Information on additional academic programs such as summer studies, alternative credit, advanced placement, internships and practicums.
Alternative Credit Programs
Belhaven University does recognize Advanced Placement (AP) and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). Official score reports must be sent directly to Belhaven University from the Educational Testing Service. High school transcripts with scores are not considered official notification of scores.
Credit will be awarded once the office of the registrar has received the official qualifying scores and the student has met with the department chair to determine how the credit will be allocated. Students planning to enter professional school should verify that AP credit is accepted by the professional school they plan to attend. (All alternative credit must not exceed 30 credit hours toward the undergraduate degree.)
Types of Programs
A score of 3, 4, or 5 is required on an Advanced Placement exam. Students with scores of 3, 4, or 5 on the AP Test of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) will have earned, upon admission, up to eight semester hours credit granted in any one field.
Credits granted carry no grade and are not used in computing a quality point index but may be used toward a major or minor. Elective credit may also be given.
Advanced placement and credit may be awarded to students who earn at least the minimum scores recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) on the subject examinations (not the general examinations). Once the office of the registrar has received the official qualifying scores and the student has met with the department chair, credit will be awarded. Any student wishing to be exempt from certain degree requirements should take the appropriate advanced placement test of the CEEB.
A student may apply a maximum of six semester hours of correspondence or online credit to satisfy degree requirements. The registrar must approve correspondence work in advance. Credit in major courses or core courses for degrees may not be earned by correspondence or online.
College credit will be granted to those high school students enrolling in Belhaven University who have completed courses in the International Baccalaureate Program with a score of five or better on each higher level examination. The courses for which credit will be awarded will be those subject courses that are a part of Belhaven's general education core.
In order for experiential credit to be granted officially and recorded on the transcript, the applicant must have completed successfully a minimum of 12 semester hours of academic coursework at Belhaven.
This type of credit may be approved by faculty in various departments through portfolios with a maximum of 15 hours of elective credit only. (Experiential credit in dance may be awarded for major credit with the approval of the dean of fine arts and the provost.) This type of credit is not transferable into or out of Belhaven University.
The process for experiential credit should be completed prior to the beginning of the last course required for degree completion in the adult studies program or before the senior year in the traditional program.
Assessment Fee - $150 paid at time portfolio is turned in for assessment; $75 per semester hour of credit awarded paid in full before credits are posted to transcript.
Credit for experiential learning can be awarded through an essay-writing process that will document college-level learning. Faculty award credit based upon college-level academic principles evident in the student's writing.
The Portfolio II must include a r-sum-, an autobiographical sketch, and thorough documentation of the work experience being described as well as a 12- to 20-page essay describing the learning that occurred from the work experience and the resulting applications both for that situation and for future situations.
Students may be referred to the English writing lab if they need aid in developing writing skills.
Credit for experiential learning can be awarded through an essay-writing process that will document college-level learning. Faculty award credit based upon college-level academic principles evident in the student's writing.
The Portfolio II must include a r-sum-, an autobiographical sketch, and thorough documentation of the work experience being described as well as a 12- to 20-page essay describing the learning that occurred from the work experience and the resulting applications both for that situation and for future situations.
Students may be referred to the English writing lab if they need aid in developing writing skills.
Credit for specialized training received in the armed services will be granted on the basis of recommendations published in A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services. Only those courses or programs that may be regarded as consistent with the curriculum at Belhaven University will be credited toward a degree.
A student who presents evidence of at least six months of military training with an honorable discharge may receive a maximum of four semester hours non-academic credit in physical education.
Credit from alternative credit programs may be given in a specific area in which a student wishes to major or minor, dependent upon departmental policy. Credit in Bible, history, culture, or literature courses from these sources to meet general education curriculum requirements will not be accepted. The maximum total of such credit listed above, in any combination, is 30 semester hours, not to include more than 15 hours of experiential credit. Hours earned through alternative credit programs do not carry quality points and therefore are not considered as residential hours for honors calculations.
Students proving proficiency in a native language other than English will be considered to have met Goal III. Foreign students may not register for credit in their native language. Students may earn college credit for Spanish, French, or German only by taking the CLEP examination at the elementary or intermediate levels.
Students may earn up to the required number of credit hours in the general education core for their major in a single language through completion of the CLEP examination with a minimum score of 50 or above or through proficiency credit. The CLEP standardized examination will preclude the use of departmental examinations except in those areas where CLEP examinations are not available.
The method of testing and the level of proficiency to be awarded for languages other than Spanish, French, or German will be determined by the chair of the foreign language department or her designee. For testing other than CLEP, a $100 fee is charged for administering a proficiency exam; an additional fee of $100 is charged if the exam is completed, but no semester hours, grades or quality points will be awarded.
Use this link to the Administration of the Curriculum section of the Catalogue if you have questions about the courses or tests.
Advanced Course Placement
Each year, the department of English selects a limited number of freshmen for placement in Advanced Freshmen English on the basis of scores on the ACT, the English Placement Test of the CEEB, and the Belhaven English Placement Test. Credit by exemption for ENG 101 (CR only, no semester hours, no grade or quality points) will be awarded upon completion of the three-hour course Advanced Freshman English (ENG 121) (with a grade not lower than a C) during the first semester.
Students who wish to continue at Belhaven University a language begun in high school should take a language proficiency test to determine the college-level course most consistent with their previous training.
Students who have credit for two or more units of a foreign language in high school may receive college credit, though not college hours, for the 101-102 courses in the same language after receiving a C (2.0) or better in 201-202 at Belhaven University. A waiver of language courses, especially 101 and 102, may be granted upon the Language Department's avowal of a student's proficiency. No semester hours, grades or quality points will be awarded.
Those students who are eligible to enter a foreign language course at the 300 level and complete six hours at this level may then elect to take examinations in the intermediate course (201-202) to receive six hours of credit.
Students who have had extensive training in mathematics in high school and who wish to continue their study in this area at Belhaven University may enroll in MAT 207 and 208 with the permission of the chairperson of the department of mathematics rather than in a lower level course.
Students who are eligible to enter the course in calculus (MAT 207 and 208) and complete six hours at this level may then elect to take examinations in algebra and trigonometry (MAT 101 and 102) to receive six hours of credit. If a passing grade is achieved on the examination, the credit hours are recorded and a grade of ES (Examination Satisfactory) is assigned. In the event of an unsatisfactory grade, no grade is recorded or credit given. The grade of ES carries credit hours, but no quality points, toward degree requirements.
Use this link to the Administration of the Curriculum section of the Catalogue if you have questions about the courses or tests.
Advanced Course Placement
Each year, the department of English selects a limited number of freshmen for placement in Advanced Freshmen English on the basis of scores on the ACT, the English Placement Test of the CEEB, and the Belhaven English Placement Test. Credit by exemption for ENG 101 (CR only, no semester hours, no grade or quality points) will be awarded upon completion of the three-hour course Advanced Freshman English (ENG 121) (with a grade not lower than a C) during the first semester.
Students who wish to continue at Belhaven University a language begun in high school should take a language proficiency test to determine the college-level course most consistent with their previous training.
Students who have credit for two or more units of a foreign language in high school may receive college credit, though not college hours, for the 101-102 courses in the same language after receiving a C (2.0) or better in 201-202 at Belhaven University. A waiver of language courses, especially 101 and 102, may be granted upon the Language Department's avowal of a student's proficiency. No semester hours, grades or quality points will be awarded.
Those students who are eligible to enter a foreign language course at the 300 level and complete six hours at this level may then elect to take examinations in the intermediate course (201-202) to receive six hours of credit.
Students who have had extensive training in mathematics in high school and who wish to continue their study in this area at Belhaven University may enroll in MAT 207 and 208 with the permission of the chairperson of the department of mathematics rather than in a lower level course.
Students who are eligible to enter the course in calculus (MAT 207 and 208) and complete six hours at this level may then elect to take examinations in algebra and trigonometry (MAT 101 and 102) to receive six hours of credit. If a passing grade is achieved on the examination, the credit hours are recorded and a grade of ES (Examination Satisfactory) is assigned. In the event of an unsatisfactory grade, no grade is recorded or credit given. The grade of ES carries credit hours, but no quality points, toward degree requirements.
Use this link to the Administration of the Curriculum section of the Catalogue if you have questions about the courses or tests.
Summer Programs
Two-week miniterms are offered twice each year at Belhaven University: one in the spring, and one between fall and spring semesters when allowed by the calendar. These are concentrated courses that make three hours of credit available to students attending 10 class meetings (four hours each); two weekends of reflection time are incorporated in each time frame. A student may enroll in one class only. Residence halls are not open during miniterms.
The summer session of Belhaven University provides an opportunity for students to continue their work leading to a degree and for students from other institutions to earn credits that may be transferred to their own schools. A maximum of 15 hours may be earned during the summer session at Belhaven.
A precollege summer enrichment program is available to advanced students who have completed the junior year of high school. Students admitted to the program may earn up to 15 semester hours in regular summer session courses. Full college credit is granted after a student has been accepted on a full-time basis and has satisfactorily completed one semester (at least 12 semester hours) of course work at Belhaven University. For further information contact the director of admission.
Summer Programs
Two-week miniterms are offered twice each year at Belhaven University: one in the spring, and one between fall and spring semesters when allowed by the calendar. These are concentrated courses that make three hours of credit available to students attending 10 class meetings (four hours each); two weekends of reflection time are incorporated in each time frame. A student may enroll in one class only. Residence halls are not open during miniterms.
The summer session of Belhaven University provides an opportunity for students to continue their work leading to a degree and for students from other institutions to earn credits that may be transferred to their own schools. A maximum of 15 hours may be earned during the summer session at Belhaven.
A precollege summer enrichment program is available to advanced students who have completed the junior year of high school. Students admitted to the program may earn up to 15 semester hours in regular summer session courses. Full college credit is granted after a student has been accepted on a full-time basis and has satisfactorily completed one semester (at least 12 semester hours) of course work at Belhaven University. For further information contact the director of admission.
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
Belhaven University students may receive credit for certain courses offered at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Consult the chairman of the department of biology concerning course offerings.
Study-Travel Program
The Belhaven University study travel program provides students with an opportunity to earn academic credit in courses specifically structured to include off-campus travel, domestic or foreign.
Members of the Belhaven University faculty plan the courses, arrange for and conduct the travel portion, and offer detailed instruction on campus before departure and during the time of travel itself.
The content of courses offered in the study travel program is variable. In one case, the emphasis may be on one city, region, or country exclusively, while in another it may cut across geographical boundaries to include historical, literary, artistic, or scientific aspects of several regions or countries.
Each course requires the consent of the instructor and carries three hours of academic credit and a pass/fail grade. There is no limit to the number of credits a student may earn in the program, but each course pursued must have a different emphasis. In some instances, credits may be applied toward the departmental major.
Community College of the Air Force Gem Program
Belhaven University is proud to partner with the Community College of the Air Force to fulfill the GEM Program. The GEM program is designed to help Air Force Members complete general education courses in pursuit of their CCAF Associate of Applied Science Degree. All of Belhaven's GEM courses are available online, year-round, and from anywhere in the world. Federal Tuition Assistance is accepted at Belhaven University to help with this goal.
Verse of the Year
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.
Psalm 100:5