The bachelor of arts in humanities (BAH) combines a broadly humanistic education with a specific focus on alleviating the harm and grief that come from socio-economic hardship and related ills in society. The BAH enables students to develop fully those specifically human skills necessary for success in most careers or professions. Most students combine their work toward a BAH with other course work in the life sciences, social sciences, nursing, engineering, business, et al, to complete two undergraduate degrees in four years. Other students move directly from the BAH to attractive opportunities in graduate schools of law, medicine, public administration, etc. Still others take advantage of the year saved through the BAH to travel and/or study extensively abroad.
Structure and Special Admissions Requirements
The bachelor of arts in humanities (BAH) is the three-year university phase of an innovative program that coordinates and integrates high school and university level studies, enabling students to complete their high school and university education in six or seven years, rather than the traditional eight.
The Matteo Ricci College program was developed jointly by Seattle Preparatory School and Seattle University. The collaboration led, in 1975, to Seattle Prep’s initial offering of the three-year high school phase and, in 1977, to Seattle University’s initial offering of the three-year university phase. Access to Matteo Ricci College at Seattle University was restricted from the inception of the program through the 1988-89 academic year to students who had completed the three-year curriculum at Seattle Prep.
In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, initial collaboration between Seattle University and five of the other seven local Catholic high schools led to academic partnerships, termed the Matteo Ricci College Consortium, that opened access to the bachelor of arts in humanities program to graduates of those schools. The focus of these partnerships is a bridge curriculum that is designed jointly by high school and university faculty and taught by the high school faculty on the high school campus. That curriculum can generate five or ten Seattle University credits, which may be applied toward a bachelor of arts in humanities degree or other Seattle University program requirements, or be transferred to other universities.
Beginning with the fall term of the 1989-1990 academic year, admission to Matteo Ricci College to study toward a bachelor of arts in humanities became available to the following students:
- Seattle Prep students who have successfully completed the appropriate three-year curriculum there and are recommended for advancement to Matteo Ricci College.
- Graduates of Seattle Prep who follow the three-year curriculum there with successful completion of a fourth year of study on the Prep campus.
- Graduates of Eastside Catholic High School, Forest Ridge School, Archbishop Murphy High School, John F. Kennedy Catholic High School, and O’Dea High School who: 1. meet the university’s entrance requirements; 2. earn a grade of C (2.00) or higher in the jointly developed “bridge curriculum” offered at the high school campuses that generates Seattle University credits; and 3. receive recommendations from teachers involved in the bridge curriculum and from the high school administration.
As of summer 2015, students who successfully complete one or more of Seattle University/Matteo Ricci College’s online course offerings offered through the Jesuit Virtual Learning Academy also are eligible to apply to the BAH through the usual admission process.
General Program Requirements (Policy 90-1)
All students are expected to make normal progress toward completing the required courses in sequence. They must maintain a cumulative academic grade point average of 2.00* or higher. Students failing to meet these expectations will be placed on probation for up to two consecutive quarters, and thereafter are subject to dismissal from the College.
Peer advisors, overseen by the director of advising and/or the dean’s designee, serve as the principal advisors to all BAH students on academically related matters. No student in the College may register for any Seattle University course without first consulting, and receiving written permission from a peer advisor or a dean’s designee. Students are required to seek additional advising from faculty with disciplinary expertise in the area of specialized studies selected (see Area of Concentration below). Students who are contemplating studying for two degrees in four years are required to declare the second degree and be assigned an additional advisor from within that school as soon as possible.