Academic Program

Degree Requirements. In order to equip Westmont students to function with a global, Christian worldview, in the world in the 21st century, the goals of the College’s degree requirements are that students will:

1. develop an understanding and appreciation of the principal areas of human knowledge, including biblical Christianity;
2. learn how to express themselves clearly and objectively in both oral and written forms;
3. develop clearer understanding and perspective toward themselves and others in the context of an increasingly global and diverse society;
4. be equipped to accept social, religious, political, economic, and scientific positions of trust and leadership.

Students receive the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree when they complete the following:

1. A minimum of 124 semester units.
2. A minimum grade point average of 2.0 for all courses taken at Westmont and a minimum grade point average of 2.0 in upper-division courses taken for the major and minor at Westmont.
3. The final year (two full-time semesters) taken at Westmont or 32 of the last 40 units for the degree taken at Westmont.
4. The general education requirements.
5. A major program.
6. At least one-half of the upper-division major requirements on the Westmont campus or on a Westmont staffed off-campus program.
7. At least 60 units outside of the major department.

All candidates must file an application for degree no later than the second semester of their junior year.

The application of certain courses to the degree program is limited as follows:

1. A maximum of 12 units of practicum/internship credit.

2. A maximum of 12 units of applied music (MUA) credit, unless the lower-division requirements for the music major have been completed, in which case there is no limit.

3. A maximum of 8 units of physical education activity courses (PEA), 1 unit of which must be “Fitness for Life” and not more than one PEA course per semester.

4. A maximum of 12 units may be earned through approved extension courses, and 20 units through credit by examination (excluding CLEP and Advanced Placement) not to exceed a combined total of 32 units (see p. 240). CLEP credit may be applied to elective credit only. No student may earn credit in these ways during the final semester before graduation. Students must apply for credit by examination through the registrar. See the list of fees for cost per unit. Grading is pass/no credit, unless the faculty member and student mutually agree on letter grading.

5. Concurrent enrollment (enrollment for credit at another school while enrolled at Westmont) may occasionally be permitted for program enrichment or for solving serious class scheduling conflicts under the following conditions:

  • the student must be a full-time student (minimum 12 academic hours) at Westmont
  • the student must file a petition requesting approval for concurrent enrollment in advance of enrolling in the concurrent course
  • total academic load in a term must not exceed the academic load permitted at Westmont
  • if transfer credit is expected, the suitability of the particular course must be established in advance through the normal pre-approval process in the Student Records Office
  • the course should be commensurate with the student’s program but not offered at Westmont College or the concurrent enrollment should be undertaken to solve a class scheduling problem such that a student is unable to enroll for the course in the remainder of the student’s Westmont program.

6. A maximum of 8 units of Applied Studies courses (APP).

7. A maximum of 8 units of tutorials.

8. A maximum of 12 units of publication credit.

9. A maximum of 64 units of community, junior, or two-year college credit will be accepted. All such units will only be applied to lower-division requirements. Once the 64-unit maximum has been reached, no additional units will be accepted from community, junior, or two-year colleges, i.e., units taken after the 64-unit maximum has been reached may not be substituted for any of the first 64 units already taken.

Second Baccalaureate Degree

A student with a bachelor’s degree from another institution who pursues a second B.A. or B.S. degree will be expected to meet all of the degree requirements applicable to a transfer student. The College does not award credit for courses taken more than 25 years ago.

A Westmont graduate seeking a second bachelor’s degree must meet the major requirements of a second major or minor, satisfy all general education requirements in place at the time the second degree is initiated, and complete 30 units of work beyond the first degree, 24 of which must be taken at Westmont.

Academic Load/Student Classification.

A minimum full-time course load is 12 units per semester. During the first year of college, students may be encouraged to carry only 13 units each semester while they adjust to the rigors of academic life. A schedule of 17 units during each semester of the sophomore year and 16 in the semesters of the junior and senior years will bring students to the 124 minimum units needed for graduation when all four years of college are taken at Westmont.

