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A baccalaureate degree program enables students to achieve the intellectual, ethical, and cultural maturity that will allow them to become responsible participants in our society. Each student’s path toward this goal is unique, reflecting both the student’s interests and talents and the range of opportunities for study. Students make choices among selected sets of courses while satisfying the requirements of a particular degree program, and they are encouraged to take other courses (free electives) to explore individual academic interests.
Students progress toward a baccalaureate degree by completing courses that satisfy a combination of University, college, and major/specialization requirements. Some courses may satisfy more than one requirement, so students should work closely with their advisors to determine which allowable combination will meet their own needs. Other courses may meet a student’s particular educational needs yet may not be used to meet degree requirements. These include all developmental courses (below the 1000 level), some courses retaken for credit (see Retaking a course ) and any courses identified specifically as non-applicable to a degree. Each student is ultimately responsible for knowing which requirements apply.
University Requirements
Students in all baccalaureate degree programs must:
- Earn a minimum of 122 semester hours of credit. At least 30 credit hours must be BGSU courses. There are no exceptions to either the “122 total hour” rule or to the “30 hours BGSU courses” rule. In addition, to ensure that the program of study is complete, coherent, and satisfies BGSU standards, specific courses that are integral to the degree, as identified in the check sheet for the major, must be taken at BGSU (e.g., capstone courses or similar culminating experience).
- Earn an accumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (“C” average) for all coursework attempted.
- Complete the BG Perspective requirements , including completion of the first-year English composition sequence, preferably in the first year. A penalty applies if the sequence is delayed past the second year; see Writing proficiency.
- Complete at least 40 hours of credit in courses numbered 3000 and above.
- Satisfy all requirements for a degree listed in one of the college sections of this catalog (see “College requirements” below).
- File an application for graduation. Forms, available in college offices, should be completed and submitted to the student’s college dean.
- For graduation in December, an application must be filed by the end of the second week of the fall semester.
- For graduation in May, the deadline for filing an application is the end of the second week of the spring semester.
- For graduation in August, the filing deadline is the end of the first week of the summer semester.
A student who does not fulfill all requirements toward a degree within four weeks after commencement must reapply for graduation at the next commencement.
College Requirements
The requirements for specific baccalaureate degrees are described in the appropriate college sections of this catalog. These may include any of the following:
- Additional study in particular knowledge domains expected of all students in the college but not included in the BG Perspective program (for example, courses in mathematics, communications, or language study).
- Completion of a major or specialization and, in some cases, a minor (see major/specialization requirements below).
- Proficiency in specialized skill areas (for example, aural skills and keyboard proficiency for the Bachelor of Music degree).
- Completion of an internship or cooperative education experience.
- Completion of coursework beyond the 122 credit minimum required by the University.
- Attainment of a specified minimum grade in one or more core courses (for example, candidates for the B.S. in Education must earn a “C” or better in COMM 1020 ).
In addition, colleges may specify requirements that degree candidates must meet in order to remain in degree programs. For example, colleges may require a proficiency test, audition, interview, portfolio review, completion of a specific course, or attainment of a specified grade point average before admission to upper-level courses.
Major/Specialization Requirements
Most (but not all) degrees include requirements for an academic major or specialization. The major provides the student with in-depth practical and theoretical knowledge in one particular area of study. Many majors or specializations offer students alternative paths of study, and students are encouraged to pursue personal interests by taking elective courses related to the major. Study in a major or specialization may focus on courses taught in a single department or program, but may also include related courses in other parts of the University. Some degree programs also require the student to complete a minor, a prescribed set of courses similar to a major but more limited in scope. Students may also voluntarily complete a minor offered by another academic unit.
Minor
A “minor” represents a student’s commitment to a body of knowledge separate from the student’s principal area of study (“principal area of study” refers to a major, specialization, or-in those cases where a named degree is the sole transcript designation-a named degree). In recognition of this distinction, a minor will include a minimum of 15 hours that cannot be applied toward the student’s principal area of study or another minor.
Any particular minor may or may not be available to a student, depending on the student’s principal area of study. In those cases where the courses in the principal area of study overlap broadly with the courses in the minor, such that there are not 15 hours in the minor different from the courses in the principal area of study, that minor cannot be taken in the context of that principal area of study (e.g., students may not major and minor in the same discipline). Substitutions to course requirements for a minor are the jurisdiction of the program offering the minor.
By contrast, a “specialization” is a requirement for a set of courses representing a sub-discipline within a major or named degree. “Degree,” “major,” “specialization,” and “minor” are all official transcript designations. Other designations, such as concentration, emphasis, option, cognate, or track, do not appear on students’ transcripts; they represent unofficial groupings of courses within a principal area of study.
Dual Degree Programs
A candidate for a baccalaureate degree who desires to take a second degree from a different college within the University may:
- Take work in the second college after graduating from the University or
- Qualify for the dual degree program by meeting the requirements listed below.
A student desiring a dual degree must:
- Secure permission of the deans of both colleges before the end of the junior year,
- Complete the requirements of both colleges for the degrees sought, and
- Complete at least 20 hours of credit beyond the hours required for a single degree.
A student must have written permission from the dean(s) of the college(s) awarding the degrees to enroll simultaneously as a candidate for a baccalaureate degree and for an associate degree.
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