physical Education
Recreation
Recreation and Fitness Club Administration
Teacher Licensure in Physical Education (PreK-8)
Teacher Licensure in Physical Education (5-12)
Physics
General Physics
Professional Physics
Political Science
American Politics
International Affairs
Legal Studies
Public Administration
Sociology
City, Community and Region
Education
Global Studies and Social Justice
Spanish
Secondary Education Concentration
Special Education
Communication Disorders
Teachers of Students with Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12)
Teachers of Students with Severe Disabilities (All Levels)
Minor
A minor is a unified set of courses chosen outside of the major field of study requiring not less than 18 nor more than 21 hours. The minor is recorded on the student’s transcript. Minors may include courses from only one department or may be interdisciplinary. Students may use courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements or departmental requirements to fulfill interdisciplinary minor requirements unless otherwise prohibited. At least one half of the courses required for the minor must be successfully completed through Bridgewater State University. Students must achieve a minimum 2.0 cumulative average in declared minors. The minor GPA includes all courses required for completion of the minor regardless of the department in which the courses are offered. Specific requirements for a minor are found under the departmental descriptions.
Minors are offered in:
Accounting and Finance
Actuarial Science
African Studies
American Studies
Anthropology
Art History
Asian Studies
Aviation Science
Biochemistry
Biology
Biotechnology
Canadian Studies
Chemistry
Civic Education and Community Leadership
Classical Studies
Coaching
Communication Disorders
Communication Studies
Computer Science
Criminal Justice
Dance
Earth Sciences
Economics
English
Environmental Biology
Exercise Physiology
Film Studies
Geography
Geophysics
GLBT Studies
Graphic Design
Health Promotion
Health Resources Management
History
Inclusive Practices in Special Education and Communication Disorders
Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Management
Mathematics
Middle East Studies
Music
Nutrition
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Portuguese
Professional Practices in Special Education and Communication Disorders
Psychology
Public History
Public Relations
Recreation
Russian and East European Studies
Secondary Education (High School, Middle School, PreK-12 Specialist)*
Social Welfare
Sociology
Spanish
Studio Art
Theater Arts
U.S. Ethnic Studies
Urban Affairs
Women’s and Gender Studies
* Students who wish to become middle school, secondary teachers or PreK-12 specialists elect a minor in secondary education and a major from one of the major fields offered. This minor requires more than 21 hours in order to satisfy Massachusetts licensure standards.
All candidates for Massachusetts Educator Licensure are advised to check with their individual education departments or the College of Education and Allied Studies regarding proposed regulations changes which may have an impact on their licensure program.
All undergraduate and graduate students seeking licensure must consult the section of this catalog titled “College of Education and Allied Studies ” for important information including institutional deadlines.
Core Curriculum Requirements
Click here to view the Core Curriculum Requirements.
Directed Study
The university permits students to pursue their interests through directed study. Such an undertaking involves independent thinking, hard work and creativity along with the guidance and help of a faculty member. The end result should be a paper or project accepted by the faculty member working with the student. Directed Study, which is limited to three credits with a maximum of six credits for graduation purposes and is primarily for upperclassmen, is available for the pursuit of independent work. Application forms for directed study are available from the student’s major department and should be submitted to the department chairperson for his/her recommendation and then forwarded to the appropriate college dean for approval.
Internship, Practicum and Field Experience
A number of departments within the university offer students the opportunity to enroll in an internship, practicum or field experience for academic credit. Such experiences provide students, usually in their third or fourth year, the chance to undertake a supervised practical experience in their field of study. Normally, field experience opportunities are available only during the fall and spring semesters.
Students interested in such a field experience have the option of consulting with their faculty adviser for details on programs available through the department or developing their own program proposals, subject to the approval of the department. If the field experience desired is proposed by the student, it is the student’s responsibility to locate a faculty member who will provide the necessary supervision.
Application and Selection
Application forms for a field experience are available from the student’s department. The completed form must be filed with the chairperson of the department in which the field experience is to be undertaken no later than the end of the first quarter of the semester prior to the semester in which the field experience is to be undertaken.
The department will screen all applications in order to select students best suited for the positions available. The chairperson will forward the application forms to the dean of the appropriate college for approval. The completed form must be received by the Registrar’s Office prior to the end of the drop/add period to enroll the student.
Applicants to internships must have completed at least 54 credits with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. Departments may set higher standards.
Supervision and Grading
Supervision, evaluation and grading of a field experience are the responsibilities of faculty members in the department offering the program. A student may be removed from the program if, in the judgment of the faculty supervisor, it is in the best interests of the student, agency and/or university. Grades are based on written evaluations from both the faculty supervisor and the agency supervisor.
