Degree Titles
Associate Degree
This degree may be awarded to students who have completed a minimum of 60 semester hours of study or its equivalent. If the nomenclature of the degree is entitled Associate of Arts, then 25% of the degree should be in general studies.
Bachelor Degree
The Bachelor’s Degree may be earned by having a total of 120 semester hours. If at least 25% of the degree is not general studies, then a different nomenclature should be used for the bachelor degree being granted. (i.e. Bachelor of Theology or Bachelor of Biblical Studies or comparable)
Master Degree
The Master’s Degree may be granted upon the completion of a minimum of 30 semester hours of study above the Bachelor’s degree including a submitted thesis of six (6) semester hours.
The Master thesis must be typewritten on not less than 100 pages covering a topic researched in the student’s field of study.
Doctorate Degree
The Doctorate Degree requires a recorded document of high-quality scholarship. The document should require a minimum of 200 typewritten pages, double spaced or the equivalent thereunto. The Doctorate Degree should require a minimum of 60 semester hours above the Bachelor’s Degree or 40 semester hours above the Master’s Degree.
Honorary Degree
No institution may offer in any one year more than five honorary Doctorate Degrees in their home country and two additional in foreign countries. The Honorary Degree must so state on the face of the degree and at no time should the standard degree nomenclature be used on an honorary degree.
Diploma
In the event that a degree is not appropriate for the particular program of a school, they may give a diploma or certificate to show the completion of the study. What is required for this diploma should be accurately described in the catalog or advertisement of the school.
It is advisable to have the nomenclature to give a brief description of the degree involved. (i.e. Bachelor of Arts in Bible; Master of Arts in Christian Education; Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Education, etc.)
The use of Religious terms should help Bible Schools to distinguish themselves from secular programs. This has caused much legal discussion and confusion in recent years. While UAC realizes that church institutions were the first to use degrees, we need to cooperate with the real world as much as our Religious Convictions will let us.
Every effort must be made by our members to abide closely by the laws of the state or country wherein the member is located.
Examples of what Degrees can be offered:
Honorary Degree
Honorary degrees should be considered a powerful degree given to rare people for major achievements in the field of the degree.
Several things must be considered by the granting school. Is the person of sufficient age to have accomplished the feats considered in the granting of the degree? The school should give serious consideration to the number of honorary degrees given in a calendar year. UAC regulations demand that the degree so state that it is honorary and the face of the degree should use nomenclature common for honorary degrees.
Life Experience Credit
The following guidelines have been established in credible academic circles of the maximum on credit for life experience:
Bachelor Degree – 25% or 30 credit hours of study
Master Degree – 25% or 8 credit hours of study
Doctorate level of Study – Life experience credit is given to a qualified student.