Mathematics and Writing

To graduate from Point Loma Nazarene University, a student must demonstrate ability in mathematics and writing by submitting an adequate SAT score as defined by faculty policy, by successfully challenging on a department placement examination, or by completing the remedial course for establishing these competencies. These abilities must be met prior to junior classification.

Note: All students must fulfill the composition requirement in general education, or its equivalent, prior to the junior year.

General Requirements

Undergraduate students all share certain general requirements for earning the baccalaureate degree (B.A., B.Mus., B.S.N., and B.S.). These include the following:

• Filing an application for admission to candidacy with the Office of Records.
• Satisfactory completion of a total of a minimum of 128 semester units (numbered 100 and above) with a cumulative grade-point average of 2.000.
• Satisfactory completion of general education requirements.
• Completion of an approved program of study in a major area with a cumulative grade-point average of 2.000 unless otherwise stipulated.
• Residency at Point Loma during the final 24 units of study.
• Completion of all academic and institutional requirements.

Candidacy for a Degree. An application for advancement to candidacy for a degree must be filed after the student has completed at least 92 semester units of work and has an approved program of study. Although students may view an unofficial advising guide on the Web, an official “Graduation Check” is conducted by the Office of Records which subsequently communicates with the degree applicant regarding appropriate details.

Clearance. In order to be approved for participation in Commencement, students must resolve any outstanding charges of fees or misconduct. The university does not guarantee the awarding of a diploma.

Residency. Candidates for the baccalaureate degree must be in residence during the final 24 units applied toward the degree. A minimum of one-half of the upper-division units in the major also must be taken in residence.

Semester Units. A cumulative grade-point average of 2.000 is required for graduation. None of the minimum 128 semester units required for the baccalaureate degree may include those taken at the remedial level (numbered below 100).

General Education. Students must meet the stated requirements in general education, a broad-based liberalizing experience in the arts and sciences. Transfer students are responsible to make sure any course work done prior to admission to the university fulfills the categories that are unique to PLNU.

Completion of the Major. All major programs of study are sanctioned by the Point Loma faculty and listed in detail in this Catalog. Of the units completed in a major, at least 24 must be taken at the upper-division level (numbered 300 and above). In addition, a minimum of one-half of the upper-division units in the major must be completed in residence. A 2.000 cumulative grade-point average is required for all academic majors. An academic minor, though available, is not a requirement for graduation.

Completion of All Requirements. Degrees are conferred once a year at the close of the spring semester. All work taken toward a degree must be completed in full before a student can participate in Commencement. Likewise, the awarding of a diploma is dependent on clearance by a variety of university offices, such as Residential Life, Student Accounts, and Ryan Library.

Students requiring attendance at Summer Sessions in order to meet all graduation requirements may not be deficient by more than 12 units and must be committed to and file the Application for Summer Graduation (a plan for meeting all requirements) with the Office of Records. Summer candidates, if approved by the Vice Provost for Academic Administration, pay a special fee (see below).

Graduation Fees. All students eligible for graduation are charged a fee. This fee is applied to the student's account and is non-refundable.The fee is charged whether the student participates in the Commencement ceremony or is currently studying in residence. Students who find it necessary to file an Application for Summer Graduation pay a special fee. This fee is refundable only if all requirements are met satisfactorily by the conclusion of the summer and are eligible for posting on schedule.
 
Final Clearance. In order to receive final approval for participation in Commencement, students must resolve any outstanding charges of fees or misconduct. The university does not guarantee the awarding of a diploma.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree

The requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree are the same as for the other baccalaureate degrees except that no foreign language is required and students may choose between a second literature course or a philosophy course. A larger concentration of work is required in the major field.

Second Baccalaureate Degree

A second baccalaureate degree may be earned at Point Loma upon completion of a minimum of 32 units (24 distinct units in the major) in residence distinct from and beyond the number completed for the first degree. Twenty-four of these units must be at the upper-division level. All general education (if different from first degree), the additional major, and specific departmental requirements for the second degree must be met. Second degree candidates are eligible for honors at graduation and for the Dean’s List but not for membership in Phi Delta Lambda. In no case will more than one degree be conferred upon a candidate at only one Commencement convocation. The second baccalaureate degree is distinguished from multiple majors within a first degree.

Graduation Honors

Honoris Causa. The university occasionally grants honorary degrees to worthy recipients, as recommended by the President to the Board of Trustees.

Graduation with Honors. The university confers unofficial honors during the Commencement ceremony calculated on the residential grade-point average (GPA earned at PLNU) and based on a minimum of 48 residential units earned by the conclusion of the fall semester. Official honors, however, require a minimum of 48 residential units after all course work has been completed for the degree. Honors are noted on the diploma as Summa cum Laude (highest honors), 3.900 and above; Magna cum Laude (high honors), 3.700 to 3.899; and Cum Laude (honors), 3.500 to 3.699. Final official honors are based on the student’s residential grade-point average. However, in every case, students who receive honors must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average, including all transfer work, of 3.500. Study Abroad grades are not included in this calculation (students should contact the Office of Records for clarification).

The Honors Scholars Program

Near the end of the junior year, a student who has demonstrated exceptional scholarship and capacity for serious and creative study or research, and who has maintained a 3.500 cumulative GPA, may apply for entry into the Honors Scholars Program. With the guidance of a major professor, and in community with other Honors Scholars, the student will complete an honors project during the senior year. Successful scholars will receive due recognition at Commencement and on the University transcript of record. Criteria, qualifications, and procedures are available in the Deans’ Center, located on the lower floor, west side of the Bond Academic Center.

Students who are accepted into the Honors Scholars Program register in the fall semester for Honors 498 (two units), as listed below. This represents the initial phase of work on the required project. In the spring of the senior year, students register for Honors 499 (one unit) in order to complete the project.

Before formal acceptance into the Honors Scholars Program, students may register for Honors 399 (up to a total of 4 units).  This course is not an eligibility requirement for the Program, and completion of Honors 399 does not guarantee acceptance into the Program.

HONORS 399  (1-2) FOUNDATIONS OF INDEPENDENT RESEARCH 

A course designed to assist students in doing the substantial background work needed to prepare for an honors project. This course is meant to support those students whose majors do not offer other means of preparing the foundation for such projects. This course is not a prerequisite for Honors 498 and may be repeated up to a total of 4 units. Graded Credit/No Credit.
Prerequisite: By consent of the Director of the Honors Scholars Program and the appropriate department chair or school dean.

HONORS 498 (2) HONORS PROJECT I

An intensive project to be completed by students who are designated as Point Loma Nazarene University Honors Scholars. The course includes the first stage of a seminal study within a Scholar’s major under the supervision of a faculty advisor. In the liberal arts tradition, Scholars from different disciplines meet together every week to discuss progress on their projects. The interdisciplinary portion of the course includes a workshop on project preparation and presentation. The experience culminates with the Scholar’s formal presentation of progress to his/her Advisory Committee not later than December 15. Graded Credit/No Credit. Offered each fall.
Prerequisite: Normally restricted to students in the senior year with a cumulative GPA of 3.500.  Requires approval of the Director of the Honors Scholars Program and the department chair or school dean the student's major.

HONORS 499 (1) HONORS PROJECT II

A continuation of Honors 498. In this course, students meet regularly with their advisor, complete their project, and prepare for two formal presentations: one to their Advisory Committee and a second at the Point Loma Nazarene University Honors Conference held in early May. Honors projects are bound and kept as an annual collection in the University library. Graded Credit/No Credit. Offered each spring.
Prerequisite: Honors 498.