Bachelor's Degree for Professionals
Addendum Notes:
Addendum to the Bachelor's Degree for Professionals information was created on November 1, 2023.
Addendum to the Academic Policies for the Bachelor's Degree for Professionals was created on November 1, 2023.
The Bachelor's Degree for Professionals program is an expression of California Lutheran University’s commitment to life-long learning. The Bachelor's Degree for Professionals program offers the same high quality education that is found in the traditional daytime program, but is tailored to meet the special needs of working adult students. The program’s creative learning environment, liberal arts and professional curriculum, dedicated academic counselors, and exceptional faculty offer a unique opportunity for the post-traditional learner who is seeking personal and professional advancement and development.
Admission
Who May Apply?
The Bachelor's Degree for Professionals program has set the following minimum admission requirements. You may apply if you:
have graduated from high school or possess a G.E.D. certificate
have completed 24 transferable semester hours of college credit
have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.25
have 2-3 years of work or extensive volunteer/internship experience
Current or previous California Lutheran University traditional undergraduate students desiring to transfer to the Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals program will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The stated application process must be followed and all minimum guidelines met. Additionally in order to be considered for admission to the Professionals program, traditional undergraduate students must have at least 25% of their major and/or CORE requirements left to complete prior to admission to the program.
How to Apply
Schedule an appointment with an admission counselor for a preliminary transcript evaluation of unofficial transcripts and academic advisement;
Complete an on-line application (www.CalLutheran.edu/professionals/admission/apply.html);
Have official transcripts from all previously attended colleges sent to the Transfer Admissions office.
At the time of your admission interview or shortly thereafter, you will be notified of the admission decision. If admitted, you will be sent information about registration procedures. Upon your acceptance, transfer credits from other colleges will be officially evaluated by the registrar's office and the results sent to you before the end of your first term.
Readmission of Former Bachelor's Degree for Professionals Students
If you were formerly enrolled as a Bachelor's Degree for Professionals student (or an Adult Degree Evening Program student) but have not attended four or more consecutive terms and were not on an approved extended leave of absence, you must apply for readmission by submitting an updated application form and meeting with an admission counselor. The curriculum requirements in effect at the time of your readmission will apply.
Readmission of Service Members
As a Yellow Ribbon university, Cal Lutheran is committed to making a quality education possible for our military members. Cal Lutheran acknowledges that our students who are active duty U.S. Military service members may be required to take a leave of absence for military service. In accordance with federal regulations (CFR) 34, 668.18, California Education Code 66023 and the Federal Register CFR 34, section 668.18, Cal Lutheran will promptly readmit a service member to the academic program that was interrupted due to military service obligation.
Eligibility
The readmission policy applies to servicemembers who perform service in the uniformed services, whether voluntary or involuntary, in the Armed Forces, including service as a member of the National Guard or Reserve, on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard duty under Federal authority (but not State authority), for a period of more than 30 consecutive days under a call or order to active duty of more than 30 consecutive days. The cumulative length of absence due to military service may not exceed five years.
Tuition and Fees
A returning student who is eligible for service member readmission will be charged the same tuition and fees that were in effect during the academic year that the student last attended, unless veteran or military education benefits will pay the higher tuition and fees that other students in the program are paying in the current academic year. In subsequent years or for a different program, tuition and fees will be assessed at the same rate that other students in the program are charged.
Procedures and Requirements
An eligible service member must submit a leave of absence form with documentation verifying active service in advance as possible to the Registrar’s Office. Notification to the Veteran Resource Office is recommended.
Returning students who have been in absence for greater than one year should contact the Graduate Admission Office to complete a readmission application. Students returning from a leave of absence of less than one year are not required to submit a readmission application but will need to contact the Registrar’s Office to reactivate their student status. After reactivation, students should contact their program director or specialist for course registration advisement, and contact the Veteran Resource Office to complete benefits certification.
