Degree Types and Diploma Information
This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.
Degrees Awarded at NDSU
A degree is the title of the credential that the university confers on a graduate who has completed all university requirements for graduation. Most undergraduate degree recipients at NDSU earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, however, many programs of study result in a specialized degree. Students may also pursue a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree, if available for their selected major, by completing the Bachelor of Arts Requirements Using a Second Language and/or requirements as specified by their academic college on the program curriculum guide.
NDSU confers the following degrees at the undergraduate level:
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
- Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.)
- Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.)
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
- Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (B.S.A.B.En.)
- Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S.Arch.)
- Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (B.S.C.E.)
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering (B.S.Cpr.E.)
- Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering (B.S.Con.E.)
- Bachelor of Science in Construction Management (B.S.Cons.M.)
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering (B.S.Env.E.)
- Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (B.S.E.E.)
- Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management (B.S.I.E.Mgt.)
- Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering (B.S.Mfg.E.)
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)
- Bachelor of University Studies (B.U.S.)
In addition, NDSU awards graduate degrees at the following levels:
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.)
- Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Education Specialist (Ed.S.)
- Master of Accountancy (M.Acc.)
- Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Master of Athletic Training (M.A.Trg.)
- Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
- Master of Construction Management (M.Cons.M.)
- Master of Education (M.Ed.)
- Master of Engineering (M.Engr.)
- Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.)
- Master of Music (M.M.)
- Master of Natural Resources Management (M.N.R.M.)
- Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
- Master of Public Health in Epidemiology (M.P.H.Epi.)
- Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.)
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Master of Software Engineering (M.S.E.)
- Master of Supply Chain Management (M.S.C.M.)
- Master of Transportation & Urban Systems (M.T.U.S.)
Degree Posting
Students must declare their intent to graduate, identifying all programs of study, with the Office of Registration and Records or the Graduate College. Degrees are posted to academic records three times per academic year - at the close of each term. Conferral date is the last day of finals week/the last instructional day of the term. Degrees are posted to the academic record approximately three weeks following the close of the semester in which degree requirements were successfully completed.
Diplomas
Diplomas are mailed approximately five weeks following the close of the academic term in which graduation requirements have been completed. Neither diplomas nor official transcripts will be released for students who have outstanding debts owed to the university or who have select other holds. Students are responsible for submitting name and address updates for diploma processing. Should a diploma be returned for an insufficient address, the Office of Registration and Records makes every attempt to obtain an updated address. When an updated address is not available, it is held in the Office of Registration and Records for one year, after which time a student will need to request a diploma replacement.
A diploma replacement service is provided by the Office of Registration and Records for those who have lost or damaged their original diploma.
Accelerated/Combined Degree Programs
NDSU offers accelerated programs of study in a variety of academic disciplines. These programs provide an opportunity for highly-qualified students to earn both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in a cost-effective, high-quality and timely manner. Students may complete a combined undergraduate and graduate program (outline below) or apply to a master's program in a different department to create an undergraduate to graduate educational pathway that best suits their professional aspirations.The following disciplines are currently available as a combined accelerated program where requirements for each degree have been agreed upon by the faculty:
| Undergraduate Program | Graduate Program |
|---|---|
| B.S. in Agribusiness | M.S. in Agribusiness & Applied Economics |
| B.S. in Agricultural Economics | M.S. in Agribusiness & Applied Economics |
| B.S.A.B.En. in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering | M.S. in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering |
| B.S. or B.A. in Biological Sciences | M.S. in Biology |
| B.S.C.E. in Civil Engineering or B.S.Con.E. in Construction Engineering | M.S.CVE in Civil Engineering |
| Minor in Coatings & Polymeric Materials* | M.S. in Coatings & Polymeric Materials |
| B.S.Cpr.E. in Computer Engineering | M.S. or M.Engr. in Electrical & Computer Engineering |
| B.S. in Computer Science | M.S. in Computer Science |
| B.S. or B.A. in Criminal Justice | M.S. in Criminal Justice |
| B.S. in Dietetics | M.P.H. in Public Health |
| B.S. in Dietetics | M.S. Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science - Exercise Science & Nutrition option |
| B.S. or B.A. in Economics | M.S. in Agribusiness & Applied Economics |
| B.S.E.E. in Electrical Engineering | M.S. or M. Engr. in Electrical & Computer Engineering |
| B.S. Food Science | M.S. in Cereal Science |
| B.S. in Human Development & Family Science | M.S. in Human Development & Family Science |
| B.S.M.E. in Mechanical Engineering | M.S. in Mechanical Engineering |
| B.S. or B.A. in Physics | M.S. in Physics |
*The minor in Coatings & Polymeric Materials may be earned by students as part of their primary degree program.
