Graduation Requirements
Graduation requirements and special academic programs at DePauw University lead to the Bachelor of Arts degree and three degrees in the Institute of Music: Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Musical Arts, and Bachelor of Music Education.
This page contains an overview of graduation requirements. Complete information about the degree requirements can be found in the University Catalog and vary by the year a student entered DePauw.
The Bachelor of Arts degree consists of 31 credits and two extended studies experiences. Through those 31 credits, students will gain the breadth of the liberal arts, depth in a field of study, and competence in vital skills. Students begin with a first-year seminar that introduces them to the practices and expectations of college-level work.
Breadth - Distribution Requirements
To build a foundation for a liberal arts education at DePauw University, students complete two course credits in each of three distinct areas of study (Arts and Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Sciences). Students will also complete two semesters of a language other than English, complete a Global Learning requirement, and take a course on Power, Privilege, and Diversity.
Each of the six course credits used to complete the Arts and Humanities, Science and Mathematics, and Social Science distribution requirements must be in a different academic department or program to ensure that students explore a broad spectrum of the liberal arts and are introduced to the ways these areas study and describe the world.
Privilege, Power and Diversity courses have, as a major component, the analysis of the interplay of power and privilege in human interactions in the United States. Such courses will frequently focus on the experience of non-dominant members of political or social groups. They might also emphasize the dynamics of inequality from a more theoretical perspective.
Global Learning is completed by earning one course credit through the study of a culture or cultures distinct from US culture. This credit may be earned in DePauw courses focusing on the politics, society, religion, history, or arts of a foreign culture or through a DePauw-approved study-abroad experience. International students fulfill this requirement through their study at DePauw.
To fulfill the language requirement, students will take two semesters of a single language. They may choose a language they have previously studied or begin a new language at the first-semester level. Students taking a language studied previously must begin their language study at the appropriate level, according to a placement exam and in consultation with the director of the appropriate language program. Students may fulfill part of the requirement by taking one semester in an off-campus program with advance approval of the relevant language program director. International students whose first language is not English may be certified as meeting this requirement through the Office of the Registrar, and in consultation with the director of English for Academic Purposes, using the following factors.
- Placement in ENG 110 or ENG 115 as a result of the writing evaluation conducted before their first semester at DePauw.
- Attendance for at least three years at a high school in which the primary language of instruction is not English.
- English is not one of the listed official languages of the student's home country.
The Registrar’s Office will review the records and placements of each incoming international student during the summer, and indicate on their individual academic records if their language requirement is fulfilled through study at DePauw.
If an international student realizes that they indicated English as their first language incorrectly, they should notify the Registrar’s Office by the end of their first semester of attendance.
Depth - The Major
The depth of a DePauw education comes through focus and specialization in a major field of study. A major consists of eight to 10 courses in an academic department or interdisciplinary program, including at least three courses at the 300-400 level. A senior capstone experience synthesizes and culminates the line of disciplinary inquiry.
Competence
Competence requirements represent a University-wide commitment to the basic areas essential to a liberal arts education: expository writing, quantitative reasoning, and oral communication.
Extended Studies
Students are required to complete two Extended Studies (ES) opportunities. Visit the Extended Studies website to learn about the variety of options available.
Descriptions and requirements for the Bachelor of Musical Arts, Bachelor of Music Education, and Bachelor of Music degrees can be found on the Institute of Music website.