Graduation Requirements – Universitywide
Click on a link to be taken to the entry below.
- Catalog of Entry
- Requirements
- General Education Requirements
- Residency Requirements for Graduation
- In Absentia
- Earning a Second Degree
- Graduation Procedures
Catalog of Entry
The undergraduate catalog is published for an academic year, which comprises fall through summer semesters. For example, the 2014-15 academic year is fall 2014, spring 2015, and summer 2015. The catalog in effect for the term in which you first complete coursework at Ohio University becomes your University and Major Program Catalog of Entry. This catalog defines the Universitywide and college–level academic requirements you must complete and academic policies you must follow for the next five years.
After five years from your initial registration, your college may choose to update either or both catalogs as they pertain to requirements for graduation. Offices responsible for enforcing other University policies, such as graduation with honor, for example, may apply the current Universitywide policies to existing students after five years.
Either major or nonmajor requirement changes made necessary by altered or discontinued courses or by requirements imposed by external accrediting or certification agencies will be resolved on an individual basis by the dean of your college. Whenever possible, new requirements will be implemented with a beginning class or upon the expiration of the appropriate time limit.
Requirements
Ohio University has two sets of graduation requirements: Universitywide requirements, which all students must complete, and college–level requirements, which include the requirements for completing a major or minor. Universitywide requirements are discussed in this section. Specific college–level, department–level, and school–level requirements for majors and minors are explained under the appropriate college, department, or school listing. (Some colleges or majors might require transfer students to take additional courses to meet specific major requirements.) Universitywide graduation requirements stipulate:
- You must have a minimumof 120 semester hours of credit for a bachelor’s degree, with all other requirements met. An associate’s degree requires a minimumof 60 semester hours.
- To complete requirements for two baccalaureate degrees, you must meet the requirements for both degrees and must have completed a total of 135 semester hours of college work, with a minimum of 45 semester hours of residence, or the equivalent, at Ohio University. When the two degrees are offered by different colleges, you must declare a major program in both colleges and meet the residence requirement.
- If you have met the requirements for two degrees, as stated above, and want to have the degrees conferred in successive semesters, you may do so without further credit or residence. For example, one degree may be conferred at the end of one semester and application made for the second degree in a subsequent semester.
- No more than six semester credit hours earned in developmental courses may be applied toward the total hours required for graduation. Developmental courses are identified by a “D” at the beginning of the course number.
- No more than 12 semester credit hours earned under the Pass/Fail grading option may be applied toward total hours required for graduation.
- No more than 30 semester credit hours earned in experiential learning (also referred to as portfolio-based assessment) may be applied toward a bachelor’s degree, and no more than 15 semester credit hours toward an associate’s degree. Successful completion of UC 2030 - Credit for Work Experience: Portfolio Development is a requirement for portfolio-based assessment (experiential learning).
- The University recommends a minimum of 15 semester credit hours completed in the minor, and has no policy on the minimum requirements for a major. The specific requirements are determined by your major (and minor, if you have one) department/school and are included in this catalog.
- You must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) on all hours attempted (including work taken at another institution, if you are a transfer student) and in the major or equivalent as determined by your college. Your college may have additional GPA requirements.
- All baccalaureate students (except Honors Tutorial College students) must complete Ohio University’s General Education requirements. Associate’s degree students must complete the freshman English composition and quantitative skills requirements.
Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)
Currently enrolled students may view their DARS report through the Faculty & Advising Center .
Your official Ohio University transcript lists all courses you have taken or are taking at Ohio University, the grades you have earned, and your official grade point average. These totals are used to determine graduation with honors, financial aid and scholarship eligibility, fees, and total hours earned at Ohio University that may be applied toward graduation from any of the colleges.
Your DARS report shows how courses and grades apply to the graduation requirements for a particular program. Most of the time the total hours attempted, hours earned, and grade point average displayed in the General Graduation requirements section of your DARS report will match those on your transcript. However, legitimate differences may exist. For example, some colleges have limits on such things as the total number of physical education activity hours that can apply toward degree requirements, and some do not. Some have limits on other categories, such as the number of technical elective credits and number of hours with grades of “CR” that can count toward graduation. Also, there are limits on the total number of hours in developmental courses and the total number of hours with P (pass) grades. All of these count in the total number of hours earned at Ohio University on your transcript, but they might or might not count toward graduation, depending on the program you are completing and other limitations. DARS reflects these idiosyncrasies for each individual program by counting only the hours and grades that are appropriate for that program, thereby giving you an accurate statement of your progress toward completing graduation requirements for that particular program.
