The College Catalog

Take courses related to your career path and explore your interests. General Education at LVC allows students to add a second major or minor, study abroad, or change their major. And transferring to LVC has never been easier!

LVC’s Honors Program is a living-learning experience for a select group of curious, passionate, action-oriented students. It combines specialized academic and out-of-class opportunities, including designated Honors courses in the General Education curriculum that focus on hands-on, immersive learning, and interdisciplinary exploration. 

ADMISSION CRITERIA 

The minimum academic standards for admission to the program are a high school GPA of 3.500 and rank in the upper 20% of the high school class. While these factors are important, the admission process is holistic, and other factors, including evidence of leadership, interdisciplinary interests, and community service, are strongly considered in admissions decisions. 

CURRICULUM 

Students in the Honors Program must complete 18 credits of honors coursework, from the following: 

1. FYE 111H and 112H courses designated for honors (7 credits).
2. 6-7 credits of courses designated for honors from any of the following options:
   1. Honors disciplinary competency courses (3-4 credits).
   2. Honors literacy courses (3-4 credits).
   3. IDS 280H Honors Independent Learning Lab linked to an approved non-honors course (4 total credits).
   4. IDS 281H Honors Book Lab (1 credit).
3. Two additional Immersive experiences, including IME 110H Living and Learning in Service, for a total of four Immersive experiences (1 credit).
4. Honors capstone options (3–4 credits):
   1. An approved major capstone or upper-level course (3-4 credits).
   2. An approved upper-level general education course (3-4 credits).
   3. IDS 485H Honors Capstone Independent Learning Lab (1 credit) linked to an approved non-honors course (4 total credits).
      1. Honors thesis may take many forms: academic research, business plan, creative work, or recital/dance projects, but must relate Honors project to UN Sustainable Development goals.
      2. Immersive: Students may link their Honors Thesis to an Immersive using the Honors Lab.
      3. Course: Students link Honors Lab to an upper-level class; if it is a class within their major, the Honors Lab will require them to add interdisciplinary elements

The Honors Independent Learning Labs (IDS 280H and IDS 485H) require an Honors contract. Honors contracts are signed at creation and completion by the student and 3-credit course instructor, and approved by Honors Director (contracts occur in 3-credit classes; a student may use no more than two contracts/honors labs toward Honors units): 

1. A description and timetable for the additional work being undertaken, presented as an individualized syllabus. 
2. An explanation for how that additional work represents a more challenging and/or more in-depth approach to the course material. 
3. An explanation for how this work will be evaluated by the instructor upon completion. 
4. Students co-enroll in IDS 280H Honors Independent Learning Lab or IDS 485H for capstone to complete work. 

PROGRAM STANDARDS 

To remain in the Honors Program, students must maintain a minimum GPA as noted below and demonstrate continued engagement in the program by completing appropriate requirements. The GPA threshold for sophomores is 3.100, for juniors is 3.200, and for graduation is 3.300. There is no GPA threshold for first-year students. 

If a student withdraws from, fails, or audits an Honors course, it does not count toward Honors requirements. 

Students who fall below the grade point average are placed on Honors Probation and have one semester to bring their GPA to the minimum threshold before being removed from the program. If a student has extenuating circumstances, the student has the right to appeal a Probation or extend their Probation period; any appeals should be directed to the Director of the Honors Program. 

Students may withdraw from the program at any point by contacting the Director of the Honors Program.

COMMON LAW 

The minor in Common Law offers 15–21 credits of LVC coursework to support students’ dual enrollment in a University of London distance-learning program leading to the Certificate of Higher Education in the Common Law (equivalent to the first year of a British law degree). The University of London materials are arranged in four modules (Legal System and Methods, Public Law, Criminal Law, and Contracts) and the student will need to complete required self-directed studies and pass a three-hour unseen essay exam in each module. Students will be able to transfer 24 credits to LVC (6 credits for each successfully examined London module) following their successful completion of the Certificate of Higher Education in the Common Law. Additional information on the law and society minor can be found in the undergraduate academic programs section of the College Catalog. 

ENGINEERING 

In the cooperative 3+2 Engineering Program, a student earns a B.S. degree from Lebanon Valley College and a B.S. degree in one of the fields of engineering from another institution. Students do three years of work at Lebanon Valley College and then usually do two additional years of work in engineering. To assist the student, Lebanon Valley College has a cooperative (contractual) agreement with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. There are two tracks for 3+2 Engineering. For most fields of engineering, the student completes the B.S. Physics Track. For Chemical Engineering, the student completes the B.S. Chemistry Track. Contact Dr. Dan Pitonyak, Director of Engineering, at pitonyak@lvc.edu for additional information.

MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE 

The goal of the Medical Laboratory Science Program is to prepare students for a career as a clinical laboratory scientist with certification from the American Society for Clinical Pathology and the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel. Medical Laboratory Science is a 3+1 cooperative program in which the student spends three years at LVC to fulfill the requirements of the College and the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS). During the third year, the student applies to a NAACLS-accredited school of medical laboratory science, where they will complete the fourth year of clinical training. After successful completion of the fourth year, the student is awarded the bachelor of science from Lebanon Valley College. Degree requirements are listed under the Medical Laboratory Science Program. 

The College is affiliated with the following clinical programs: Penn State Health, WellSpan York Hospital, and Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences. However, the student is not limited to these affiliated programs and may seek acceptance at other accredited clinical schools.

PRE-LAW PROGRAM 

Students should consult with the pre-law advisor well before commencing the law school application process. The pre-law advisor, Dr. Philip Benesch, will help students decide when to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and which law schools may suit their interests and qualifications. The LSAT is required for acceptance at American Bar Association-approved law schools. Also, it is strongly recommended that before taking the LSAT, students complete LAW 280 Logic, a course required for the Law and Society minor. 

In addition to an applicant’s LSAT score, law schools will consider their GPA, transcript, letters of recommendation, and personal statement. No single major is identified as ideal preparation for law school; a broad liberal-arts curriculum is preferred, with courses known for extensive reading, writing, and thinking challenges being particularly valued. 

A law and society minor can be taken alongside any major at LVC. Additional information on the law and society minor can be found in the undergraduate academic programs section of the College Catalog. 

Students interested in law school should contact Dr. Philip Benesch, pre-law advisor, as early as possible in their studies at Lebanon Valley. He can be reached at 717-867-6326 or prelaw@lvc.edu, as well as in his office in Administration/ Humanities 202A. 

PRE-MEDICAL, PRE-DENTISTRY, PRE-VETERINARY 

Lebanon Valley College offers pre-professional preparation in the medical (medicine, osteopathy, optometry, podiatry, pharmacy, chiropractic, dentistry, and physician assistant) and veterinary fields. Students interested in one of these careers are encouraged to declare a pre-medicine concentration (see program information, below) and follow a science curriculum with a major in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, or Neuroscience.

In addition to the basic natural sciences suited to advanced professional study, the student may participate in an internship program between the College and local physicians or veterinarians. Students receive credit for the work and gain valuable experience in the field. 

The faculty-led Pre-Medical Professions Committee coordinates the various plans of study in addition to offering advice and assistance to those persons interested in health professions careers. They meet all incoming pre-medical professions students in their first year to get to know them and become informed about their intended vocational goals so they can provide guidance all four years. 

Lebanon Valley College undergraduates have the option to self-design a major around specific interests and goals, provided the field of concentration is not substantially addressed by any singular academic program. Self-Designed majors are in keeping with the tradition of liberal learning by allowing students to develop an interdisciplinary course of study between at least two academic programs. 

Students who intend to complete a Self-Designed major must first select a primary advisor and secondary advisor. The primary advisor should be a faculty member from the department/discipline that will be most frequently represented by coursework in the major. The secondary advisor is a faculty member from the second discipline constituting the major. Students who do not know specific faculty members that might serve as either primary or secondary advisors should contact the respective department chairs for referrals. 

In consultation with the primary advisor, a student pursuing a Self-Designed major should prepare an application that includes the following: a description of and rationale for the major, the major’s goals and measurable learning objectives, required and/or elective courses aligned with the major’s learning objectives, core competencies developed in the major, and a proposed four-year schedule of classes. The Self-Designed major should consist of at least 27 credits higher than the 100-level, with at least 12 credits at the 300-level or higher, including the capstone experience. A culminating experience should be included as part of the major. 

Students in Self-Designed majors must complete a capstone experience that synthesizes the two disciplines included in the major and requires students to demonstrate achievement of the major’s goals and objectives. 

The application for the Self-Designed major must be approved by the primary and secondary advisor before submitting it to the faculty Committee on Curriculum and Assessment. The committee will review the proposed major and either approve, approve pending modification, or reject the proposed program. 

Final approval is determined by the Associate Provost of Arts and Sciences. Any changes made to the courses required for the major must be approved by the Committee on Curriculum and Assessment and supported by a justification from the student and primary advisor. 

Students planning on a Self-Designed major generally submit their proposals within their first four semesters at the College. The number of credits in the major that were completed before submitting a proposal may influence the committee’s decision concerning approval of the major. Except in unusual cases and with sufficient justification, proposals submitted after 60 percent of the coursework for the Self-Designed major has been completed will not be considered. 

