May 09, 2024

2024-2025 General Catalog

Undergraduate Academic Credential Requirements

Certificate of Proficiency

A program of study that prepares students for an occupation. It does not require, but may include, general education courses. It may consist entirely of undergraduate courses but does not require prerequisite courses, conditions, or degrees for admission to the program.

Students who have already received an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree, Associate of Science (AS) degree, Associate of Arts (AA) degree, or a bachelor’s degree may later apply for a Certificate of Proficiency.

Total Credits

The certificate of proficiency requires 16 to 29 semester credit hours.

GPA

In order to graduate, students must meet all GPA requirements for their major. These requirements can be found in the Academic Programs section of this catalog. USU credits only are used in computing the GPA. The university requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 to be considered for good standing and for graduation.

Certificate of Completion

A program of study that prepares students for an occupation. It requires a recognizable general education core in communication, computation, and human relations. The general education core may be embedded within program courses. It consists entirely of undergraduate courses and has no prerequisite courses, conditions, or degrees required for admission to the program.

Total Credits

The certificate of completion requires a minimum of 30 semester credit hours.

GPA

General Education Certificate of Completion

Students who have completed the General Education portion of the University Studies Requirements at Utah State University, will receive a General Education Certificate of Completion (GECC) from USU. In order to qualify for a GECC, students must:

Complete all of the USU General Education requirements
Earn at least 7 of the General Education credits or a minimum of 20 total credits from Utah State University
Earn an institution GPA of 2.0 or higher and an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the GECC will be awarded automatically.

Students who have already received an Associate of Science (AS) degree, Associate of Arts (AA) degree, or a bachelor’s degree are not eligible for a GECC.

Institutional Certificate of Proficiency

Institutional certificates of proficiency require less than 30 semester credit hours and are not eligible for federal financial aid. These certificates may or may not require general education courses. These certificates address varying needs, including workforce preparation, bridging student pathways from high school, avocational interests, or development of specialized skills. Requirements for these credentials are determined by the academic department in which they are offered.

GPA

Associate of Applied Science Degree

Programs of study that prepare students for entry-level careers. General education requirements are typically less extensive than in AA or AS degrees, and include composition, computation, and human relations. In most cases, the courses in the Associate of Applied Science programs are arranged so that, at a later date, the four-year baccalaureate program can be completed with a minimum loss of time.

Students who have already received an Associate of Science (AS) degree, Associate of Arts (AA) degree, or a bachelor’s degree may later apply for an AAS degree. Applicants for an AAS degree after earning a previous degree must file an application with the Admissions Office and obtain the recommendation of their academic dean prior to being admitted. The option of earning an AAS degree after a previous degree is only available to those on whom the previous degree was conferred by a regionally-accredited institution. Students must complete all of the degree requirements not covered or satisfied by previous degrees. In addition, students must complete a minimum of 15 USU credits beyond those applied toward the previous degree.

Requirements include:

Completion of 15 credits of General Education – which shall include at least one course in Communications Literacy, Mathematics or Quantitative Literacy, Human Relations or Breadth Social Sciences
Completion of 6 additional credits from approved General Education courses outside the major
Completion of coursework in the following areas: primary area of study, related area, general education, and electives
Completion of at least 20 credits in residency (USU credits).

Total Credits

A minimum of 63 credits and a maximum of 69 semester credit hours is required for an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree.

GPA

Associate of Science or Associate of Arts Degree

The university confers the associate degree upon students who meet the specified requirements for an approved academic program. Requirements include:

Completion of the current USU General Education requirements
Completion of at least 60 credits
Completion of at least 20 credits in residency (USU credits)
Completion of minimum of 60 credits of acceptable collegiate work
Completion of a minimum of 50 credits with a grade of C- or better. Please note: A minimum of 36 of the 60 credits required for the associate degree must carry the A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D designation, unless the major department or college changes this limitation. See Pass (P), D+, D, F Option .

GPA

The Associate of Science and Associate of Arts degrees are available without a concentration. Students who have already received a bachelor’s degree may not later apply for or receive an Associate of Science or an Associate of Arts degree.

