Academic Catalog

B.A./B.S. Degree

The choice of major program determines which degree one receives.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees are offered in:

  • Anthropology
  • Art History
  • Classics (majors in Classical Archaeology, Classical Civilization, Classics: Ancient Mediterranean Studies, and Latin)
  • Communication and Digital Studies
  • English (majors in English and English: Creative Writing Concentration)
  • Geography (majors in Geography and Geospatial Analysis)
  • General Liberal Arts and Studies (majors in American Studies, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, or approved interdisciplinary special major1)
  • Historic Preservation
  • History
  • International Affairs
  • Modern Foreign Languages (majors in French, German, and Spanish)
  • Music
  • Performing Arts (major in Theatre)
  • Philosophy and Religious Studies (majors in Philosophy; Philosophy: Pre-Law; and Religious Studies)
  • Political Science
  • Sociology
  • Studio Art

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees are offered in:

  • Biology (majors in Biology and Conservation Biology)
  • Business Administration (majors in Accounting, Business Administration, International Business, and Marketing)
  • Chemistry (majors in Chemistry and Biochemistry)
  • Computer Science (majors in Computer Science and Cybersecurity)
  • Economics
  • Environmental Science and Geology (majors in Environmental Geology, Geology, Environmental Science: Natural Science Concentration, and Environmental Science: Social Science Concentration)
  • General Liberal Arts and Studies (major in approved interdisciplinary special major1)
  • Mathematics
  • Physics (majors in Applied Physics and Physics)
  • Psychology

All B.A. and B.S. degrees require 120 credits for completion. Both degrees also require an overall cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00 (equivalent to a “C” average) on Mary Washington course work, as well as a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.00 in each major program on Mary Washington course work. The residence requirement is as follows: To be considered a degree candidate, a student must earn at least 30 academic credits at the University of Mary Washington, including at least half the credits required for the major program unless more are required by the major department. Students must also earn at least 15 of the last 21 credits at Mary Washington. Active duty military students may request a waiver to the residency requirement that 15 of the last 21 credits be earned at UMW. (Students should contact the Office of Academic Services to request the waiver; a copy of the student’s orders is required as documentation.)

Additional important information is contained in the description of B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. General Education Requirements.

See the details about Major Requirements for important information about the major program.

1

Interdisciplinary special major program. A student and faculty advisor may design a special major program by selecting, from two or more departments, courses that define a coherent field of concentration. The program of study must be approved by a College Curriculum Committee. The degree earned is General Liberal Arts and Studies (either B.A. or B.S., depending on the content of the curriculum as approved by the Committee).