Policy 9-8 Rev 10

Date: February 12, 2007

Rev. 9

Subject: FACULTY REGULATIONS - Chapter VIII - Sections 1 through 7B UNDERGRADUATE STUDY AND DEGREES

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS

Catalog Year means the set of requirements in place at the beginning of fall semester and running through the end of the following summer semester.

SECTION 2. REFERENCES

    • Policy and Procedures No. 9-4.2.B.3, University Curriculum Policy Review Board, discusses the constitution and role of the University Curriculum Policy Review Board.

    • Policy and Procedures No. 9-6.7, Undergraduate Admission, discusses the limitations of applying course work completed as a non-matriculated student to graduation requirements for matriculated students.

    • Policy and Procedures No. 9-8.4, Section 11, Requirements for Graduation from the Graduate School of Education, discusses the role of the University Council on Teacher Education.

    • Utah System of Higher Education Policies and Procedures No. R470-3 & R470-7, General Education, Course Numbering, Lower-Division Pre-Major Requirements, Transfer of Credits, and Credit by Examination, discusses state policies regarding general education and transfer of credits.

SECTION 3. AWARDING OF DIPLOMAS AND DEGREES

Undergraduate certificates, diplomas and degrees may be earned and awarded at the conclusion of each semester, and regular commencement exercises may be held at the end of each semester. However, the regular annual commencement exercises shall occur at the conclusion of the spring semester.

SECTION 4. SEMESTER CREDIT HOURS & RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

To receive a baccalaureate degree from the University of Utah, a student must complete at least 122 semester credit hours and any additional hours required by a department or college. Of these hours, at least 40 credit hours must be upper division work (students pursuing a Bachelor of University Studies Degree must complete at least 56), and at least 30 semester credit hours must be earned from the University of Utah, regardless of the number of semester credit hours transferred or earned elsewhere. In addition, at least 20 of the last 30 semester credit hours earned toward the degree must be earned from the University of Utah. Policy and Procedures 9-6.7, Undergraduate Admission, discusses the limitations of applying course work done as a non-matriculated student to graduation requirements for matriculated students.

Additional credit hours or residency requirements may be established by a department or college, with the approval of the appropriate college council. Any requirements greater than 130 hours or any change to residency requirements will require approval of the Academic Senate.

SECTION 5. SCHOLASTIC AVERAGE REQUIRED

Each candidate for a baccalaureate degree must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above for the total number of semester credit hours earned at the University of Utah. Accepted transfer work shall not be considered in computing the cumulative grade point average.

A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 will constitute the university minimum standard for all course work required by the student's major department. A department or college, with the approval of the appropriate college council and the Undergraduate Council, may establish higher minimum grade criteria or other measures of aptitude or achievement to be used as relevant criteria for admission, retention or graduation in that department or college. The higher criteria must be reported to the Academic Senate.

SECTION 6. CATALOG RIGHTS

Each candidate for a baccalaureate degree may elect to satisfy the set of requirements for Majors, minors and certificate programs in effect at the time of declaration or any more recent set of requirements. However, in no case may a student select a set of requirements that was in effect more than 4 years prior to the catalog year in effect at the time of graduation.

Colleges and departments can make changes to majors, minors, and certificates once a year. Such changes must be communicated to the Office of Curriculum Administration in the manner and by the date established by the University Curriculum Policy Review Board (See Policy and Procedures Manual 9-4, Section 2.B.3). Such changes will take effect the following fall semester, which is the start of the new catalog year.

SECTION 7. GENERAL EDUCATION AND BACCALAUREATE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION

General Education Requirements. All students shall meet general education requirements as required by state law, approved by the Academic Senate and administered by the Undergraduate Council. Current lists of the requirements, approved courses for meeting them, criteria for course selection, and Undergraduate Council members are available through the Office of Undergraduate Studies. Utah System of Higher Education Policies and Procedures No. R470-3, General Education Policy, discusses state policies regarding general education.

Transfer students who have completed courses in the college of their previous registration that are deemed equivalent, by either statewide or institutional articulation agreements, to courses in the general education program of the University of Utah will have those courses applied to the requirements. Transfer students who enter the university from an institution in the Utah System of Higher Education will have completed the general education program of the University of Utah if they have completed the general education program of the college of their previous registration, as evidenced by proper documentation. Utah System of Higher Education Policies and Procedures No. R470-7, Transfer of Credits, discusses state policies regarding general education.

Baccalaureate Degree Requirements. All students graduating from the University of Utah shall meet the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements as approved by the Academic Senate and administered by the Undergraduate Council. Current lists of the requirements, approved courses for meeting them, criteria for course selection, and Undergraduate Council members are available through the Office of Undergraduate Studies.

SECTION 7A. MAJORS AND MINORS

Majors and minors shall be designated as follows: department majors, interdisciplinary majors, teaching majors, composite teaching majors, department minors, interdisciplinary minors, and teaching minors. Upon selecting a major and/or minor students must contact the appropriate departments for official declaration.

A department major or teaching major is a course of study within a department or in a subject totaling not fewer than 30 semester credit hours. A teaching major is designed to prepare students to teach this subject at the secondary school level. The requirements shall rest with the department concerned. Minimum grade requirements are governed by Section 5 of this chapter.

An interdisciplinary major or interdepartmental composite teaching major is a course of study within one or more departments and may be offered either (1) when the major department offers regularly fewer than 30 semester credit hours, or (2) when such a combination of courses is desirable. The requirements shall rest with the departments concerned. Minimum grade requirements are governed by Section 5 of this chapter.

A department minor may be offered by a department with enough undergraduate courses in its curriculum from which to structure a list of courses totaling not less than 16 semester credit hours, including a minimum of 6 upper division semester credit hours.

An interdisciplinary minor of not less than 16 semester credit hours, including a minimum of 6 upper division semester credit hours, may be offered by two or more cooperating departments. If the cooperating departments all belong to the same college, that college shall be responsible for the organization and administration of the interdisciplinary minor. If the cooperating departments belong to two or more colleges, the Academic Senate shall be responsible for approving a plan for the organization and administration of the interdisciplinary minor.

A teaching minor is a course of study within a department or in a subject designed to prepare students to teach this subject at the secondary school level. This minor shall comprise not less than 18 semester credit hours. The requirements shall rest with the department concerned. In order to be awarded a teaching minor, a student must be awarded a teaching major at the same time. Teaching majors, composite teaching majors, and teaching minors are governed by the University Council on Teacher Education, in conjunction with the Academic Senate (See Policy and Procedures Manual 9-8.4, Section, 11).

Any student seeking a baccalaureate degree may take one or more structured minors. A department minor must be outside a student's major department. An interdisciplinary minor may include a student’s major department. Completion of a minor shall not be a requirement for graduation. A minor is an attribute of an undergraduate degree, not an entity by itself; therefore it can only be received at the same time a student graduates with a major.

Departments shall specify the requirements of all their majors and minors in the department section of the printed and online catalogs, and in the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS). The requirements a student completes are governed by the catalog rights policy as outlined in Section 6 above.

SECTION 7B. APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION

Each candidate for a baccalaureate degree should consult a departmental advisor regarding the graduation application process and deadline dates. The Registrar’s Office is responsible for establishing graduation application requirements and deadlines. Filing an application for graduation by the deadline is required to ensure that a detailed analysis of each candidate’s transcript can be completed in time for graduation.

Approved Academic Senate: 2/05/07

Approved Board of Trustees: 2/12/07