Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Bachelor Degree Completion

Q: How long will it take for me to graduate?

A: The length of time it will take a student to complete a degree depends upon the number of credits transferred into the program, and the number of credit hours taken each quarter. To estimate the length of time to complete the program, a student may wish to subtract the number of credits he/she will transfer from the 120 credits required for graduation. The student should then divide the number of credits remaining to be completed by the number of credits he/she plans to take per semester. The result is a rough estimate of the number of semesters required to complete the program.

Students are encouraged to move through the program at a comfortable rate taking into consideration personal and professional obligations as well as educational goals.

Transfer credit evaluations for prospective students are available from the Admissions Office upon request. Applicants who have been accepted into the program will be contacted by the chair of their declared major for a pre-registration advising appointment. The chair will then work with the student to develop a plan to determine an approximate graduation date when it is requested.

Q: I have ten years of on-the-job experience. Will I receive credit for this life experience?

A: The Bachelor Degree Completion program has a process to evaluate college-level learning that takes place outside a classroom setting. This process is called Prior Experiential Learning Assessment. Students enroll in the Experiential Learning Seminar and work with a faculty member who supervises the preparation of portfolio(s) and narrative(s) to demonstrate that theoretical and conceptual college-level learning has been achieved. A faculty member or an expert in the appropriate field will review the material and assign an appropriate number of credits to each portfolio.

I’ve attended various workshops for work, and I also have some military service. Can I earn academic credit for these experiences?

If your prior life or work experience, including military service, is certified by the American Council on Education   s Program on Non-collegiate Sponsored Instruction (ACE/PONSI), it may be eligible for academic credit. The Admissions Office has the necessary resource guides which will assist you in obtaining credit for prior work.

In the event that your work is not ACE/PONSI certified, it may still be possible to earn credit by submitting a prior learning portfolio, as described above, or by successfully completing The Weekend College course,   …”Lives in Transition,  ‚  L/A420. Talk to your Enrollment Services Officer, or your academic advisor regarding your opportunities.

Q: Can part-time students enroll in The Bachelor Degree Completion Program?

A: Yes, students are encouraged to evaluate their professional and family responsibilities and to make appropriate decisions about course load.

Q: What is the World Classics Curriculum?

A: The World Classics Curriculum is the core of the humanities major. Originally developed to provide a well-rounded liberal arts background to students entering with a minimum number of credits, the World Classics Curriculum may also be taken as elective credit.

The World Classics Curriculum is a Saturday program beginning at 8:00 a.m. and ending at 3:30 p.m. It is possible to earn up to 36 credits through this curriculum.

Q: What is a workshop?

A: Enrolling in a workshop gives students an opportunity to take an eight-hour class that will yield one hour of credit. An award of credit for each workshop is based on student preparation, attendance, and application of knowledge. Preparation may require reading in advance of the class. Application may require writing a paper that would be due on a specific date after the workshop.

Q: Is it possible to attain full-time student status by going to school only on Saturday?

A: Yes, a schedule of 9 semester hours is considered full-time. Students may enroll for up to 10 credits by registering for four classes and two workshops (one credit each).

Q: Do I have to complete an associate’s degree to qualify for admission to The Bachelor Degree Completion Program?

A: No, applicants who have completed approximately one year of college study (40-45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours) meet the prerequisite for transfer credit. As with all credit evaluations, these credits must also meet other standards of The Undergraduate Studies.

Q: Will attending a non-graded program affect my chances for admission to graduate school?

A: Antioch, a fully accredited university, enjoys an excellent national and international reputation, and has long been recognized as an innovator in non-traditional education. Narrative evaluations provide a great deal of information about students as learners and some graduate schools actually prefer this type of evaluation to letter grades. Antioch graduates have been accepted in such prestigious universities as Cambridge, Princeton, the University of Virginia, and Catholic University, as well as all of the fine local universities.