Sometimes discrepancies can exist because students take courses they should not take (for example, MATH 1350 after passing MATH 2301 and MATH 2302). In this case, DARS deducts the credit and grade for MATH 1350, but MATH 1350 will still show on the transcript.
If you are thinking about changing your major, you may request a “What - If” DARS report from the Faculty & Advising Center
mentioned above, from the student services office of the college that offers the major you are considering, or from your regional campus student services office. This report will help you determine how courses already completed will apply to the new major as well as what additional courses are needed to complete that program.
Although the DARS report provides a comprehensive description of program requirements, it is intended to supplement the role of the faculty advisor, who will help you with course selection and assist you in making informed decisions about a future career. If you have questions concerning the DARS report, please contact your college student services office or your regional campus student services office.
General Education Requirements
Ohio University believes that, as an educated person, you need certain intellectual skills in order to participate effectively in society. These include the following:
- The ability to communicate effectively through the written word and the ability to use quantitative or symbolic reasoning.
- Broad knowledge of the major fields of learning.
- A capacity for evaluation and synthesis.
To help you meet these objectives, Ohio University has instituted a three–tiered General Education requirement that all baccalaureate degree students (except those in Honors Tutorial College) must fulfill. Tier I course requirements build your quantitative and English composition skills; Tier II course requirements increase your breadth of knowledge; and the Tier III course requirement develops your ability to interrelate, synthesize, and integrate knowledge from different academic disciplines.
Tier I Requirements
Quantitative Skills . You must demonstrate or acquire an acceptable level of quantitative skills to satisfy graduation requirements. The University uses your ACT or SAT (see chart below) math score to determine your skill level for placement or exemption unless the Tier I quantitative skills requirement has been satisfied by transfer or advanced placement credit. Students in some majors are required to have a math placement regardless of transfer or advanced placement credit in order to meet requisite requirements. The choice of the course in which you should enroll, if any, depends on your major, catalog of entry, and math placement, and it should be discussed with your academic advisor.
Students without ACT scores, SAT scores, advanced placement, or a transferable math course must take a math placement test which is available through Blackboard. Direct questions to the Math Department at 740.593.1254. Regional campus students should contact their student services offices for math placement information.
| Math Placement Level |
Minimum ACT Math Score needed |
Minimum SAT Math Score needed |
|---|---|---|
| DV |
0 |
0 |
| PL1 |
20 |
480 |
| PL2 |
24 |
560 |
| PL3 |
30 |
680 |
To enroll in any MATH or other quantitative skills course, you must either place at the specific level required for that course or satisfy the appropriate requisites.
Placement levels are:
DV (Developmental): Placement at this level indicates inadequate preparation to enroll in a Tier I quantitative skills course. You must complete MATH D005 before enrolling in a Tier I quantitative skills course.
PL1 (Placement Level 1): Placement at this level indicates preparation for any of the following Tier I–fulfilling courses: MATH 1090 , 1101 , 1102 (early childhood education majors only), 1200 , 1250 , 1260 , 1321 , PHIL 1200 , PSY 1110 .
Note: Students who need MATH 1350 (Survey of Calculus) should enroll first in MATH 1200 and then take MATH 1350 . Students who need MATH 2301 should begin with MATH 1350 (B or better) or 1300 (C or better) or 1322 (C or better) and then MATH 2301 .
PL2 (Placement Level 2): Placement at this level indicates preparation for Level 1 courses as well as these additional Tier I–fulfilling courses: MATH 1300 , 1322 , 1350 , 2500 , PSY 2110 .
Note: MATH 1300 is the requisite course for MATH 2301 . MATH 1300 is not recommended unless you plan on enrolling in MATH 2301 . Students cannot earn credit for both MATH 1350 and 2301 .
