General Information
Statewide Campuses and Distance Education
Applicants for degrees who have taken courses for credit through Statewide Campuses and Distance Education (including Independent Study courses) are subject to regular university admission requirements and must file transcripts of all university credit with the Admissions Office.
Financial Obligations
Students are reminded that nonpayment of fees owed to the university may result in withholding of diplomas or certificates.
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.
Incomplete Grades
Incomplete grades must be made up and on file in the Registrar’s Office no later than the last day of classes during the semester for which the candidate has applied for graduation.
Changes in Graduation Requirements
Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations of both the university and their specific major. Detailed information concerning graduation requirements is available in this catalog as part of the departmental descriptions. Responsibility for satisfying all graduation requirements rests upon the student. Utah State University reserves the right to change graduation requirements at any time.
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. The time limit for acceptability of individual General Education courses is listed below.
Intent to Transfer Graduation Requirements
Students who did not initially enroll at USU, but have completed the Intent to Transfer process, will be obligated by the Seven-Year Policy for both the General Education (or University Studies) and major requirements in effect when their Intent to Transfer Education Plan was signed by representatives at both USU and the sending institution. Signatures from both institutions must be obtained during the same semester.
Applying for Graduation
Undergraduate candidates for graduation must have completed the application process by having a graduation packet on file and fees paid to the Registrar’s Office, Taggart Student Center 246. The packet deadlines are: March 15 for spring semester graduates, July 15 for summer semester graduates, and October 15 for fall semester graduates. If the deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline will be extended to the following Monday. There is a diploma fee of $10.
The application process is as follows: (1) Request an application from the Registrar’s Office website:www.usu.edu/registrar/htm/graduation/apply-online ; (2) Return with picture ID to the Registrar’s Office on the specified date and pick up the application for candidacy for graduation packet; (3) Carefully review the graduation application instructions; (4) Submit the application to departmental advisor and college dean for review and signatures (dual majors must have the appropriate signatures for each major); (5) Complete the graduating student survey; and (6) Submit the graduation packet to the Registrar’s Office (Taggart Student Center 246) and pay the application fee. Approximately six weeks is needed to complete the application process.
With any questions concerning the graduation steps, students can contact the Registrar’s Office at the email listed below for the college in which they plan to graduate.
Names of the candidates will appear on the graduation lists and diplomas as they appear on the student’s transcript.
To change the name appearing on the transcript, the student must fill out the Change of Information form, usu.edu/registrar/htm/forms/by=category/category=647, and submit it to the Registrar’s Office and provide the appropriate documentation.
Commencement
Candidates will attend commencement exercises in the spring of the year they graduate. Those candidates completing requirements at the end of summer semester may choose to attend either the preceding spring or the following spring commencement exercises. Students must notify the Registrar’s Office of the address to which the diploma is to be sent. All graduates will receive their diplomas through the mail. Participation in commencement exercises does not ensure that the candidate has satisfied graduation requirements.
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. USU credits may be earned in courses completed at USU’s Logan campus or Regional Campuses and Distance Education.
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.
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.
Letter of Completion
Students who have completed the General Education portion of the University Studies Requirements at Utah State University, and who transfer to another institution, may receive a Letter of Completion from USU. In order to qualify for a Letter of Completion, students must: 1) complete all of the General Education requirements, 2) earn at least 9 of the General Education credits or a minimum of 20 total credits from Utah State University, and 3) earn a USU GPA of 2.0 or higher and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.
It is the student’s responsibility to initiate a request for this letter. The student’s advisor will determine whether or not the student has indeed satisfied all of the requirements. If so, the advisor may go to servicenow.usu.edu, click on “Service Catalogs,” select “Registrar’s Office,” select “Records Office,” and select the “Letter of Completion” form. The advisor should complete the form, indicating how the student has met the requirements. The advisor should also indicate where the letter should be sent. Letters are typically sent to the Admissions Office at the transfer institution. After the advisor has completed the form, he or she should send the form to the Registrar’s Office. The Registrar’s Office will then generate an official letter and send the letter to the transfer institution.
On occasion, there may be circumstances in which a student has completed most of the General Education requirements at Utah State University, transferred to another institution where he or she has completed the last of the courses needed to complete the USU General Education requirements, and then requested a Letter of Completion from USU. Since the coursework was not completed at USU, USU may not submit a Letter of Completion, unless the coursework is posted to a USU transcript. To have this coursework posted to a USU transcript, a student should submit his or her transcript to the Registrar’s Office, 1600 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-1600. The Registrar’s Office will then evaluate and post the credit. If all requirements have been satisfied, the Letter of Completion will be generated.
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