A maximum full-time overload is 20 units (plus 1 unit of P.E.A.) providing the student’s cumulative grade point average at Westmont is at least 3.00, or at least 3.00 for the previous two terms (minimum of 12-units) at Westmont. The College does not grant permission for more than 20 units (plus 1 unit of P.E.A.).

The maximum full-time load for a student who does not meet the grade point average requirement for an academic overload (noted above) is 18 units. Students may petition for an overload of one to three units in advance of the semester stating the reason for the overload. The signature of the student’s academic advisor is required. The Registrar will notify the student of approval or disapproval.

If students wish to register for courses at another institution during any academic year, such courses must be approved in advance by petition and are counted as part of the academic load. Advance approval of concurrent enrollment is also required.

Official classification is based on the number of units completed toward graduation as follows: first-year students 0-25; sophomores 26-58; juniors 59-91; seniors 92 or more.

Major and Minor Requirements

Majors are designed to assist students in mastering a specified field. They are not merely accumulations of credit, but integrated programs aimed at developing scholars capable of independent study and research in an academic discipline.

Students must observe the following requirements:

1. Each degree candidate must complete requirements in one major field as prescribed by that department. Students are not required to have a minor.
2. Students must declare an academic major no later than the end of the sophomore year.
3. An average of “C” (2.0) is required in all upper-division courses in the major and minor field.
4. Students must complete at least one-half of the upper-division units required in the major field at Westmont. This requirement also applies to completing a minor at Westmont.
5. Four units of upper-division credit earned in a major may be applied to meeting the requirements of a minor. No upper-division credits may be shared by two minors. (There is no limitation on the overlap of units between two majors.)

Grading. Grades reflect the quality of students’ work:

H exceptional work or high A
A exceptional
B superior
C good
P pass (not given unless the student has done the quality of work
that would earn at least a C)
D poor
F and NC work below passing quality or unofficial withdrawal after the seventh day of the semester
W indicates official withdrawal from a course through the ninth
week of classes
WF indicates official withdrawal from a course with failing work after the ninth week of classes. By petition only.
WP indicates official withdrawal from a course with passing work after the ninth week of classes. By petition only.
WX indicates unofficial withdrawal during the first seven days of the semester

Faculty assign students a grade of I (incomplete) when they merit additional time to complete course work because of circumstances beyond their control such as a serious illness, accident, or death in the family. Students must make up this grade within six weeks of the end of the term in which they received it, or it automatically changes to F (NC in the P/NC grading option).

Students have one year from the end of the semester in which a grade was reported to challenge the grade.

Grade points per unit of credit are assigned on the following scale:

H 4 grade points (Honors)
A 4 grade points
A- 3.7 grade points
B+ 3.3 grade points
B 3.0 grade points
B- 2.7 grade points
C+ 2.3 grade points
C 2.0 grade points
C- 1.7 grade points
D+ 1.3 grade points
D 1.0 grade points
D- 0.7 grade points
F 0 grade points
P (At least C) No grade points assigned. Not computed in the
grade point average.
NC (C- through F) No grade points assigned. Not computed in the
grade point average.
W No grade points assigned. Not computed in grade point average.
WF No grade points assigned. Not computed in grade point average.
WP No grade points assigned. Not computed in grade point average.
WX No grade points assigned. Not computed in grade point average.

Westmont does not compute the units and grades students earned at other colleges in its grade average. (Exception: Courses and grades taken as part of a Westmont off-campus program are posted on the Westmont transcript and will be calculated in the Westmont GPA.)