PL3 (Placement Level 3): Placement at this level demonstrates quantitative skill competence sufficient to fulfill the Tier I quantitative skills requirement. If your major requires that you enroll in a quantitative skills course, placement at Level 3 indicates preparation for MATH 2301 and any course in Level 1 or 2. A Level 3 placement does not guarantee a waiver of college or major requirements in mathematics. Contact your college student services office to see if a college waiver is in effect for your major.
English Composition. A first–year composition course and an advanced junior–level composition course are required. Either ENG 1510 or 1610 (for non-native English speakers only) will satisfy the University’s General Education first–year writing requirement (1E).
You can complete the university’s junior-level composition requirement by passing an approved junior composition (J) course, by passing two junior composition equivalency (JE) courses within your program of study, or by passing one JE course within your program of study and one JE course outside your program of study, as approved by your department/school. You may use two JE courses outside your program of study, providing both courses are approved by your departments/school. You may also demonstrate advanced writing proficiency by passing the junior–level exemption exam .
The following courses fulfill the junior–level composition requirement and are marked in this catalog with the designation (1J) as the general education code:
Art: ART 3000J
Aviation: AVN 3250J
Classics and World Religions: CLWR 3850J
Economics: ECON 3100J
Education - Honors Program: EDHP 3930J
English: ENG 3060J , 3070J , 3080J , 3090J , 3100J , 3840J
Engineering and Technology: ET 3800J
Engineering Technology and Management: ETM 3700J
Environmental and Plant Biology: PBIO 4180J , 4181J
Film: FILM 3440J
Geological Sciences: GEOL 3092J
Honors College: HC 3000J
History: HIST 3111J
Health: HLTH 3400J
Human and Consumer Sciences: CONS 3450J
Interdisciplinary Arts: IART 3600J
Journalism: JOUR 4410J
Mechanical Engineering: ME 3510 , 4880
Modern Language: ML 3210J , 3270J
Nursing, Baccalaureate Program: NRSE 3700J
Philosophy: PHIL 3010J
Political Science: POLS 3050J
Professional Communication: PRCM 3250J
Recreation: REC 3700J
Science in Applied Management: SAM 3250J
Sociology: SOC 3560J
Women’s and Gender Studies: WGS 4810J
The following courses are eligible to help fulfill the junior-level composition requirement as JE courses and are marked in this catalog with the designation (1JE) as the general education code:
Civil Engineering: CE 4000 , 4280
Chemical Engineering: CHE 2010 , 4110
Communication Studies: COMS 3400 , 3500 , 3600
Education - Early Childhood: EDEC 3120 , EDEC 4200
Geological Sciences: GEOL 3500 , 4460 , 4520
Industrial and Systems Engineering: ISE 2100 , 3340
Journalism: JOUR 3310 , 3630 , 3700 , 4700
Mechanical Engineering: ME 3510 , 4880
Media Arts and Studies: MDIA 3110 , 3201 , 3202 , 4201
If you are a transfer student, your requirements are determined by when you enroll and the number and type of credit hours transferred.
Tier II Requirements
You are required to complete a total of 21 credit hours from an approved list of courses in the following six distribution areas:
You are required to take at least two credit hours in each of the six areas and may satisfy no more than two of the required six areas with courses from the same department/school. You may satisfy no more than 8 of the 21 hours with courses from the same department/school.
You may apply no more than two approved Tier II courses in your major department/school or area of concentration (for B.S.S. students) toward partial fulfillment of the Tier II requirement.