Guidelines for Accelerated/Combined Bachelors to Masters Programs
The following guidelines set the minimal expectations for combined/accelerated students and programs. Academic departments may set more stringent standards.
- Student must complete at least 60 credits at the undergraduate level prior to conditional admission to the College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies.
- Student must have a cumulative undergraduate cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.50 to be eligible for conditional graduate admission to a accelerated/combined program.
- Interested and eligible students must submit a Combined/Accelerated Program Degree Program Declaration Form to the director of the graduate program of choice. The graduate program director will evaluate the student's proposed set of graduate classes to determine whether the student will be able to complete them as part of an accelerated program.
- Next, the student's undergraduate major or minor department chairperson/head will evaluate and approve the substitution of the graduate level courses into the undergraduate program as noted in the chart below. A maximum of 15 graduate student credits may be applied to the undergraduate degree.
| UGRD Credits to be Satisfied by GRAD coursework | Academic Unit Approving the Couse Substitution |
|---|---|
| Open Electives | UGRD Academic Major |
| Optional Minor | UGRD Academic Minor |
| Required Minor | UGRD Academic Minor |
| Major | UGRD Academic Major |
- After receiving the necessary approvals noted above, the student will submit the declaration form to the Graduate School and formally apply for admission to the graduate program.
- All admissions to the Graduate College will be conditional. The minimum condition is completion of the bachelor's degree prior to full standing in the master's program, and the student must maintain a 3.00 CGPA in their graduate classes. Other conditions related to academic performance may be added by the academic unit or Graduate School.
- No undergraduate course may be counted toward a master's degree.
- Students entering the master's degree with a bachelor's degree in hand may not use courses earned as part of the bachelor's program for master's requirements, even if those courses were graduate level courses.
- Students must meet all requirements that would ordinarily be expected of those enrolled in the master's program.
Procedures
- Students complete and submit a Combined/Accelerated Degree Program Declaration Form to the graduate department for approval to a combined/accelerated program of study. If signed by the department, students are informed of the Graduate School application process by the Department Program Director.
- Students must apply for graduate admission to the intended master's degree program. The Graduate School will route the declaration form to the Office of Registration and Records via imaging workflow.
- Students will be active in both undergraduate and graduate careers. Both programs will include an 'accelerated' sub-plan in Campus Connection when possible and depending on the program. Students will register for graduate courses on their graduate career. A maximum of 15 graduate credits may count toward the undergraduate degree. Graduate courses will not be considered for undergraduate Dean's List or undergraduate Graduation with Honor calculations. Enrollment verification will be conducted at the dual-career/combined level.
- Graduate tuition will be assessed for graduate credits approved for double-counting toward requirements for both undergraduate and graduate programs of study. Double-counted graduate credits count toward totals for financial aid, but are not covered under the tuition cap. Mandatory student fees, however, are capped at 12 credits, regardless of program. If funding permits, students may be supported as teaching or research assistants, thereby qualifying for a tuition waiver on graduate tuition.
- In order for Student Financial Services to review financial aid eligibility, the graduate courses counting towards the undergraduate major must be detailed in the Combined/Accelerated Degree Program Declaration Form.
- Graduate courses to be utilized on an undergraduate curriculum will require a substitution form to fulfill undergraduate requirements. Forms will be submitted by the undergraduate academic department of the student's major to the Office of Registration and Records.
- Students must complete all baccalaureate degree requirements at least one semester prior to the term in which the graduate degree is to be conferred. NOTE: Enrollment should not need to be monitored since students are registering on respective GRAD and UGRD career and applying for graduation for their respective career.
- Before receipt of baccalaureate degree, the graduate courses/credits included on the Combined/Accelerated Degree Program Declaration Form (up to 15 credits) will be transferred onto the undergraduate record by the Office of Registration and Records. These courses/credits will be included in the undergraduate degree and credit totals. The courses will not be detailed on the undergraduate record, but rather appear as NDSU transfer credit from the Graduate School. A transcript note will be applied after the transfer cumulative strip that reads: "Coursework displayed on the graduate record and applied to the undergraduate degree requirements as part of an approved accelerated/combined plan of study".