Exploring Degree Programs at Ferrum College
Ferrum College, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in their chosen fields. Rooted in a rich history of providing educational opportunities, Ferrum College fosters a close-knit community where students are supported in all aspects of their academic and personal growth.
Bachelor's Degrees Offered
Ferrum College confers several types of bachelor's degrees, each tailored to specific academic disciplines:
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): This degree typically focuses on humanities, social sciences, and fine arts.
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.): This degree emphasizes scientific and mathematical fields.
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.): This degree is designed for students pursuing careers in the visual and performing arts.
- Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.): This degree prepares students for professional practice in social work.
Degree Requirements
All degree candidates at Ferrum College must fulfill certain requirements to earn their bachelor's degree. These requirements ensure that students receive a well-rounded education and develop essential skills.
Credit Hour Requirements
To graduate from Ferrum College, students must successfully complete a minimum of 120 or 121 credit hours, depending on the catalog year. Of these, 30 hours must be at the 300-400 level, indicating upper-level coursework. This requirement ensures that students delve deeply into their chosen field of study.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Maintaining a satisfactory GPA is crucial for graduation. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 for all hours earned at Ferrum College. Additionally, students must also maintain a 2.0 grade point average within their academic major.
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Residency Requirement
To ensure that students are fully integrated into the Ferrum College academic community, at least 25% of the hours required for a major or a minor must be completed at the College.
General Education Requirements
The undergraduate program at Ferrum College is structured around two main components: General Education requirements and Major requirements. Students must satisfy both sets of requirements to be awarded a bachelor's degree. In some cases, students may also be required to complete a minor in addition to their major. The General Education requirements are designed to provide students with a breadth of knowledge, skill, and understanding that will prepare them to perform successfully as well-informed citizens and professionals in their community, nation, and world. General Education courses also provide an enriching context for the in-depth study required in every major.
Core Competencies
The General Education Curriculum rests on a foundation of three or four “Core Competencies”: Written Communication (WC), Quantitative Reasoning (QR), Global and Social Responsibility (GSR), and Oral Communication (OC). In their first year, students at Ferrum College take two WC courses (one of which is ENG 112), one QR course, and one GSR course. All students are required to take three (3) credits in each of these three or four competency areas.
Exploration Areas
Students select a total of twenty-one credit hours from these three or four areas, at least three credit hours from each area. Within these twenty-one credit hours, students must take at least one course from each of the following areas: humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, and natural sciences/mathematics. All Exploration Area courses carry specific emphases: reading, writing, quantitative, speaking, or experiential.
- Reading Emphasis: Courses with a Reading Emphasis are aimed at helping students acquire and practice critical reading skills that will help them succeed not only in college, but also after graduation. Reading Emphasis courses are taught in a variety of academic disciplines, and emphasize the development of reading skills appropriate to the field and subject matter of the course.
- Writing Emphasis: In Writing Emphasis courses, students practice and build on skills that were introduced during their Written Communication Core Competency Courses. Writing Emphasis courses are taught in a variety of academic disciplines, and emphasize the development of writing skills appropriate to the field and subject matter of the course.
- Quantitative Emphasis: In Quantitative Emphasis courses, students practice and build on skills that were introduced during their Quantitative Reasoning Core Competency Courses. Quantitative Emphasis courses are taught in a variety of academic disciplines, and emphasize the development of quantitative skills appropriate to the field and subject matter of the course.
- Speaking Emphasis: Courses with a Speaking Emphasis are aimed at helping students acquire and practice oral communication skills that will help them succeed not only in college, but also after graduation. Speaking Emphasis courses are taught in a variety of academic disciplines, and emphasize the development of reading skills appropriate to the field and subject matter of the course.
- Experiential Emphasis: Experiential Emphasis courses at Ferrum College encourage students and faculty to take a hands-on approach to learning, and to break the mold of the traditional classroom. These courses are taught in a variety of academic disciplines, and emphasize experiential learning appropriate to the field and subject matter of the course.
Professional Development
Additionally, all entering students with less than 24 credits are required to fulfill six (6) credits of Professional Development.
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Major Requirements
A major is a focused, disciplinary or interdisciplinary program of academic concentration. Every bachelor’s degree candidate must complete a major. There are two kinds of majors at Ferrum College: those which require a minor and those which do not. If a program of study requires a minor, a student may choose to satisfy that minor by completing a second major. Programs of more than 39 hours are normally interdisciplinary with significant content drawn from two or more disciplines. A major may require up to 57 or 60 hours of which no more than 39 hours can be required in a single discipline or subject designation. In addition to the particular courses required in the major, a school may specify up to 20 hours within the general college Liberal Arts requirement.
Minor Requirements
Minors are groups of related courses totalling between 18 and 30 credit hours with at least 9 or 12 hours at the 300-400 level.
Academic Advising and Planning
Ferrum College emphasizes the importance of academic advising and planning. Students must utilize online Eight-Semester plans and assistance of faculty advisors in the formulation of an acceptable course of study leading to a degree. Students should review their progress frequently by using the Panther Portal Academic Planning link and Program Evaluation link to be sure they are in compliance with all degree requirements. Both the student and the advisor will review the catalog, program evaluation and academic planning tool each semester and adjust the academic plan based on the course rotations and schedule of offerings.
Application to Participate in Commencement
Students reaching Senior status will be required to complete an Application to Participate in Commencement. The student and the advisor will update the student’s academic plan in the student planning tool. To participate in commencement, a student may not fall short of the required minimum of 120 or 121 credit hours by more than one course or an internship. Also students must have attained at least a 2.0 cumulative and major grade point averages. Students lacking a course or internship must complete the work prior to the beginning of the next fall term.
Declaring a Major or Minor
Students may declare a major or a minor in consultation with their academic advisor. The catalog for the year in which a student enters Ferrum College is the governing document for requirements for graduation. A student currently working on a first baccalaureate may acquire a second major or minor by completing the courses and hours required. If a student wishes to earn two different degrees simultaneously (i.e., seeking a B.A., B.S., B.F.A., and B.S.W.).
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Graduate Degree Programs
Ferrum College currently offers two graduate degree programs:
- Master of Science in Psychology
- Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership and Coaching
A Supportive Learning Environment
Ferrum College is a small college in a rural setting. The college's location provides a unique learning environment for students. Classes are held Monday through Friday between 8am and 4pm, with a protected window of time in late afternoon for athletic practices. Over 90% of the student body resides on campus, and over half the student body is comprised of NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletes. As a Ferrum College student, prepare to be connected across campus and supported in every aspect of your life here as a part of our family.
Admission Requirements
Freshman Admission
A freshman has fewer than 24 credits of earned college coursework. Freshman applicants are required to submit an up-to-date high school transcript (including senior-year curriculum and grades, if available). GED holders must submit their official GED scores. Applicants who have completed high school during the year prior to enrollment are required to take either the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Testing (ACT). This requirement may be waived in some instances. Essays are only required for special programs or scholarships; consult with your Admissions Counselor. Letters of recommendation are not required for undergraduate student applicants. Interviews are only required for special programs or scholarships; consult with your Admissions Counselor.
Transfer Admission
Transfer students must submit official transcripts from all colleges in order to be considered for the Ferrum Promise. Completion of an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Arts and Sciences degree from an accredited institution guarantees completion of our general education curriculum and consideration for the Ferrum Promise, where completion of an approved learning contract results in attainment of the Bachelor's degree within four semesters of admission. All non-developmental courses above 100 level which have been passed with a "C" or better grade will be accepted for credit as necessary for graduation.
Dual Enrollment, AP, IB, and CLEP Credits
Dual enrollment credits are evaluated based on the credentials of the institution certifying the credit. Ferrum College accepts AP, IB, and CLEP results for college credit if the score earned meets college expectations. Enter your test into the portal to see if your scores will earn credit.
VCCS Students
Contact Ferrum College admissions at any stage of your VCCS journey, and we will work with you! There is no application fee. Official transcripts are required for consideration. At least one recommendation is required for all applicants. Applicants will be asked to submit recommender information before submitting the Common Application. An interview is not required.
Additional Programs and Opportunities
Ferrum Promise
Completion of an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Associate of Arts and Sciences degree from an accredited institution guarantees completion of our general education curriculum and consideration for the Ferrum Promise, where completion of an approved learning contract results in attainment of the Bachelor's degree within four semesters of admission.
#YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship
In partnership with the Association of International Educators, Ferrum offers the #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship to promote international students seeking education in the United States.
