.01
Minimum Graduation Requirements for Bachelor's Degree
Students
must fulfill the minimum graduation requirements listed below to earn
a bachelor's degree from American University. Individual degree programs
may carry additional requirements, as described in the university catalog
for the academic year in which the student is admitted to his or her
program. Teaching units, subject to the usual chain of review, specify
the particular bachelor's degree to be awarded (e.g., B.S., B.A., B.F.A.).
A.
The successful completion of 120 credit hours (or more if required by
the individual program) of approved course work is required. At least
45 of the last 60 credit hours must be completed in residence. (See
40.10.07 Residency Requirements.)
B.
A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better must be maintained.
C.
Students must fulfill the university requirements in College Writing
and English Competency (see 40.10.04) and the University Mathematics
Requirement (see 40.10.05).
D.
Students must fulfill requirements of the General Education curriculum
(see 40.10.06).
E.
A major concentration of at least 36 credit hours of course work as
designated by the major teaching unit, earned with grades of C or better,
is required. At least 15 credit hours of the major must be in upper‑level
course work completed at American University. See also 40.10.10 Multiple
Majors, 40.10.12 Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degrees, and 65.00.01
Individually Constructed Interdisciplinary Majors.
F.
Other courses, as stipulated in the catalog for the student's individual
degree program, must also be successfully completed.
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.02
Minimum Graduation Requirements for an Associate Degree
Students
must complete at least 60 hours (including the university requirements
and such other courses as may be required by the department, college,
and/or school) to earn an associate degree.
A.
A minimum of 24 credit hours out of the last 30 credit hours applied
to the degree must be taken in residence at American University.
B.
A maximum of 36 credit hours may be transferred in for application toward
the degree.
C.
Students must complete at least 24 hours of courses in the General Education
curriculum to include one foundation course in each of the five curricular
areas and one second‑level course in three of the five curricular
areas.
D.
Students must fulfill the College Writing and English Competency Requirement
and the University Mathematics Requirement.
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.03
Degree Certification
Undergraduate
students are certified for their degrees by the deans of the colleges/schools
in which the students are registered and verified by the Office of the
Registrar.
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.04
College Writing and English Competency
All
students must be able to write in English with a level of mastery equivalent
to the demands of college course work. In addition, students need to
acquire the critical reading skills needed for all their college courses.
A.
In most cases, students will satisfy the College Writing and English
Competency requirement by taking one of the required 6‑credit
course sequences listed below during the freshman year. Students must
achieve a grade of C or better. Nonnative and native speakers of English
must meet the same requirements.
LIT-100
College Writing and LIT-101 College Writing Seminar
LIT-102
College Writing and LIT-103 College Writing Seminar
LIT-130
Honors English I and LIT-131 Honors English II
LIT-205
Issues, Ideas, and Words and LIT-101 (or LIT-103) College Writing Seminar
(for AEL (Assessment of Experiential Learning) program students)
ELI-200
and ELI-201 College Reading and Writing I and II (for nonnative speakers
of English)
B.
Students may be exempted from this course work and from the English
Competency Examination by earning an Advanced Placement English Test
Score of 4 or 5.
Senate
action, December 2000. Provost approval, February 2001.
C. Transfer
students who present 6 hours of acceptable composition credit from another
institution will satisfy the College Writing requirement by passing the
English Competency Examination. Transfer students who present 3 hours
of acceptable composition credit from another institution may satisfy
the College Writing requirement by passing the course in the College Writing
sequence for which they have not been given credit with a C or better.
Transfer students may also satisfy the English requirements by means of
the Advanced Placement criteria specified in paragraph (B) above.
Senate action, January 2002. Provost approval, February 2002.
D.
In those cases when a competency examination is required, students failing
the exam twice must enroll in LIT-180 Writing Workshop (or ELI-280 College
Writing Skills Workshop for nonnative speakers of English) and must
pass the course with a grade of C or better.
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.05
University Mathematics Requirement
All
students must demonstrate skills in mathematics and quantitative reasoning
at the college level. Students who do not satisfy this requirement under
the conditions of parts B and C below must enroll in an appropriate
mathematics course before the completion of 30 credits at American University
and must continue to enroll each semester until the requirement is satisfied.
