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Professional Studies Program > FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
STUDENTS
PROGRAM OF STUDY
ACADEMIC ADVISING
GRADUATION
COMMUNICATIONS
OTHER ISSUES
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
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1. What is the degree called? What would it say on my diploma when I graduated?
Your diploma would say Bachelor of Science. The degree awarded is Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies - Professional Studies and will identified on student's official transcript.
2. When was the Professional Studies Program established?
The Professional Studies major was created and approved during the 2001-2002 academic year. The first students were formally admitted during the summer of 2002.
3. How many students are presently enrolled in the program?
As of April 5, 2007, there are 417 students pursuing the major in Professional Studies!
4. How many students have graduated with the Professional Studies degree?
As of April 5, 2007, 570 students have earned the Professional Studies degree.
5. How would you describe the Professional Studies degree?
The Professional Studies degree is a interdisciplinary degree program that allows students to create an individualized program of study not otherwise available at the university.
6. What can a student do after earning the Professional Studies degree?
Students who earn the professional studies degree have a surprising number of options available after graduation. Many go to graduate school or to post baccalaureate certificate programs in a field of their choice. Others go on to entry level positions in business and industry in an area associated with one of their academic minors. Many discover that their skills, knowledge and experiences open doors in occupations they never considered. An increasing number of employers are less concerned about the title of a degree and more concerned about the qualities a prospective employee brings into a company.
There are several offices on campus that provide students with assistance with career and vocational selection. The staff of the Twardowski Career Development Center provides a variety of services for students engaged in the search for a career path. The Career Center may offer you a referral to the University Counseling Center who also provide vocational testing, at no charge to the student. A trained professional will review the results of the testing with student. Both offices are located on the second floor of the Lawrence Center.
Students may also want to check out the US Department of Labor's Career Statistics information site as well as Wet Feet's Corporate Recruiting site. Both sites have tons of career information.
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STUDENTS
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7. Who should consider entering the Professional Studies Major?
Professional Studies is a potentially good fit for the following types of students:
Students who think “outside the box”
Students who are interested in what is IN the major, not what it is called
Students who are looking for a major, but cannot find a “good match” with existing campus programs
Students with high credits earned who are not enrolled in a major
Students who are enrolled in a major but will not be able to complete the requirements for that major for various reasons.
8. What are the qualifications for entry into the Professional Studies Program?
Students must be actively enrolled as an undergraduate at WCU, and have earned a minimum of 30 credits at the time of application. Students must have a minimum WCU cumulative GPA of 2.00. Prospective students must have an intake interview with the Program Director to assess their qualifications. Once a student is deemed acceptable for the major, he/she must file a change of major form with the Office of the Registrar.
9. May transfer students be admitted directly into the Professional Studies Program?
Students who transfer to WCU from another accredited college or university are not allowed to apply for admission to the Professional Studies Program. These students should meet with Prof. Norris after their admission to the university to discuss the program and make their academic plans accordingly; they will not be permitted to apply for the admission to the program until the completion of the their first semester at WCU.
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PROGRAM OF STUDY
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10. What are the program requirements?
Students in the Professional Studies Program must complete a variety of requirements under the following categories:
• General Education – 48 credits
• Major Breadth (Distributive) Courses – 15 credits
• Major Electives
o Upper Level Electives – 30 credits
o Electives at any level – 27 credits
• Academic Minors – Students must complete 2 Academic Minors, one of which must be from a professional college
11. Where can I find information about the General Education requirement?
Students should consult the Undergraduate Catalog for the year they first enrolled at WCU to determine their general education requirements. Students should consult their academic advisor for specific information about the general education requirements. The Program Director serves as the academic advisor for Professional Studies students.
12. What is the “Major Breadth" (Distributive) Requirement?
The Major Breadth (Distributive) Requirement consists of 15 credits of coursework in areas across the university curriculum. The requirement has its origin in the Liberal Arts/Liberal Studies tradition, where students pursue a curriculum that spans a variety of academic disciplines. To complete this requirement, students must take courses in the following areas”
• Science (3 credits), from the following prefixes: BIO, CHE, CSC, CST, CSW, ESS, ENV, IND, PHY, SCB, SCE, SCI
• Behavioral and Social Science (3 credits), from the following prefixes: ANT, ECO, EDP, GEO, PMG, PSC. PSY, SOC, SSC, WOS
• Humanities (3 credits) from the following prefixes: AMS, CLS, COM, CRW, ENG, HIS, JRN, LIT, PHI or any prefix from a foreign language or foreign culture cluster.
