Degree and McDaniel Plan Requirements

 

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree

 

Students are required to fulfill the following requirements during the four years of study to earn a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree:

 

Complete successfully at least 128 credit hours (earn 128 credits).

 

The last 32 credit hours have to be completed in residence at McDaniel College. Ordinarily, if students have been in residence for two years or more, they will be permitted to take as many as eight (8) of the last 32 hours off campus. If these are required for a major or a minor, the department or program head must approve, as well. Courses taken in Budapest count as courses taken in residence. Current faculty policy restricts the number hours taken for credit in internships to twelve (a maximum of 12 credits may be counted toward the credit requirement for graduation)

 

Complete all course requirements for at least one academic major, including the Capstone Experience in the senior (fourth) year, subject to the following regulations:

• You may not count more than 52 semester hours (52 credits) in any one subject area (basic major or minor) toward the required 128 credits. Any additional credits earned will be added to the 128 credits needed for graduation
• You must attain a minimum overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 (“C” average) or above in all the courses required for the major
• The GPA for double and dual majors will be calculated separately for each department. To complete a double or dual major, you must have a GPA of at least 2.0 in EACH subject area (discipline) and its supplementing courses
• Although completion of a minor is not a requirement for graduation, most students decide to complete one or more. The requirements for a minor are: completion of at least 24 credit hours (24 credits) and other requirements as set by the sponsoring department and attain a GPA of at least 2.0 or better in all the courses taken for the minor

 

Attain an overall Grade Point Average of at least 2.0 (“C” average) in all the courses taken during the studies

 

Complete the requirements for the McDaniel Plan for Integrated Study in the Liberal Arts

 

Complete one January Term. January Term is a three-week term for two credits in which students and faculty explore new areas of knowledge. All students must complete at least one such two-credit course

 

TOEFL Requirement. All students whose native language is other than English are required to pass the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test with an appropriate score (a minimum of 80* on the Internet-based test) by the end of the sophomore (2nd) year.

* a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 77-79 may also be acceptable with a balanced distribution of scores among the four sections of the test, plus the passing of a written and oral exam before the English Proficiency Assessment Committee at the Budapest Campus

 

The McDaniel Plan for Integrated Study in the Liberal Arts

 

A. First Year Seminar FYS (one course). First Year Seminar focuses on developing fundamental skills that are necessary for academic success: critical thinking, effective writing, analytic reading, and oral communication. It also serves as an introduction to important dimensions of college life: the First Principles, the Honor System, academic expectations and regulations, study skills and time management.

 

B. Introduction to College Writing CW (one or two courses). All first-year students will be given introductory instruction in writing. Students will be placed in either ENG 1002 College Composition or ENG 1101 Introduction to College Writing: The Argument. Students must complete ENG 1101 with a grade of “C” or higher. If a student does not earn a grade of “C”, he or she must take the course again by the end of the sophomore (2nd) year and earn a grade of “C” or better.
Incoming students who have earned scores of 700 or higher on the SAT verbal test or SAT II English will satisfy the first-year writing requirement, but no additional credits will be awarded for SAT scores. Students having taken higher-level IB exams in English with scores of at least 5 or higher will satisfy the first-year writing requirement.

 

C. Global Citizenship (three courses) To fulfill the Global Citizenship requirement, students must take one course with a multicultural focus and two courses with an international or cross-cultural focus.

[check box] One course with a multicultural focus (MC). Multicultural education will give students an understanding of the cultural pluralism of American society. Multicultural courses focus on the cultures and experiences of diverse groups in the United States or elsewhere that have been historically subordinated or marginalized and defined by such categories as race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, and disability.

• Two courses that examine the perspectives and customs of cultures outside the U.S. or the relationship between the U.S. and foreign cultures (IW). One of these courses must be international non-western (IN), dealing with the cultures of Asia, Africa, or the indigenous Americas.

 

D. Second language SL. McDaniel students must demonstrate proficiency in a second language by one of the following:

• placing above the third semester of college-level language instruction through an approved language proficiency examination
• completing a second-semester elementary level language course, e.g. HUN 1102 Elementary Hungarian II
• completing an approved program of second language in a study abroad program
• Second language study will not be required of students who are demonstrably proficient in a language other than English.

