what are the specific course requirements for a bachelor's degree

by Elyssa Kuvalis 10 min read

Students must complete approximately 120 semester credit hours to earn a bachelor's degree. Most colleges and universities require bachelor's degree program students to complete approximately 40 credit hours of upper-division courses and approximately 35 credit hours within their major.

A student generally must complete 120 semester units or credits to earn a Bachelor of Arts or Science degree. Requirements are described in detail requiring specific courses in Math, Sciences, English, History, Political Science, General Education Courses, and Upper Division Courses in the selected major.

Full Answer

What's required to earn a bachelor's degree?

To earn a Bachelor's Degree, you must:

  • complete a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit towards graduation
  • satisfy the UI and CLAS residence requirements
  • complete the requirements of the CLAS Core General Education Program
  • complete a major
  • meet the College's academic standards
  • clear any "I" marks from your record (by completing any incomplete courses or allowing the "I" to lapse to an "F")

What bachelor degree should I take?

  • Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)
  • Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.)
  • Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS)
  • Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
  • Bachelor of Nursing (BN)

How many credits are required for a bachelors degree?

Requirements for finishing a bachelor’s degree Students typically need 120 credits to graduate from a bachelor’s program in the US (roughly 180 credits at a school under a quarter system). Credits are acquired by passing classes for your major and other courses a school might require.

What are the requirements of bachelor's programs?

Program Requirements for a Bachelor's Degree

  • Early Start Program (ESP) In order to help students improve their chances of graduating on time, the California State University system requires all new California resident freshmen students who have ...
  • University Residence Requirement for Graduation. ...
  • Second Bachelor's Degree Requirements. ...
  • Multiple Majors/Concentration. ...

How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree?

Here are the basics: Bachelor’s degrees typically take around four years to complete, or roughly 120 semester credits.

What are the different types of bachelors?

Types of bachelor’s degrees. Three of the most common types of bachelor’s degrees are: Bachelor of Arts (BA): A bachelor of arts is a type of bachelor’s that typically emphasizes critical thinking, communication skills, and the humanities. Majoring in subjects like history, English, or communications will generally earn you a BA.

How much do college graduates make in 2020?

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2020, a college graduate working full-time made a median of $1,416 a week, while high school graduates with no college experience earned a median of $789 a week [ 1 ].

What is an associates degree?

An associate’s degree can lead to opportunities like web development or mechanical engineering, among many others.

What is a BFA?

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA): A Bachelor of Fine Arts is a bachelor’s degree awarded to those who graduate with majors in fine, visual, or performing arts. Specializing in creative writing, theater, drawing, or graphic design can each lead to a BFA.

What is online degree?

Online degrees eliminate relocation and transportation costs, and can offer enough flexibility for people who want to work full- or part-time. Scholarships or financial aid: Financial aid and scholarships are available for many types of schools.

What jobs require a bachelor's degree?

Here are some jobs that typically require a bachelor’s degree and are expected to grow rapidly in the next ten years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics [ 3 ]: Software developers. Registered nurses. Financial managers. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors.

Major Courses

Students must complete approximately 120 semester credit hours to earn a bachelor's degree. Most colleges and universities require bachelor's degree program students to complete approximately 40 credit hours of upper-division courses and approximately 35 credit hours within their major.

General Education Classes

Most colleges and universities want to provide students with a solid educational foundation in a variety of subjects, not just the student's major. Therefore, the majority of undergraduate students in the United States must complete general education classes. These classes can include:

Electives

Undergraduate students must also complete elective classes, which enable students to learn more about their interests or expand their background, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Students can take classes in any department on campus to fulfill the elective requirements of bachelor's degree programs.

Transferring Credits

Most colleges and universities allow bachelor's degree students to transfer credits earned at another accredited educational institution. However, many schools allow students to transfer at most 65 credits.

Application for Graduation

In addition to earning a specific amount of credit hours, many colleges and universities require undergraduate students to apply for graduation.

How many credits are needed for a bachelors degree?

Degree Credit Totals. The Bachelor of Arts degree requires 120 credits. The Bachelor of Science degree, whether in Arts and Sciences or Engineering, requires from 120 to 130 credits, depending on the major. No program may require more than 130 credits.

What are the requirements for a Hopkins degree?

All approved credit earned through exams or at other colleges and universities may be used to meet: Distribution requirements, Writing-Intensive requirement, Departmental major and minor requirements, and to satisfy course prerequisites.

How many semesters do you have to be in residence at JHU?

Students who entered JHU prior to Fall 2014 should view the appropriate archived catalog. All students must complete a minimum of four semesters in residence as a full-time student. Students must be in residence for at least two of the final four semesters, including the final semester prior to graduation.

How many credits do you need to transfer to JHU?