All courses taken to meet general education, major and minor requirements, including cognate courses required for the major, but with the exception of PEA, are graded on the 12-point letter scale as noted above. In addition, any course in the major or minor field must be graded on the “letter grade” scale, whether it fulfills a requirement or not. With the approval of the instructor, students may enroll for honors/pass/no credit in any elective courses in which the honors/pass/no credit option is available. Students may make a change in grading through the ninth week of classes if their progress has been satisfactory. But after the ninth week, enrollment for honors/pass/no credit may not be changed to a grade, nor may a graded course be changed to honors/pass/no credit. Students planning graduate studies should consult with departmental advisers before registering for honors/pass/no credit. Ungraded registration is limited to eight units during the academic year, including Mayterm, with no more than four units per term, plus a P.E. activity course.

At the end of the ninth week of each semester, the Student Records Office reports unsatisfactory grades to deans, advisers, and students. These grades are advisory, and the College does not record them permanently. Westmont issues final grades at the close of each semester and Mayterm. The Student Records Office records final grades on students’ permanent records and sends grade reports to students.

Repeating Courses. Students may only repeat courses in which grades of D, F, or NC are earned (unless the course is identified as repeatable for credit elsewhere in this catalog). Repeating a course previously passed with a D grade earns no additional units. When a course is repeated, the lower grade is dropped from the GPA calculation. However, the course and grade remain on the student’s academic record (transcript).

Audit. Students who audit classes receive no credit for those classes. They can attend lectures, participate in musical ensembles, or take private music lessons without having any responsibility for examinations, completing homework or papers, practicing a certain number of hours, or being evaluated. Audit registrations are also available for special students who wish to attend lectures for information or review. In these cases, the College assesses an audit fee. Students may change their status from credit to audit or audit to credit through the last day to register in a course for credit.

Academic Standing. To remain in good standing, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (G.P.A) of 2.0 in courses taken at Westmont and on Westmont off-campus programs.

Probation and Suspension. A student is automatically placed on probation if his or her cumulative G.P.A. falls below 2.00. A student on probation is automatically suspended at the end of the semester in which his or her career G.P.A. remains below 2.00.

Students on probation are eligible to return for another semester. Suspended students may return only if an appeal for reinstatement is granted.

Students on academic probation will be eligible to participate in athletic competition if they have a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 1.70 at the conclusion of their first semester at Westmont. Students on academic probation after their second semester at Westmont may not participate in athletic competition.

Students on academic probation must register for at least 12 units, but not more than 16 units plus 1 unit of P.E. activity. Students will be returned to good academic standing when they achieve a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0.

Reinstatement. Following academic suspension, the Admission Committee determines whether or not to reinstate students in response to their written appeals.

Extracurricular Load and Eligibility. Students on academic probation are ineligible to run for student body offices or to participate in intercollegiate athletics. Students on academic probation are ineligible to participate in public performances sponsored by the College, except where their academic major program requires these activities.

Developmental Curriculum. Westmont takes its mission as an institution of liberal arts and sciences very seriously. We recognize the importance of the general education requirements as a foundation for other studies and believe it is important that courses be taught at a level appropriate to the preparation of students enrolled. Elements of the curriculum reflect these beliefs:

1. First-year students are limited to lower division courses (those numbered below 100).
2. Courses numbered between 100 and 199 are open to all upper-division students (those with sophomore through senior status).

Mayterm. The Westmont summer session (Mayterm) begins in early May, immediately after Commencement. Mayterm classes are five weeks in duration which means that students can complete summer courses by mid-June at the latest. This is a real advantage for those who need to work during the summer. Students may enroll in a maximum of 8 units of course credit plus 1 unit of P.E.A. (if available). The list of courses is available early in the spring each year.

Honors and Awards. Beginning with merit awards to qualified first-year students through graduation honors for seniors, the College grants a series of awards and honors. Most of these include grade average requirements, although several are designed to recognize talent in the fine arts, scholarly work in a specific subject area, or reflection of the ideals of the College.

Semester honors (Dean’s List): 3.5 minimum for 12 graded units.

