Anchor Plan Requirements

Anchor Plan courses are a core component of your liberal arts education.

Starting in the fall 2023 semester, a revised set of general education requirements, called the Anchor Plan, went into effect. New and continuing students (must be enrolled in the fall 2023 semester) will need to complete a minimum of 120 credits to complete a Hope College degree. December 2023 will be the first degree date where this new rule applies.

In fall 2023, the college is also implemented a course credit shift; four-credit courses that used to meet three hours per week will now meet three hours per week and change to three credits. More information about the credit shift is in this FAQ document.

The Anchor Plan furthers the mission of Hope College by equipping students to engage in informed critical reflection concerning themselves and the world, and preparing them for further study and for a life of learning, service and productive activity.

The college has developed transition plans (B.A./B.S., B.Mu., BSN) so that no current student will be prohibited from completing their degree on time. The transition plans are also listed below, under Transition for Current Students.

ANCHOR PLAN REQUIREMENTS

In effect for students who started at Hope in fall 2023 or after.

To graduate from Hope, you must do the following:

Complete Anchor Plan requirements for your degree (see below)
Complete requirements for at least one major
Earn 120 credits (150 credits for public accounting majors)
Receive at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA (may vary by major)

Some Anchor Plan requirements are fulfilled by completing one specific course. Some requirements are fulfilled by 2–3 courses with certain attributes, and you may choose which of those courses to take based on your major and interests. Attributes are codes that can be used to search the class schedule for courses that fulfill that requirement. Attributes are also listed in the course descriptions in the Hope College Catalog.

The U.S. Diversities, Global Perspectives, and Senior Seminar requirements must be completed at Hope or on a Hope-approved program.

BACHELOR OF ARTS OR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

If you are an elementary education major, some of the general education requirements are fulfilled through your major requirements. Check the Hope College Catalog for more information.

REQUIREMENT	RULE	ATTRIBUTE(S)
First Year Seminar	One IDS 100 course	FYS
Expository Writing	One ENGL 113 course	EW
Health Dynamics	2 credits in KIN 140	HD
Arts	2–3 credits of Arts in Practice	ART
Humanities	One Human Creative Perspectives course; one Philosophical Perspectives course; and one Historical Perspectives course. The first course taken in the series must be at the 100-level, and the next two courses must be at the 200-level.	HCP, PHL, HST
Mathematics and Natural Science	10 credits total: One Math course; and, one Natural Science with Lab course (GEMS recommended for non-science majors); and, the remaining credits may be any math or science course.	MA, NSL, MNS
Religion	One Religion 100-Level course and one Religion 200-Level course. One of the courses must be Christian Tenets	RL1, RL2, TEN
Social Science	Two Social Science courses in different subjects/disciplines	SS
Senior Seminar	One Senior Seminar course	SRS
Human Diversities	One Global Language course at the second-semester level or higher; One United States Diversities course; and one Global Perspectives course	GL2, USD, GLP

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

REQUIREMENT	RULE	ATTRIBUTE(S)
First Year Seminar	One IDS 100 course	FYS
Expository Writing	One ENGL 113 course	EW
Health Dynamics	2 credits in KIN 140	HD
Arts	2–3 credits of Arts in Practice	ART
Humanities	One Human Creative Perspectives course; one Philosophical Perspectives course; and one Historical Perspectives course. The first course taken in the series must be at the 100-level, and the next two courses must be at the 200-level.	HCP, PHL, HST
Mathematics and Natural Science	Fulfilled with courses required for the nursing major	MA, NSL, MNS
Religion	One Religion 200-Level course that is also Christian Tenets	RL2, TEN
Social Science	Fulfilled with courses required for the nursing major	SS
Senior Seminar	One Senior Seminar course	SRS
Human Diversities	One Global Language course at the second-semester level or higher; One United States Diversities course; and one Global Perspectives course	GL2, USD, GLP

BACHELOR OF MUSIC

REQUIREMENT	RULE	ATTRIBUTE(S)
First Year Seminar	One IDS 100 course	FYS
Expository Writing	One ENGL 113 course	EW
Health Dynamics	2 credits in KIN 140	HD
Arts	Fulfilled with courses required for BMU music majors	ART
Humanities	One Human Creative Perspectives course and one Historical Perspectives course. The first course taken in the series must be at the 100-level, and the second course must be at the 200-level.	HCP, HST
Mathematics and Natural Science	6-7 credits total: One Math course and one Natural Science with Lab course (GEMS recommended)	MA, NSL
Religion	One Religion 100-Level course and one Religion 200-Level course. One of the courses must be Christian Tenets	RL1, RL2, TEN
Social Science	One Social Science course	SS
Senior Seminar	One Senior Seminar course	SRS
Human Diversities	One Global Language course at the second-semester level or higher; One United States Diversities course; and one Global Perspectives course	GL2, USD, GLP

TRANSITION FOR CURRENT STUDENTS

In effect for continuing students who began at Hope prior to fall 2023. Requirements can be met with attributes from the Anchor Plan and/or the former general education program.

BACHELOR OF ARTS OR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

If you are an elementary education major, some of the general education requirements are fulfilled through your major requirements. Check the Hope College Catalog for more information.

REQUIREMENT	RULE	FORMER ATTRIBUTE(S)	ANCHOR PLAN ATTRIBUTE(S)
First Year Seminar	One Ids 100 course	FYS	FYS
Expository Writing	One Engl 113 course	EW	EW
Health Dynamics	2 credits of Kin 140	HD	HD
Human Creative Perspectives (fulfills Arts I)	One Human Creative Perspectives course or one Arts I course	FA1	HCP
Arts in Practice (fulfills Arts II)	2–3 credits of Arts in Practice or Arts II	FA2	ART
Humanities (fulfills Cultural Heritage)	Two courses from different subjects/disciplines with any of the following flags: Cultural Heritage I, Cultural Heritage II, Historical Perspectives, Philosophical Perspectives. Example: If you took any CH1 or CH2 course, you can complete the requirement by taking any HST or PHL in a different subject/discipline.	CH1, CH2	HST, PHL
Mathematics and Natural Science	10 credits total: One Math course; and, one Natural Science with Lab course (Gems recommended for non-science majors); and, the remaining credits may be any math or science course.	MA1, MA2, NSL, NS2	MA, NSL, MNS
Religious Studies	One Religion 100-Level course and one Religion 200-Level course	RL1, RL2	RL1, RL2
Second Language	One Second/Global Language course at the second-semester level or higher	FL2	GL2
Social Sciences	Two Social Science courses in different subjects/disciplines	SS1, SS2	SS
Senior Seminar	One Senior Seminar course	SRS	SRS
United States Diversities (fulfills Global Learning Domestic)	One U.S. Diversities course or one Global Learning Domestic course	GLD	USD
Global Perspectives (fulfills Global Learning International)	One Global Perspectives course or one Global Learning International Course	GLI	GLP

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NURSING

REQUIREMENT	RULE	FORMER ATTRIBUTE(S)	ANCHOR PLAN ATTRIBUTE(S)
First Year Seminar	One Ids 100 course	FYS	FYS
Expository Writing	One Engl 113 course	EW	EW
Health Dynamics	2 credits of Kin 140	HD	HD
Human Creative Perspectives (fulfills Arts I)	One Human Creative Perspectives course or one Arts I course	HCP	FA1
Humanities (fulfills Cultural Heritage)	Two courses from different subjects/disciplines with any of the following flags: Cultural Heritage I, Cultural Heritage II, Historical Perspectives, Philosophical Perspectives. Example: If you took any CH1 or CH2 course, you can complete the requirement by taking any HST or PHL in a different subject/discipline.	CH1, CH2	HST, PHL
Mathematics and Natural Science	Fulfilled with courses required for the nursing major	MA1, MA2, NSL, NS2	MA, NSL, MNS
Religious Studies	One Religion 100-Level course	RL1	RL1
Second Language	One Second/Global Language course at the second-semester level or higher	FL2	GL2
Social Sciences	Fulfilled with courses required for the nursing major	SS1, SS2	SS
Senior Seminar	One Senior Seminar course	SRS	SRS
United States Diversities (fulfills Global Learning Domestic)	One U.S. Diversities course or one Global Learning Domestic course	GLD	USD
Global Perspectives (fulfills Global Learning International)	One Global Perspectives course or one Global Learning International Course	GLI	GLP

BACHELOR OF MUSIC

REQUIREMENT	RULE	FORMER ATTRIBUTE(S)	ANCHOR PLAN ATTRIBUTE(S)
First Year Seminar	One Ids 100 course	FYS	FYS
Expository Writing	One Engl 113 course	EW	EW
Health Dynamics	2 credits of Kin 140	HD	HD
Human Creative Perspectives/Arts in Practice (fulfills Fine Arts I/II)	Fulfilled with courses required for BMU music majors	HCP, ART	FA1, FA2
Cultural Heritage	Music performance majors: One Cultural Heritage I, Cultural Heritage II, Historical Perspectives, or Philosophical Perspectives course; and, Mus 321 and Mus 323. Music education majors: Mus 321 and Mus 323.	CH1, CH2	HST, PHL
Mathematics and Natural Science	6–8 credits total: One Math course; and, one Natural Science with Lab course (Gems recommended)	MA1, MA2, NSL, NS2	MA, NSL, MNS
Religious Studies	One Religion 100-Level course and one Religion 200-Level course	RL1, RL2	RL1, RL2
Second Language	One Second/Global Language course at the second-semester level or higher	FL2	GL2
Social Sciences	Music performance majors: One Social Science course Music education majors: Fulfilled with courses required for the major	SS1	SS
Senior Seminar	One Senior Seminar course	SRS	SRS
United States Diversities (fulfills Global Learning Domestic)	One U.S. Diversities course or one Global Learning Domestic course	GLD	USD
Global Perspectives (fulfills Global Learning International)	One Global Perspectives course or one Global Learning International Course	GLI	GLP