1. Evaluation of Credit, Maximizing Hours and Strengthening the Degree
Including: Minors and Majors – Impact on Credits and Plan.
This module will help you to understand how to maximize a students credit hours and how to use those hours to strengthen the degree. It will also cover how adding a minor and/or 2nd major will affect the degree plan.

2. University Core Values:
WBU MISSION:
Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging, learning-focused and distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God and humankind.
University Core Values:
The following core values are at the heart of the degree planning process.
Commitment to Student Learning
Integrity, Diversity, Trust, and Respect
Excellence and Innovation
Service to Our Communities
Personal, Professional and Spiritual Development
Stewardship of Our Resources
Planning and Accountability
This is a reminder of the Wayland Mission and University Core Values. These should be considered with every task performed and every decision made within the university.

3.   Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this module the advisor/evaluator will have deeper understanding on the evaluation process of credits and how these credits can be applied to the degree plan. This will help prepare them to build degrees with strength by using hours that support the major and how to maximize those hours by dividing and dualing.
After reviewing this module the advisor will understand how to evaluate credits and know how to apply these credits to the degree plan. They will have a deeper understanding of how to choose credits that maximize the student’s credit hours while creating the strongest degree possible.

4. Evaluation of Credit
The order in which credit is to be applied to Degree.
Hierarchy
Wayland Courses
Non Junior Colleges
In order of attendance starting with most recent.
Junior Colleges
Test Credit
CLEP/DANTES
Assessed Credit
PLA (from Certificates), EPD (work experience), and MSS/MOS from AARTS/SMARTS
The Hierarchy stands in place unless a course from a lower level will work towards the strengthening the degree, i.e. In a BAS/Management Degree using a Junior College’s Mgmt course over a Non Junior College’s Typing course would add more strength to the student’s major.
Here you can find the order in which credit gets applied to a degree. Please understand that if a junior college course better fits the requirement for the degree it can be used before a non junior college course.

5. Deciding a Course’s Transferability
Determining a College’s Accreditation
Accreditations we accept
National
Regional
Recognized Regional Accrediting Commissions (and the codes used) pg 61 of BAS/BCM Guidelines
EH – New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE)
EV – New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Technical and Career Institutions (NEASC-CTCI)
M – Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Higher Education (MSA/CHE)
NH – North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission (NCA)
NW – Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Colleges (NASC)
SC – Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACS)
WC – Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC-Sr)
WJ – Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASC-ACCJC)
If unsure of a College’s Accreditation check these websites:
- Shows Dates of Accreditation
We can only accept credit for a course if the school was accredited at the time the course was taken.
Here you can find a list of some of the accreditations we accept. This is not an exhaustive list so please utilize the websites found here if unsure of a college’s accreditation.

6. Evaluating Individual Courses
It is the responsibility of the advisor to evaluate the course before it is placed on the degree plan.
Courses Evaluated Site – This site consists of multiple databases that show already evaluated courses.
TES
If the course has not yet been evaluated and placed on the courses evaluated site, it will be up to the advisor to look up the course description on TES and determine its equivalent WBU course.
TES Website -
All advisors/evaluators should have access to TES. If not they will need to contact their campus administrator.
If you come across a course on a transcript that has not yet been evaluated, it will be your responsibility to evaluate the course. You can do this by using the TES website found here.

7. How to Evaluate Courses using the Course Description.
Have Wayland’s course description along with the course description of the course in question.
Compare/Contrast the two descriptions.
Check Prefixes
Freshman level courses rarely fill the requirements of a senior level course from WBU.
Make sure the prefix’s are in the same subject area i.e. both have a math prefix.
Some courses may work with a difference of subject area’s but very rarely.
Check Titles
Check the prerequisites.
Example – if the prerequisite for a math course is a remedial math course it will probably not work for our college algebra.
Check descriptions.
The majority of the description must match ours for us to consider them an equivalent.
Highlight /underline common components between the course descriptions
Once you have found the course description follow these steps to determine equivalency.
First check the prefix of the course. This will tell you the level of the course and to which subject area it belongs.
Next check the title of the course. While this is not a sure fire way to determine the equivalency it helps to narrow things down.
Make sure to check the prerequisites for a course as well. A course with a remedial course as a prerequisite will most likely be a intermediate course.
Last, but not least check the actual description. Make sure that the majority of the course matches the proposed Wayland equivalency. As you do this please highlight or underline the similar components.

8. Once the Advisor has evaluated the course using TES they must print the course description into Image Now with the WBU equivalency course description. This enables us to keep the courses evaluated up to date.
If the advisor is still unsure of equivalency they will put in on the degree plan where they believe it fits with a question mark next to it.
They will still print the course description to Image Now with the WBU course they believe is its equivalent.
The evaluator will check and if they cannot determine equivalency either, it will be passed to the BAS/BCM Coordinator who may evaluate it or pass it on the Dean of the School for evaluation.
Once the course equivalency has been determined please print the course description into Image Now. Your evaluator will print this off and use this to update the courses evaluated site.
If unable to determine a courses equivalency, still print the course description into Image Now but place a question mark next to the course on the degree plan. This will let your evaluator know that they will need to either evaluate it themselves or send it on to the coordinator of BAS/BCM for further evaluation.