• Additional Distributive courses (6 credits) from any of the prefixes listed above in science, behavioral and social science humanities, or the following Arts prefixes: ARH, ART, DAN, FLM, MUE, MHL, THA or music organizations.
13. What are the major electives?
Students in the Professional Studies program must complete a total of 57 credits of major electives. 30 credits of these electives must be taken at the upper level (300/400 level). The remaining 27 credits may be taken at any level 100 or above. Courses that students are using to earn one of the required academic minors are to be included among these elective credits. The credits may be taken from any academic department on campus.
14. What is the Academic Minor requirement for Professional Studies?
Students pursuing the Professional Studies degree must earn two academic minors. One of those minors must be from a professional area. The second minor may be from any of the university's colleges.
Students will need to apply for each of the minors they wish to pursue. Each minor may have its own admission or selection criteria. It is the student’s responsibility to consult with a representative of the minor department to determine these standards, as well as the specific requirements for the minor.
Verification that a student has earned the minor will be done at the time of final graduation clearance. Failure to earn two minors, as stipulated above, will prevent a Professional Studies student from graduating.
15. What are the “professional colleges?”
At the time the Professional Studies Program was approved, the Academic Departments of the university were organized into the College of Arts and Sciences and four Professional Schools (Business and Public Affairs, Education, Health Sciences and Music). In the Fall of 2004, the academic units were reorganized to more accurately reflect the institution’s mission, philosophy and strategic plan. All departments are part of Colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business and Public Affairs, Education, Health Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts), and some departments have been moved into a new organizational unit.
Professional College Minors include:
Accounting, Art History, Athletic Coaching, Business Geographics and Information Systems, Criminal Justice, Dance, Early Childhood Education, Economics, Elementary Education, Environmental Health, Finance, Geography, Health Sciences, International Studies, Jazz Studies, Music, Music History, Professional Education, Public Management, Reading, Special Education, Studio Art, and Theatre.
16. How do I find out what the requirements are for an Academic Minor?
Students should consult the chair of the academic department that owns the minor to determine the specific requirements, and options if any, for their minor. Departments may provide general information about their minors in the Undergraduate Catalog, as well as on their departmental web page. However, students should check with their assigned minor advisor to be certain of the specific requirements that must be met. Failure to meet with your minor advisor could lead to misunderstandings about the minor requirements, and could ultimately delay graduation.
17. How does a student find out who is appointed to be their minor advisor?
The minor advisor should also be identified on the myWCU portal, on the student’s log-on page. If there is no advisor listed, the student may check with the office of the department for the minor. Contact the department chair.
18. What can a student do if they are having trouble selecting an academic minor?
The first step should be arranging a meeting with the Program Director to discuss this. Other steps will likely be identified during that meeting. Often, it is best to work from the perspective of identifying the minors that are of no interest or for which the student is not eligible due to entry criteria. Caution should be employed with this method, as viable minors could be excluded prematurely. Students should research the minors available and of interest, using the Undergraduate Catalog, the department office, and the department’s web page.
19. May I use two academic minors from the College of Arts and Sciences to meet the
degree requirement for Professional Studies?
No, one of the minors must come from a professional area. Students may complete as many minors as they want and are able, provided that at least one of them is from a professional college. A student may, however, elect to complete two professional college minors to fill the minor requirements for the major.
Click here to be redirected to the list of all minors (please see department for requirements specific to each minor) offered at WCU.
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ACADEMIC ADVISING
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20. Who is my major advisor?
Bruce Norris is currently the only advisor for the Professional Studies Program. He is also the Program's Director.
21. Why should I meet with my academic advisor?
While the flexibility and individualized nature of the Professional Studies Program is appealing, it also creates the potential for misunderstanding and mistakes in planning and executing the student’s academic plan. By meeting on a regular basis with your academic advisor, you reduce the likelihood that these mistakes will occur.
Students are responsible for developing an academic plan to complete all of the requirements for your program of study. Your academic advisor is a good sounding board for your plan. In addition, students must meet with their academic advisor in order to have their advising hold lifted. That enables the student to enroll in courses at the appointed time.