Associate of Arts Degree Requirement

In addition to completion of the requirements for the Associate of Science (AS) degree, an Associate of Arts (AA) degree signifies proficiency in a foreign language. Specifically, the AA requirement may be awarded through successful completion of one foreign language course at the 1020-level or higher (or its equivalent).

Students whose native language is not English may use English to meet the Associate of Arts language requirement by completing all of the requirements for Associate of Science degree and one of the following:

Achieve a score of 500 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) OR
Successfully complete a minimum of 10 semester hours of ESOL 1000 or above numbered coursework.

Bachelor’s Degree Academic Program Requirement

The university confers the baccalaureate degree upon students who meet the specified requirements for an approved academic program. All graduates, regardless of the type of baccalaureate degree, must satisfy University Studies general education and depth education requirements.

Students who simultaneously complete all of the requirements for more than one bachelor’s degree program shall be awarded a separate diploma for each degree.

General Education and University Studies Requirements

Completion of the General Education Requirements and University Studies Requirements .

Total Credits

A minimum of 120 credits of acceptable collegiate work and a minimum of 100 credits with a grade of C- or better. Please note: A minimum of 72 of the 120 credits required for the baccalaureate degree must carry the A, A-, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D designation, unless the major department or college changes this limitation. See Pass (P), D+, D, F Option .

GPA

Credits in Residency (USU Credits)

Candidates for a bachelor’s degree must complete at least 30 credits through Utah State University. A minimum of 20 of these credits must be completed in upper-division courses, of which at least 10 credits must be completed in courses required by the student’s major.

Upper-Division Credits

Completion of a minimum of 40 credits numbered 3000 or above.

Major

Each student must complete all requirements for an approved program of study. This program is comprised of up to 80 credits, which include the major, licensure requirements, and all other required major coursework. The program requirements for each major are described in the appropriate departmental section of this catalog.

Students are encouraged to meet regularly with their advisor to establish a plan of study, verify all degree requirements will be met, and confirm a graduation date as early as possible.

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirement

In addition to completion of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree signifies proficiency in one or more foreign languages. Specifically, the BA requirement may be completed in one of the following ways:

Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language by successful completion of one course at the 2020-level or higher (or its equivalent) OR
Demonstration of proficiency in American Sign Language by successful completion of American Sign Language IV (COMD 4920) and Socio-Cultural Aspects of Deafness (COMD 4780), and by passing an exit interview OR
Demonstration of proficiency in two foreign languages by successful completion of the 1020 course level in one language and the 2010 course level in the second language (or its equivalent) OR
Completion of an upper-division (3000-level or higher) foreign language grammar or literature course requiring the 2020 course level (or its equivalent) as a prerequisite. Conversation courses cannot be considered for satisfying this requirement.

For non-native English-speaking students only, the following options are available:

Successful completion of the Intensive English Language Institute (IELI) program for international students OR
TOEFL, IELTS, other USU approved exam, or IELI placement scores high enough to meet the university admission criteria.

Minor

A minor is a grouping of related courses that are deemed to be a student’s secondary field of academic concentration or specialization during undergraduate studies. Minors must be paired a major degree program. A minor must be awarded at the same time the student’s bachelor’s degree is awarded. This means you cannot earn a minor after you have already earned your bachelor’s degree.

USU does not require that all students complete a minor. However, some departments and/or programs do require completion of a minor, which is described in the catalog statement of the department or program. Credit requirements for a minor are determined by the academic department.

Credit for Intensive English Study

Classes in IELI carry academic credit. Full-time students at each level take 18 credits per semester. A student who begins IELI at level 1 and progresses to level 4 may earn a total of 72 undergraduate elective credits. While all the credits will appear on a student’s transcript, only level 3 and 4 class credits may be applied toward graduation. Depending on the student’s major, a maximum of 36 credits can be counted toward graduation. Students must, therefore, meet with their departmental advisors to determine the role of IELI credits in their graduation requirements. IELI 2470 and IELI 2475 count toward the General Education Breadth Social Science (BSS) requirement and IELI 2420 counts toward the General Education Communications Literacy 1 (CL1) requirement .

Second Associate Degree

Students must complete a minimum of 15 USU credits beyond those applied toward the first associate degree. Candidates for a second associate degree who did not satisfy the American Institutions requirement in the first associate degree, must satisfy this requirement before receiving the second associate degree.

