Requirements For Degrees
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and the Liberal Arts
The degree of Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and the Liberal Arts is granted to those students who fulfill the following general minimum requirements:
One hundred twenty (120) credit hours, which must include a minimum of 33 credit hours in philosophy, 18 credit hours in theology, 15 credit hours in history, 15 credit hours in literature, 6 credit hours in psychology, 6 credit hours in English composition, 6 credit hours in the fine arts, 6 credit hours in the natural sciences, 6 credit hours in a language other than English, 3 credit hours in mathematics, 3 credit hours in public speaking, and 3 credit hours in electives. These required hours are fulfilled by the courses specified below or by those approved by the Academic Dean.
Forty-five (45) of the credit hours must be from upper-division courses.
Ordinarily, at least the last 25% of credit hours must be in residence at Saint Joseph Seminary College.
The language requirement is to be satisfied by the study of Latin. Another language can be substituted with the Academic Dean’s permission.
In accord with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Program of Priestly Formation, the Philosophy requirements are to include the study of the history of philosophy, logic, epistemology, philosophy of nature, metaphysics, natural theology, philosophical anthropology, and ethics. These requirements are fulfilled by the courses specified below or by those approved by the Academic Dean.
Maintenance of a cumulative 2.0 GPA in both the courses applicable toward the degree and in Philosophy courses.
Payment of the graduation fee and presence at the graduation exercises are required of all full-time resident students who receive a degree.
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Theological Studies
The Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Theological Studies degree is designed specifically for those students who have earned at least 60 credit hours at another college or university and wish to transfer to Saint Joseph Seminary College.
Special Admission Requirements
Students will be eligible for this program if they have completed 60 or more credit hours of transferable higher education credit.
Twenty-seven (27) of the 60 hours must include the following general education parameters: 6-9 credit hours in English composition or equivalent, 3-9 credit hours in natural science, 3-6 credit hours in math, 3-9 credit hours in literature, 3-9 credit hours in history, and 2-6 credit hours in fine arts. By permission of the Academic Dean, students missing any of these credit hours may be provisionally admitted to this degree but must earn the missing hours prior to completing the degree. Students entering Saint Joseph Seminary College having already earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education) may be exempt from these general education requirements. Incoming students holding a bachelor’s degree from an international school must present an official report from an NACES-member credential evaluation service showing that their degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. The official report should include a course by course evaluation.
Students must have maintained a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA on all previous college-level coursework. The Academic Dean may make exceptions in special cases.
A student who enters the curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and the Liberal Arts would not, at any time, become eligible to enter the program leading to the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Theological Studies.
Degree Requirements
One hundred twenty (120) credit hours, which must include a minimum of 33 credit hours in philosophy, 18 credit hours in theology, 6 credit hours in a language other than English, and 3 credit hours in electives. These required hours are fulfilled by the courses specified below, or by those approved by the Academic Dean.
Forty-five (45) of the credit hours must be from upper-division courses.
Ordinarily, at least the last 25% of credit hours must be in residence at Saint Joseph Seminary College.
The language requirement is to be satisfied by the study of Latin. Another language can be substituted with the Academic Dean’s permission.
In accord with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Program of Priestly Formation, the required courses in philosophy include the study of the history of philosophy, logic, epistemology, philosophy of nature, metaphysics, natural theology, philosophical anthropology, and ethics. These requirements are fulfilled by the courses specified below or by those approved by the Academic Dean.
Maintenance of a cumulative 2.0 GPA in both the courses applicable toward the degree and in Philosophy courses.
Payment of the graduation fee and presence at the graduation exercises are required of all full-time resident students who receive a degree.
General Education Curriculum for Both Degrees
Saint Joseph Seminary College provides a general education curriculum developed in consideration of the college’s mission statement, guidance from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC Core Requirement 9.3), and the Louisiana Board of Regents statewide general education requirements (LA BOR Academic Affairs Policy 2.16). The general education curriculum:
Assures proficiency in basic English skills so that students are able to communicate effectively in both writing and speech;
Assures proficiency in mathematics so that students are able to understand and use numerical data appropriate to their chosen career field;
Develops scientific literacy and an understanding of the scientific method;
Develops an awareness of the great ideas, issues, and questions of world cultures;
Exposes students to the history and nature of the fine and performing arts;
Fosters those habits necessary to learn independently.
All baccalaureate degrees include minimum general education requirements. General education requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Theological Studies are described in “Special Admission Requirements” above.
General education requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and the Liberal Arts are:
English Composition - 6 hours
Oral Communication – 3 hours
Fine Arts/Humanities - 6 hours
Social/Behavioral Science - 6 hours
Mathematics - 3 hours
Natural Science - 6 hours