Academic Requirements

Lindenwood University offers academic courses of study at the undergraduate level leading to a Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Social Work. Specific degree requirements are listed in the sections of the catalog that describe each degree program. In addition to standard degrees, contract degrees (interdisciplinary majors created by the student in conjunction with an advisor and the relevant college or departments) may be approved.

Areas of Study

Lindenwood University’s definition of areas of study is below.

• Major: A major represents the primary field of specialization selected by a degree-seeking undergraduate student. A major requires a minimum of 30 credit hours in a subject area for completion. Required coursework can be offered by a single department or multiple departments. Majors include introductory coursework that may be part of the General Education program, as well as upper-level coursework. All undergraduate students must complete a major in order to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Lindenwood University.
• Minor: A minor represents a subset of a major. A minor requires a minimum of 15 credit hours in a subject area for completion. Required coursework can be offered by a single department or multiple departments. Minors include introductory coursework that may be part of the General Education program, as well as upper-level coursework. Coursework for a minor may also include coursework for a major in another field. Undergraduate students are not required to complete a minor in order to obtain a bachelor’s degree from Lindenwood University.
• Certificate: A certificate represents a structured set of courses designed to provide students with specific skills suited to different potential careers. A certificate requires a minimum of 12 credit hours for completion and may include labs, internships, and/or clinicals. Only degree-seeking Lindenwood undergraduate students are eligible to earn an undergraduate certificate. Beginning Fall 2024, only the Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (AI) Certificate may be pursued as a transcripted standalone certificate available to non-degree seeking students.
• Track: A track is a predetermined course of study as outlined by a student’s program major or minor.
• Emphasis: An emphasis is an additional set of courses or a course of study that is focused on one area of a major or minor.

Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

The requirements for a bachelor’s degree are as follows:

• Successful completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours (not including preparatory coursework, numbered 01000-09999), at least 42 of which must be earned in courses numbered 30000-level or higher.
• Successful completion of the requirements for one of the undergraduate majors offered by the university. The greater of 18 credit hours or 40% of the courses required for the major, and at least 40% of the courses required for a minor, certificate, emphasis, or track must be taken in residence at Lindenwood University.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for all courses taken within the Lindenwood University system, as well as a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 for all courses satisfying the student’s major, minor, emphasis, track, or certificate, with at least the greater of 18 credit hours or 40% of the credits earned for the major, minor, emphasis, or track being earned within the Lindenwood University system. Overall cumulative GPA is a continuous representation of grades received for all courses taken within the Lindenwood University system.
• Successful completion of a total of 30 credit hours in residence at Lindenwood University, with the successful completion of the last 24 credits leading to a degree being taken within the Lindenwood University system.
• Successful completion of all general education (GE) course requirements for a bachelor’s degree, including grades of C or higher in ENGL 15000 /EPP 15000  and ENGL 17000  (whether taken at Lindenwood or accepted in transfer).

Notes: In addition to the requirements listed above, traditional undergraduate students who are first-time freshmen or transfer students with fewer than 24 credit hours of transferable credit who have not successfully completed a freshmen seminar course must enroll in and complete a First-Year Seminar course in their first semester at the university. Online freshman must complete UNIV 10100 during their first semester of enrollment.

Contract Degree Requirements

The contract degree program is designed to serve students whose educational or personal objectives cannot be met through one of the standard Lindenwood programs but for which the university can provide faculty and other resources. The basic requirements for all bachelor’s degrees shall be maintained, including the required 120 credit hours necessary for graduation and all applicable general education requirements. In addition, the student for whom a contract degree is created shall have completed at least 30 semester hours of credit at Lindenwood and be in good academic standing. Successful completion of the requirements for one of the undergraduate majors offered by the university. The greater of 18 credit hours or 40 percent of the courses required for the major, and at least 40 percent of the courses required for a minor, certificate, emphasis, or track must be taken in residence at Lindenwood University. Standard grading practices shall be maintained for the contracted degree student.

Procedures for creating a contract degree are outlined below.

• The student works with an advisor to develop a degree plan; both the student and the advisor will sign the proposed plan.
• The student submits the completed, signed plan to the college dean(s) for critique.
• Once the proposed contract degree has been approved by the advisor and college dean, the student submits the proposed plan to the registrar.
• The registrar submits the proposed contract degree to the Academic Processes Committee for review by the APC and the provost.
• The approved contract degree proposal is recorded and reported to the student and an advisor by the registrar within 30 days of the submission of the contract to the APC committee.
• Any changes of degree requirements by the student and/or advisor after initial approval nullify the contract.
• The up-to-date contract degree program is included in the student’s file in the Office of Academic Services.

General Education (GE) Program

The purpose of the General Education Program is to initiate, develop, demonstrate, and integrate Lindenwood’s Graduate Attributes within various areas of knowledge and study. The General Education Program prepares all graduates for personal success in a world of increasing complexity, innovation, and change.

GE Course Requirements

The table below summarizes the general education course and credit hour requirements for bachelor’s degrees completed at Lindenwood. The requirements have been approved by the university. However, students should compare the requirements listed below against the particular GE requirements of their respective majors. Some programs require a particular course for the completion of the general education requirements, and other colleges or departments have narrowed the list of courses required for GE credit within specific majors. Before selecting courses, students should consult with their advisor and the catalog for major-specific direction regarding general education requirements.

Students must complete at least three-credit-hours in each of the 14 areas below, for a total of at least 42 credit hours of general education coursework.

Students transferring into Lindenwood after completing the CORE 42 core curriculum at a Missouri institution will not be required to take further general education courses at Lindenwood, unless a general education course is also required for completion of a degree requirement. If a transfer student has taken some CORE 42 courses but has not completed CORE 42, individual courses that comprise the CORE 42 are guaranteed to transfer one-to-one, according to the MOTR (Missouri Transfer) Codes maintained by the Core Curriculum Advisory Committee of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. However, transfer students who have not completed at least six credit hours of Human Diversity (HD) coursework must do so within major or elective coursework before graduation.