By Spencer Pauley, Copy Editor
Ohio Wesleyan has been accredited to allow international students to get a Bachelor of Science after a U.S.-born student at OWU receives one.
Earlier this year, OWU granted students the opportunity to receive Bachelor of Science degrees in approved scientific areas. But the Department of Homeland Security noted that international students cannot receive a B.S. degree unless a U.S.-born student receives it first.
OWU is a part of the Higher Learning Commission, which is the group that accredits the school when they request it. In this case, OWU was accredited the right for international students to receive a B.S. degree back in March. The process just took time.
Darrell Albon, the director of the International and Off-Campus Programs Office, said it’s a tricky process for school sto get accredited for various requests.
“If we had a new major or add[ed] more courses, no problem,” Albon said. “But if we add a program like a Bachelor of Science program or a separate type of program, then we need to be accredited.”
The Bachelor of Science degree is currently being conferred to students in four scientific fields: geology, microbiology, physics and astrophysics. But Barbara Andereck, a professor in physics and astronomy, said she believes there will be more options in the future.
“I am almost certain there will be others available,” Andereck said. “It’s just a matter of the departments needing to formulate what a Bachelor of Science requirement looks like in comparison to a Bachelor of Arts.”
Current students who are seniors can opt for the Bachelor of Science degree as long as they complete the requirements listed in the 2017-18 course catalog.