Programs of Study

Majors, Minors, and Concentrations

Roanoke College offers 34 majors under programs of study leading to the bachelor’s degree.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Art, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Criminal Justice, Economics, English, Environmental Policy, French, History, International Relations, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, Spanish, Theatre, and Theology.

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Health and Human Performance, Mathematics, Medical Technology, Physics, Psychology, and Athletic Training.

Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)

All majors at the College fall into one of two categories as described below. Since the determination of cumulative grade point averages in the major is based on these definitions, students should clearly understand the components of their major fields.

Disciplinary Majors include all courses taken in a chosen discipline (except those specifically excluded by the department from the major) and all courses taken from other disciplines to meet requirements. Interdisciplinary Majors include all courses taken within the prescribed pattern of courses which are designated as applicable to the major.

Application for Major

A student must submit an application for major prior to classification as a junior (16 units of credit).The application must be submitted to the chairperson of the department or program coordinator in which the student plans to major. If approved, the application and the recommendation of the department are forwarded by the chairperson to the Office of the Registrar. A department may refuse a student admission to, or continuance in, a major program.

Students who have not declared a major and have earned junior classification will be withheld from pre-registration and registration. Students who make application to a major but are not accepted will have to request permission of the Registrar to pre-register or register. Declarations of major must be approved and on file in the Registrar’s Office for all students prior to graduation.

Students are advised that if they fail to take certain course before their junior year they may not be able to complete major requirements within the traditional four-year period.

Those interested in physics, art, computer information systems, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and statistics, however, should consult with the chairperson of those particular departments before the beginning of the sophomore year. Those interested in elementary education should consult with the chair of the Education Program as early as possible in the freshman year.

In general, students are to be governed by the Catalog which is current at the time they begin their studies at Roanoke College . However, a student has the option of declaring to be under jurisdiction of a subsequent Catalog except in cases where core requirements have been changed and the College has stipulated those eligible to declare the new curriculum. Should the faculty determine that a modification in course work for a major or teacher licensure program in Education is necessary in order for students to complete a current course of study; the department reserves the right to modify degree or licensure requirements for students who have not yet formally declared a major or applied for teacher licensure.

Students transferring from a Virginia community college may elect to declare any Catalog in effect within the 24 month period immediately preceding the term they first enroll except in cases where core requirements have been changed and the College has stipulated who is eligible to declare the new curriculum.

If a student decides to drop a major after he/she has formally declared the major, the student should inform the Office of the Registrar, in writing, to remove the major from the student’s record.

Minors Program

Although all students are required to complete the requirements of a major, such is not the case for the Minors Program. The program is optional for students and for academic departments. The purpose of the program is, in part, to provide students with a broader based liberal arts background by studying a second field in some depth. Roanoke College offers 29 minors. They are:

American Literature

American Politics

Art

Art History

Biology

British Literature

Chemistry

Computer Science

Dramaturgy

Economics

Elementary Education PK-6

Environmental Policy

Environmental Science

European History

Foreign Politics

French

German

Mathematics

Music

Philosophy

Physics

Religion

Secondary Education

Sociology

Spanish

Theatre Performance

Theatrical Design

Theology

U.S. History

Each minor represents an organized program of study consisting of at least six units from among those which may be offered for a major. The specific requirements are selected by each department which participates in the Minors Program.

No more than two units may be used to satisfy both the requirements of a minor and the requirements of a major. At least one-half of the minimum number of units required for a minor must be completed at Roanoke . A cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.0 is required in the minor courses taken at Roanoke , except for minors in Education where a 2.5 is required. Courses used to satisfy a minor requirement may not be taken under the pass/fail option. Specific requirements for each minor are described under the appropriate academic discipline. Upon completion of all requirements for the minor, the Office of the Registrar will certify the minor field on the official transcript.

To declare a minor, a student must major in a different discipline or multi-disciplinary program. A student’s intention to pursue a minor may be declared at any time, provided that there is enough time to complete all courses. The student must submit an application to the chair of the department in which the student wishes to obtain a minor. A departmental representative confers with the student and forwards the application to the chair. After approval, the chairperson forwards the application to the Office of the Registrar. With the concurrence of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, a department may refuse a student admission to, or continuance in, a minor program.

Concentrations

In addition to the major and minors programs, the College offers students further opportunities to acquire specialized skills and knowledge useful in career development. Such a program of study is known as a concentration. Roanoke offers the following 19 concentrations. They are:

Accounting

Africa and the African Diaspora

Business Leadership

Communications

Creative Writing

East Asian Studies

Finance

Global Business

Health Care Administration

Health Care Delivery

Hispanic/Latin American & Caribbean Studies

Human Development

Human Resource Management

Information Analysis

Legal Studies

Marketing

Parish Youth Leadership

Statistics

(TESL) Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages

Each concentration consists of a prescribed pattern of course work approved by the faculty and totaling at least five units. A concentration may be taken only in conjunction with or in addition to a major. Courses used in a concentration may not be taken under the pass/fail option. At least one-half of the minimum number of units required for concentration must be completed at Roanoke College . The prescribed courses in a concentration must include at least three units which are not used to satisfy the student’s major requirements. Successful completion of this program with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 will be recognized, upon certification of the Office of the Registrar, by entry on the student’s permanent academic record at the time of graduation from Roanoke College .

To declare a concentration, a student must major in a different discipline or multi-disciplinary program. A student’s intention to pursue a concentration may be declared at any time, provided that there is enough time to complete all courses. The student must submit an application to the chair of the department which coordinates the concentration. A departmental representative confers with the student and forwards the application to the chair. After approval, the chairperson forwards the application to the Office of the Registrar. With the concurrence of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, a department may refuse a student admission to, or continuance in, a concentration