Regents Bachelor of Arts < West Virginia University

Department website: https://mds.wvu.edu/

Degree Offered

Regents Bachelor of Arts (R.B.A.)

Nature of the Program

West Virginia University offers the Regents Bachelor of Arts (R.B.A.) degree through the Multidisciplinary Studies program in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. R.B.A. is an innovative online degree designed to meet the unique needs of many working adults and non-traditional students. Specifically, the R.B.A. curriculum includes a set of general education requirements as well as an individualized curriculum that can fit the needs of each student. The flexibility of the R.B.A. curriculum allows it to be tailored to each student's goals and aspirations, whether they are preparing for a graduate degree, transitioning into a new career, a promotion in an established career, or fulfilling a life-long goal of completing an undergraduate degree.

R.B.A. students are eligible to pursue any Minors offered at West Virginia University. Moreover, the Regents Bachelor of Arts (R.B.A.) offers unique opportunities not available through other traditional degree programs. This includes F-Forgiveness of failing grades received four years or more prior to admission/readmission to the program. Additionally, eligible students may receive college credit for prior professional and military experiences via our credit for prior learning options. Pursuing the R.B.A. program and utilizing the unique opportunities available through the program provides students with a flexible and cost-effective path to an undergraduate degree.

Program Contact Information

Regents Bachelor of Arts

Phone: (304) 293-4722

E-mail: rba@mail.wvu.edu

Department Website: https://mds.wvu.edu/

Faculty

Director

Scott Davidson - Ph.D. (Duquesne University)

Associate Professors

Renee K. Nicholson - M.F.A. (West Virginia University)
Louis Slimak - Ph.D. (Purdue University)
Carol Zwickel - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)

Assistant Professors

Thaddeus Herman - Ph.D. (University of Illinois)
Jayme Scally - Ph.D. (University of York)
Nevena Stojanovic - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)

Instructors

Andrea Soccorsi - M.A. (West Virginia University)

Admissions for 2025-2026

The Regents BA program is designed for adult learners/non-traditional students. All students must have graduated from high school at least three years prior to admission to the program.

First-Time Freshmen are admitted directly into the Regents BA program.
Students admitted from another major within the West Virginia University system are admitted directly into the Regents BA program. Students must have a GPA of 2.0 after F-Forgiveness has been applied. Students who think they may qualify for F-Forgiveness, should meet with an adviser.
Transfer students from another institution are admitted directly into the Regents BA program. Students must have a GPA of 2.0 after F-Forgiveness has been applied. Students who think they may qualify for F-Forgiveness, should meet with an adviser.
Students who are concurrently earning another major or another degree are not admissible to the Regents B.A.
Students who have completed a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution are not eligible for admission into the Regents BA program. Students may not earn a Regents B.A. as a second degree.

Note:

USDE Credits: Eligible students should inquire about the possibility of applying credit hours from institutions which are recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) but are not regionally accredited.
Credit for prior learning: Eligible students may acquire college credit for professional, volunteer, and military experiences in select areas via the many credit for prior learning options available through the RBA major. Please discuss with an RBA adviser.

Major Code: 14C8

Degree Requirements

General Education:
- Communication Skills (6 hours) Outcome: Courses in this area must provide the student with skills and knowledge to be able to communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
- Humanities (6 hours) Outcome: Courses in this area must demonstrate knowledge in the interdisciplinary study and philosophy of diverse cultures.
- Social Science (6 hours) Outcome: Courses will demonstrate understanding of the development, diversity, and complexity of human behavior and institutions.
- Natural or Physical Science (3 hours) Outcome: Courses in this area must provide an understanding of the physical world through the scientific method (understanding of the basic facts, principles, theories and methods of science)
- Mathematics, Statistics, or Computer Science (3 hours)
Upper Division: A maximum 12 teaching practicum hours will be accepted toward graduation requirements if teaching practicum hours have been completed at the upper-division level. Teaching practicum hours are not a requirement for graduation. (Minimum of 30 hours)
Residency: Students must complete a residency requirement of 24 hours of coursework taken at one or more institutions within West Virginia’s public higher education system. Six of the 24 hours must be taken at WVU.

Portfolios: Students may earn credit through academic portfolios for prior learning and experiences to reach 120 hours.
Grade Point Average: Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 to be eligible for graduation.
Grade Point Average in the Major: A minimum GPA of a 2.0 is required in all courses applied to major requirements. If a course is repeated, all attempts will be included in the calculation of the GPA, unless the course is eligible for a D/F repeat.

Curriculum Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
GENERAL EDUCATION:
Communication Skills		6
Select courses fulfilling GEF 1 or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by an advisor.
Humanities		6
Select courses fulfilling GEF 5 or 6, or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by an advisor.
Social Science		6
Select courses fulfilling GEF 4 or 7, or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by an advisor.
Natural or Physical Science		3
Select courses fulfilling GEF 2, or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by an advisor.
Mathematics, Statistics, or Computer Science		3
Select courses fulfilling GEF 3, or courses fulfilling this outcome and approved by an advisor.
UPPER-DIVISION COURSES		30
Select any courses at the 300 or 400 level
ELECTIVES		66
Select any courses at any level
Total Hours		120

Degree Progress

Regents BA students are expected to maintain satisfactory progress toward degree completion as determined in consultation with their advisor.
Regents BA students are expected to enroll in coursework which applies toward completing the degree requirements of the program.
Regents BA students are expected to complete all coursework with a D- or higher and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA each term. These expectations are in place to ensure students remain in, or are working toward, good academic standing and remain on track for graduation.

Policies

F-Forgiveness

The R.B.A. degree offers unique opportunities not available through traditional degree programs. F-forgiveness is available to students for failing grades that were obtained four years or more prior to admission/readmission to the program. This policy applies to grades earned at WVU and those that have been transferred from another institution.

F-Forgiveness benefits students only while they are enrolled in the R.B.A. program. Thus, if students benefit from F-Forgiveness but later elect to transfer to another major, then all Fs that were forgiven will be re-instituted.

Credit for Prior Learning

Students may obtain college credit for previous professional and military experiences via several credit for prior learning options in the R.B.A. degree. Eligible options include credit for 1) work/career and other academic experiences by developing and submitting a portfolio for credit evaluation, 2) professional certifications submitted for credit evaluation, 3) JST and transcripts from non-regionally accredited institutions. These opportunities provide many students with an accelerated path to an undergraduate degree.

The program recognizes the fact that many students have accumulated a wealth of work and life experiences that may be comparable to the content of some courses offered at WVU. Thus we encourage our students to take advantage of this unique opportunity if they have already achieved similar learning outcomes through their work experience. Yet, it is important for students to understand that they do not receive credits based simply on years of service in their respective fields, instead they receive credits based on their ability to articulate how their varied career experiences has helped them to acquire knowledge that is equivalent or similar to a specific course.

For instructions on how to submit documentation for prior learning credits, please speak with your R.B.A. academic adviser following your admission to the university.

Major Learning Outcomes