Readmission will apply to the next available class(es) for the program in which the service member was originally admitted to. Some circumstances may require Cal Lutheran to admit the service member at a later date. Cal Lutheran will make all reasonable efforts to admit and prepare the servicemember to resume the program at the next available term.
The service member will be readmitted with the same academic status as they had when last attending the university to the program under which he/she was originally admitted unless the program is no longer offered. In such cases, Cal Lutheran will make every reasonable effort to admit the student into the most similar program.
Per federal regulations, the readmission of service members policy does not apply to returning students who have been discharged from the Armed Forces, including National Guard or Reserve, due to dishonorable or bad conduct. Service members who have received a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge and have not been actively enrolled for more than a year may apply for readmission to the university without the benefits outlined in this policy.
Academic Policies
Please see the Academic Policies - Undergraduate catalog page for general information. In addition, the Addendum to the Academic Policies for the Bachelor's Degree for Professionals was created on November 1, 2023.
Below are policies that are specific to the Bachelor's Degree for Professionals Program.
Alternatives for Acquiring Credit
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) (see Admission - Undergraduate).
Credit by Examination (see Academic Programs - Undergraduate).
Independent Study (see Academic Programs - Undergraduate).
Course Load
Since most Bachelor's Degree for Professionals students are also employed, a normal course load is considered to be two courses per term (six to eight units). The number of units you take, however, is up to you as long as you don’t exceed 10 units per term. If you would like to take more than 10 units per term, you must seek the approval of your academic counselor and the Associate Dean of the School for Professional and Continuing Studies. Please contact the Financial Aid office regarding questions related to course load and financial aid.
Concurrent Enrollment
If you are admitted as a Bachelor's Degree for Professionals student and wish to enroll in courses at another college or university, you must obtain approval from the Associate Dean of the School for Professional and Continuing Studies prior to enrolling in the course(s). Normally, requests for concurrent enrollment at another institution will not be granted unless you demonstrate a compelling need to take the course at that institution.
Leave of Absence
By notifying their academic counselor, students may request to take a leave of absence for up to one year/four consecutive terms. Under certain circumstances, students may be approved to take an extended leave of absence, totaling two years/eight consecutive terms. Students need to speak with their academic counselor to begin the request process. Students exceeding the approved time for their leave of absence will be inactivated from the program and will have to reapply to be readmitted. The curriculum requirements in effect at the time of readmission will apply.
Financial Information
Tuition and Fees
Refer to www.Callutheran.edu/financial-aid/tuition-fees/ for current tuition and fees.
Tuition is due and payable on or before the first class meeting unless you have made alternative payment arrangements with the Student Accounts personnel in the Business Office. Late payment fees are assessed on delinquent accounts. Students with delinquent accounts cannot register for the new term until fees for the prior term have been paid. All financial obligations must be met before academic records (diplomas, grade reports and transcripts) will be released. You may contact the Business Office or refer to Self Service for information regarding your student account status.
Student Status
Student enrollment status definition for Bachelor's Degree for Professionals:
Full-time = six units or more
Three-quarter time = five units
Half-time = three units
Bachelor's Degree for Professionals students must be at least half-time (three units) to be eligible for federal loans. Limited financial aid may be available for less than half-time status.
Financial Assistance
A financial aid counselor is available to help you apply for financial need and discuss various forms of financial assistance. Please click on the following link for various forms of financial assistance: www.CalLutheran.edu/professionals/financial-aid/types-of-aid-html.
How to Apply for Financial Aid
Complete the following forms:
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) available online at www.fafsa.gov
Bachelor's Degree for Professionals Application for Student Financial Aid online at www.CalLutheran.edu/financial_aid/forms/
Turn in all completed financial aid forms and necessary supporting documentation to the Financial Aid Office by the deadlines indicated.
Accept the financial aid offered, in whole or part, by the reply date indicated on your award letter.
If borrowing loans, you will be required to complete the loan application (Master Promissory Note) and Entrance Counseling process if needed.