Note: The first associate degree must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university. Students who earn a degree from an international college or university may be considered for a second associate degree if the first degree was earned from an institution listed in a database approved by the Office of Global Engagement.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

Applicants for a second bachelor’s degree must file an application with the Admissions Office and obtain the recommendation of their academic dean prior to being admitted. A second bachelor’s degree is available only to those on whom a first bachelor’s degree has been conferred by a regionally-accredited institution. Students must complete a minimum of 30 USU credits beyond those applied toward the first bachelor’s degree, 18 of which must be earned in department-approved upper-division courses related to the major.

Students may apply for a second bachelor’s degree only if the major is different from the major in the first bachelor’s degree.

Candidates for a second bachelor’s degree who did not satisfy the American Institutions requirement in the first bachelor’s degree, must satisfy this requirement before receiving the second bachelor’s degree.

Note: The first bachelor’s degree must have been awarded by a regionally-accredited college or university. Students who earn a degree from an international college or university may be considered for a second bachelor’s degree if the first degree was earned from an institution listed in a database approved by the Office of Global Engagement.

Honors at Graduation

Honors at commencement are determined after Fall Semester grades are in and do not reflect Spring Semester grades. Final honors designations will not be posted on the official transcript until all grades are received for the degree.

The USU grade point average is used in determining these distinctions. Transfer credits are not considered. Exception: All coursework completed at USU Eastern through Summer 2011 will be posted as transfer work. USU Eastern students who began working on an associate degree or certificate of completion prior to Fall 2011 will use a combination of their College of Eastern Utah transfer GPA and their institution GPA to determine eligibility for honors at commencement.

Latin Scholastic Distinctions (Bachelor’s Degrees and Second Bachelor’s Degrees)
To qualify for Latin Scholastic Distinctions at graduation, a student must have completed a minimum of 40 semester credits in residence (USU credits) USU designated Latin Scholastic Distinctions at graduation are:

Summa Cum Laude: 3.950 to 4.000 GPA
Magna Cum Laude: 3.800 to 3.949 GPA
Cum Laude: 3.500 to 3.799 GPA

These distinctions will appear on the diploma and on the official transcript.

University Honors Program

In addition to Latin Scholastic Distinctions at graduation, students can earn the University Honors transcript designation by completing all requirements in the University Honors Program. For further information, see the University Honors Program section of this catalog.

Honors for Associate Degrees and Certificates
Students will be recognized as follows:

High Honors: 3.750 to 4.000 GPA
Honors: 3.500 to 3.749 GPA

Associate degree and certification distinctions will appear only on the official transcript.

Independent Study

Grades for Independent Study courses must be completed and on file in the Registrar’s Office by the last day of classes (excluding finals) of the semester of intended graduation.

Seven-Year Graduation Requirements Policy

Students who can complete a baccalaureate degree within seven years of enrollment at USU can qualify for graduation by meeting (1) the General Education or University Studies requirements in effect when they initially enrolled and (2) the major requirements in effect when they officially declared their major, even though there may have been changes in General Education, University Studies, and major requirements since that time. Students who have not completed the baccalaureate requirements within seven years of their initial enrollment at USU must have their General Education (or University Studies) and major requirements evaluated and approved by their department head and dean. Exceptions to this seven-year graduation requirements policy may be necessary for mandated changes in degree requirements.

Note: For General Education (or University Studies) requirements, this policy refers only to the General Education categories and credits required.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

Students may apply for a second bachelor’s degree only if the major is different from the major in the first bachelor’s degree.

Split Form

Courses numbered 0010 through 4990 will be posted to an undergraduate transcript. Courses numbered 6000 through 7990 will be posted to a graduate transcript. Courses numbered 5000 through 5990 will be posted to either an undergraduate or graduate transcript, based on the primary program level of the student. In cases where an undergraduate has taken one or more graduate-level courses required for program completion, the courses will be moved to the undergraduate transcript unless a split form has been received by the Registrar’s Office. Students should contact their undergraduate advisor for help with filing the appropriate form. In cases where a graduate student has taken one or more undergraduate-level courses as part of the approved program of study, the courses will be moved to the graduate transcript unless a split form has been received by the Registrar’s Office. Students should contact their graduate advisor for help with filing the appropriate form.