9. Maximizing Hours Dual counting hours
A course may appear more than once on a degree plan but with certain stipulations.
Only 12 hours may be dual counted per degree plan.
Only nine hours may be dual counted from major to major and only six hours from major to minor.
The dual counted hours can only be counted once on the degree plan (including figuring Upper Level and residency hours).
Extra hours may need to be added to the degree plan to account for the hours dual counted.
Here are some useful ways to maximize a student’s credit hours. If a course can be used in mulitple places on the degree plan you have the option to dual the course for the student. If you choose to dual a course for the student you will need to remember these stipulations. First only 12 hours may be dualed on the degree plan. Also only nine hours may be dualed from major to major and only six hours from major to minor. This helps to keep our majors and minors from becoming too similar. The dual counted hours may be counted only once to determine totals of the degree plan. This means that it can only be counted once for upper level, total hours or residency hours. Extra hours may have to be added to the degree plan to account for the dualing.

10. Dividing Credit
Used when as course has too many credits to fill a requirement. The course can be divided and placed on different portions of the degree plan, i.e. we can use 3 hours of PHE 1000 (4 hours from CCAF) in the general Education and 1 hour in electives. (See Below)
As the advisor you have the option of dividing credits on the degree plan. If you chose to use a course with more hours needed in a specific requirement you can divide the course and use the remaining courses elsewhere on the degree plan. Here is an example of dividing PE credit in the GEN ED and electives.

11. Upper Levels in the Gen Ed.
While we cannot require upper level hours in the Gen Ed, students have the option of taking them to help maximize their transfer hours.
On most degree plans 6 hours of Upper Level electives are required in the Professional Development Area. This can be changed to just electives if the student chooses to take 6 upper level in the Gen Ed.
If the student chooses this option we can then fill the 6 hours in the PD with additional transfer credit.
When talking with a student, you have the right to discuss the possibility of taking upper level hours in the General education. This can be useful to students because the 6 hours of Upper Level electives in the professional development can be filled with lower level transfer credits. This has to be the students choice as we cannot require upper level in the general education. If, after discussing it with you, the student chooses that they would prefer to take upper level in the gen ed you can notate this on the degree plan.

12. Strengthening the Degree
Course Choices
It is the responsibility of the advisors/evaluators to make sure there is strength to their degree.
Professional Development
When deciding what courses to place in the Professional Development choose courses that supports the major, i.e. for a BAS/AS: Computer Information Systems choose courses that pertain to computers.
If no courses directly relate to major field of study choose courses that may relate, i.e. for a BAS/AS Computer Information Systems choose business courses.
College courses that pertain to the major should always be used over technical courses or assessed credit courses even if the latter also relate to the major.
It is very important that every degree given at Wayland is strong in the intended field of study. As advisors it is your job to ensure this by choosing courses that support the major in the professional development. If no courses directly relate to the major choose the courses that most closely relate. Please note that a college course that relate to the major should always be chosen over assessed credit courses that also may relate to the major.

13. Minors and Second Majors – Impact on Credit and Plans
Electives are not required on degree plans that have a minor.
The following Majors/Specializations can be lowered to 30 hours when a minor is added.
Human Services
Applied Science
The Upper Level requirement in these major will be lowered to 15 but the student still must have 36 Upper level hours to graduate.
Students will sometimes choose a minor and you will need to know how to adjust the degree plan to account for this. Any degree that has a minor will lose the 9 hours of electives required. Also if the student’s major is Human Services or Applied Science the major can be lowered from 36 hours to 30. The upper level requirement in the major will also be lowered to 15 for these two degrees, but the total upper level hour requirement will remain at 36.

14. Second Majors
Electives are not required for degrees with second majors.
Both Majors must meet the Upper Level Requirement in the major.
Human Service and Applied Science Majors, when a second major is present, can be lowered to 30 hours from 36. .
The Upper Level requirement in the major will be lowered to 15 but the student still must have 36 Upper level hours to graduate.
If both majors are Applied Science this counts as one major with two specializations and the 15 hours of upper level count towards both specializations.
As with adding a minor, some students will choose to add a second major to their degree. The degree plan will need to be adjusted for this as well. The required 9 hours of electives can be removed from the degree plan since the hours will be made up in the second major. The Human Services and Applied Science majors can be lowered to a required 30 hours when a second major is added. The upper level hours required in these majors will be reduced to 15, but a total of 36 upper level hours will still be required on the degree plan. When a student is receiving two majors the upper level requirements in the major must be met for both majors. If the student chooses two Applied Science majors the 15 hours of upper level counts towards both majors.

15. Common Mistakes Do not use the title alone to evaluate a course.
Just because the title matches a Wayland Course does not mean it will transfer in for that course.
Be sure to print course descriptions into image now.
We need to keep the courses evaluated site up to date and without those course descriptions nothing can be done.
Look for strength in the courses chosen to fulfill requirements.
Just because a course has a prefix that matches the major does not mean it should go in the major. If a BAS/AS: Math Studies has Intermediate Algebra and Calculus use the calculus course in the major.
Here is a list of common mistakes made by both the advisor and evaluator.

16. Common Mistakes Continued
The PD is not for “electives” alone. When available the courses chosen should provide strength to the major.
While we want to help the students graduate with the highest GPA possible evaluating the strength of the course comes before the grade they receive.
If there is a related course that the student received a “C” in and an unrelated course they received an “A” in we need to take the “C” to assure the strength of the degree.

17. Summary Review
This module was created with the intent to help the advisor/evaluator to have a deeper understanding on the evaluation process of credits and how these credits can be applied to the degree plan. The advisor will be prepared to build degrees with strength by using hours that support the major and how to maximize those hours by dividing and dualing. They will understand how added a minor or 2nd major will affect the over all DP and advise the student accordingly.
As a result of this training module you should now have an idea on how to evaluate courses and how to appropriately place these courses on the degree plan.