Designations and Degrees

For the 2026-2027 academic catalog listing, click here.

To earn the Christ College Scholar designation, students must fulfill these requirements:

1. Membership in Christ College for a minimum of three semesters.
2. A cumulative grade point average of 3.300 in all coursework completed at the University and in all coursework completed in Christ College for the Scholar designation.
3. A minimum of 16 credit hours beyond the Christ College First-Year Program courses (CC 110 and CC 115). Students may not choose the S/U grading option for coursework beyond CC 110 in any course used to fulfill the requirements for Scholar designation.

CC 300 and 325 seminars may be used to fulfill general education requirements in Cultural Diversity, Upper Level Theology, Humanities, or Social Science.

A student who enters Christ College after the first year and who has not taken CC 110 and CC 115 is required to take one additional three-credit seminar (CC 300 or CC 325). 

External transfer: A transfer student from outside of the University who has fulfilled the general education requirement of the two-semester VUE/CORE will complete the 16-credit minimum beyond the CC First-Year Program. (As noted above, for a transfer student who brings in at least 70 credits or has a plan to graduate in four semesters or less, Christ College will review their academic record to determine an individualized path in honors.)

Internal transfer: A student who enters Christ College after the first year and who has not taken CC 110 and CC 115 is required to take one additional three-credit seminar (CC 300 or CC 325).

For the 2026-2027 academic catalog listing, click here.

A complementary minor in humanities requires six additional credits beyond the Christ College Scholar designation, for a total of 36 credits.

To declare a minor in humanities, please submit the “Curriculum Change” form to the registrar. Page 6 of the form asks whether you are adding or dropping a major or minor; page 7 allows you to keep your current major/minor, while adding or dropping your humanities minor.

Please note that no course may be used to fulfill the concurrent requirements of two majors, two minors, or a major and a minor.

The Ethics and Society certificate offers students across Valparaiso’s colleges an opportunity to engage deeply with enduring questions about character and vocation, and to develop the intellectual tools needed for to tackle complex social problems. Housed within Christ College, this certificate emphasizes critical reflection on character, justice, and responsibility, bridging the liberal arts with professional and civic life.

Students begin with CC 245 – Introduction to Ethics and Society (IDEAS), a foundational seminar that introduces core ethical frameworks and fosters dialogue across disciplines. Anchored in the humanities but designed for students from colleges of business, engineering, nursing and health professions, and arts and sciences, the certificate program explores how ethical reasoning intersects with real-world challenges in areas such as healthcare, technology, environmental sustainability, education, and the economy.

Through CC 245 and subsequent seminars students enrolled in the Ethics and Society certificate engage voices from diverse traditions and cultivate habits of moral inquiry, self-knowledge, and social responsibility, preparing students to lead with integrity in their chosen fields.

This 12-credit certificate complements any major and is especially valuable for students pursuing careers that demand ethical discernment, social responsibility, and a commitment to the common good.