Academic advisors are also interested in helping the student clarify their short-term and long-term goals. The selection of minors and of elective course may depend to some degree on those goals.
In the final analysis, it is the student’s responsibility to know what the requirements are for earning their degree and to then complete them. The academic advisor is an excellent resource to use to ensure that the student is on the correct path.
22. When should I meet with my academic advisor?
About a month into each semester, a student should check myWCU for their enrollment appointment date. Students should make an appointment before they are able to schedule in order to discuss their upcoming course selections.
Students should meet with their academic advisor at least once each semester to review their progress toward degree completion, discuss course selection for upcoming semesters, and address other important issues.
Prior to applying for graduation, students should schedule an appointment with their major and minor advisors to be reviewed for graduation.
Students should also meet with their academic advisor whenever they feel a need to do so. Your advisor is here to assist you taking charge of your education. You may also email your advisor. If the question cannot be answered with an email (remember, email is not considered a secure form of transmission), your advisor will direct you to come in for an appointment.
23. How should students prepare for an academic advising session?
Prior to the appointment, students should review the materials they received in previous sessions. They should be aware of outstanding requirements and, if possible, identify possible course selection options for the upcoming semester. In addition, they should prepare a list of questions to be discussed at the session. Students should bring their Professional Studies materials with them to each advising meeting.
Students should maintain a file with all materials from advising sessions.
Do not throw anything out!
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GRADUATION
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24. When should I begin the graduation process?
Students are encouraged to begin the graduation process when they have approximately one academic year of courses remaining. Students submit their application through the myWCU portal. An email verifying receipt of application will be sent as will a bill for the graduation fee (currently $56.00). Shortly after the application, the student will be asked to come to the Office of the Registrar to meet with a graduation analyst to review their status. They will be urged to meet with their major and minor advisors to identify any remaining unmet requirements. This process should allow students to remedy, in a timely fashion, any situation that could delay their graduation.
25. How will Professional Studies Students be cleared for graduation?
The final graduation clearance process is initiated by the Office of the Registrar. A list of all students who have filed their final application for graduation for the specific term will be sent to the Program Director. The Program Director will review the record of each student on the list and indicate if the student has completed the degree requirements. Typically, comments on the list will include the need for the student to successfully complete the courses they are taking in that semester, and that they must earn their academic minors. The list is returned to the Office of the Registrar.
The minor departments also receive a list for their major gradates and students graduating with that department’s minor. They must indicate if the student has earned the minor (or will do so upon successful completion of that semester’s courses).
Finally, the graduation analyst in the Office of the Registrar will verify that the student has completed the appropriate general education requirements. A “NO” from any one for these offices will prevent the student from graduating.
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COMMUNICATIONS
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26. How may a student schedule an appointment with the Program Director?
Students may schedule an appointment by calling the program office at 610-436-3548 or 3486. If put into voicemail, please leave your name and return number, and a contact will be made.
27. May I communicate with the Program Director through email?
Yes, students are encouraged to submit basic questions (those requiring short answers) via email. Please submit these questions to bnorris@wcupa.edu.
Appointments will not be scheduled online; students should contact the department secretary to schedule appointments at 610-436-3548.
Questions requiring longer, in-depth answers should be saved for face-to face meetings or phone calls.
28. Are there certain issues that cannot be addressed through email?
Yes, student grades, GPA, identifying information (such as WCU ID numbers and social security numbers) and personal information should not be included in any email communications, as privacy of emails cannot be assured. The rule of thumb is: if you would not discuss something in a loud voice in a crowded elevator, you should not cover it in an email.
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OTHER ISSUES
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29. May students participate in internship experiences and have them be used as partial
fulfillment of major requirements?
Yes, Professional Studies students may (and are encouraged to) participate in internship experiences. Yes, credits earned through internship experiences may be applied to major electives. HOWEVER, there are presently no credits given directly through the Professional Studies program for internships. Students who want to earn credits for internships should check with their minor departments to see if it is possible to earn credits through that department. Professional Studies students interested in internships should consult the Program Director.
A proposal for an internship course dedicated to Professional Studies majors has been submitted for review to the University Curriculum & Academic Policies Committee. It is unclear if and when the proposal will be accepted and the course will be available. Consult the Program Director for updates.
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