West Virginia Wesleyan offers 49 majors and 36 minors and graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, education, and nursing. Though its curriculum is strongly based in the liberal arts, many of the College’s major programs have a deliberate vocational stint.
Wesleyan offers a 4-4-1 academic calendar. May Term is a popular time for Wesleyan students to participate in international study. Approximately 70 students travel abroad each year each May, earning three credits for this intensive period of study. Wesleyan has particularly close ties to study-abroad options in Northern Ireland and South Korea. Recent May-Term courses have included trips to Australia, Eastern Europe, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, South America, South Africa, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
Wesleyan students are also strongly encouraged to undertake internships as part of their college experience. The Internship Office facilitates such opportunities as The Washington Center in Washington, D.C., a program in Pittsburgh, and internship opportunities with alumni, local businesses, and non-profit agencies.
Research is another focus of academics at Wesleyan. The College hosts the Mid-Atlantic Undergraduate Research Conference each year while nearly 50 students participate in special research projects each summer.
The academic program at West Virginia Wesleyan consists of three components: the major, general education courses, and further electives for the exploration of a wider scope of topics.
Each student is required to complete a major program of study in order to graduate. The purpose of the major is to offer the experience of in-depth study. Although not required, a student has the option of declaring a major and minor (s) or a double major. In the case of a double major, a student must declare a primary major which will determine the degree awarded, and complete requirements for both majors. Students with double majors must complete the senior capstone experience in each major.
West Virginia Wesleyan confers nine academic degrees: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.), Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (M.F.A.), Master of Science (M.S.) in Athletic Training, and Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.).
In order to qualify for a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or Bachelor of Science degree, each student must:
- Earn a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit, at least 30 of which must be earned in residence.
- Complete the general studies program and an academic major as described in the College Catalog in effect when the student entered the College.
- Achieve a C average (2.0 grade point average) in all college work attempted, in all college work attempted at Wesleyan, and in each major and minor field of study. In addition, every student must earn a grade of C or better in Composition I, Composition II, and Fundamentals of Oral Communication.
A student can earn both a B.A. degree and a B.S. degree simultaneously only if he/she has earned 150 credit hours and completed the requirements of both a B.A. and a B.S.