Approved courses are marked in the Course Descriptions section with 2AS, 2CP, 2FA, 2HL, 2NS, or 2SS as the General Education code. The following courses fulfill the Tier II breadth of knowledge requirement:
Applied Science and Mathematics (2AS)
Biological Sciences: BIOS 2050 , 2200 , 2210 , 2215 , 2250 , 2350
Chemistry and Biochemistry: CHEM 1010
College of Arts and Sciences: CAS 2400
Computer Science: CS 2300
Communication Sciences and Disorders: CSD 1080
Electrical Engineering: EE 1014
Environmental and Plant Biology: PBIO 1030 , 2010 , 2060 , 2140 , 2180 , 3140
Environmental Health: EH 2000
Engineering and Technology: ET 2300 , 2800
Engineering Technology and Management: ETM 1100
Geography: GEOG 2400 , 2600 , 2680
Geological Science: GEOL 1350 , 1700 , 2150 , 2310
Health Sciences - Health: HLTH 2000 , 2020
Industrial and Systems Engineering: ISE 1100 , 3040
Information and Telecommunication Systems: ITS 1010 , 2010
Mathematics: MATH 1350 , 2301 , 2302 , 2302Q
Physical Science: PSC 1350
Cross-Cultural Perspectives (2CP)
Anthropology: ANTH 1010 , 2020
Art History: AH 2130 , 3310 , 3400
Classical Archeology: CLAR 1110
Classics and World Religions: CLWR 3330 , 3340 , 3350
Classics in English: CLAS 2510
Communication Studies: COMS 1100
Dance: DANC 4550
Education - Critical Studies: EDCS 1011
Education - Early Childhood: EDEC 2600
Environmental and Plant Biology: PBIO 2170
Foreign Languages and Literatures:
Arabic: ARAB 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Chinese: CHIN 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
French: FR 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
German: GER 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Hindi-Urdu: HIND 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Indonesian Malaysian: INDO 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Italian: ITAL 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Japanese: JPN 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Japanese Culture: JPC 2500
Khmer: KHMR 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Kikuyu: KIKU 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Malay: MALA 3110 , 3120 , 3930
Portuguese: PORT 3110 , 3120 , 3180 , 3190
Russian: RUS 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Somali: SOMA 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Spanish: SPAN 2110 , 2120 , 3349
Sudanese: SUDN 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Swahili: SWAH 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Thai: THAI 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120 , 3110 , 3120
Twi: AKAN 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Vietnamese: VIET 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Wolof: WOL 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Zulu: ZULU 1110 , 1120 , 2110 , 2120
Geography: GEOG 1310
Health Sciences and Professions: HSP 2210 , 2220 , 2235
History: HIST 1222 , 1320 , 1330 , 2460 , 3230 , 3231 , 3293 , 3410 , 3411 , 3450 , 3451 , 3452 , 3520
Humanities: HUM 2170
International Literature: Linguistics: ILL 3890
International Studies: INST 1100 , 1114 , 1400 , 1600
Management: MGT 3600
Media Arts and Studies: MDIA 3175
Modern Languages: ML 2300
Music: MUS 1210
Physical Education Teacher Education: PETE 2000
Political Science: POLS 4400
Retail Merchandising and Fashion Product Development: RFPD 1100
Restaurant, Hotel and Tourism: RHT 1200
Fine Arts (2FA)
Dance: DANC 1700 , 2700 , 2710 , 3550 , 4710 , 4711 , 4750
Fine Arts: FAR 1500
Interdisciplinary Arts: IART 1170 , 1180
Media Arts and Studies: MDIA 2701
Music: MUS 1000 , 1200 , 1240 , 1250
Theater: THAR 1130 , 1710 , 1720 , 1730 , 2710 , 2711
Humanities and Literature (2HL)
African American Studies: AAS 1100 , 1500 , 2100 , 2110 , 2500 , 3500
College of Arts and Sciences: CAS 1110 , 1120
Classics and World Religions: CLWR 1810 , 2210 , 2220 , 3310 , 3320
Communication Studies: COMS 1010 , 1030
English: ENG 1600 , 2010 , 2020 , 2820 , 3570
Film: FILM 2030
Foreign Languages and Literatures:
Classics: CLAS 2300 , 2310 , 2340 , 2520 , 2530 , 2540 , 2550
International Literature: Modern Languages: ILML 2901 , 2902 , 2903 , 2904 , 2905 , 2906
History: HIST 1210 , 1220 , 1221
Jewish Studies: JS 1000 , 2100
Modern Language: ML 2338
Philosophy: PHIL 1010 , 1300 , 2160 , 2320 , 2400 , 2600 , 3100 , 3110 , 3120 , 3140
