Policy on Academic Credentials and Programs

This policy applies to all academic units of the university.

Indiana Wesleyan University awards academic credentials (degrees and certificates) to students who complete defined programs of study.  Each credential is defined in terms of a set of essential learning outcomes, which may include discipline-specific and general education outcomes, as well as credit hour and other specifications.  Each program of study for a particular credential maps the credential learning outcomes to a series of credit-bearing courses.

As appropriate, given the learning outcomes and alignment of involved programs and courses, credits may be shared between academic credentials and sub-credentials awarded coevally, within the following boundaries.

1. The student must fulfill all of the requirements for any credential awarded.
2. Credits may be shared between a major and a minor, as long as the minor includes at least 15 unique credit hours unshared with any other major or minor. 
3. Credits may be shared between two minors, as long as each minor includes at least 15 unique credit hours unshared with any other major or minor.
4. Credits may be shared between two undergraduate majors as long as there are 51 unique (unduplicated) credit hours between the two majors.
5. Credits may be shared between two graduate majors as long as two thirds of the credits in each major are unique (unduplicated).
6. Up to three credit hours may be shared between a certificate and a minor. 
7. Up to six credit hours may be shared between a certificate and a major (undergraduate or graduate).
8. A major or minor may be added to a previously awarded baccalaureate degree.  The student must complete all of the course requirements for the major or minor and a minimum of nine new credits hours must be earned.  New general education requirements need not need be met to post an additional major or minor. Students adding a major or minor are not eligible to participate in commencement ceremonies again. The additional major or minor will be posted to the transcript only on one of the conferral dates.

As appropriate, given the learning outcomes and alignment of involved programs and courses, credits applied to a previously-awarded IWU academic credential may be applied, without surrender of the prior credential, to another IWU academic credential within the following boundaries.

1. The student must fulfill all of the requirements for any credential awarded.
2. For credits from a prior IWU academic credential to be applied to a second IWU academic credential, the second academic program must be started within ten years of the awarding of the first credential.  Exceptions must be approved by the dean (or equivalent) of the school sponsoring the academic program of the second credential.  Individual academic programs may specify more strict credit-age limits if warranted by the discipline.
3. The credits from a previously-awarded undergraduate certificate may be applied to fulfill the requirements of an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree.
4. Up to 6 credits from a previously-awarded associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree may be applied to fulfill the requirements of an undergraduate certificate.
5. The credits from a previously-awarded associate’s degree may be applied to fulfill the requirements of a different associate’s degree, as long as each credential has at least 25% unique credits.
6. The credits from a previously-awarded associate’s degree may be applied to fulfill the requirements of a bachelor’s degree.
7. The credits from a previously-awarded bachelor’s degree may be applied to fulfill the requirements of a different bachelor’s degree, as long as each credential has at least 25% unique credits.
8. The credits from a previously-awarded bachelor’s degree or undergraduate certificate may be applied to fulfill the requirements of a master’s degree, limited by the provisions of the Undergraduate and Graduate Credit Crossover Policy.
9. The credits from a previously-awarded graduate certificate or post-masters certificate may be applied to fulfill the requirements of a master’s degree.

10.  The credits from a previously-awarded graduate certificate or post-masters certificate may be applied to fulfill the requirements of a doctor’s degree.

11.  Credits from a previously-awarded masters’s degree or doctor’s degree may be applied to fulfill up to 1/3 of the requirements of a graduate certificate.

12.  The credits from a previously-awarded master’s degree may be applied to fulfill the requirements of a different master’s degree, as long as each credential has at least 50% unique credits.

13.  The credits from a previously-awarded master’s degree may be applied to fulfill the requirements of a doctor’s degree, as long as the doctor’s degree has at least 50% unique credits.

14.  The credits from a previously-awarded doctor’s degree may be applied to fulfill the requirements of a different doctor’s degree, as long as each credential has at least 50% unique credits.