After students have matriculated at American University, no credit toward
the University Mathematics Requirement may be earned through transfer
credit. Students meeting the requirement through course work must receive
a C or better. The University Mathematics Requirement may be satisfied
in one of the following ways:
A.
Course work: Earning a grade of C or better in any American University
mathematics course at the level of MATH-150 Finite Mathematics or above,
or any American University statistics course in the Department of Mathematics
and Statistics. In addition to Finite Mathematics, this includes, for
example, STAT-202 Basic Statistics, MATH-170 Precalculus Mathematics, MATH-211 Applied Calculus I, and
MATH-221 Calculus I.
The
Department of Mathematics and Statistics will recommend placement of
students in mathematics courses. Students whose placement is below MATH-150
Finite Mathematics must take MATH-022 Basic Algebra before enrolling
in Finite Mathematics. Students whose placement is above Finite Mathematics
may enroll in Finite Mathematics to satisfy the requirement but are
to be encouraged to enroll in appropriate sections of the course, as
designated by the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
B.
Tests: Students may also satisfy the University Mathematics Requirement
through examination in one of the following ways:
1.
AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC score of 3, 4, or 5.
2.
AP Statistics score of 3, 4, or 5
3.
SAT II Mathematics Level II Achievement test score of 650.
4.
CLEP Calculus examination score of 75%.
5.
British A‑level mathematics examination with a passing grade.
6.
International Baccalaureate mathematics examination score of 6 or above.
C.
Transfer students and graduates of secondary schools outside the United
States may also satisfy this requirement by:
1.
Passing one of the examinations given by the Department of Mathematics
and Statistics which demonstrate competence equivalent to having successfully
completed one of the following courses: Finite Mathematics, Applied
Calculus I, Basic Statistics. (Only one of these examinations may be
taken and that examination may be taken only once, during the first
semester for which the student is enrolled in degree status),
2.
Transferring a course named “Calculus I” or a mathematics course for
which “Calculus I” is the prerequisite with a grade of B or better from
an AG‑rated collegiate institution.
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.06
General Education Requirements
A.
Students will be expected to satisfy their General Education requirements
during the first two years of study. Students must complete 30 credit
hours of General Education requirements by passing two courses in each
of five curricular areas: The Creative Arts, Traditions that Shape the
Western World, International and Intercultural Experience, Social Institutions
and Behavior, and The Natural Sciences including a laboratory course.
B.
Students will select two courses in each curricular area from an approved
sequence, a foundation course followed by a more specialized course.
One substitution, approved by the General Education Committee on a program‑by‑program
basis and consistent with the goals of the curricular area, may be made
for a second‑level course if such action is necessary to support
a major or to meet professional accreditation requirements.
C.
Students may not satisfy General Education requirements with more than
two courses in any one discipline even though a discipline may have
courses included in several of the curricular areas. Courses required
for College Writing and English Competency and the University Mathematics
Requirement do not count in the two‑course limit.
D.
For students whose placement in a mathematics course is at or below
Finite Mathematics, the university requirement in University Mathematics
must be satisfied before the student enrolls in the foundation course
in the Natural Sciences curricular area. For students whose placement
is in a course for which Finite Mathematics is the prerequisite, the
University Mathematics Requirement is not a prerequisite for General
Education credit in the Natural Sciences, and the mathematics course
may be taken concurrently with or after a Natural Sciences foundation
course. Students who have not satisfied the Mathematics Requirement
and who place above Finite Mathematics must still enroll in an appropriate
mathematics course before the completion of 30 credits at American University
and must continue to enroll each semester until the University Mathematics
Requirement is satisfied.
E.
Students will not be able to substitute courses in their major field
for General Education requirements. There may be cases in which courses
in the General Education curriculum also meet requirements of the major.
F.
Students presenting a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement examination,
75% on the CLEP examination, or grades for which they have received
credit from the British A Levels, CEGEP, International Baccalaureate,
German Abitur, or other international credential
for which they have been granted credit by American University may apply
the credit for up to four courses to meet the General Education Requirements
in any of the five curricular areas. Credit toward General Education
may be awarded only for examinations taken prior to entering American
University.
G.
To receive General Education credit, a student must successfully complete
a General Education course with a grade of D (1.0) or better. Students
may elect to take a General Education course on a pass/fail basis. However,
if the course is also being taken to fulfill a requirement for the major
the grading policies for that program should be consulted.
H.