Visual Communication: VICO 1000
Women’s and Gender Studies: WGS 1000
Natural Sciences (2NS)
Anthropology: ANTH 2010 , 3600
Astronomy: ASTR 1000 , 1001 , 1400
Biology: BIOL 1010
Biological Sciences: BIOS 1000 , 1030 , 1300 , 1310 , 1700 , 1705 , 1710 , 2010 , 2020 , 2030 , 2035 , 2060 , 2100 , 2500 , 2750
Chemistry and Biochemistry: CHEM 1210 , 1220 , 1510 , 1520
Environmental and Plant Biology: PBIO 1000 , 1000L , 1090 , 1020 , 1140 , 1150 , 1150Y , 1150Z , 2090 , 2470
Geological Sciences: GEOL 1010 , 1200 , 1300 , 1400 , 2080 , 2110 , 2210 , 2710
Physics: PHYS 2001 , 2001Q 2002 , 2002Q , 2051 , 2051Q , 2052 , 2052Q 2301
Physical Science: PSC 1000 , 1001 , 1010 , 1011 , 1050 , 1051 , 1310 , 1400 , 2050
Social Sciences (2SS)
African American Studies: AAS 1010 , 2020
Child and Family Studies: CFS 2700 , 2710
Classical Archeology: CLAR 2110 , 2120 , 2130
Communication Studies: COMS 3601 , 3602 , 3603
Economics: ECON 1000 , 1030 , 1040
Education - Early Childhood: EDEC 1600
Family and Consumer Sciences: CONS 2500
Finance: FIN 2010
Human and Consumer Science: CONS 2500
Law Enforcement Technology: LET 1050
Linguistics: LING 2700
Media Arts and Studies: MDIA 1091 , 2012 , 2113 , 2132 , 2305
Management: MGT 2000
Political Science: POLS 1010 , 1500 , 2000 , 2300 , 2500 , 4300
Psychology: PSY 1010
Recreation: REC 2010
Social Work: SW 1000
Tier III Requirement
You are required to complete at least three hours in Tier III or Tier III–equivalent course(s). At least two of the three hours must be taken at senior rank (90 hours). This catalog contains a complete list of Tier III and equivalent courses available by going to Course Descriptions and placing T3 in the keyword or phrase search or by clicking here . Approved courses are marked in the Course Descriptions section with T3 as the general education code. You may fulfill this requirement by taking at least 3 hours in Tier III–equivalent course(s) in your major; you should see your major advisor for information as to whether your discipline offers such a course or courses.
Like most universities, Ohio University requires that you be “in residence” for a certain number of credit hours in order to graduate. Some colleges have additional residency requirements, so check with your advisor or dean’s office to make certain all requirements are being met.
Residence credit is defined as any credit earned by regular enrollment at Ohio University on the Athens campus or any regional campus or by Ohio University education abroad, any approved student teaching, the independent and distance learning programs in the eLearning OHIO, or any combination of these options.
Bachelor’s Degree
You must earn a minimum of 30 semester credit hours while enrolled at Ohio University, and you must earn a minimum of 50 percent of coursework taken to fulfill your major concentration in residence with resident credit as defined above. A college may require more than 50 percent of Ohio University credit to fulfill a major concentration or have other additional residence requirements for a given program.
If you begin graduate study at Ohio University before completing all requirements for a bachelor’s degree, your residency requirement will be reduced by as many hours as credit hours of graduate work completed. The number of hours subtracted also will be credited toward the residency requirement for a master’s degree, if the credit is acceptable in the program approved for graduate work toward a degree. Residence credits used for meeting requirements for one or more bachelor’s degrees may not also be used for meeting the residency requirements for the graduate degree.
The residency requirements apply even if you have been approved for graduation in absentia and are completing your last year in an accredited institution, except that the regulations apply to residence before you leave the University. (See the In Absentia section below.)
Associate’s Degree
You must earn a minimum of 18 semester credit hours while enrolled at Ohio University, and you must earn a minimum of 50 percent of coursework taken to fulfill your major concentration in residence with resident credit as defined above. A college may require more than 50 percent of Ohio University credit to fulfill a major concentration or have other additional residence requirements for a given program.
