Graduation Requirements

Baccalaureate Degree

Baccalaureate Degree

A bachelor's degree is an academic title granted to a student who has completed a specific course of study. Degree titles are authorized by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and program leading to the degrees are administered by the University, a college, a school and sometimes a program board or coalition of faculty.

The faculty of UNC has established four general requirements you must meet in order to earn a baccalaureate degree:

Earn a minimum of 120 semester credit hours.
Have a University of Northern Colorado cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00. Certain programs may have additional requirements (e.g. recommendation for teacher licensure for elementary education requires a UNC cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75).
Have at least 40 credit hours in courses designated as Liberal Arts Core.
Meet all requirements for the bachelor's degree in your major field of study, as listed in the catalog when the first major was officially declared. This may include required minors, licensures, and/or endorsements.

Catalog Requirements

You complete all degree requirements (the Liberal Arts Core, major(s), minor(s), teacher licensure) as designated in the catalog of the academic year in which your primary major is declared.

NOTE: A change from one major to another (or a change of one emphasis to another within the same major) effects a change of catalog year into the catalog in effect when the major change occurred.

Each catalog is in effect for a six-year time limit.
At the expiration of a catalog’s six-year time limit, you may select any subsequent catalog up to and including the current one, provided you are or were in attendance at the University during that academic year.
You may change at any time to any subsequent catalog year as long as you attended UNC during that academic year; this change requires submission of a major/minor change form
If your catalog has expired, you must also submit a major/minor change form to update your catalog.
If your program does not exist in the desired subsequent catalog, you must instead declare a new program, also using the major/minor change form.
If your major or minor has changed names in the subsequent catalog, you must obtain signature approval from the academic department of the new major or minor

Degree Conferral Policy

Academic records will be locked upon degree conferral. Under no circumstances will changes be made to the academic record after degree conferral.

When all degree requirements have been completed, a degree must be awarded and completed in the term that it is brought to the attention of the Office of the Registrar. Students cannot request a delay in awarding a degree once all degree requirements have been satisfied.

Course Substitutions and Course Waivers

Course Substitution – any program course requirement, as approved through the curriculum process and listed in the catalog that is replaced/substituted by another course. All course substitutions must ensure the maintenance of academic program integrity and should be in the same area as the required course or in a closely related field. Course substitution decisions are made only by the related academic unit. Additionally, course substitutions have direct academic impact on other UNC courses. Academic impact must be considered when a request for course substitution is made.

Course Waiver – any program course requirement, as approved through the curriculum process and listed in the catalog, that is deemed unnecessary to be completed by an individual student due to the student’s non-course experiences and/or demonstrated existing knowledge. All course waivers must ensure the maintenance of academic program integrity. Course waiver decisions are made only by the related academic unit. Academic impact must be considered when a request for course waiver is made.

Correspondence Credit

A maximum of 30 semester hours of credit in correspondence and/or continuing education courses will be accepted toward graduation.

All correspondence courses and/or transfer work must be completed, received, graded and recorded by the end of the semester of graduation.

Major and Minor Requirements

A major is a concentration of courses in a student's declared area of primary academic study which, when accompanied by appropriate supporting courses, leads to a degree. Majors are recorded on the student's permanent record. The requirements for a major are specified in the catalog of the academic year in which the student declares a major.

Certain courses are required for the major, but electives may be selected from a range of alternatives prescribed by the program. Students who are unsure of their major may enter the University as “Exploring” and are advised by Soar. Students are required to declare a major by the time they have completed 30 credit hours toward graduation, including transfer credit. Undergraduate students may transfer from one major to another by filing a Major/Minor Change Form as long as they meet the requirements of the new program. Please note: a change of emphasis area constitutes a change of major. Students changing majors must meet with an academic advisor in the newly declared major to obtain a PIN.

An emphasis area includes specified courses that provide a particular focus within a major. Emphasis areas for majors are recorded on the student's academic record.

An academic minor involves less extensive concentration in a discipline but still imposes specific requirements. An undergraduate minor is a specific set of courses in a subject area or academic discipline. A minor does not alone lead to an academic degree, but may be required by some majors. A minor differs from an emphasis area in that a minor is not a focus within the student's major.

The requirements for a minor are specified in the Catalog of the academic year in which the student declares a first major.

To complete a major from UNC, a student is required to earn a minimum of nine upper-division UNC credits (300-400) or UNC approved Study Abroad credits (300-400) in that major. To complete a minor, a student is required to earn a minimum of six upper-division UNC credits (300-400) or UNC approved Study Abroad credits in that minor.