You must be officially admitted to the university and registered for classes to receive financial aid.
Return of Funds Policies for Federal Aid
Students who receive federal aid1 are subject to federal return of funds policies. If the payment period for which a student received funds (term) is not completed and the student withdraws from all courses, then the student is only eligible for a percentage of the aid equal to the percentage of the period completed. The following is an example of this concept:
Krista enrolls in the fall term but drops out before the end of the term. She actually completes 35 percent of the term and, therefore, is only eligible for 35 percent of the aid awarded for that period (amount earned).
If the aid earned is more than the amount that was actually disbursed to the student (credited to their account), then Cal Lutheran will offer the student a post-withdrawal disbursement according to certain conditions such as whether or not a valid Student Aid Report has been received, the status of the verification process, etc.
If the amount disbursed is more than the amount earned, then Cal Lutheran must return the amount unearned to the U.S. Department of Education. The student will then be responsible for any balance owed to California Lutheran University caused by the return of funds.
For additional information, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 805-493-3115.
Federal aid covered by the Return of Funds policies includes the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, Subsidized Stafford Loan, and Pell Grant.
Degree Requirements
General Degree Requirements
The requirements for the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science are designed to provide you with a broad program of liberal arts study and an opportunity to concentrate in the field of special interest. It is intended that at the undergraduate level the emphasis be placed on acquiring a broad education in many subjects, leaving highly specialized and professional studies to the graduate school level.
Bachelor's Degree for Professionals academic counselors will assist you in preparing an individualized degree plan; nevertheless, you are ultimately responsible for seeing that your academic program includes all requirements for graduation.
Students must complete 124 semester credits. At least 40 of these must be upper division, that is, junior or senior level courses (courses numbered 300-499).
30 of the final 40 credits must be completed in residence. This requirement cannot be met using credit by examination, CLEP or community college.
Students must earn at least a 2.0 grade point average for all Cal Lutheran work and also achieve a 2.0 on all combined Cal Lutheran and other college work.
The number of credits applied toward any baccalaureate degree may be limited by the following:
Credits used to meet the requirement for a bachelor’s degree may not be used for a credential or master’s degree.
No more than three semester credits combined of physical activity (ACTV) and intercollegiate athletics (ATHL) may be counted toward the 124 credits required for graduation. (Exercise Science majors may count no more than seven credits.)
Credit in career/work experience (e.g. internships) may be earned at Cal Lutheran, but no more than eight credits are applicable toward the minimum requirements for the degree. Students may receive a maximum of four units in a semester (or summer).
A maximum of 20 semester credits of transfer online, correspondence and/or extension work may be counted toward the degree. Correspondence and extension work may not be included in the major. To be accepted, the correspondence and extension course work must be applicable to a bachelor’s degree at the granting institution. Approved transfer online courses are only those that are approved by the department in which credit will be granted and which include proctored exams. Approved online courses accepted in transfer may be included in the major.
A maximum of 32 credits by exam may be applied to the degree; eight upper division units can be included in this total. Credit by exam includes, but is not limited to, institutional exams, CLEP and Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
A total of 40 combined credits obtained from credits by exam and online/correspondence may be applied toward the degree.
At least 75 percent of the required courses for a major or minor must be unduplicated with any other major or minor.
Bachelor's Degree for Professionals students may earn no more than four units of Independent Study in any given term and may count no more than eight units of Independent Study credit toward the total number of units required for the bachelor’s degree
A single course may satisfy a maximum of four (4) graduation or program requirements.
Petitions for exceptions to policy must be made within one year of the missed deadline for the occurrence requiring an exception. This limit includes petitions for such requests as late adds and late drops of courses.
Major Requirements
All students must complete an academic major as part of the requirements for the baccalaureate degree. Requirements for an academic major are as follows:
Completion of at least 32 credits in an area of concentration for the Bachelor of Arts or at least 36 credits for the Bachelor of Science.