Graduation honors are determined from the gpa earned at Westmont and from any Westmont sponsored off-campus program: Cum laude, 3.5; Magna cum laude, 3.75; Summa cum laude, 3.90. A student must have completed a minimum of 56 units at Westmont (or a Westmont sponsored program) to be eligible for graduation honors. Graduation honors announced at commencement will be based on the cumulative G.P.A. at the conclusion of the fall semester. Graduation honors printed on the diploma and transcript will be based on the cumulative G.P.A. when all degree requirements have been completed.

Internships/Practica. Westmont is committed to excellence in education, both inside and outside the classroom; our growing Internship Program is one example of this excellence. This program is designed to complement regular academic instruction with first-hand application in the workplace. One expectation of the program is that internships will provide opportunities to explore the meaning of service and justice through hands-on participation at the work site as well as reflection with faculty and fellow students in regular seminar meetings. In this way, students learn to examine their own presuppositions and to develop their own sense of Christian vocation. The program strives to explore ways that faith, values and a Christian Liberal Arts education influence their work. When experiential learning is combined with an opportunity to develop a sense of Christian vocation, the result is a transformative educational experience.

Through its 90/190 courses, the Westmont Internship Program offers students a variety of work opportunities as practica in their major department (e.g. Spanish 190, EB 190) or as internships (IS 190 or APP 190) outside of their major department. These opportunities may be found in the greater Santa Barbara area or in San Francisco through the Urban Program.

Honors Study/Directed Study. Students may receive recognition of their academic aptitude and achievement by enrolling in a variety of honors programs and directed studies. Certain courses in the catalog are available only to students who meet the qualifications for honors and directed study. Students should consult the registrar or their academic advisers if they wish clarification of their eligibility.

94/194 Tutorial Supervised study for non-honors students.

98/198 Research: Study of a particular problem in the library or the laboratory.

99/199 Major Honors Students who have achieved a 3.5 cumulative grade point average and 3.5 average in all their major courses in their first two and one-half years of undergraduate work (at Westmont and elsewhere) are eligible to apply for Major Honors. When they receive an application, the Academic Senate Review Committee will name an honors committee to supervise each student’s study and program for the summer between the junior and senior years and the following two semesters. Principal objectives for the Major Honors candidate are preparation through extensive reading, the development of an annotated bibliography, the production of a fully documented research paper, and the passing of an oral examination on the research before the Honors Committee and guest examiners; or the completion of a scientific project preceded by a feasibility study or other appropriate preliminary research and followed by a demonstration and written summary/evaluation of the result before a three-member Honors Committee and guest examiners.

The fall study schedule of the Major Honors candidate carries two units of credit. The spring writing schedule carries from two to four units of credit, depending on the scope of the project and the desire of the candidate at mid-year.

Only Major Honors work that receives a grade of A (or A-) will result in honors in the major being conferred.

General Education Honors. Some general education courses are designated as honors courses. Students who wish to work at a more accelerated and higher academic level will find these courses challenging. Participation in these classes is by invitation of the Provost, based on previous academic achievement by the student. Presidential Scholars will receive an invitation letter from the Office of the Provost with their registration materials. In addition, Provost’s Scholars may petition to enroll in honors courses by contacting the Student Records Office.

In-Course Honors. Students with a minimum 3.5 over-all grade point average may apply to take any course for honors. If the Academic Senate Review Committee and the faculty member teaching the course approve an application, the student will develop an augmented study program. When students complete this program at a B or A grade level, they will receive the honor designation for the course on their permanent record.

National Honor Societies. Lambda Pi Eta: The purpose of Lambda Pi Eta, the national honor society in communication studies, is to foster and reward outstanding scholastic achievement in the discipline and to encourage continuing intellectual growth in communication studies. Students are invited to join when they are ranked in the top 30% of the junior or senior class, have earned at least a 3.30 in at least 12 units of the major, and have demonstrated high standards of personal and professional character.

