Undergraduate Degree and Graduation Information

Baccalaureate Degree and Graduation Requirements

To receive a baccalaureate (bachelor's) degree, student candidates must satisfactorily complete two sets of requirements. NDSU offers a number of baccalaureate degree types, but the two most common bachelor's degrees awarded at NDSU are the Bachelor Science (B.S.) and the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). Students are responsible for understanding these requirements and should consult official curriculum guides for all programs declared. Students should also plan to collaborate with an academic advisor to help guide them in this process.

A) University-Wide Degree Requirements

1. Minimum Total Credits: Students must present a minimum of 120 semester credits before a degree can be posted to record. Requirements for some academic programs may exceed this degree credit minimum.
2. University General Education Requirements: Students must satisfactorily complete the university’s general education program requirements as outlined by the university in the general education section of the Bulletin from the year of admission or readmission to the university.
3. Minimum Scholastic Standing: Students presented for graduation must meet a minimum cumulative institutional grade-point average (GPA) of 2.00. This GPA is based on coursework taken at NDSU. Coursework transferred to NDSU is not included in this GPA calculation. Some academic programs may require a higher minimum GPA, which must be clearly outlined on the official curriculum when higher than the university minimum of 2.00 is required.
4. Resident Credit Requirement: Resident credits are earned from courses that a student has registered and paid for at NDSU. Students must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 36 credits from courses offered at NDSU or via Tri-College registration as an NDSU student.
5. Upper Level Credit Requirements: Students must present a minimum of 36 credits in courses taken at the 300-400 level for degree completion. These credits may or may not be earned at NDSU.
6. Transfer Credits: Students with transfer credit from one or more institutions of higher education must earn a minimum of 60 credits from a baccalaureate degree granting or professional institution – which may or may not be NDSU credits. Of these 60 credits, at least 36 credits must be NDSU residence credits as defined in #5. Within these 36 NDSU resident credits, a minimum of 15 semester credits must be in courses numbered 300 or above, and 15 semester credits must be in the student’s curricula for their declared major.
7. Satisfy All Financial Obligations: Students must satisfy all financial obligations owed to the university. Diplomas and official transcripts will not be released to students who have outstanding debts owed to the university.
8. Application for degree: Candidates eligible for a baccalaureate degree or a Doctor of Pharmacy degree must complete the Application for Graduation found in Academic Records in Campus Connection. When eligible, students will apply for graduation from the Graduation menu within the published semester deadline. This is a hard deadline and failure to apply by the published deadline of the planned semester could delay the awarding of the degree until the following semester. Failure to satisfy all degree requirements can also delay the awarding of a degree requiring a student to have to reapply in a future semester.

B) Major Requirements for Declared Major and Minors

1. Major Requirements: In addition to the university-wide degree requirements listed above, students must complete the requirements for all declared majors and minors outlined on the official curriculum. One major will serve as the primary major; this major will determine what college will confer the degree and what, if any, college or department level requirements also apply. Refer to the curriculum guide for specific details.
   1. Declaring a major: Students must officially declare their degree and major intent. This is done:
      1. at the time of admission to the University on the application form submitted to the Office of Admission; or
      2. at the time of readmission to the University on the Undergraduate Reactivation/Petition for Readmission form submitted to the Office of Registration and Records; or
      3. by submitting a Major Change Request form to the Office of Registration and Records.
   2. Completing declared major: Student follow the curricula that is published in the catalog at the time they officially declare their degree and major intent described in 1.a.i-iii. Students follow the published curricula until graduation provided their enrollment at NDSU has not been discontinued for more than one calendar year (B.1.e) or a new major is declared (B.1.a.iii.).
   3. Declaring additional majors/minors: Students who wish to pursue additional majors/minors/multiple degrees/certificates must officially declare these programs to the Office of Registration and Records (B.1.a.iii).
   4. Pre-requirements majors and selective admission majors: Students enrolled in majors with pre-requirements or selective admission enrollment will have their program degree status changed from the pre-program to full-degree status based on information provided to the Office of Registration and Records by the respective academic department.
   5. Discontinue enrollment: Students who discontinue enrollment at NDSU for more than one calendar year are subject to meeting the curricular requirements published in the catalog during the term of readmission.
   6. Degree audit: Each program of study presented by a candidate for the baccalaureate degree is formally audited for meeting degree requirements by the Office of Registration and Records. Students can also view their degree progress by reviewing the academic requirements report available in Campus Connection.

