College of Arts & Sciences
All students entering Bethel with previously earned credits whether through transfer, examination, PSEO, or a College-in-the-Schools program must complete the following requirements to earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.), or Bachelor of Music Education (B.Mus.Ed).
Students are responsible for ensuring that official transcripts, Advanced Placement, and CLEP results are sent to Bethel from other colleges and universities they have attended. Only courses with a grade of C or better are accepted for transfer.
Students are assigned a General Education entry level based on the number of semester credit hours at the college level they have earned before entering Bethel. General Education entry levels assigned at the time of entry to Bethel may not be modified thereafter by courses taken at other institutions, unless at least two years have elapsed during which no courses have been taken at Bethel. Students must complete all requirements listed for their General Education entry level. Courses meeting these requirements can be taken at Bethel, or comparable courses may be taken at another institution and transferred to Bethel unless otherwise noted.
The following equivalencies are used for General Education entry levels:
Level 1 = 1-13 semester credit hours completed
Level 2 = 14-25 semester credit hours completed
Level 3 = 26-43 semester credit hours completed
Level 4 = 44-57 semester credit hours completed
Level 5 = 58-89 semester credit hours completed
Level 6 = 90+ semester credit hours completed
Students should consult the General Education entry level requirements listed in the table below to determine the requirement for their level.
| General Education Transfer Level → | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Personal Development Pillar Requirements | ||||||
| Introduction to the Liberal Arts (GES106) | Yes | Noa | No | No | No | No |
| College Writing (GES110) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nature of Persons (N ) | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Introduction to the Creative Arts (GES125) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Physical Well-being (Y) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Leisure and Lifetime Sport (Q ) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Artistic Experience (A) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Biblical Foundations Pillar Requirements | ||||||
| Introduction to the Bible (BIB101) | Yes | Yes | 2 out of 3 (At least one at Bethel) | 2 out of 3 (At least one at Bethel) | 1 out of 3 (At least one at Bethel) | 1 out of 3 (At least one at Bethel) |
| Christian Theology (THE201) | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Interpreting Biblical Themes (J) | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Math, Science, and Technology Pillar Requirements | ||||||
| Mathematics (M) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Laboratory Science (D) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Science, Technology, and Society (K) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Global Perspectives Pillar Requirements | ||||||
| Christianity and Western Culture (GES130) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contemporary Western Life and Thought (L) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Choose L or G | No | No |
| Comparative Systems (G) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Choose 1: G,S,U,or Z | |
| Second Language (S) (Course or proficiency equivalent to second semester first-year college-level language course.) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| World Cultures (U) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
| Cross-Pillar Integrations Requirements | ||||||
| Cross-cultural Experience (Z) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Contemporary Christian Issues (P) “Capstone course”(Must be taken at Bethel) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other Requirements | ||||||
| Number of interims that must be completed at Bethel | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
a Students with fewer than 25 credits are encouraged to enroll in GES106 Introduction to the Liberal Arts. Students may also choose GES108 Introduction to Life at Bethel as an elective.
Students with a General Education entry level of 5 or 6 may choose to complete the General Education requirements from the 2005-2006 catalog rather than the General Education requirements in this catalog.