Catalog Governing Graduation

University and departmental requirements to graduate default to the catalog under which a student initially enrolls with Minot State University. The student and/or an advisor must notify the Registrar’s Office if a student is following the requirements of a different catalog. Students can only choose to follow the requirements of a catalog that was published after initial enrollment, up to six years immediately preceding graduation. In the event courses are eliminated from curriculum, an appropriate substitution must be determined by the department. University or departmental requirements may change to comply with accreditation, certification, and licensing requirements. Should programs be eliminated from the curriculum, the University reserves the right to determine an appropriate phase-out process. If there is a break in enrollment, summer term excluded, the student must follow the requirements of the catalog representing the term in which the student re-enrolls.

Degrees Offered

Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree

Students are required to earn a minimum of 15 credits from MSU and a minimum total of 60 credits must be earned.  A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required to graduate. Students have fewer, targeted general education requirements which include a minimum of 15 credits. See program guidelines for specific requirements. 

Associate of Science (AS) Degree

Students are required to earn a minimum of 15 credits from MSU and a minimum total of 60 credits must be earned. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required to graduate. See program guidelines for specific requirements.

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree

Students earning a BA degree must pursue coursework outside the major and complete either:

1. One Major and two areas of Concentration and/or Certificate
2. One Major and one Minor
3. Two Majors

Majors, minors, concentrations, and certificates cannot be in the same content area. A minimum of 120 total credits must be earned and a 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to graduate.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Degree

In addition to General Education requirements, students must complete a specific option within the art curriculum. Additional admission requirements exist for this degree and students must be formally admitted to the BFA program after the completion of introductory courses. Refer to the Art program section of the catalog for additional admission guidelines. A minimum of 120 total credits must be earned and a 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to graduate.

Bachelor of General Studies (BGS) Degree

This degree does not recognize the specializations of majors or concentrations. In addition to General Education requirements, students must complete a minimum of 40 semester hours of 300-400 level coursework as part of the total required 120 semester hours. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required to graduate. Students considering this degree must contact the Registrar’s Office to declare BGS status.

Bachelor of Individualized Studies (BIS) Degree

The BIS degree offers students the opportunity to design their own degree. In addition to General Education requirements, students must develop an academic plan which draws from two to three academic disciplines and complete a minimum of 36 semester hours of 300-400 level coursework as part of the total required 120 semester hours. Students completing this degree cannot declare majors, minors, or concentrations that overlap with focus area coursework in their BIS Academic Plan. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required to graduate.

Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree

In addition to General Education requirements, students must complete a specific program of study. A minimum of 120 total credits must be earned and a 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to graduate.

Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd) Degree

Teacher Education students must maintain cumulative grade point averages of at least 2.75 in all courses in the education core and a minimum 2.50 cumulative grade point average in the teaching major(s) or minor(s). Students must also complete the Teacher Education core and receive at least a “C” in every course in the Teacher Education core and courses that require admission to teacher education. Secondary admission requirements exist for this degree. For information on admission and retention policies in Teacher Education, refer to the Teacher Education Policies and Procedures section of this catalog. A minimum of 120 total credits must be earned and a 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to graduate.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree

Students who wish to earn this degree must be formally admitted into the nursing program and must make “satisfactory progress” as specified in the Department of Nursing section of this catalog. Once admitted, BSN candidates must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 and a “C” grade in all required support and nursing major courses. A minimum of 120 total credits must be earned and a 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to graduate.

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Degree

Additional admissions requirements exist for this degree and students must be formally admitted into the Social Work Program after the completion of introductory courses. In addition, they must be formally admitted to the Field Experience during their senior year. Students must also complete specified General Education requirements and specified support courses in addition to the core social work coursework. Refer to the Social Work section of the catalog for additional admission guidelines. A minimum of 120 total credits must be earned and a 2.00 cumulative GPA is required to graduate.

APC - 10/14/15 & FS - 10/15/15

Credits Required for a Degree

Baccalaureate Degree

A minimum of 120 semester credits is required for a baccalaureate degree at Minot State University. At least 60 of these credits must have been earned at a four-year college or university. The student must have completed the Minot State University General Education Requirements and all required courses for the selected major(s), minor(s), and area(s) of concentration and competency, as well as any other professional requirements as may be prescribed in each curricular plan. No more than 15 credits earned with the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option may be applied toward the degree.

Multiple Degrees

Students may elect to earn two or more bachelor's degrees. Each degree must be different (i.e., BA and BS). For example, students cannot complete a BS double degree in Accounting and a BS in Criminal Justice. This would be one degree with two majors. Neither could a student complete a BA in History and a BA in Psychology. In cases involving two majors with one degree, see the section of the catalog concerning double majors. Students deciding to earn two or more degrees must complete all the requirements for each degree. Each student must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours beyond the first degree for each additional degree. While there may be overlap for the major requirements for the two or more degrees, students must complete all minor/concentration requirements for each degree. Repeated courses do not count towards the additional 30 semester hour requirement for each additional degree.

Double or Multiple Majors

Students may elect to earn a single degree (i.e., BA or BS) with more than one major. All requirements for both or multiple majors must be completed even though students will receive a single degree such as a Bachelor of Arts with majors in English and History. If a bachelor’s degree is the objective, it is only necessary to complete the number of semester hours required for a single major.

Adding a Major/Minor After a Degree has been Posted

Students who have previously completed a degree at Minot State University (with the exception of the BGS degree) may elect to return to the University to complete an additional major, minor, and/or concentration. Refer to the department of your chosen major/minor/concentration for detailed information about specific requirements.

Certificate of Completion or Certificate Program

Both Certificates of Completion and Certificate Programs will be annotated on an academic transcript. For each certificate of completion and/or certificate program, a student must complete one quarter of the semester hours through Minot State University.

Grade Point Average Requirements

A minimum cumulative grade point average of a 2.00 is required in all of the major, minor, concentration, competency areas, and cumulative averages for associate and baccalaureate degree candidates. Some programs of study have higher minimum grade point average requirements. Refer to detailed program information to see specific grade point requirements.

Honors Requirements

The cumulative grade point average is used to determine which baccalaureate degree students may graduate with honors. Prospective honors graduates must have completed both a minimum of two terms in residence and 30 semester credits at Minot State University. For students earning a second degree, honors are based on grades earned beyond the first degree. The minimum honors requirements are as follows:

Honors Requirements

Honor	Cumulative GPA
Cum Laude	3.500
Magna Cum Laude	3.750
Summa Cum Laude	3.900

Residency Requirements

All courses taught for Minot State University credit are considered “in residence.” Baccalaureate degree candidates must have earned a minimum of 30 semester credits in residence. At least 12 of the credits required for any major and at least six of the credits required for any minor must have been earned in residence. Some programs may require more than the minimum number of credits for the major or minor.

APC - 10/14/15 & FS - 10/15/15