Undergraduate Majors and Minors

Majors and minors are an integral part of the baccalaureate degree. Minimum credit for majors and minors is guided by Policy and Procedure 409 from the North Dakota University System (NDUS) State Board of Higher Education (SBHE). Students are responsible for following the requirements in place at the time a major or minor is officially declared with the university. Specific major and minor curriculum requirements are available in the Undergraduate Program Curriculum section of the catalog.

Majors

Major: An undergraduate major is a planned grouping of courses in an academic discipline, called a curriculum, to which a student formally commits to studying by declaring the major. An academic major must total a minimum of 32 semester credits. Most majors are earned as a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts degree, however, there are a few majors that are earned as a specialized degree. All NDSU degree types can be viewed in the Degree Types and Diploma Information in the catalog.

Second/Double or Multiple Majors: Students may pursue more than one major under a baccalaureate degree. The student will identify one of majors as the primary major and this major will determine from what college the degree will be awarded. To be eligible for multiple majors, all requirements from each major curriculum must be satisfactorily completed. In addition, each major must contain a minimum of 15 credits that are unique to that major and do not satisfy requirements in the other declared major(s). Important Note: When majors with different degree types are declared, the requirements for a second degree apply - see the section Second Degree.

Additional majors may be completed and recorded on a student's academic record after the degree for the first major has been awarded. A subsequent major will appear as a milestone statement on the academic record following the term for which the requirements were completed.

Dual Major:  A dual major is different than a second/double major or declaring multiple majors. With a dual major, two majors have been formally combined into a single curriculum. Typically, a dual major has fewer overall required classes than if a student were to declare both majors individually. Departments must request formal approval of a dual major through the same governance process and students must officially declare a dual major. Dual majors are identified on the official major curriculum list in the catalog.

Minors

Minor: A minor is a similar grouping of courses in an academic discipline that students may declare to enhance their undergraduate studies. Minors must total a minimum of 16 credits. A minimum of eight credits for the minor must be earned in residence at NDSU.

Additional minors may be completed and recorded on a student's academic record after earning a degree. A subsequent minor will appear as a milestone statement on the academic record following the term for which the requirements were completed.

Certificates

Certificate: A certificate program is a specialized course of study requiring a minimum of 9 credits at the undergraduate level and a minimum 8 credit hours at the graduate level. Certificates may be earned while in pursuit of a degree or as a stand-alone program of study. Curricular requirements  are available on the official major curriculum list in the catalog.

Prospective students interested in certificate programs must make application to the university through the Office of Admission for undergraduate certificates or through the Graduate School at the graduate level.

Second Degree

A second baccalaureate degree type may be earned at NDSU with the following provisions:

1. All curriculum requirements must be satisfactorily completed.
2. Each baccalaureate degree must be different (ex. B.S. & B.A. or B.S. & B.S.E.E.). Students cannot earn more than one degree type, however, students may complete requirements for more than one major within a given degree, if available (see Second/Double or Multiple Majors).

Exceptions to Academic Program Requirements

Academic policies associated with degree requirements and graduation, transfer credit, and general education, as well as curricular requirements for programs of study are designed to ensure that programs at NDSU are consistently of high quality. Students are expected to complete all curricular requirements for a degree program, which includes:

• Overall University requirements (including general education),
• Any college or department requirements if applicable, and 
• Major program of study requirements.

However, limited exceptions may be granted under some circumstances. In consultation with an academic advisor, a student may request a course substitution or waiver to a curricular requirement. An advisor begins the process by completing and submitting the Substitution/Waiver form, which is routed to the academic department chairperson or curriculum coordinator for formal approval.

Academic departments should plan to teach all of the classes in a major program of study, thus allowing students to complete their degree in a timely manner. If required courses in the major can no longer be taught, the academic unit has two options available so students may complete their degree requirements:

1. The department chairperson or curriculum coordinator may file individual substitution/waiver forms for students requiring a curricular adjustment, or
2. Move the student to a newer updated curriculum in the same major.

Bachelor of Arts Requirement Using a Second Language

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree may be conferred upon students who complete the major requirements for their chosen field of study and have functional proficiency in at least one language other than English. The B.A. degree recognizes these students as having acquired the foundation for enhancing their ability to communicate, work, and study in an internationalized world. The B.A. signifies that these students have chosen to develop, through the equivalent of at least four semesters of coursework, both practical language skills and a comparative perspective on their own language and culture. The B.A. second language requirement fosters an awareness of the culturally conditioned nature of the students' assumptions about the world, and it better equips them with the mental agility needed to understand ways of thinking different from their own as they encounter the diversity of professional and personal relationships, as well as the intellectual and practical challenges of their future careers.