Because of the multiple steps in the review process, which can each require extensive revisions to the application, students should allow at least four to eight weeks (assuming revisions are made promptly) for a successful application to be approved. Please note that the CCA only meets in the fall and spring when classes are in session and is therefore not able to consider applications at other times.

It is important to note that the Self-Designed major offers a creative alternative for students with definite, integrated educational goals. It is not a way for students to avoid specific requirements. Consistent with the grading policies for all undergraduate majors, students may not elect for the Pass/Fail option in courses that fulfill General Education requirements or the requirements of the Self-Designed major. 

Degree: Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree (depending on concentration) with a Self-Designed major. 

Requirements: Courses specified for the approved Self-Designed major, and courses necessary for general requirements. As with all majors, students must complete 120 credits and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.000 and a major grade point average of at least 2.000. 

An internship is a practical and professional work experience that allows students to participate in the operations of business, industry, education, government, or not-for-profit organizations. Internships provide students with opportunities to integrate their classroom learning with on-the-job experiences and to test practical applications of their liberal arts education in a variety of settings. 

To be eligible for an internship sponsored by an academic department or program, a student generally has junior or senior standing. Students must request and receive permission from departmental chairs or program directors to enroll in internships. The student must also enlist a faculty internship supervisor from the department sponsoring the internship and an on-site internship supervisor from the internship location. Application forms for internships are available in the Registrar’s Office. The application form shall be completed by the student and approved by the student’s academic advisor, faculty internship supervisor, on-site internship supervisor, and the department chair before registration. 

For each semester hour of credit, the intern should invest at least 45 hours at the internship location. Academic departments and programs establish other specific criteria and procedures for internships. In addition to the practical on-site experience, internships have an academic component that may include readings, reports, journals, seminars, and/or faculty conferences. A student may enroll for 1–12 credit hours of internship during any one semester. A student may use a maximum of 12 credit hours of internship to meet graduation requirements. All internships have a course number of 400. 

Each department provides opportunities for students to undertake individualized coursework. Tutorial studies follow an existing course, while four other options provide opportunities for students to pursue an individualized course of study at different levels: directed study, independent study, advanced research, and advanced creative study. Independent, directed, advanced research, or advanced creative study courses cannot be used to cover existing courses or projects more properly described as internships. 

Each option requires students to invest at least 45 hours for each semester hour of credit and involves a contract between the student and faculty advisor regarding assignments and expectations for successful completion of the course. Written application forms are available in the Registrar’s Office and require the approval of the student’s faculty advisor, contract instructor, and department chair. 

A combined maximum of 9 credits in directed study, independent study, advanced research, or advanced creative study may be used toward graduation requirements. A maximum of 3 credits of directed study may be used toward graduation requirements. Students may enroll in a combined maximum of 6 credits in independent study, advanced research, or advanced creative study in any one semester. 

TUTORIAL STUDY 

Tutorial study provides students with a special opportunity to take an existing formal course in the curricula that is not scheduled that semester or summer session, and that cannot be taken in another term without delaying a student’s graduation date. Students desiring a tutorial study must have an appropriate member of the faculty agree to supervise the study on a one-on-one basis. 

The typical tutorial study involves readings, research, report writing, faculty conferences, and examinations. All tutorial study courses have the same course number as the existing formal catalog course. 

DIRECTED STUDY 

Directed studies allow students to explore a specialized topic not covered by existing courses in the curriculum. No prior background in the topic is required, and students work under the direction of a faculty member. While no formal final product is required, students must demonstrate their knowledge and comprehension of the topic through appropriate assessments. 

Directed studies may or may not count toward major or minor requirements, as determined by the department chair. All directed studies have a course number of 289. 

INDEPENDENT STUDY 

Independent study provides an opportunity to undertake a program of supervised reading, research, or creative work not incorporated in existing formal courses. The independent study should build on students’ prior knowledge, improve competence in a major or related area of interest, and demonstrate application and analysis of learned material through completion of a formal document or creative work. A minimum GPA of 2.000 is required. All independent studies have a course number of 500.

ADVANCED RESEARCH OR ADVANCED CREATIVE STUDY 

There are two options for advanced study: advanced research and advanced creative study. These advanced study options expand on the expectations of an independent study by requiring students to critically evaluate materials in their area of study and utilize that information as a foundation for synthesis. The goal of these studies is to produce an original work that must be submitted to the supervising academic department and presented to the LVC community. It is strongly encouraged that the work is shared beyond the College for presentation or publication. 

Junior or senior standing and a minimum GPA of 2.000 is required; academic departments may set a higher GPA threshold and additional prerequisites. All advanced research courses are numbered 550, and advanced creative study courses are numbered 555.