33% of a major's upper-division required courses and required electives must be taken in residence at Cal Lutheran. Internships and independent studies are excluded from this calculation unless they are required for the major.
A minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required in the major. Required support courses are not included in the major GPA.
At least 75 percent of the required courses for a major must be unduplicated with any other major or minor.
Minor Requirements
Minors consist of a coherent set of related courses in a particular disciplinary or interdisciplinary area. An academic minor is not required for a degree; however, if a student elects to earn a minor, he or she:
must complete the specified 15-20 credits within the minor desired;
may not major and minor in the same department;
must complete at least eight to 12 credits in upper division courses and at least two of those courses must be completed in residence at Cal Lutheran;
must achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0;
may not count internships toward the minor unless specifically required by the minor;
may use only one independent study course to meet minor requirements;
at least 75 percent of the required courses for a minor must be unduplicated with any other major or minor.
General Education (IDEAS) Requirements
Requirements are subject to change. Consult the schedule of classes for each semester to determine which courses satisfy general education requirements. Related academic and transfer policies follow the IDEAS course requirements.
View the full list of approved IDEAS courses for 2024-25
Students meet the IDEAS objectives through the following course requirements. Each course taken below fulfills at least one content area in IDEAS.
Foundational Requirements
First Year Seminar
English composition – ENGL 110 and ENGL 111
Mathematics – one course above MATH 110
Religion and Theology – RLTH 100 or RLTH 300
Discipline Requirements
Languages and Cultures – Proficiency at the second semester level. The requirement is waived for international students who verify academic study of their native language through the high school level. One course from the approved list or show proficiency with a satisfactory score by taking the designated language exam in a proctored setting.
Creative Arts – 3 credits minimum from the approved list of courses.
Humanities – Three courses from the approved list of courses in different departments or disciplines, excluding RLTH 100/300, ENGL 110 and ENGL 111.
Social and Behavioral Sciences – One course from the approved list of courses.
Natural Sciences – One course from the approved list of courses.
Physical Activity – One course from ACTV or ATHL subjects.
Content Requirements
These courses are not additional unit or course requirements. They are content requirements that may be met through selection of courses that also meet major, elective or other IDEAS requirements.
US Diversity – One course from the approved list of courses.
Global Perspectives – One course from the approved list.
Experiential Learning/Internship – integrated into the major.
IDEAS Academic and Transfer Policies
Transfer courses meeting IDEAS must be at least two credits.
All courses may only satisfy one requirement within IDEAS except Content Requirement courses. Courses meeting US Diversity and Global Perspectives content requirements should also apply to another IDEAS requirement.
There is no limitation on the duplication of IDEAS courses with major or minor courses.
Transfer students and students with an applicable, documented disability may substitute an additional content requirement course in place of the Foreign Language requirement.
Students with an applicable, documented disability may substitute a different course that meets the Adapt student learning objective in place of Mathematics.
First Year Seminar is waived for anyone with at least one full-time semester of transferable courses. Dual credit, AP and IB is not included.
Students over 25 years of age are exempt from the Physical Activity requirement. Students with an applicable, documented disability should take ACTV-111 for the Activity requirement or the requirement may be waived after thorough review.
Students with an approved state transfer completed (e.g. IGETC, CSU Breadth Certification, Associate Degree for Transfer) or 60 credits in transfer (excluding military credit) will have satisfied the main IDEAS requirements, as appropriate. Students will still be held to the portions of IDEAS that integrated into the major.
Academic Services will determine applicability of transfer courses utilizing articulation of courses and the general education Student Learning Objectives.
Course Additions
Students may not add courses after the add/drop deadline. After the first class session, all late adds require instructor permission. Students will not be added to closed or waitlisted courses. Contact your academic counselor to discuss.
Graduation
Students must fill out an Application for Degree and submit an accompanying graduate fee (regardless of commencement ceremony participation). Students must also meet with their academic counselor for a required graduation appointment, submit a Graduation Agreement, and adhere to all other university graduation policies.