Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree

Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all degree requirements, including general education requirements and requirements for majors, minors and concentrations.

As students approach the completion of 75 credit hours, they are encouraged to use the online degree evaluation available through "Your Connection." Department chairpersons will work with students who have questions about the results of the audit, to make sure progress is being made towards completing degree requirements.

Graduation from the university with the award of the appropriate degree (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Education, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or Bachelor of Music) will be granted to students who fulfill the following requirements.

1. They must earn a minimum of 120 unduplicated credit hours.
2. They must complete all required courses in a particular major program, the General Education requirements of the General Education Program, and sufficient elective credits to make up the total required credit hours, with a minimum cumulative quality point average of 2.00. The student must also have a minimum cumulative quality point average of 2.00 in courses required for his/her major, minor, and concentration. Students should see department sections for any variation from this requirement.
3. Except for certain programs, students pursuing the B.A. or B.S. degree must earn a minimum of 66 hours in credits from disciplines other than their major discipline. For either the B.A. or B.S., students in multi-discipline major programs may not apply more than 45 hours in any one discipline toward credits needed for graduation.
4. All students must take a minimum of 45 semester hours at Fredonia. In order to count towards this requirement, a course must be taught by a SUNY Fredonia faculty member. This shall include courses taught by Fredonia faculty via distance education and up to 15 credits earned through study abroad under the INED subject code.
5. Under ordinary circumstances, students will have 10 consecutive years during which to complete the requirements for the undergraduate degrees in effect at the time they began their studies. If they wish to complete the degree after 10 years, their record of studies will be reviewed by the chairperson of the academic department in which their major falls, and by their academic dean, to determine how much of their earlier credit is still applicable. This rule applies not only to credit earned at Fredonia, but also to credit transferred to Fredonia from other colleges or universities. In addition, after 10 years, students will generally be required to complete the current General Education Program requirements. The student’s record of studies will be reviewed to determine how much of his/her earlier general education credit is still applicable.

   This policy notwithstanding, to the extent that certifying agencies change the requirements for a particular degree within the student’s original 10-year period or later, students will be bound by the new requirements of the agency.

6. Candidates in a program leading to certification to teach in New York State must satisfactorily complete all student teaching requirements. No grade less than S gives credit in student teaching.
7. Music students must meet certain accompanying and performance standards, and secondary Instrument competencies. Details on these requirements may be secured from the School of Music.
8. Students must meet all their financial obligations to the university and any or all of its supporting agencies.
9. A student who expects to graduate at a given date must make application through the Registrar’s office, not later than the third full week of classes of the final semester of attendance.
10. All students seeking an undergraduate degree must complete 45 credit hours at the upper-level (300 level courses and above). Please see your advisor for additional information regarding courses that will satisfy this requirement.

NOTE:

• Only 4 credit hours of physical education activities courses (100-level courses) may count toward the total number of credit hours needed for graduation.
• Not more than 6 credit hours of arts ensemble courses (e.g., MUS 021-047, DANC 110) may be counted toward the total number of credit hours needed for graduation, unless this rule is overridden by a requirement/limit stipulated by the student's major.
• A maximum of 24 credit hours of internship credit may count toward the number of credit hours needed for graduation.
• Credit for a course may not be counted more than once, unless the course has been designated by the department as an exception to this rule.