Boone Honors Program
The Boone Honors is an interdisciplinary program committed to challenging students enrolled in the program. The honors program is for students enrolling with a combined math/verbal SAT score of 1200 or higher and a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5.
Chrysalis Literary and Arts Magazine
The Chrysalis Literary and Arts Magazine is a collection of works created by students and faculty.
Spiritual Life
Spiritual life at Ferrum offers students a chance to grow their spirituality.
The Iron Blade
The Iron Blade, established in 1955, is the campus newspaper.
Norton Outdoors
Norton Outdoors is the outdoor connection for students, faculty, and staff.
A Legacy of Growth and Transformation
Ferrum College has a rich history of growth and transformation. Charitable members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Virginia established the school-Ferrum Training School-in Ferrum, Virginia in 1913 to provide educational opportunities to underprivileged youth in the state's Blue Ridge Mountains region. The Virginia Conference Woman's Home Missionary Society (VCWHMS) under President Mrs. Lee Britt wished to serve and educate the rural population of southwestern Virginia. Already in 1909, President Britt informed Benjamin Beckham, presiding elder of the Danville district, that the VCWHMS had gathered $1,200 toward constructing a school somewhere in the district.
In 1911, the village of Ferrum was selected as the location of the train depot on the Norfolk and Western Railway between Roanoke and Winston-Salem. Construction began in earnest in 1914 and Beckham moved his family to the site, opening the first section of John Wesley Hall to begin the first term of instruction in the fall of 1914. The small school grew with the support of the railway, which constructed a cinder road from the Ferrum Depot to Ferrum Training School.
After steady growth in its first decade, despite numerous crises involving sickness, financial difficulties, and luring faculty to rural Virginia, in 1926 Ferrum's trustees voted to recast the institution as a junior college. In 1928, the village of Ferrum opened a public elementary school. Between 1926 and 1935, Ferrum Training School transitioned into secondary education with the occasional postsecondary course in religious training.
By 1940, half of the enrolled students were college level; the elementary division closed before the end of World War II. With the closing of the original training school's primary school, some thought that the mountain mission school had served its purpose. In a 1948 editorial for the Richmond Christian Advocate, its editor, George Reamey, recommended the school be closed.
However, this crisis inspired a wide outpouring of support from alumni and a decision to make stronger appeals and more competitive salaries to entice faculty and staff to the college's rural location. President Derby's successor was fittingly one of the many alumni who championed a future for Ferrum Training School, Nathaniel Davis of the class of 1924. Under his leadership, the school continued its transition into a junior college and instituted an annual hike for the students in the surrounding mountains.
With the arrival of the new President C. Ralph Arthur in 1954, a new era on campus began. President Arthur pressed the Methodist Church for stronger financial support, oversaw the removal of undercredentialed and ill-trained faculty, and the hiring of professional collegiate-level educators to be enticed by school-provided housing that President Arthur convinced the board of trustees to build.
The changes at the school led to unprecedented growth in the student population; from only 238 students in 1958 to 646 in 1962. By the 50th Anniversary celebrated in the 1963-1964 academic year, the school had 799 students and 50 full-time faculty. As early as 1963, the Methodist Church Annual Conference had recommended that its schools in Virginia consider enrollment of all students without regard to race.
Many of the junior colleges of the 1950s and 1960s began to transition either into the new community college model or otherwise to transform into four-year colleges; Ferrum Junior College was in an increasingly untenable position.
Campus and Facilities
The Ferrum campus is located on 700 acres (2.8 km2) near the town of Ferrum, Virginia.
Blue Ridge Institute & Museum
Since 1973, the institute has held the annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival on the fourth Saturday in October to showcase regional traditions.
Titmus Agricultural Center
The Titmus Agricultural Center has a modern barn where the students raise sheep, cattle, and horses. The farm also has a garden where students grow vegetables and herbs for the campus dining hall.
Stanley Library
Stanley Library, named after the 57th governor of Virginia, Thomas B. Stanley, is the three-storied library on campus.
Hank Norton Center
The Hank Norton Center contains a sports-medicine facility, locker rooms for teams, offices, and a kitchen.
Athletics
The Ferrum athletic teams are called the Panthers. The university is a member of the Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) since the 2018-19 academic year. Ferrum joined the NCAA Division III ranks in 1985 after being previously classified as a junior college. Under head coach W. H. "Hank" Norton, Ferrum won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national football championship four times (1965, 1968, 1974, 1977).
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