In Absentia
To be considered for in absentia status, you must obtain permission from the student services office of your college. If you have been approved for the senior – in absentia privilege, you must complete a full year’s work in an Ohio University–approved professional school and be eligible for advancement without condition to the second year to obtain your bachelor’s degree in absentia . In absentia programs involve preplanned curricula and cannot be arranged on an ad hoc basis. The in absentia privilege does not apply to graduate degree programs.
The official transcript from the school you attend must be submitted to the Office of Admissions, Chubb Hall 120, Ohio University, before the degree conferral date.
Earning a Second Degree
Second Bachelor’s Degree
If you plan to earn two bachelor’s degrees, you may meet the requirements either simultaneously or successively:
- To complete requirements for two baccalaureate degrees, you must meet the requirements for both degrees and must have completed a total of 135 semester hours of college work, with a minimum of 45 semester hours of residence, or the equivalent, at Ohio University. When the two degrees are offered by different colleges, you must declare a major program in both colleges and meet the residence requirement.
- If you have met the requirements for two degrees, as stated above, and want to have the degrees conferred in successive semesters, you may do so without further credit or residence. For example, one degree may be conferred at the end of one semester and application made for the second degree in a subsequent semester.
Second Associate’s Degree
You cannot earn the same associate’s degree twice. Furthermore, you are not permitted to earn both the A.A. and A.S. degrees. If you have already earned the A.I.S. degree, you are not permitted to earn either the A.A. or A.S. degree. Although it is possible to complete an A.A.B. or A.A.S. degree with a double major, you can earn the degree only once. If an A.A. or A.S. has been completed previously, you will not be permitted to complete the A.I.S.
Associate’s Degree After a Baccalaureate Degree
Typically, the Associate in Individualized Studies degree is not an appropriate degree program for someone who previously has completed a bachelor’s degree. In special circumstances, a person who has completed a prior bachelor’s degree may petition the director of degree programs in University College to seek permission to complete the A.I.S. degree. The Associate in Arts or the Associate in Science degree will not be granted if you have already earned a baccalaureate degree.
Graduation Procedures
Application
Candidates for graduation must make application and pay the application fee no later than the deadline listed in the academic calendar for the semester in which graduation is planned. You can apply online at My OHIO Student Center . Questions about applying for graduation should be directed to graduation@ohio.edu . This application initiates the process that informs your college to check for fulfillment of degree requirements. The process culminates with the entry of the college, major, other concentrations (such as minor, dual certification in education, etc.), degree, and date of degree conferral on your permanent academic record. At the end of this process, your graduation grade point average and eligibility for honors are determined. They then cannot be changed by completing additional coursework or retaking classes, although taking additional classes will affect your accumulative grade point average (GPA).
The application fee for all degrees is $50. If you fail to meet the requirements for graduation, you may reapply for the semester in which you plan to complete the requirements. The fee for reapplication is $5. International students in F–1 or J–1 status are encouraged to see an advisor in International Student and Faculty Services during the semester in which they plan to graduate to discuss their immigration status.
Graduation with Honor
The GPA requirements for graduation with honor are: cum laude (with honor), 3.5 to 3.749; magna cum laude (with high honor), 3.75 to 3.899; and summa cum laude (with highest honor), 3.9 to 4.0. The Latin honors notation will appear on your diploma and in the commencement program. Note: The commencement program honor notation for spring semester graduates is calculated based on your most recent accumulative GPA prior to spring semester. After spring grades are calculated, the final honor is calculated and will appear on your transcript and diploma.
To be eligible for graduation with honor, you must complete a minimum of 30 hours of coursework with letter grades that affect your GPA in residence at Ohio University. Successful completion of a special honors program of study is noted in the commencement program and on your diploma. Graduation with honor does not apply to associate’s or graduate degrees.
Commencement Ceremony
If you are a candidate for spring semester graduation, or if you have earned your degree during the preceding summer or fall semester, you are eligible to attend commencement, held at the end of spring semester.
Details concerning commencement will be sent to you after you have applied officially for graduation, provided you indicate your intention to attend the commencement ceremony at the time you submit your graduation application.
Commencement information is available online at http://www.ohio.edu/commencement/ . Direct any questions concerning commencement to the Office of Event Services, 740.593.4020.