Students who enter the university as transfer students must complete at least 60 credits at JHU. This includes courses that are taken after matriculation as a degree-seeking student: in fall, intersession, spring, or summer at JHU. in other divisions of the university.

How many credits are required for a language element?

18 credits (6 courses at least 3 credits each, except for the two specific course sequences listed below) designated H and/or S. Although language elements courses do not carry an area designator, engineering students may use these courses as substitutes for humanities courses in meeting the distribution requirement.

What is a major in education?

A major is a structured curriculum, usually within the confines of a particular academic field. Generally, the requirements for a major provide a student with a broad overview of the field through introductory courses, followed by more specialized courses tailored to meet the student’s interests in the field.

When do you declare a minor in college?

Students who wish to complete the requirements for a minor(s) are expected to declare the minor(s) by April 15th of their junior year. Students may add a minor by completing the online Program of Study Form.  The completion of a minor is recorded on the transcript, but the minor does not appear on the diploma.

How many credits are needed for a bachelors degree?

Bachelor’s Degree Program Requirements. The Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) degree requires 128 credits or 32 (4-credit) courses. You can transfer up to 64 credits.

How many credits do you need to go to Harvard?

The Harvard On-Campus Experience. Many courses can be taken online, but the degree requires a Harvard campus experience. You come to Cambridge for at least four courses (16 credits), which offers you in-person access to faculty, campus resources, and the academic community.

What are the top fields of study?

You complete courses in one subject area. Top fields of study are business administration and management, computer science, economics, government, international relations, and psychology.

Can I get an I-20 for Harvard Summer School?

To meet the on-campus requirement, you study with us in the summer. You can easily request an I-20 for the F-1 student visa for Harvard Summer School’s 3- and 7-week courses. For more details, see International Student Study Options for important visa information.

How many semester hours do you have to declare a major?

Completing a major. You must declare at least one major by the time you earn 60 semester hours. Specific requirements for majors, minors, and certificates are listed in the General Catalog. List of majors. Academic advising and the degree audit.

How to be considered for graduation?

To be considered for graduation, you must file a degree application with the Office of the Registrar before the published deadline. The university cannot award a degree without first receiving this application.

What is the average grade point average for a BFA in dance?

All University of Iowa work in the major*. *The BFA in Dance requires a 3.50 grade point average in all courses and all UI courses in the major. The University of Iowa and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences also recognize excellent academic achievement both at graduation and each semester.

What is an AA degree?

Students who have received an Associate of Arts (AA) from a two-year institution participating in an articulation agreement with the University of Iowa are considered to have satisfied all requirements of the General Education Program, except World Languages and Diversity and Inclusion , if the program of study for which the degree was awarded includes the following:

What is an honors student?

Honors students. Those admitted as honors students or who have become members of the University Honors Program may enroll in special honors sections of General Education courses. The Honors Program also offers some honors seminars that satisfy General Education requirements.

Can you choose P/N for CLAS?

Students cannot choose the Pass /Non-pass (P/N) option for courses they are taking to satisfy CLAS Core requirements. (A student can choose the P/N grading option for a GEP course is if he/she is taking it as an elective and the credit will not be applied to the Core requirements.)

How many years of college do you have to take to get a bachelor's degree at UIS?

All credit earned at UIS to be applied toward the completion of a bachelor’s degree must be taken within seven consecutive years of the first course taken at UIS in pursuit of that degree.

What are the requirements for general education?

General Education These requirements include course work in written and oral communication, mathematics, science, humanities, and behavioral and social sciences. Major Program Requirements The number of required hours in this category depends on the specific major selected.

How many hours do you need to be a capital scholar?

Earn a minimum of 120 semester hours, including at least 48 hours earned at the upper-division level. Earn a minimum of 30 semester hours of credit in residence at UIS. Satisfy general education requirements through completion of the UIS General Education Curriculum (see below), the Capital Scholars Honors Program curriculum, ...

How many credit hours are required for a political science degree?

For example, the B.A. in Political Science requires 32 credit hours in the discipline, whereas the B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Sciences requires 59 credit hours in the discipline. Most degrees at UIS require between 32 and 36 credit hours of program-specific core and elective course work — see individual program information for specific majors.

How many hours of electives are required for a major?

Students must complete at least three hours in two of the three categories. The remaining one hour is completed with enrollment in the Speaker Series category. General Electives These are courses taken to fulfill prerequisites for a major, requirements for a minor, or for student interest.

Can you have an associates degree in UIS?

Students having earned an Associate of Science degree are not considered to have automatically met all U IS general education requirements; however, students who have earned an Associate of Science degree and believe they have met the requirements may request an academic review by submitting a Student Petition. ...

How many term courses are required for a B.A.?

