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The Associate Degree

Dallas Baptist University offers eight two-year associate degree programs: Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts (Teacher Certification Preparation), Associate of Biblical Studies, Associate of Business Administration, Associate of Christian Studies, Associate of Engineering, Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Associate of Science. The associate degree is designed to aid those who may need to enter the vocational world more quickly than a four-year degree program would allow.

The associate degree programs are designed to provide a strong foundation in the liberal arts, business, church-related ministries, or science profession and to prepare students for future academic success. Additionally, the academic program of the associate degrees offers a sound foundation that helps prepare students to live their adult lives as mature, intellectually-integrated persons. All instruction is presented with a commitment to the student’s intellectual and spiritual growth through the integration of faith and learning.


MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE

Dallas Baptist University offers programs leading to the Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts (Teacher Certification Preparation), Associate of Biblical Studies, Associate of Business Administration, Associate of Christian Studies, Associate of Engineering, Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies, and Associate of Science degrees.  A student may elect to graduate under the degree requirements of the official catalog of any year in which the student is enrolled for classes and receives credit, provided that the period between initial enrollment and graduation does not exceed six years. The six-year time frame begins at the final semester covered by the chosen catalog. The University reserves the right to change the requirements for graduation at the beginning of any semester. Such changes will appear in the next edition of the official catalog. A student may not change degrees and/or majors until the end of a term due to Financial Aid implications.

All candidates for an associate degree must fulfill the following requirements as a minimum: 

  1. Complete a minimum of 60 credit hours, including the General Studies requirements for each degree.

  2. Complete a minimum of 25% of the required credit hours in residence at Dallas Baptist University (e.g., for a 60-credit hour degree program, the residency requirement is 15 hours).

  3. Be enrolled at Dallas Baptist University the semester of graduation.

  4. Earn a minimum of 2.0-grade point average in all courses taken. DBU requires a minimum institutional cumulative, major, and minor GPA of 2.0. 

  5. Meet the requirements for a prescribed degree curriculum and be recommended by the faculty for graduation.

  6. Complete one-half of the Chapel credits required for a bachelor’s degree candidate, if applicable. (See section under Academic Policies for Chapel requirements.)

No student will be allowed to participate in the graduation exercises of the University until all of the above requirements for graduation have been completed.

DEGREE PLAN

It is the student’s responsibility, as soon as possible after entering the University, to meet with an associate degree advisor to develop a plan of study leading to a specific degree. With the assistance of the advisor, the student outlines the courses needed to complete the degree. The degree plan developed between the student and advisor is only a guide. The student must complete all degree requirements as stated in this catalog. A degree plan becomes official when it has been approved and signed by the advisor, the program director, the student, and the Registrar.

The degree plan will outline the requirements for the associate degree program selected by the student. Additional courses (credit hours) needed to complete the minimum 60-credit hour graduation requirement may be selected by the student as electives. Electives are courses that can be taken for credit on the selected degree plan but are not specifically named. These elective courses can enrich the program of study and allow students to explore new interests and fields.

GENERAL STUDIES REQUIREMENTS

The General Studies requirements are designed to develop the basic understanding and skills needed by broadly educated men and women in a democratic society. The General Studies involve a concern for students’ intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and physical growth. In addition, they provide the core of degree requirements for all associate degrees. General Studies courses are listed at the 1000 and 2000 levels.

In addition to the other General Studies requirements, the following are included:

Foundations for Excellence – FOUN 1101

One semester of the course Foundations for Excellence is required of all first-year and transfer students who enroll with fewer than 15 credit hours. (AP, CLEP, IB, or dual/concurrent credit earned while in high school does not count toward these 15 credit hours.)

Developing a Christian Mind – DCM 2301   

Required of all traditional students enrolled at DBU.  

Lifelong Learning – PRST 2301

Required of all Professional Studies students pursuing an Associate of Interdisciplinary Studies. It is expected that all adult students will take this class in their first term of enrollment at DBU.

Religion Requirements

All students are required to take RELI 1301, Old Testament Survey, and RELI 1302, New Testament Survey. 

eMAT - Math Advising Tool (using ALEKS)

The eMAT is an aid for the mathematics department at DBU to evaluate the skills of DBU students wishing to enroll in math or math-based courses for the first time. The eMAT uses the ALEKS placement assessment to determine what students know in math in order to make sure they have enough math knowledge to be successful in the courses they want to take.

Depending on the course a student wishes to take, he or she may or may not need to take the eMAT. Students with sufficient SAT, ACT, and other scores may be able to enroll in math or math-based courses without taking the eMAT. Students should refer to the Requisites requirement listed for each math or math-based class in the Course Description. Enrolling in a math or math-based course for which a student is not prepared will not be beneficial and will cause frustration and lack of success.

By taking the ALEKS assessment, the student agrees to follow the University Honor Code and abide by the University’s Academic Appeal and Academic Misconduct Procedure as stated in the Student Handbook and the Schedule of Classes.

What is ALEKS?

ALEKS is a web-based program that uses artificial intelligence to map a student’s strengths and weaknesses. The Placement Assessment is up to 30 questions and generally takes 60-90 minutes to complete. After the Placement Assessment, an individualized Prep and Learning Module is available for students to refresh their knowledge on forgotten topics. Students then have the opportunity to reassess and improve their placement.

ALEKS consists of three parts:

• An Initial Placement Assessment

• The Prep and Learning Module, an individualized, self-paced online review

• Access to 4 additional Placement Assessments

DBU encourages each student to spend time in the Prep and Learning Module, even if the desired score is achieved, because time spent in ALEKS will ultimately lead to better preparation and improved grades.

What is the purpose of placement testing? The Placement Assessment results will be used to determine the most appropriate courses for each student as they move forward with college coursework. After taking a Placement Assessment, students should meet with their advisor to review their results and enroll in the best classes based on their scores.

This is a “Placement Assessment,” not a test. The difference is that a Placement Assessment is designed to determine what a student knows and what a student needs to work on. At the end of the ALEKS Assessment, a student will have a much better sense of his or her strengths and weaknesses in math. Students then have a chance to brush up on topics that may have been forgotten or have not been practiced for some time.

It is important that the Placement Assessment is taken seriously and that each student give it an honest effort so that the Placement Assessment truly reflects the current level of knowledge and math preparedness. There is no benefit to cheating on the Placement Assessment – the only result will be that a student enrolls in a class that is too difficult or not challenging enough, potentially costing time and money. Therefore, while taking the Placement Assessment, students should not consult any outside sources for help (friends/family, internet searches, textbooks, notes etc.). The purpose of the Placement Assessment is to give an accurate measure of a student’s current mathematical knowledge state so that he/she will be successful in mathematics courses.

https://catalog.dbu.edu/undergrad/ugacademicpolicies/academic-conduct-policy

For more information about the eMAT, contact the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at 214-333-5303.

Computer Literacy Requirement    

All DBU students are required to develop computer skills. The educated person of today must learn to handle computerized information, to identify the source of the information, to recognize its validity, to understand the assumptions that were made to generate the information, and to use the results to make decisions. DBU provides students the opportunity to begin building life-long skills for using the computer in a modern world.

Students will have access to computers for use in computer science and other courses which stress computer applications. These computers and computer software are in the Academic Computer Laboratory in the Collins Learning Center.