Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees

Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

Every bachelor’s degree awarded by West Texas A&M University requires:

A minimum of 120 semester hours of credit.
Completion of West Texas A&M University core curriculum (general education curriculum).
At least 39 hours of advanced work (3000- or 4000-level courses) for which tuition is paid must be earned at WTAMU.
30 of the final 36 hours counted toward the degree must be earned at WTAMU.
Achievement of at least a “C” (2.0) average in all WTAMU course work offered toward a degree; at least a “C” grade in major requirements listed in degree plans and at least a “C” grade in all hours in the student’s major subject.
- If not in the major subject, a grade of “D” can be used to satisfy:
  - Free electives
  - B.A. or B.S. requirements (if not specified by the program)
  - University core curriculum requirements (if not specified by the program)
- This includes transfer courses.
- A grade for education on demand/correspondence courses that are taught by WTAMU faculty will replace any previous grade earned in the same course on a student’s transcript.

Academic Residency Requirements for Servicemembers

In accordance with Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC), West Texas A&M University limits academic residency to no more than twenty-five percent of the degree requirements for all undergraduate degrees for active-duty servicemembers. Academic residency can be completed at any time while active-duty servicemembers are enrolled. Transferred credits must be from accredited institutions and in compliance with the University’s transfer credit policies.

Reservists and National Guardsmen on active-duty are covered in the same manner.

Active service members who receive and submit orders to relocate or deploy, including activated Reserve and Guard members, should contact the Registrar’s Office in order to determine the action the University can take at that point in the semester. The Veteran Services Coordinator can also file this request on behalf of a servicemember.

The Veteran Services Office will review the orders and waive university residency requirements for active military members who are “ordered” to a new location for deployment or reassignment (e.g., military recruiters), in accordance with SOC requirements. The approved waiver will be sent to the appropriate dean’s office to file with the student’s record. Senior capstone classes, and similar courses, cannot be waived without department approval from the academic program.

Additional Requirements for Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degrees

For the bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree, the student must complete, in addition to the core curriculum, a minimum of 12 hours as follows:

Six hours of foreign language.
Six hours chosen from art, English, history, modern languages, music, philosophy and theatre.

For the bachelor of science (B.S.) degree, the student must complete, in addition to the core curriculum, a minimum of 12 hours as follows:

Six hours chosen from biology, chemistry, geology, geosciences, mathematics, physics and natural sciences.
Six hours chosen from agricultural business and economics; agriculture; animal science; anthropology; biology; biotechnology; chemistry; civil engineering; communication disorders; communication studies; computer information and decision management; computer science; criminal justice; economics; engineering; engineering technology; English (ENGL 2311 , ENGL 2372 , ENGL 3304 , ENGL 3305 , ENGL 4304 and ENGL 4305 ); environmental science; geography; geology; geosciences; history; mass communications; mathematics; mathematics and physical science; mechanical engineering; nursing; physics; plant, soil and environmental science; political science; psychology; sociology; and sports and exercise sciences.

Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) Degree

For the bachelor of general studies degree, the student must complete, in addition to the core curriculum, a minimum of 78 hours of electives, including at least 39 hours at the advanced level. A maximum of 36 hours in one academic discipline can count toward this degree. An academic discipline is designated by a course prefix, such as ENGL for English or POSC for political science. Music courses, whether MUAP (applied music), MUEN (music ensemble) or MUSI (music), are counted as one academic discipline. No major or minor is required for the B.G.S. degree.

For details about the B.G.S. degree, contact the adviser of the Office of General Majors.

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (B.A.A.S.) Degree

This degree assumes completion of an associate of applied science degree at a community college or completion of an appropriate occupational certificate prior to starting work on the B.A.A.S. degree at WTAMU. Included in this credit must be a block transfer of technical-vocational credits, up to a maximum of 48 hours. Additionally, hours of academic credit may be transferred along with the block.

Also required are completion of the core curriculum (43 hours) and fulfillment of other University requirements, including at least 39 hours of advanced work (3000 or 4000-level courses) for which tuition is paid must be earned at WTAMU; 30 of the final 36 hours counted toward the degree must be earned at WTAMU for a total of 120 semester hours with a minimum grade point average of 2.0. This degree includes a professional development core of 18-24 semester hours, specified through advisement and listed on the individual student’s degree plan. At least 12 of these hours must be 3000- and 4000-level courses. The degree plan should be requested as soon as a student enters the B.A.A.S. program.