A. Requirements for the B.A. or B.S. Degree. To qualify for the bachelor’s degree, B.A. or B.S., a student must successfully complete thirty-six term courses in Yale College or their equivalent. In doing so, the student must fulfill the distributional requirements of Yale College and the requirements of a major program.

How many credits can you take in a lab?

They may elect no more than four course credits in a single department, and no more than six course credits in a single disciplinary area, except that a student taking a laboratory course may elect as many as seven course credits in the sciences.

What is the language distributional requirement?

Language distributional requirement All students are required to engage in the study of a language while enrolled in Yale College. The most common paths to fulfillment of the language distributional requirement are illustrated in the chart at the end of this section.

What are the distributional requirements for Yale?

Distributional Requirements. All students in Yale College must fulfill distributional requirements in order to qualify for the bachelor’s degree. For a general introduction to the distributional requirements and a definition of the disciplinary areas and skills categories , refer to The Undergraduate Curriculum.

How many terms of language training do you need to be a Yale student?

Students who matriculate at Yale with no previous language training must complete three terms of instruction in a single language. This requirement is fulfilled by the completion of courses designated L1, L2, and L3.

What level of language do you need to be to get into Yale?

Students who matriculate at Yale able to place into the fourth term of a language must successfully complete one course in that language, designated L4. Alternatively, they may successfully complete one or more courses in a different language at least through the level designated L3.

How many terms of enrollment can a student graduate in?

Graduation in fewer than eight terms of enrollment is possible: see section Q, Acceleration Policies. Under no circumstances may a student graduate in fewer than six terms of enrollment, unless the student was admitted by transfer from another college or university.

How many units are required for a bachelor's degree?

Each college must set a minimum requirement for a bachelor’s degree equivalent to at least 180 units, including not less than 60 units at the upper-division level. The minimum number of units required by a college must be the same for the degrees of bachelor of arts and bachelor of science.

What is required for a bachelor's degree in American history?

American History and Institutions. A knowledge of American history and of the principles of American institutions under federal and state constitutions is required of all candidates for the bachelor’s degree. This requirement may be met in any one of the following ways:

How many quarters are there at UC San Diego?

An undergraduate student who enrolls at UC San Diego as a first-year student in fall 2019 or thereafter is allowed to enroll for twelve quarters to complete all requirements for a bachelor of arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) degree; if a student reaches this quarter limit and needs additional time to complete those requirements, they will be required to submit a completion plan and have it approved by their college prior to enrolling for additional quarters to continue work toward the degree.

How many units do you need to be a major in San Diego?

An undergraduate student must have declared a major or pre-major upon completion of ninety units. Other requirements for graduation shall be determined by the colleges in conformity with university-wide regulations and subject to approval by the San Diego division of the Academic Senate. Each college must set a minimum requirement ...

How many units are required for double major?

A student with a double major must fulfill the separate requirements of each major, and the equivalent of at least ten upper-division courses (forty units) must be unique to each major. Courses taken in fulfillment of lower-division requirements may overlap to any degree. The two majors may not be within the School of Engineering, nor, ...

What is equity in education?

Equity is the guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all students, faculty, and staff while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of marginalized groups.

What is a continuing student?

For purposes of this policy, “continuing students” are those who began higher education at UC San Diego or elsewhere before the change. Colleges and departments may deny protection under this policy to a student who has interrupted his or her education for more than two years.

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Major Courses

  • Students must complete approximately 120 semester credit hours to earn a bachelor's degree. Most colleges and universities require bachelor's degree program students to complete approximately 40 credit hours of upper-division courses and approximately 35 credit hours within their major. Students must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2...
See more on learn.org

General Education Classes

  • Most colleges and universities want to provide students with a solid educational foundation in a variety of subjects, not just the student's major. Therefore, the majority of undergraduate students in the United States must complete general education classes. These classes can include: 1. Mathematics 2. Humanities/Fine Arts 3. History 4. Social/Behavioral Science 5. Communication …
See more on learn.org

Electives

  • Undergraduate students must also complete elective classes, which enable students to learn more about their interests or expand their background, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Students can take classes in any department on campus to fulfill the elective requirements of bachelor's degree programs. Usually, students must complete approxi…
See more on learn.org

Transferring Credits

  • Most colleges and universities allow bachelor's degree students to transfer credits earned at another accredited educational institution. However, many schools allow students to transfer at most 65 credits. Although students can transfer credit hours, they may need to complete at least 32 credit hours at the university where they are finishing their degree program.
See more on learn.org

Application For Graduation

  • In addition to earning a specific amount of credit hours, many colleges and universities require undergraduate students to apply for graduation. According to Indiana University, students must apply for graduation approximately nine months before the graduation date to ensure they have completed all necessary requirements to earn their bachelor's degrees.
See more on learn.org