A maximum of 12 credit hours of coursework can be shared between a major and a minor. Exceptions to this policy may be found in the requirements for individual programs as described in the UNC catalog.

The student must meet all requirements and pass all courses required by the school/college or program from which he or she selects a major or a minor. These requirements vary and are specifically stated in the section of this catalog that summarizes each academic program offerings including its majors and minors.

Each undergraduate student is strongly encouraged to work closely with his or her assigned faculty advisor in selecting Liberal Arts Core courses, major and minor offerings and elective courses from other disciplines. Students declared as Exploring and selected "seeking" majors are advised by SOAR. If a student has more than one major or minor they are encouraged to see advisors in each area of study prior to course registration.

Submission of Transfer Credit

Official transcripts from all colleges and universities containing transfer credit necessary for completion of degree requirements must be received by the Office of the Registrar before the semester of graduation.

Previous Credit Earned

Course credit earned 10 years before the baccalaureate degree is to be granted may be applicable toward the UNC degree at the discretion of the academic department for the course subject matter.

AP course credit earned 10 years before the baccalaureate degree is to be granted may be applicable toward the UNC degree at the discretion of the academic department for the course subject matter.

ACT/SAT course exemptions (e.g. ENG 123) granted 10 years before the baccalaureate degree is to be granted may be applicable toward the UNC degree at the discretion of the academic department for the course subject matter.

Minimum Residency Requirement

You must earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in UNC courses. In addition, 20 of the last 30 credit hours of a degree program must be earned in UNC courses. Exceptions to this residency policy may be found in the requirements for individual programs as described in the UNC catalog.

Multiple Majors/Concurrent Degrees

Concurrent Degrees

If you complete multiple majors, you will be awarded multiple degrees if you complete an additional 30 credits (above and beyond the 120 credits required for the first degree) for each additional major. For example:

If you complete two majors and 150 or more credits, you will receive two degrees.
If you complete three majors and 180 or more credits, you will receive three degrees.
If you have financial aid, please see below.

The following examples illustrate transcript and diploma display when the additional 30 hours are completed, and also when fewer than 30 additional hours are completed.

If you complete two majors and 150 or more credits, you earn a double degree.

Transcript display:

Bachelor of Science
Major: Business Administration
Major Concentration: Finance

Bachelor of Arts
Major: Sociology
Major Concentration: Social Issues

Diploma display (two separate diplomas are produced):

Degree of Bachelor of Science
Business Administration

Degree of Bachelor of Arts
Sociology

Single Degree, Multiple Majors

If you complete two majors but have fewer than 150 credits, you will earn one degree with two majors.

Example: For a student with a first major of Business Administration and a second of Sociology:

Transcript display:

Bachelor of Science
Major: Business Administration
Major Concentration: Finance

Major: Sociology
Major Concentration: Social Issues

Diploma Display (a single diploma is produced):

Degree of Bachelor of Science
Business Administration
Sociology

Single Major, Multiple Emphases

If you complete one major with multiple emphases (in selected majors where allowed), you will earn one major and one degree, regardless of the number of credits completed.

Example: For a student with a major of Business Administration, with an emphases in Finance and Accounting:

Transcript display:

Bachelor of Science
Major: Business Administration
Major Concentration: Finance
Major Concentration: Accounting

Diploma display (a single diploma is produced):

Degree of Bachelor of Science
Business Administration
Emphases are not printed on the diploma.

Double Majors and Financial Aid

Only course work that is required for a degree will count towards your enrollment status for Financial Aid. Additionally, if you have completed the degree requirements for a single degree, even if you have not applied for graduation, you are no longer eligible for Title IV aid for that program. The fact that you might be getting a dual degree and have not completed the requirements for the second degree does not change this.

Latin Honors

Latin Honors

In order to qualify for honors and have them recognized at graduation, you must have 56 semester hours of UNC credit (including your final semester) and achieve the necessary cumulative grade point average (see below). Upon successful completion of all graduation requirements, the honors designation will also be indicated on your transcript.

Summa Cum Laude	3.90 - 4.00
Magna Cum Laude	3.80 - 3.89
Cum Laude	3.70 - 3.79

Next Higher Degree

Next Higher Degree

You may, in the last semester of study for one degree, register for graduate courses that exceed the requirements for that degree, provided that your application for admission to the next higher degree program is accepted before the start of the final semester. If you have been admitted to the program for the next higher degree at UNC, you must complete "A Petition to Count Work on the Next Higher Degree" that may be obtained from the Graduate School, (970) 351-2831.