Philosophy & Religious Studies
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Liberal Studies Program
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Contact Information
David Simmons
Department Chair
Email: simmonsd@uww.edu
David Reinhart
Master Advisor & Liberal Studies Coorindator
Email: reinhard@uww.edu
Information For Transfer Students
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Students currently attending other universities who are considering transferring to UW-Whitewater's Liberal Studies Program (face-to-face or online)
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People considering returning to school to complete a bachelor's degree (face-to-face or online)
Admissions Deadlines For Transferring (face-to-face or online) Students:
To start classes in Fall, applications must be received by July 1.
To start classes in Spring, applications must be received by Decemeber 1.
Step 1: Do your research.
1A) Understand the UWW admissions process. Information is available at the Admissions Office. (Note: If you are going to be an online-only student, you may request an unofficial review of your previous coursework to see how much of it will transfer to UWW. To do this, please contact the Coordinator for Online Recruitment in the Admissions Office. This service is available for 100% online students only.)
1B) Understand what Liberal Studies is- Liberal Studies is an interdisciplinary approach to education. A degree in liberal studies will give you the chance to take courses in a variety of disciplines, including science, math, history, english, philosophy, and religious studies. Liberal Studies can prepare you for a variety of careers.
1C) Choose which of the 4 Liberal Studies Degree options would be best for you-
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Bachelor's of Arts with a minor (36 units required) - This degree requires that you complete two semesters of a foreign language (this can be waived if you completed two years or more of the same foreign language in high school and graduated from high school before 2012). This degree also requires that you complete a minor that is approved by the College of Letters and Sciences.
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Bachelor's of Arts without a minor (54 units required) - This degree requires that you complete two semesters of a foreign language (this can be waived if you completed two years or more of the same foreign language in high school and graduated from high school before 2012). This degree option also requires that you choose a "Focus Area" in consultation with your advisor.
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Bachelor's of Science with a minor (36 units required) - This degree requires that you complete two lab sciences, plus 5 units of math (above MATH 141) or 2 x 3 unit courses in math, statistics, or computer science.. This degree also requires that you complete a minor that is approved by the College of Letters and Sciences.
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Bachelor's of Science without a minor (54 units required) - This degree requires that you complete two lab sciences, plus 5 units of math (above MATH 141) or 2 x 3 unit courses in math, statistics, or computer science. This degree option also requires that you choose a "Focus Area" in consultation with your advisor.
1D) Review the specific requirements for each of these major options- This information is available through the links listed on the College of Letters & Sciences "Majors & Minors" webpage.
1E) Although we cannot provide an official review of how your previous courework will fit into the requirements of the Liberal Studies program until after you are admitted to UWW, you can begin to determine which Liberal Studies requirements you may have already met by comparing the courses you've already taken to the main categories within the Liberal Studies major. Those main categories are found under the Curriculum heading on the Liberal Studies homepage.
1F) Calculate how many semesters you have remaining before graduation by dividing the total the number of units remaining to be completed (as determined in step 1D) by the number of units you plan to take each semester. This will give you the number of semesters you will need to complete before graduation. Remember that transferring students must meet UW-Whitewater's residency requirement (30 credits at UW-Whitewater throughout the degree, with the last 15 units of the degree taken at UW-Whitewater). Remember also that all UW-Whitewater students must earn at least 120 units and fulfill all degree requirements in order to graduate.
Step 2: Decide if Liberal Studies is right for you.
Is Liberal Studies the best option for you right now? Will a degree in liberal studies help you graduate? Do you have the time and energy to commit to college-level academic work?
Is Liberal Studies the best option for meeting your post-graduation goals? Will a degree in liberal studies give you the skills and knowledge necessary for the career you want?
Step 3: Apply to UW-Whitewater.
(Note: Step 3 is managed by a variety of university offices and is not controlled by the Liberal Studies Program. The information provided here is an overview, but the relevant university offices should be contacted for more detailed information. )
3A) Apply for admission using the online application system. As part of your application, indicate that you will be pursuing a Liberal Studies major (and identify which of the 4 liberal studies degree options you have chosen and if you will be taking classes only online). Additionally, indicate which term you would like to begin taking classes.
3B) Submit application fee, plus all high school transcripts and college transcripts.
3C) Next, your application will be reviewed. All of your previous coursework will be evaluated and decisions will be made about which credits can transfer to UWW. Upon completion of this review, you will receive communication from the Admissions Office with your admission decision. If admitted, you will then gain access to WINS and your transfer credit report will be generated. [Note: If you find yourself in this waiting period and unsure of your status, please contact the Transfer Coordinator in the Admissions Office.]
3D) After you are admitted, you will be required to register for a SOAR (orientation) day. Your admissions acceptance letter may state that you are not required to attend a SOAR day, but assume that you will be required to attend one unless you are informed otherwise. [Note: If you have questions about PIP days, check the SOAR for Transfer Students website. Additionally, during this time, you may have questions about financial aid, if so, please contact the financial aid officer assigned to your last name.]
3E) After you have registered for an orientation day or have confirmed that you do not need to attend one, the credits from your previous coursework that have been approved to transfer to UW-Whitewater will be evaluated for how they will fit into UW-Whitewater's General Education requirements. [Note: If you have questions about this review, contact the Assistant Dean in the College of Letters and Sciences.]
3F) Ensure that your admissions process is complete: If you are required to attend an orientation day, your admissions process will be completed during that orientation day. If you are not required to attend an orientation day, your admissions process will be completed 24 hours after you officially matriculate into the university. In either case, you will know that your admissions process is complete when you can see your Academic Advising Report (AAR) in WINS. [Note: If you have questions about when your AAR will be visible, contact the Registrar's Office.]
Step 4: Schedule an appointment with your advisor.
After you officially matriculate into the Liberal Studies Program, you will receive an email from the Department of Philosophy and Religions Studies. That email will include the name and contact information for your new advisor. You are then responsible for contacting your advsior to set up an advising appointment.
Step 5: Prepare for your first advising session.
5A) Be sure that all of your holds in WINS (with the exception of an Academic Advising hold which will remain until your advising session) are removed.
5B) Review your Academic Advising Report (AAR) in WINS. If you are unsure about how to do this, tutorials are available here.
5C) Use the course search feature in WINS and the Liberal Studies Course Offerings By Term spreadsheet to compile a list of courses you are interested in taking and which requirements you are planning for them to fulfill.
Step 6: Meet with your advisor.
At this meeting, you will talk to your advisor about personalizing your AAR, go over the list of courses you compiled, and decide which courses are best for you to take in the upcoming term. Then you are on your way to success in the Liberal Studies program!