Because of the special nature of the General Education Program, after
the student has matriculated at American University no credit toward
the General Education Requirements may be earned through transfer credit.
I.
Transfer students will satisfy their General Education requirements
through a combination of “course matching” and completion of courses
in the General Education curriculum at American University. Transfer
students may satisfy this requirement through a combination of appropriate
transfer courses and General Education courses totaling 30 credit hours
or by taking 30 credit hours of General Education courses at the university
after matriculating.
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.07
Residency Requirements
A.
Bachelor's Degree
To
be eligible for a bachelor's degree from American University, a student
must complete, in residence at American University, a minimum of 45
credit hours out of the last 60 credit hours that apply toward the degree
and must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours of upper‑level
courses in the major field at American University. More may be required
by the department chair or dean, according to the department's normal
requirements for a major. A maximum of 75 credit hours may be transferred
toward a bachelor's degree.
B.
Associate Degree
To
be eligible for an associate degree from American University, a student
must complete, in residence at American University, a minimum of 24
credit hours out of the last 30 credit hours that apply toward the degree.
A maximum of 36 credit hours may be transferred toward an associate
degree.
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.08
Major and Minor Requirements
A.
Major Requirements
The
requirements for the major, the area of a student's academic concentration,
are listed in the University Catalog
under individual degree programs. Each teaching unit must require a
minimum of 36 credit hours (no less than 15 of which must be earned
at American University) as approved by an advisor designated by the
department chair or dean in charge of the major field.
B.
Minor Requirements
The
American University Catalog
lists requirements for minors under individual degree programs. Each
teaching unit which establishes a minor program must require a minimum
of 18 credit hours as approved by an advisor designated by the department
chair or the appropriate academic dean. These must include at least
9 credit hours at the 300 level or above. At least 9 credit hours of
the stated requirements must be taken in residence at American University.
At least 12 credit hours of the minor must be outside the course requirements
for each major the student is pursuing.
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.09
College, School, and Department Requirements
The
various schools, colleges, and departments may establish other requirements
which must be met by each of their candidates for a degree.
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.10
Multiple Majors
A.
A student can complete a multiple major by satisfactorily passing the
required major and major‑related course work required by the relevant
departments and/or schools.
B.
If the multiple major is pursued in more than one school, the student
will designate at the time of declaration of the majors the single school
in which he or she will be registered and from which he or she will
be graduated. The student will need to satisfy the general school requirements
of that single school only.
C.
A student may apply the same course to each major program if it fits
into each set of requirements.
D.
If a student is majoring in two or more recognized majors which lead
to different degrees (e.g., B.A. and B.S.), the student shall specify
which degree he or she wishes to be awarded.
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.11
Exceptions for Graduate Course Work
A.
A senior student may, with the prior written permission of the department
chair or dean, enroll in specifically approved graduate courses not
required for his or her undergraduate program which—after the awarding
of the undergraduate degree and provided the student is then admitted
to graduate standing or a certificate program—may be applied toward
the course requirements for a graduate degree or certificate program.
B.
In all cases, the courses for which an undergraduate student may later
receive graduate credit must be agreed on, and recorded in writing,
prior to the student's registering for them. Additional credits received
in graduate courses by an undergraduate student will not be carried
as graduate credits until or unless the student has been admitted to
graduate standing or to a certificate program.
C.
No course or courses may be counted as credits toward both an undergraduate
and a graduate degree except as may be provided in a formally prescribed
combined undergraduate/graduate degree program. This exception, however,
(or this exception in combination with the transfer of other graduate
credits) shall not operate to reduce the minimum number of hours required
to be taken in residence in graduate degree status for any graduate
degree, as provided in 55.00.00 Graduate Minimum Standards.
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.12
Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degrees
A.
A student admitted to a combined bachelor's/master's program (involving
tentative admission to graduate standing, so that both a bachelor's
and master's degree may be earned as the result of a planned program
of studies during the junior, senior, and first graduate year) must
follow a prescribed program of work, and the student's record must show
which courses will be applied toward the undergraduate degree and which
courses will be applied toward the master's degree.
B.
Once admitted to a combined bachelor's/master's program, a student may
not be denied entry into that master's program if that student completes
the bachelor's program in good standing and meets university and teaching
unit minimum standards for admission to the master's program involved.
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.13
Guidelines for Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degrees
A.
