Requirements for all Baccalaureate Degrees

1.     Students must successfully complete a minimum of 124 semester hours of credit with an earned grade point average of 2.00 for all hours attempted and included in the GPA computation. 

2.     Students must successfully complete a minimum of 45 semester credit hours outside the department in which they are enrolled as a major.  The Depart­ment of Social Science is considered a multidiscip­line depart­ment and stu­dents with majors in those disci­plines must complete 45 se­mester hours out­side their disci­pline.  The College of Tech­nology is considered one depart­ment and students majoring in the College of Tech­nology must complete 45 semester hours outside of that college.

3.     Students must have a grade point average of 2.00 for all major and minor credit hours attempted; all Bachelor of Science in Education (secondary) students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in major credit hours, 2.50 overall; All Bachelor of Science in Education (early/late childhood and early childhood unified birth through third grade licensure) students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.00 in major credit hours, 2.80 overall.  Department of Art undergraduate degree programs require a 3.00 in art courses and grades of “B” or better in upper level art courses.

4.     A minimum of 45 semester hours of credit must be earned in upper division courses (numbered 300 to 799).

Upper division credit may be earned only through a four year institution.

5.     A minimum of 30 semester hours of credit must be earned in residence (courses taken from Pittsburg State Uni­versi­ty) with a grade point average of 2.00 for all resident hours attempted.  These minimum resident hours must include eight semester hours of credit in the major department.

6.     A two-year college transfer student must complete a minimum of sixty credit hours at an accredited four-year university or college.

7.     A maximum of six semester hours of credit completed at another college or university may be applied on the last thirty hours prior to gradua­tion.

8.     Freshman English--Students must earn credit in 6 hours of English Composition/Research Writing (ENGL 101 and ENGL 190 or 299) with a grade of C or above.

9.     Speech Communication--A student must earn credit in a course in basic speech communication.

10.  Upon attaining 85 semester hours of credit (including current enrollment), the student must apply in writing for an official degree check, with the Degree Checking Office in the Office of the Registrar. Following the record analysis, the student will be provided with an outline of spe­cific require­ments which must be met before a degree can be granted.  A copy of this official degree check is sent to the stude­nt's advisor.

11.  Degrees are issued only at the close of each semester and summer session.

12.  A student must complete the degree requirements of the most recent Pittsburg State University catalog in effect at the time of the student's first matriculation at any college or university provided that the catalog has not expired.  A student may also select any subsequent catalog provided that the catalog has not expired. 

This 2009-2011 University Catalog will expire at the end of 2015 summer session for students who take their first college course fall semester 2009 or before. Those students who take their first college course after fall 2009 will have six years to com­plete their degree under the 2009-2011 University Catalog.

13.  Minors must be selected from a different department than the major.  (It is understood that, in the Department of Engineering Technology, technology minors can be earned in areas of study different from the major).

14.  Additional minors or majors will not be awarded or posted to a transcript after a baccalaureate degree has been granted unless a second baccalaureate degree is earned.

15.  A second baccalaureate degree may be granted in a major area other than that in which the first baccalaureate degree was granted provided the stu­dent has met all requirements for the second bacca­laureate degree, including not less than thirty semes­ter hours of Pittsburg State Uni­versity credit with a minimum grade point average of 2.00 after the first degree was granted.  A second baccalaureate degree cannot be awarded for a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in the same area as the first degree, only certification is granted.

Students seeking a second baccalaureate degree will not be required to meet general education re­qu­ire­ments, except English Composition/Research Writing and Speech Communication requirements.  Students are strongly encouraged to file for a degree audit with the Degree Checking Office as soon as they deter­mine they will seek a second baccalaureate degree.

16.  All students must successfully complete the Degree         Specific Assessment Program prior to graduation.

17.  Students must successfully complete the Writing To          Learn requirement.  See Writing To Learn section,     page 45.

18.  All international students must submit an acceptable score on either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the International English Languages Testing System (IELTS). Minimum score for the TOEFL internet based test is 68 for most undergraduate programs (Communication, Nursing, Psychology and English for Speakers of Other Languages majors require a minimum score of 79).  Minimum score for the IELTS is band 6.0 with all section scores of at least band 5.5.

The successful completion of the highest level of the Pittsburg State University Intensive English Program is equivalent to an acceptable score on the TOEFL or IELTS and can be substituted for this require­ment.

19.  All students planning to graduate are required to apply for graduation in their last semester and pay graduation fees even if the student is not participating in graduation ceremonies.

Writing to Learn Requirement

   The Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program encourages faculty to use writing assignments in their courses at all levels and across the disciplines.  Under the program, students take a series of composition and Writing to Learn (WL) courses in their first two years to develop and maintain their writing skills in preparation for additional writing assign­ments in their junior and senior classes.

   All students must take the WL courses, unless they transfer to PSU with 55 passed credit hours or more or obtain a special waiver.  Students with college credit prior to fall 1989 are exempt.  The WL courses are taught across-the-curriculum, in almost all of the univer­sity disci­plines. A WL course incorpo­rates writing as an integral part of the course structure; therefore, students write frequently, both formally and informally, about course content. The purpose of the WL classes is to develop the student's ability to organize clearly-stated, well-reasoned responses to the course content.  Students needing special assistance with word and sentence mechanics are referred to the Writing Center.  General education courses comprise a vast majority of the WL courses; however, no course at the 100 or 200 level is  precluded.

   The flow chart below shows the normal progres­sion through the WL series. ENGL 101 English Composition should be considered a prerequisite for the Writing to Learn courses.  ENGL 101 English Composition and two Writing to Learn courses are a prerequisite for ENGL 299 Introduction to Research Writing.

Four Possible Writing to Learn Sequences

OR

OR

OR
*(Transfer Students with Fewer than 55 Credit Hours Only)

*Students who transfer to PSU with fewer than 55 credit hours but who have completed two composition courses will take two WL courses. They will not take English 299.