About the College

Curricular Information

Baccalaureate Degree
Bachelor of Arts Degree
Bachelor of Science Degree
The Freshman Year

THE BACCALAUREATE DEGREE

The curriculum at Washington and Lee University permits students flexibility and individual responsibility in their choice of courses. With the help of a faculty adviser, students choose a series of courses that will lead them along one of several routes to a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree.

A student qualifies for a degree by completing the following requirements of the Faculty:

1. The General Education Requirements. These will usually be met during the freshman and sophomore years.
   
   
2. A minimum of 121 credits with passing grades, including one credit (five courses) for 100- and 200-level work in physical education. A student must achieve at least the following cumulative grade-point averages: 1.900 on all work attempted at Washington and Lee; 2.000 on all Washington and Lee work used to meet degree requirements; and 2.000 on the work of the major, both as a whole and in the major subject.
   
   
3. 30 to 50 credits in a major. Majors may be departmental, interdepartmental, independent or in one of the special programs. The work of the major, both as a whole and in the major subject, must be completed with a grade-point average of 2.000 or better.

THE BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE

The candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts must, before graduation, complete the following requirements of the faculty:

1. A student must submit a minimum of 121 credits with passing grades, including one credit (five courses) for 100- and 200-level work in physical education. A student must achieve at least the following cumulative grade-point averages: 1.900 on all work attempted at Washington and Lee; 2.000 on all Washington and Lee work used to meet degree requirements; and 2.000 on the work of the major, both as a whole and in the major subject.
   
   
2. A distribution of courses according to the specifications given under General Education Requirements.
   
   
3. The work in a major as outlined by the department or interdepartmental program concerned.

If admitted to the School of Law the student may elect to meet these requirements of the B.A. degree in conjunction with first-year law studies.

THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE

The degree of Bachelor of Science is conferred upon those students who have completed a course of study with emphasis (50 credits) in the field of the natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science, and who have fulfilled the above requirements of the faculty. The degree is designed for those who are attracted by scientific work, whether or not their plans involve its direct application, and for those who intend to pursue graduate study in certain scientific fields.

Students should seek advice from a member of the appropriate departments in planning their schedules. Opportunities for majoring include biology, chemistry, chemistry-engineering, computer science, geology, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, physics-engineering or psychology.

If admitted to the School of Law the student may elect to meet these requirements of the B.S. degree in conjunction with first-year law studies.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE WITH SPECIAL ATTAINMENTS IN CHEMISTRY

The requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science with Special Attainments in Chemistry are flexible enough to meet the needs of all undergraduate students who are seriously interested in chemistry. The curriculum affords an excellent basis for graduate work, either with a view to teaching or research, or for chemical engineering. It also provides the full training ordinarily expected of college graduates at the bachelor’s level who seek positions as chemists in industry. Upon satisfactory completion of this course of study, the student is offered associate membership status in the American Chemical Society.

THE FRESHMAN YEAR

Entering freshmen are expected to select courses which will enable them to begin satisfying the general education requirements, to explore possibilities for a major and, perhaps, to continue study in a field of special interest to them. To assist in the selection of courses, freshmen are assigned faculty advisers with whom they confer during the first week of the academic year and who remain available for consultation until a major is chosen. In certain fields placement tests will be offered on an optional basis to entering freshmen, and their results, along with any advanced placement reports, will be used in determining the level of work which should be pursued.

In choosing courses freshmen should consider that the skills in mathematics and language study they have acquired may deteriorate if they do not continue work in them immediately. They should also be sure to take the courses prerequisite to later work they desire. If they are interested in working for the degree of Bachelor of Science or for the Bachelor of Arts with a major in science, including premedical work, they should register for mathematics and science in their freshman year. Students should not take two laboratory sciences simultaneously during the freshman year. Chemistry is required for majors in biology, chemistry or chemistry-engineering, and for those planning careers in medicine. The introductory physics sequence is the normal choice for freshmen intending to major in physics or physics-engineering. Students planning to major in business administration, business administration and accounting, or economics are advised to take mathematics; those planning to major in politics are advised to take statistics. All students, in planning their first year, should examine the requirements for any major of potential interest.

Students considering graduate work should consult their advisers with regard to possible language and mathematics requirements for advanced degrees.

More information about the Freshman Program.