Students will be admitted to the combined program at two levels, once
for the undergraduate degree and once for the graduate degree.
B.
Tuition and fees will be paid on the basis of the level at which the
student is currently registered. For example, a student who has not
yet received the bachelor's degree will be charged at the undergraduate
tuition rate regardless of the level of the course and/or its application
to the higher degree.
C.
The undergraduate student may complete up to 6 graduate credits which
may be applied to the requirements for both degree programs. (This assumes
a graduate degree requirement of up to 36 credit hours. In graduate
programs with greater requirements, the number of credits applicable
to both degrees may be increased: for example, 9 credits toward a 40‑credit
graduate program.) Charges will be at the undergraduate rate.
D.
When the student has completed the requirements for a bachelor's degree
and has been admitted to the graduate portion of the program, tuition
and fees will be charged at the graduate rate.
E.
The student will be required to complete the graduation application
and clearance process once for the bachelor's degree and once for the
master's degree.
F.
Upon notification of the institution of a new combined degree program,
the Office of the Registrar will assign the appropriate program codes
for data processing.
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.14
Undergraduate Class Standing
A.
The class standing of an undergraduate student is determined as follows:
1.
0–29 credit hours: freshman standing
2.
30–59 credit hours: sophomore standing
3.
60–89 credit hours: junior standing
4.
90 credit hours or above: senior standing
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.15
Undergraduate Student Course Load
A.
A student is considered full‑time if registered for at least 12
credit hours. A typical load for a full‑time student is 15 credit
hours. No undergraduate will be permitted to register for more than
19 credit hours without the appropriate dean's permission. It is strongly
recommended that no student be responsible for more than 21 credit hours
including incompletes and courses in progress.
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.16
Declaration of Undergraduate Major
A.
Each undergraduate is expected to apply to a major field of study no
later than the completion of 60 credit hours. The application must be
approved by the dean or department chair in charge of the proposed major.
The colleges, schools, and departments may require higher than minimal
performance in major and related courses as a condition for acceptance
as a major.
B.
The purpose of the written declaration of major is to ensure that a
student has a sense of direction in an area of in‑depth study
and to ensure that student records are current and can be made readily
available to advisors who need them. The university allows a student
as much latitude as possible in the selection of a major and will permit
changes provided they are approved by the dean and/or department chair
concerned.
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.17
Changes in Major and in College or School Affiliation
A.
After first registration it is the responsibility of the student who
wishes to change the college or school in which he or she is enrolled
to initiate a transfer request. An undergraduate student must follow
the same procedure as for an initial declaration of major.
B.
An undergraduate student who wishes to change from one college or school
to another must receive the permission of the dean and/or department
chair in charge of the program to which he or she wishes to transfer
and must be in good standing in the college or school which he or she
is leaving.
C.
A student who has failed to meet the academic standards of a college
or school that has imposed requirements higher than the university minimums,
but whose record is not below those minimums, is eligible to apply for
transfer to another college or school that will accept him or her, provided
arrangements are made for such transfer prior to the time of dismissal
by the unit in which he or she was originally enrolled.
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.18
Two Bachelor's Degrees
A.
A student who fulfills all the requirements for two bachelor's programs
(including major, major‑related, and residence requirements) and
earns a total of 150 credit hours may be awarded two bachelor's degrees.
B.
In order to be eligible for the second bachelor's degree, the student
must apply for admission to the second degree program, preferably by
the end of the junior year. If the student is granted admission to the
second program, then upon completion of all requirements for the first
program and the award of the first degree, the student's status will
be changed to the second program. The student must again apply for graduation
to be granted the second bachelor's degree.
C.
For purposes of this regulation, a student who has been continuously
enrolled, first in one bachelor's program and then in another, will
not be considered as having been readmitted, but rather will be governed
by university‑wide regulations in effect at the time of initial
admission, or of a previous readmission if the student's studies were
interrupted for a period of one semester or more.
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.19
International Students
A.
International students are required to obtain approval from International
Student Services before registering for the first time, changing a course
of study, or withdrawing from the university. This approval is in addition
to those normally required and it may not be waived.
B.
Academic officers and faculty members are requested to report the names
of any international students in academic or other difficulties, including
those who are absent excessively, to International Student Services
so that appropriate measures may be taken to help the student.
Senate action and Provost approval, May 1999.