Contact the adviser of the Office of General Majors for details about the B.A.A.S. degree.

Additional Requirements and Regulations for Baccalaureate Degrees

Degree Plans

Student are required to request an official degree plan in the office of the appropriate dean after completion of 45 hours of course work.

Maximum Discipline Hours

No more than 60 semester hours in any single discipline can be counted toward a degree except 80 semester hours in music for a bachelor of music degree, 70 semester hours in nursing for a bachelor of science in nursing degree, and 84 semester hours in graphic design, studio art and dance for a bachelor of fine arts degree.

A maximum of six semester hours in religion and a maximum of six semester hours in physical education (PHED) courses can count toward a baccalaureate degree.

Transferred Credits

Credits may be transferred to West Texas A&M University to be counted toward a degree in accordance with degree program requirements as outlined in the catalog. No grade of “D” in the program’s major requirements or major subject or for an upper-division course can transfer for credit in any degree program offered at West Texas A&M University.

Applicable Catalog Requirements

An undergraduate student may graduate under curricular requirements of the University catalog in effect at the time that person enters a post-secondary school program after graduation from a secondary school (high school) or equivalent graduation record or those of any subsequent years provided graduation requirements are completed within six calendar years. For example, a student who chooses to graduate under requirements of the 2003-2004 catalog must complete all requirements for the degree under that catalog by August 2009. All other requirements are those of the current catalog. Exceptions must be approved by the student’s academic dean.

This provision is subject to the restriction that the University still offers programs and required curricula described in the earlier catalog. Changes in requirements made necessary by altered or discontinued courses or programs or imposed by external accrediting or certification agencies become effective for degree plan purposes no sooner than the beginning of the academic year immediately following public notification of those changes. Whenever possible, new requirements are implemented with a beginning class or upon expiration of the appropriate time limit.

NOTE: Students do not have to be continuously enrolled provided they complete degree requirements within six calendar years of initial entry into college.

Double or Second Major

While completing a baccalaureate degree at WTAMU, a student may fulfill requirements for two majors if both majors are offered within one degree (for example, bachelor of arts degree with majors in English and Spanish, or bachelor of science degree with majors in chemistry and physics).

Academic Minors

For all bachelor of arts/bachelor of science/bachelor of business administration/bachelor of applied arts and sciences degrees other than majors that lead to teacher certification, a student may request a minor in consultation with the appropriate department head/advisor. Minors must consist of 18 semester hours, at least nine of which are advanced and at least three hour of which are in residence. No grade of “D” will be accepted for a minor. A minor does not have to be in the same degree; for example, a student could be pursuing a B.S. in Biology and have a minor in English (which is a B.A. degree).

Some minors have specified courses to satisfy requirements. For the list of designated minors: Degree and Program Offerings and scroll to bottom for Non-degree programs.

Application for Degree

Undergraduate students must make application for degree with the office of the appropriate academic dean by the following dates:

March 1 for spring commencement.
July 1 for summer commencement.
Oct. 1 for fall commencement.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

A student must have a first degree before applying for a second degree. A student who desires a second bachelor’s degree from WTAMU must complete a minimum of 30 hours at WTAMU in addition to the first bachelor’s degree (hours from first degree do not count toward 30 additional hours). The 30 hours must include 24 advanced hours in residence, 12 in the student’s major. Students who earned a first degree from another Texas public institution of higher education are considered core complete. The entire core curriculum from the sending institution must substitute for the receiving institution’s entire core curriculum. All other University requirements must be met for the second degree. A student whose first degree is not from WTAMU must also meet the minimum hours in residence (39 advanced) for the second degree. (See the following section for honors designation requirements.)

Graduation with High Grade Point Averages

To receive honors notation on the diploma and transcript for a first or second baccalaureate degree, students must have at least a 3.5 grade point average (GPA) (no rounding up) for all work completed at WTAMU with a minimum of 48 hours in residence (courses for which tuition has been paid at WTAMU) to be eligible.

	GPA		Honors Notation
	3.90-4.0		Summa Cum Laude
	3.75-3.89		Magna Cum Laude
	3.50-3.74		Cum Laude