From 3 to 15 credits in field experience may be earned and applied toward graduation requirements. The number of credits that may apply toward the major will be determined by each department. A minimum of 45 clock hours in the field is required for each credit hour granted.
Compensation
Normally, students may not be compensated except for minimal amounts to cover such expenses as travel.
Honors Program - Cultivating Engaged Citizen Scholars
The Honors Program at Bridgewater State University offers incentives and resources to support students by helping them achieve their highest potential as scholars and campus leaders. Honors students are able to enroll in small classes that cultivate close student-faculty relationships. Honors courses foster the vigorous and thorough exchange of ideas and develop the investigative, analytical and creative skills necessary for scholarly research. Additionally, Honors students have the opportunity to build community, promote social justice, and encourage academic excellence through the development of Honors programming and events. Honors students serve as campus leaders, mentor students new to the Honors Program, and serve as role models to all students.
The program does not require students to complete additional course work beyond the 120 credit hours necessary for graduation; instead, students earn honors credits, as described below, by taking honors sections of regular courses and/or honors during their freshman and sophomore years, by completing honors work in certain 300- and 400-level courses during their junior and senior years, and by researching and writing an honors thesis in their senior year.
For all honors work completed with a grade of B (3.0) or higher, students receive honors credit on their transcripts, and those who complete the program receive an honors degree – a goal worth serious effort both for the intrinsic satisfaction it brings and the advantage it provides at a time of strong competition for graduate and career opportunities.
Commonwealth Honors
Students can participate in the Honors Program in two ways: by undertaking all of the requirements listed below for Commonwealth Honors or by undertaking the requirements listed only under “Junior and Senior Years” for Departmental Honors. Commonwealth Honors runs throughout a student’s undergraduate career, whereas Departmental Honors takes place only in the student’s last two years. Commonwealth Honors includes the requirements for Departmental Honors; a student might undertake only Departmental Honors if he or she transferred to Bridgewater State University or developed an interest in pursuing honors work during the first semester of their freshman year.
Freshman and Sophomore Years (for Commonwealth Honors)
Students seeking Commonwealth Honors must accumulate a total of 12 credits of honors level work at the 100-200 level preferably, but not necessarily, during their first two years. Honors credit at this level can be earned in a variety of ways. Students may elect to take four three-credit honors courses or a mix of three-credit honors courses and one-credit honors colloquia totaling 12 credits. Both honors courses and colloquia are listed on InfoBear prior to registration. In addition, participation in the Fall Book Club allows students to waive one credit of their Commonwealth Honors requirements.
Honors courses: Honors courses are specially-designed sections of regular 100-200 level courses. Most fulfill core curriculum credit and thereby impose no additional requirements for graduation. Honors Courses have small class sizes (capped at 15) to allow for greater student-faculty interaction and more innovative pedagogy. Compared to regular sections, Honors courses place more emphasis on student participation and discussion, the development of oral and written communication skills, and are more focused on developing research skills.
Honors colloquia: Honors colloquia carry one academic credit, meet once a week for 50 minutes, and culminate in a paper or scientific project that provides the major part of the grade. Minimum enrollment in each colloquium is two and the maximum is 12. Although most colloquia stand on their own, some are attached to regularly offered courses that form part of the student’s normal program. Colloquia do not carry core curriculum credit, but offer intense study in a wide range of topics not usually found at this level.
Whether in honors classes or colloquia, students are expected to maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.3. Students whose GPA falls between 3.3 and 2.7 may remain in the program for an additional semester, however, if they do not achieve a 3.3 GPA the following semester they are removed from the program. Students whose GPA falls below 2.7 are removed from the program at that time. In either case, whenever the GPA returns to 3.3, students may reenter the program. Although the honors director and assistant director have discretion to retain students in the program who do not meet these requirements by the time of graduation, students must have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.3 to graduate with Commonwealth Honors.
Junior and Senior Years
Students who have completed the 12 credits of honors work described above and who have attained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 (GPA requirements may be higher in some academic departments) are eligible to continue by entering a Departmental Honors program or, if the student’s major does not offer Departmental Honors, by undertaking, through the Honors Program, an individually designed interdisciplinary honors program (both of which require an application, either to the departmental honors chairperson or the honors program).
