Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3341 - Bowling Green State University
Chapter 3341-3 - Graduate and Under-Graduate Policies
Section 3341-3-33 - Baccalaureate degree programs- undergraduate
Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Policy statement and purpose
This university policy is part of the undergraduate catalog. The undergraduate catalog provides university academic policies and information about program requirements. The undergraduate catalog is updated each semester and can be found at http://www.bgsu.edu/catalog/academic-policies.html. Colleges and departments may have additional or more specific requirements or policies that relate to an individual program. Students are advised to become familiar with the undergraduate catalog as well as specific requirements and policies related to their degree program.
(B) Policy
A baccalaureate degree program enables students to achieve the intellectual, ethical, and cultural maturity that will allow them to become responsible participants in our society. Each student's path toward this goal is unique, reflecting both the student's interests and talents and the range of opportunities for study. Students make choices among selected sets of courses while satisfying the requirements of a particular degree program, and they are encouraged to take other courses (free electives) to explore individual academic interests.
Students progress toward a baccalaureate degree by completing courses that satisfy a combination of university, college, and major/specialization requirements. Some courses may satisfy more than one requirement, so students should work closely with their advisors to determine which allowable combination will meet their own needs. Other courses may meet a student's particular educational needs yet may not be used to meet degree requirements. These include all developmental courses (below the 1000 level), some courses retaken for credit (see retaking a course) and any courses identified specifically as non-applicable to a degree. Each student is ultimately responsible for knowing which requirements apply.
Students in all baccalaureate degree programs must:
A student who does not fulfill all requirements toward a degree within four weeks after commencement must reapply for graduation at the next commencement.
The requirements for specific baccalaureate degrees are described in the appropriate college sections of this catalog. These may include any of the following:
In addition, colleges may specify requirements that degree candidates must meet in order to remain in degree programs. For example, colleges may require a proficiency test, audition, interview, portfolio review, completion of a specific course, or attainment of a specified grade point average before admission to upper-level courses.
Most (but not all) degrees include requirements for an academic major or specialization. The major provides the student with in-depth practical and theoretical knowledge in one particular area of study. Many majors or specializations offer students alternative paths of study, and students are encouraged to pursue personal interests by taking elective courses related to the major. Study in a major or specialization may focus on courses taught in a single department or program, but may also include related courses in other parts of the university. Some degree programs also require the student to complete a minor, a prescribed set of courses similar to a major but more limited in scope. Students may also voluntarily complete a minor offered by another academic unit.
A "minor" represents a student's commitment to a body of knowledge separate from the student's principal area of study ("principal area of study" refers to a major, specialization, or-in those cases where a named degree is the sole transcript designation-a named degree). In recognition of this distinction, a minor will include a minimum of fifteen hours that cannot be applied toward the student's principal area of study or another minor.
Any particular minor may or may not be available to a student, depending on the student's principal area of study. In those cases where the courses in the principal area of study overlap broadly with the courses in the minor, such that there are not fifteen hours in the minor different from the courses in the principal area of study, that minor cannot be taken in the context of that principal area of study (e.g., students may not major and minor in the same discipline). Substitutions to course requirements for a minor are the jurisdiction of the program offering the minor.
By contrast, a "specialization" is a requirement for a set of courses representing a sub-discipline within a major or named degree. "Degree," "major," "specialization," and "minor" are all official transcript designations. Other designations, such as concentration, emphasis, option, cognate, or track, do not appear on students' transcripts; they represent unofficial groupings of courses within a principal area of study.
An undergraduate certificate provides an additional path to recognizing student knowledge in a thematic content area. These certificates would contain a structured set of courses totaling six to fourteen credit hours around a specific theme with clearly defined learning outcomes that enable students to acquire unique knowledge and/or competencies. An undergraduate certificate is an official transcript designation.
A candidate for a baccalaureate degree who desires to take a second degree from a different college within the university may:
A student desiring a dual degree must:
