Requirements for the Bachelor&apos;s Degree. Bulletin, 1920, No. 7
Author: John, Walton C.
Date: 1920-00-00
Type: Historical Materials
Subjects: Graduation Requirements,College Credits,Foreign Countries,Graphs,Graduation,Bachelors Degrees,School Catalogs,Tables (Data),Statistical Data,Comparative Analysis,Required Courses,College Admission,Medical Evaluation

The study presented in this bulletin is based on the analysis of the requirements for the bachelor's degree of 101 universities and colleges in the United States, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The first chapter contains a brief summary of the history of entrance and college graduation requirements for the bachelor's degree with special reference to the subjects required and the order of their appearance in the curricula. The fundamental data have been gathered from the university and college catalogues for the year 1916-17. The catalogue requirements were summarized on preliminary tables. From these summaries have been prepared a series of graphic tables which describe the entrance and the college graduation requirements of each institution; each type of cultural bachelor's degree has been considered. Appendix B shows in graphic form the different entrance and graduation requirements each, for four years, in terms of units, semester hours, and the corresponding percentages of the prescribed and elective subjects. The percentages of the prescribed and elective subjects are considered from the standpoint of eight years also. The study of these graphs makes possible a rapid comparison of the salient features of the various bachelor's degrees of the same institution or of different institutions. The various tables and graphs scattered throughout the text are founded on the graphs in Appendix B. Physical training and military drill are not included in the comparative tables or graphs as relatively few institutions of the list give college credit in these subjects. The tables which give the average requirements for the prescribed subjects are especially designed to show the tendencies for each degree. The general average which is found at the bottom of the table is not an average of the averages but a true average. Thus it is possible to make accurate comparisons between the tendencies of different degrees and the general average. The negative instances are not counted in the averages of the prescribed subjects, as the result would give a number difficult of direct comparison with individual standards in any given subject. It is the purpose of this study to show the characteristic tendencies of both entrance and graduation requirements in the 101 universities and colleges which compose this list. An attempt has been made to point out the relations of all the prescribed requirements to the entire period of eight years. The second, third, and fourth chapters contain summaries and conclusions based upon the general discussion. The fourth chapter emphasizes the importance of considering the bachelor's degree course from the standpoint of a single unit of seven or eight years, general argument bearing on this question being considered in the closing section on, the unification of the bachelor's degree course. Appended are: (1) Medical examination of entrants in the University of California and Medical examinations for Harvard University; and (2) Graphic representations of entrance requirements of State institutions and Graphic representations of entrance requirements of non-State institutions. An index is also provided. Individual chapters contain footnotes. (Contains 28 graphs and 74 tables.) [Best copy available has been provided.]