The following departments offer departmental honors:
Accounting and Finance
Anthropology
Art
Aviation Science
Biology
Chemistry
Communication Studies
Computer Science
Criminal Justice
Elementary and Early Childhood Education
English
Foreign Languages
Geological Sciences
History
Management
Mathematics
Movement Arts, Health Promotion and Leisure Studies
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Social Work
Sociology
Special Education and Communication Disorders
Theater and Dance
Honors work at this level emphasizes independent study and research in the major, or combination of majors if interdisciplinary. Students are required to take nine credits of honors work at the 300-400 level and can do so by combining Honors Contracts (or, in some departments, honors courses or colloquia) and the Honors Thesis. With an Honors Contract, the student and instructor devise an advanced project within the course that emphasizes independent research on a particular subject. The student then completes a special advanced project, under the instructor’s direction, in conjunction with the course. Honors courses or colloquia are advanced 300- and 400-level courses that typically replace honors contracts and are designed to prepare students for upper-level research within their field. Students should check with their departments for more information about specific requirements.
As a senior, the student researches and writes an honors thesis (earning three credits for “XXXX 485 Honors Thesis”) under the direction of a faculty member on a one-on-one basis; this can be done for either one or two semesters. (We encourage two semesters, but students should discuss this with their Departmental Honors Committee and thesis adviser. Note that some departments require a two-semester thesis). Whether the thesis qualifies the student to graduate with honors will be determined by the departmental honors committee or, where appropriate, by the student’s interdisciplinary honors committee. For many students, the honors thesis is the intellectual high point of the undergraduate experience – fascinating and exciting in its own right, and valuable as a preparation for graduate school or professional employment.
Credit requirements for Commonwealth Honors may be summarized as follows:
- At least 12 honors credits at the 100- or 200-level in three-credit honors classes and one-credit honors colloquia
- Nine credit hours in honors course work at the 300- or 400-level obtained by undertaking the requirements specified by the academic department, which may include honors contracts or honors courses or colloquia, and either one or two semesters of an honors thesis. Forms for honors contracts and the honors thesis can be downloaded from the Honors Program website, http://www.bridgew.edu/HonorsProgram/ or they may be picked up from the Honors Center. They should be filled out, signed and returned to the Honors Center during the first two weeks of the semester.
- A public presentation of the thesis work at a campus forum, such as an event sponsored by the student’s department or the Undergraduate Research Symposium held each April.
Students who complete the program will have the phrase “with Commonwealth Honors” entered on their transcripts.
Departmental Honors Only
Students wishing to undertake only upper-division honors work can apply to their major department to do departmental honors around the end of the sophomore or beginning of the junior year, and should complete those requirements listed under “Junior and Senior Years.” For specific requirements and expectations, please consult your departmental honors committee or request information at the Honors Center.
Scholarships
Bridgewater State University offers a variety of academic scholarships ranging from presidential and Tsongas scholarships, administered by the Office of Admission, to the more specialized scholarships described on the Student Affairs website, http://www.bridgew.edu/StudentAffairs/. Of particular interest to students in the Honors Program is the Adrian Tinsley Program for Undergraduate Research, which offers generous financial support for students’ research. Full details are available at www.bridgew.edu/atp.
Honors Center
Students in the program have access throughout the year to the Honors Center in the Academic Achievement Center on the ground floor of Maxwell Library. Designed as a study area and meeting place for students in the honors program, the center has large work tables, comfortable chairs, computers, a laser printer and a refrigerator. Students will also find copies of past honors theses written by BSU honors students, and announcements of national and regional undergraduate research conferences in which honors students are encouraged to participate. The center is open from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday during the academic year.
Honors Events
Twice a year the program hosts a dinner for students and faculty featuring an informal talk by a faculty recipient of the Honors Outstanding Faculty Award. The honors program also hosts other events such as the Fall Book Club and the Thesis Workshop.
Honor Societies
Several departments invite academically talented students to join nationally recognized honor societies. For information on the following, contact the department chairperson.
Alpha Mu Alpha (Marketing)
Eta Sigma Gamma, Delta Pi Chapter (Health)
Gamma Theta Upsilon (Geography)
Kappa Delta Pi (Education)
Lambda Pi Eta (Communication Studies)
Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics)
Phi Alpha, Beta Chi Chapter (Social Work)
Phi Alpha Theta (History)
Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy)
Pi Kappa Delta (Forensics)
Pi Mu Epsilon (Mathematics)
Pi Sigma Alpha, Pi Upsilon Chapter (Political Science)
Psi Chi (Psychology)
Sigma Beta Delta (Business)
Sigma Gamma Epsilon, Zeta Iota Chapter (Earth Science)
Interdisciplinary Programs
The university offers a number of interdisciplinary programs, providing majors, minors and preprofessional programs. See the section on “Interdisciplinary and Preprofessional Programs .” |