Bachelor of College Studies

Location(s): University of Maine at Machias

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OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 120

Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0

Required Course for fulfilling Capstone Experience and Writing Intensive in Major: BCS 460 or other equivalent courses

Residency requirement: Must complete at least 30 credits through UM, at least 12 of which must be in their major and 9 of these 12 must be upper level (300 level or above).

The Bachelor of College Studies (BCS) program meets the individualized needs of students who have a strong desire to finish their Bachelor’s degree, have earned at least 45 hours of college credit, and developed a clear and compelling set of program goals and learning objectives that can be achieved and supported by UM/UMM courses and UMM faculty. The general education and program requirements are broad and flexible enough to give many students the fastest and most affordable route to completing their degree. BCS students may take on-line and/or onsite classes, or a combination of the two.

Working closely with the BCS coordinator and an advisor appropriate to their concentration area, students must develop a Plan of Study that includes overall program objectives, student learning outcomes for the Self-Designed concentration, all course work to be completed in all areas of the program, and the planned capstone experience (i.e. BCS 460 or other equivalent). Once approved, the Plan sets the curriculum for the individualized program.

General Requirements

Students must earn a minimum of 120 credits and achieve a GPA of at least 2.00 to graduate. Forty credits must be at or above the 200 level. While they are not required to meet all Machias Core requirements, students must take the general education courses listed below. A single course can only be used to fulfill one requirement in general education and self designed concentration.

General Education Requirements - 37-40 cr

I. Communication Skills - 6 cr

ENG 101 - College Composition Credits: 3
Broad-Based Communication course (COM, ENG 111 , ENG writing courses, or CMJ 103 ). Credits: 3

Artistic & Creative Expression - 3 cr

Complete 3 credits from one of the following subject areas:

Art
Creative Writing
Dance
Interdisciplinary Fine Arts
Music
Theatre

III. Cultural Environments - 6 cr

Complete one course from two different areas listed below, for a total of 6 credits:

Art
English
Foreign Language
History
Humanities
Music
Philosophy
Theatre
Writing

IV. International Perspectives - 3 cr

Any three-credit course that has a global perspective or focus. These courses include:

ANT 102 - Introduction to Anthropology: Diversity of Cultures Credits: 3 (was ANT 101)
GEO 100 - World Geography Credits: 3
HTY 115 - World History to 1500 Credits: 3
HTY 116 - World History since 1500 Credits: 3
HTY 480 - Global Environmental History Credits: 3
MGT 343 - Introduction to International Business Credits: 3 (was BUS 334)
Any Foreign Language Credits: 3

V. Social Contexts & Institutions- 9 cr

Select one course from at least two different areas listed below, for a total of 9 credits.

Environmental Liberal Arts

Behavioral Sciences

Any course in:

Psychology (PSY)

Social Sciences

Any course from one of the following areas:

Anthropology (ANT)
Sociology (SOC)
Social Sciences (SSC)
Women’s Studies (WGS)

For transfer courses in area or group studies, a syllabus, course description and/or reading list may be requested to show relevance to social sciences.

Political & Economic Studies

Any course from one of the following areas:

Economics (ECO)
Political Science (POS)

Business Studies

Any course from one of the following areas:

Business Administration (BUA)
Management (MGT)
Marketing (MKT)

Ethics & Philosophy

Any course in:

Philosophy (PHI)

Any course that meets the Core Requirement for Ethics

VI. Quantitative Literacy - 3-6 cr

Select any two MAT courses at or above the 100-level, one of these courses may be:
MAT 103 - Elementary Algebraic Models in Our World Credits: 3 (was MAT 103M)
MAT 104 - Workshop Credits: 1 (optional with MAT 103)
or
MAT 111 - Algebra for College Mathematics Credits: 3 (was MAT 111M)
MAT 112 - Workshop Credits: 1
or establish equivalence by:
- Score at least 530 on SAT MSS exam or at least 21 on ACT math exam. (no credit is awarded, but the requirement is satisfied)
- Score 50 or better on CLEP College Mathematics or College Algebra exam taken after 7/1/2001 or 500 or better on the same exam taken before that date.
- Score 61 or higher on the UM ALEKS placement test

VII. Scientific Inquiry - 4 cr

Any four credit lab science.

VIII. Personal Wellness - 3 cr

PHE 107 - Personal Wellness Credits: 3

Self-Designed Concentration

Students in consultation with their academic advisor will draw up a plan for a concentration, including the name of the concentration, the goals, the learning outcomes, and the specific courses that the student will use to complete the concentration. The concentration and plan of study will be unique to each student. The concentration must be in an area of study that can be supported by UMM faculty and UM/UMM courses, especially courses at or above the 300-level. The concentration may not duplicate, or be used to circumvent degree requirements of any degree program at UM. The proposed Plan of Study must be approved by the academic advisor, the BCS Coordinator, the BCS Advisory Committee and the Associate Dean.

A minimum of 39 credits is required in each self-designed concentration. All course work should focus on the goals and objectives of the proposed concentration. This may include independent studies, CLEP, Portfolio Assessment, etc. A minimum of 12 credit hours in the concentration must be UM course work. A minimum of 15 hours must be taken at the 300- level or above; of these 15 hours, a minimum of 9 hours must be UM course work. The concentration must include a culminating integrative experience that clearly demonstrates the linkage between the concentration objectives and the student ‘s academic work. This may be accomplished through completion of BCS 460 - Senior Project/Capstone Experience or another appropriate senior seminar or capstone course. The concentration must also include at least one course which meets the Advanced Level Writing requirement of the University Core. Students must have a 2.0 GPA in the self-designed concentration to qualify for graduation.

All UM residency requirements apply to BCS students, including a minimum of 30 credits of UM coursework.

Note: If a student transfers from the Bachelor of College Studies program to any of the other baccalaureate degree programs, UM Machias Core requirements or UM Core Curriculum requirements and the appropriate program requirements must be completed.