Students whose native language is other than English are exempt from this requirement; however those students must complete the TOEFL requirement.

 

F. Critical Inquiries in the Liberal Arts (altogether seven courses). Critical Inquiry courses explore vital areas of knowledge. They focus on key practices and methodologies that are central to the academic search for knowledge and are designed to advance the capacity for clear, critical and creative thinking and communication. Students must take a total of seven courses in Critical Inquiries. Although some courses may count toward several different categories, a given course may be used in fulfillment of only one category. No more than three Critical Inquiry courses from a student’ s major may count toward the Critical Inquiry requirement.

• Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (three courses). Students must take three courses in Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning: these three must include at least one course in Quantitative Reasoning (QR) and one in Scientific Inquiry that includes an approved laboratory component (SIL). Student must be aware that they first need to pass the Mathematics Proficiency Exam in Arithmetic and Basic Algebra, which is a prerequisite for courses that satisfy the distribution requirement in Quantitative Reasoning (MAT 1107 College Algebra or STA 2215 Introduction to Statistics).
• Social, Cultural and Historical Understanding (two courses). Courses in Social, Cultural and Historical Understanding (SCH) explore the richness of human experience. These courses examine the myriad dimensions of human experience and achievement- ethical, historical, political, psychological, religious and social – and teach students the methods of research and theoretical analysis necessary for the study of individuals, societies and cultures.
• Textual Analysis and Creative Expression (two courses). Human creativity may be defined and explored from a broad range of disciplinary perspectives – the humanities, sciences and the fine arts. Courses in this category require students to examine creativity from different perspectives. Textual analysis courses (TA) focus on the interpretation of written texts. Creative Expression courses (CE) focus on the interpretation of creative texts or products, or on the reflective participation in the creative process itself. Students must take one course in Textual Analysis and one course in Creative Expression.

Please note! Major courses with McDaniel Plan designations can be used to satisfy the distribution requirements of the McDaniel Plan as well. Under Critical Inquiry, however, no more than three major courses may be counted toward its categories and a given course may be used in fulfillment of only one category.

 

G. The McDaniel Commitment (applicable for students starting their studies in Academic Year 2020-2021, excepting transfer students)

The McDaniel Commitment guarantees that every student will engage in strategic, guided exploration to complete a program of courses and experiential learning that will prepare them for personal and professional success.
The McDaniel Commitment has four components—My Place, My Design, My Experience, and My Career—that provide students with a sustained, intensive, and scaffolded process leading to both the identification of career and life goals and the mapping of a path forward to pursue those goals. All students must complete the four components of the McDaniel Commitment.

1. My Place. During the new student orientation in late August (Fall semester intake) or late January (Spring semester intake) students will engage in guided self-discovery, community exploration, and academic planning while getting to know their surroundings in Budapest. My Place counts as one of two required experiential learning (EXP) opportunities—see My Experience, below.

2. My Design. In this 2-credit course completed in the first year, students will identify their strengths, life goals, and areas for personal improvement, and learn how McDaniel’s curriculum can help them identify and achieve their vocation. Most students complete My Design during their first-year Jan Term and the course fulfills the Jan Term requirement when taken during that term. My Design is optional for transfer students.

3. My Experience. Participation in experiential learning (i.e., courses, internships, independent studies designated as EXP) requires the application of classroom knowledge to experiences beyond the traditional classroom setting. Students must engage in at least two experiential learning opportunities and transfer students must complete at least one. Completing additional experiential learning opportunities is encouraged. Participation in My Place meets one experiential learning requirement. The second experiential learning requirement is typically fulfilled by an internship, study abroad, a course with a substantial experiential learning component, or other approved opportunity.

4. My Career. All students must complete My Career, a one-credit online course typically taken during the junior or senior year. My Career guides students through the next steps for professional success by providing support as they research and identify their next pursuit after graduation (e.g., career, graduate school, fellowship), prepare for interviews, and learn to write resumes and cover letters.