Major/Minor Requirements
Belmont offers more than 70 undergraduate majors through its seven colleges and schools -- Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, Entertainment and Music Business, Health Sciences, Religion, University College, and Visual & Performing Arts. The major minor links on this page may be used to review Belmont's majors offered with specific degrees, minors, and programs eligible for teacher licensure.
Each department sets forth its individual requirements for a major and a minor. Additional work in the major will count as free electives and may be used toward graduation requirements. A student should choose a major field of study as early as possible. All students must “declare” a major and minor prior to the senior year. A student changing his/her major or minor must notify Belmont Central immediately. A student may seek licensure to teach in the State of Tennessee by completing state licensure requirements through the Department of Education. Forms are available in the Belmont Central Office. For more information on major/minor forms, see graduation section of this catalog.
This university is committed to meeting the educational needs of working adults. To this end, Belmont systematically offers the general education core on a rotating basis so that each course is offered in the evening at least once each fourth semester.
It should be pointed out, however, that Belmont will be unable to guarantee that any student can fulfill all degree requirements for traditional majors by attending only evening classes.
For a more complete explanation of programs specifically designed to meet the needs of working adults, see the University College section of this bulletin.
The Medical Technology Degree program requires successful completion of three years (minimum of 94 hours) academic work followed by a minimum of 12 months (34 semester hours or more equivalent) in a medical technology school approved by a national accrediting agency and by Belmont University. The academic program must fulfill all general education courses required for a B.S. degree. The senior year is spent at an accredited hospital. A detailed description of the senior year curriculum can be obtained from an affiliated institution. The medical technology credits are transferred to Belmont University and applied to the student’s transcript of credit in preparation for the student’s graduation. The State of Tennessee requires licensure of employed personnel. In compliance with regulations governing the Tennessee Laboratory Act, graduates are eligible to take the examination for Medical Laboratory Technologist, Generalist.
Belmont University offers pre-professional courses of study in dentistry, engineering, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and theology.
Since professional schools vary considerably in their admission requirements, the student is advised to first select the professional school he wishes to attend, then select pre-professional courses accordingly; however, to follow the core curriculum is a safe procedure. The Belmont University faculty advises the student at the time of registration in the selection of courses which will meet the requirements of the professional school of the student’s choice.
Pre-Engineering
Belmont University offers a pre-engineering program for those students interested in pursuing engineering studies. Dual degree programs exist with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and Auburn University. See the section entitled Dual Degree Programs in this catalog for more details of these programs.
Pre-Law
Law schools in the United States admit students with baccalaureate degrees who demonstrate that they have the potential to be successful first-year law students. The Association of American Law Schools recommends that undergraduate students choose a rigorous curriculum of courses that foster skills in critical thinking, logic, and communication. The Association of American Law Schools does not recommend a specific pre-law curriculum, but it advises students to enroll in a diverse college program.
For more information about preparing for law school, contact the Dr. Shelby Longard in the Sociology Department.
Pre-Health
Graduate schools in medicine and health-related fields have a wide variety of curricular pre-requisites. Students who wish to take pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-veterinary, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, or pre-cytotechnology curricula should contact the Pre-Health Advisor for details concerning courses, admissions procedures, entrance examinations and volunteer experiences.
Pre-Physical Therapy
To be considered for full admission to Belmont University’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy program, an individual must possess a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college. A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and a minimum pre-requisite GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is required to be considered for acceptance along with competitive scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Pre-requisite course work includes 6-8 hours of Chemistry, 6-8 hours of Physics, 6-8 hours of Biology, 6-8 hours of Human Anatomy and Physiology, with two semesters of lab in each; 3 hours of statistics; and 9 hours of Behavioral Science courses.
For more information about preparing for physical therapy, contact the School of Physical Therapy.