The second language requirement of the B.A. degree involves student demonstration of functional language proficiency over a sustained period of time, typically 14 credits of coursework. Given the sequential nature of language courses, the assessment of their abilities across the range of skills in speaking, reading, writing and listening comprehension is continuous and demanding. For this reason, NDSU requires that those students who have prior language-learning experience or who present language examination scores (CLEP, etc.) take, at minimum, the exit-level (202) course in order to verify their broad functional ability and basic cultural competence. It is important to note that the language requirement is not defined in credits but in terms of proficiency or communicative competence in all four skills of speaking, reading, writing and listening comprehension.

To fulfill the B.A. language requirement a student must demonstrate competence equivalent to that normally attained after four semesters of college study (NDSU level 202). Competency may be demonstrated in the following ways:

1. Completion in any second language of coursework at the NDSU 202 level or its equivalent with a grade of 'C' or better. Note that this requirement cannot be fulfilled by coursework taken pass/fail.
2. Successful completion of any second language course with a grade of 'C' or better that has the equivalent of NDSU 202 or higher as a prerequisite.
3. For students having previously passed the CLEP Examination in French, German or Spanish with a CLEP score high enough for second-year college credit (59 in French, 60 in German and 63 in Spanish) or the AP exam with a minimum score of 4 in French, German or Spanish, taking one additional college-level language class at the 202 level or higher in order to demonstrate competency in all four skill levels. Students must complete this course with a 'C' or better.
4. English satisfies the B.A. language requirement for students whose official, certified transcripts demonstrate that their secondary or higher education was completed in a language other than English. It is the responsibility of the student to provide all necessary untranslated, official documentation to the Department of Modern Languages for verification. No credit will be awarded.
5. Students who are unable to provide the above mentioned certified documentation but who are native speakers of languages other than English may fulfill the second language requirement through proficiency in English by successful completion of the three-semester General Education English composition sequence and by passing an additional English (ENGL) course with a 'C' or better. Students having completed this sequence may apply to the Department of Modern Languages for a waiver of the Second Language requirement.
6. Requests for determination of proficiency in languages not taught at NDSU are considered by the Department of Modern Languages. If a student would like to demonstrate proficiency through testing in a language that is not taught at NDSU, it is his/her responsibility to arrange for such testing. The proficiency test must be completed by a faculty or staff member at a college or university; the evaluator must hold at least a master's degree (in any discipline). The test must evaluate reading, writing, listening and speaking through the fourth semester (intermediate NDSU 202) college level. The student must provide documentation from the evaluator which includes a copy of the test, a letter from the evaluator assessing the level of proficiency, and a statement of the evaluator's credentials, including an explanation of his/her expertise in the language being tested, if the evaluator does not teach that language at the college level. No credit is awarded but proficiency requirement is fulfilled.

Graduation with Honor

Graduation with honor applies only to baccalaureate degrees. Only those candidates who have earned a minimum of 60 undergraduate credits in residence at NDSU and a minimum institutional cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.50 are eligible to graduate with honor. Students who meet these academic criteria will graduate according to one of the following honor levels:

Official Degree Audits

A degree audit is an official review of graduation requirements by the university to determine a student's degree progress and graduation eligibility. Undergraduate students who have completed approximately 70% of their degree requirements within their primary major of study are notified by the Office of Registration and Records via their NDSU email account to submit a degree audit request form linked within this email. A Degree and Records Analyst from Registration and Records performs a comprehensive audit and notifies both the student and the student's assigned academic advisor to locate and review the official audit results in Campus Connection.

It should be noted that degree audits are not automatically completed because student educational and degree goals vary (multiple degree, majors, minors, etc.). If the student fails to submit the official audit, graduation could be delayed if critical graduation requirements are missed.

Tools for students to use to continually monitor degree progress

At any time, undergraduate students and academic advisers can track degree progress using the Academic Requirements Report (automated degree audit) feature in Campus Connection. In addition to this report, which details all degree requirements, students can also use Degree Map to plan out their course requirements in an interactive semester-by-semester plan of study that integrates with the registration tool Schedule Planner. Both tools function using real time enrollment data that displays completed requirements, in-progress requirements, and those requirements that are yet to be satisfied.