Omicron Delta Epsilon: Omicron Delta Epsilon is the international Economics Honorary Society. Its objectives include the recognition of scholastic achievement in economics by students; the opportunity for student research in economics to be disseminated and published through professional conferences and the journal The American Economist; and an emphasis on the professional aspects of economics as a field of service in business, government, the academy, and international organizations. The Alpha Pi chapter of ODE at Westmont seeks to foster student growth in economic scholarship through student research presentations, lectures by guest speakers, and mentoring by faculty. To be received into membership, students must have achieved high academic standards in either a major or minor in economics.

Omicron Delta Kappa: A circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honor Society for college men and women, was established at Westmont in 1972. Students are eligible for membership in the Westmont circle when they rank among the upper 35% of the junior or senior class academically. They must also provide significant leadership in at least one of five areas: scholarship; athletics; social service, and religious activities and campus government; journalism, speech, and mass media; and the creative and performing arts. When they began the Society in 1914, the founders intended to bring together outstanding students, faculty, and administrators on a basis of mutual interest. So the local circle also elects faculty and administrators to membership. The activities of Westmont’s circle are varied, and may include forums on campus concerning community or national issues. Each year the circle selects and honors an outstanding first-year student leader.

Phi Kappa Phi: The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi seeks to recognize and encourage superior scholarship in all academic disciplines. The Westmont College chapter, established in 1976, is one of over 200 chapters nationwide. Students are eligible for membership when they have senior status and are in the upper 10% of their class, or when they have reached the final period of their junior year and are in the upper five percent of their class scholastically. The Westmont chapter awards a scholarship to the male and female sophomore students with the highest cumulative grade point averages. The chapter also sponsors a lectureship each semester by a member of the Westmont faculty.

Phi Sigma Alpha: Phi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society, stimulates scholarship and intellectual interest in political science. Westmont’s chapter honors academic excellence among political science majors and provides a forum for student discussion and guest lectures.

Phi Sigma Tau: Phi Sigma Tau is the national honor society in philosophy. Its central purpose is to serve as a means of awarding distinction to students having high scholarship and personal interest in philosophy, to provide opportunities for the publication of student research papers of merit, and to popularize interest in philosophy among the general collegiate public. To be received into membership, a student shall have attained standards of high scholarship in philosophy, but need not be a major.

Psi Chi: The purpose of Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology, is to encourage and stimulate excellence in students’ scholarship and professional growth and to further the science of psychology. The Westmont College chapter was established in 1995. Students who are majors or minors in psychology, demonstrate superior scholarship in both the field and overall, and have high standards of personal behavior are eligible to join Psi Chi.

Sigma Delta Pi: The central purpose of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Hispanic Honor Society, is to honor those who seek and attain excellence in the study of the Spanish language and Hispanic literature and culture. To become a member, students must demonstrate superior scholarship in Spanish and overall, show a genuine interest in things Hispanic, and be of good moral character.

Sigma Tau Delta: Sigma Tau Delta is the International English Honor Society. The purposes of the Society are (a) to confer distinction for high achievement in the study of English language and literature; (b) to promote interest in literature and the English language; and (c) to foster the discipline of English in all its aspects, including creative and critical writing. To be considered for membership, candidates must have at least two college courses in English beyond general education requirements, have a minimum of a 3.0 average in English, have a cumulative grade point average that ranks among the upper 35% of their class, and have completed at least three semesters of college coursework.

Awards. The Faculty Scholarship Award is presented each year to the graduating senior who has attained the highest cumulative record of scholarship at the conclusion of the fall semester before spring graduation. In case of ties, the student with the most graded units completed at Westmont will receive the award. To be eligible for consideration, a minimum of 56 units must have been completed at Westmont (or a Westmont sponsored program).

The Dean’s Award is given to the outstanding senior scholar/athlete, man and woman.

The Dave Dolan Award is given for service to the campus community and society at large. The recipients demonstrate awareness of and response to social problems and needs of the world as well as a commitment to share the Gospel.