Page 46 - Texas Wesleyan Univ Catalog

44 Texas Wesleyan University
International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB) program, a demanding pre-university course of study, is recognized for the purposes of admission, where the IB diploma may be presented in lieu of a high school diploma; and where course credit, advanced placement without credit, or a combination of these may be awarded. A minimum grade of 4 is required in the student’s area of concentration.
An International Baccalaureate student must meet admission requirements as stated above in the appropriate category. Each subject grade is derived from two sources – internal assessment and external assessment. The internal assessment is based on the student’s work in her/his studies; the external assessment is based on examination or on a piece of work produced by the student. Exam answers and pieces of work are submitted to external IB examiners for grading. The Diploma requires the student to score a minimum of 24 total points, satisfactorily complete the subject courses, the Theory of Knowledge course, the CAS activities, and the Extended Essay. The official IB transcript must be submitted upon application to Texas Wesleyan University. A maximum of 30 hours of credit may be awarded with subject credit hours to be determined by individual departments.
Prior Learning Experience
Students may receive academic credit for learning acquired outside the collegiate classroom, called prior learning experience. Texas Wesleyan recognizes that learning may result from work experience, work-related training, special interests, and travel in addition to enrollment at an academic institution for academic credit; however, credit will be awarded only for college-level learning, not for experience alone. It will not be awarded for vocational or technical experience, and eligible students must possess a minimum of four years of significant work experience.
Two options for seeking academic credit for non-collegiate learning are preparing a portfolio or taking challenge examinations (see below). Additional opportunities for seeking academic credit are through correspondence courses, the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and educational activities listed in the guides of the American Council on Education or the Military Guide to Service Schools. Thirty (30) hours is the maximum number of academic credit hours allowed when using one or more of these options, and this credit may not be applied to the 45 credit hour residency required for graduation. No more than one-fourth of the required hours for a major subject may be fulfilled by prior learning experience credit or challenge exams. (see Graduation Degree Requirements section).
Students should possess adequate writing and critical thinking skills that will enable them to develop a portfolio of sufficient depth and quality. The dean of the major program in which she/he expects to enroll should be consulted for assistance in identifying and verifying the types of skills and learning to be assessed for college-level credit.
Students may attempt challenge exams for specific credit with the approval of the Dean of their school. However, these exams may not be available in all areas. Challenge exams may be provided to students who have attained knowledge equivalent to University courses through life experiences and to students who attended schools with limited or no transferability. Exam scores required for credit will be determined by the individual school. Thirty (30) hours is the maximum number of academic