Graduation Information
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College offers courses of study leading to one of the following undergraduate degrees: bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, associate in arts and associate in science. Each degree requires a basic group of prescribed courses and a specialization in one or more areas.
Students must successfully complete 125 credit hours in order to graduate with an undergraduate bachelor's degree; achieving a grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. The graduate must also achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0 in his or her major and minor area(s) of concentration, unless the specific concentration requires a higher ratio.
To be eligible for an associate degree, a student must complete a minimum of 62 credit hours and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, as well as a 2.0 in his or her major area of study.
Hours Earned at Other Institutions
To earn a degree from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a minimum of 30 hours for the bachelor degree and 18 hours for the associate degree must be earned at SMWC. No more than 9 of the last 18 credit hours toward graduation may be taken at another institution.
Maximum Time to Complete a Degree
Full-time students seeking the bachelor’s degree must complete the work within six years of the date of enrollment; for the associate degree, within three years. Part-time students seeking the bachelor’s degree must complete the work within 12 years of enrollment; for the associate degree, within six years. The primary responsibility for meeting degree and certification requirements rests with the student.
Graduate programs
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College offers courses of study leading to one of the following Master programs: Master of Art Therapy, Master of Leadership Development, and Master of Music Therapy. Previously offered and currently being taught out are: Master of Earth Literacy, Master of Education, and Master of Pastoral Theology. Each degree requires a basic group of prescribed courses.
Students must successfully complete the credits required by their specific program in order to graduate with a master’s degree; achieving a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Any course that results in a “C” or below will not count towards graduation requirements.
Hours Earned at Other Institutions
To earn a Master’s degree from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, a minimum of 30 hours is required for a student to complete. The hours required are dependent on each program’s requirements. See below for the required curriculum hours and acceptable number of transfer hours. All transferred credits must be approved by the program director and be relevant to the program’s area of study.
| Program | Curriculum Credit Hours | Maximum Transferred Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Art Therapy | 50 | 12 |
| Master of Earth Literacy | 36 | 7 |
| Master of Education | 36 | 6 |
| Master of Leadership Development | 36 | 6 |
| Master of Music Therapy | 42 | 0 |
Maximum Time to Complete a Degree
Students seeking a master’s degree must complete all work within seven years of the date of enrollment.
Graduation Honors
All students completing an associate degree who have earned 45 hours of graded coursework at SMWC, students completing a bachelor's degree who have earned 60 hours of graded coursework at SMWC, and students completing a master's degree, are considered for graduation honors.
Each student's complete academic history is used in the calculation - this includes the grades of coursework transferred to SMWC from other institutions.
Master's Degree Honors
"With Honors" - GPA: 3.9-4.0
Bachelor Degree Honors
Summa cum laude - GPA: 3.9 - 4.0
Magna cum laude - GPA: 3.75 - 3.89
Cum laude - GPA: 3.50 - 3.749
Associate Degree Honors
"With Honors" - GPA: 3.5 - 4.0
Degree and Enrollment Verification
Employers and others may verify past or present student enrollment status, degree(s) earned and enrollment dates by contacting:
National Student Clearinghouse
http://www.studentclearinghouse.org
703-733-4193