Degree Requirements and Graduation Information

Baccalaureate Degree General Requirements

It is the responsibility of the student to see that the proper courses for the intended degree and major are taken in the proper sequence. Special care should be taken with courses offered in alternate years. The faculty advisor should be consulted for assistance in planning, but ultimately the student accepts responsibility for registration in the desired and needed courses.

Total minimum credits for graduation are 120 hours for a baccalaureate degree with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 overall. A few programs specify a higher GPA. A Core Curriculum in general education is required of all students, which includes language or cultural enrichment courses for those seeking the bachelor of arts degree. Students may not count a course toward more than one requirement in the core curriculum.

All baccalaureate students must complete a minimum of 36 hours in upper-division courses numbered 300 or above.

A major of at least 36 hours as described in the major department, 24 or more of which are in the major department, must be presented for graduation. At least ten hours in the major must be upper-division courses. No programs allow grades less than C- to count in their majors, and the average of all courses in the majors must be at least C. Some programs have more stringent requirements. An appropriate minor may be added to the student’s program of study provided it includes at least 18 hours as described in the minor department. A certificate may be earned by completing a prescribed set of courses that develop a specific skill or have a particular focus.

Not more than 48 hours from one department and not more than 66 hours from one division may be counted toward the bachelor of arts degree, exclusive of any foundation courses that are not included in the major. Major requirements may not exceed 48 hours for the bachelor of arts degree nor 66 hours for the bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of music, bachelor of science, bachelor of science in nursing, bachelor of science in occupational therapy assistant, and bachelor of social work degrees.

To be granted a bachelor’s degree from Huntington, the student must have completed either the last 30 hours or a minimum of 90 hours in residence through Huntington University. One-half of the courses in the major must have been taken through Huntington.

Students in continuous enrollment covering a number of years may graduate under the Catalog requirements which were in force at the time of the initial registration, provided the enrollment period does not extend beyond seven years or licensing requirements for specific programs have not changed.

Undergraduate Commencement exercises are held annually at the end of April or beginning of May.

Students must be present at Commencement exercises for the conferring of the degree unless exempted by an approved petition for absentia. Students intending to complete degree requirements during the summer may be permitted to participate in Commencement exercises in the spring as summer graduates (with a graduation date of August 15) provided they have no more than nine hours of coursework remaining at the time of Commencement. Students who wish to be summer graduates must file an acceptable plan for completing the outstanding credits with the registrar prior to Commencement. Students may be listed as summer graduates one time. Students whose names are published in the Commencement bulletin as summer graduates who fail to complete requirements as planned will not be listed in the bulletin again until all degree requirements are completed.

Students who take final coursework off campus must have final official transcripts to the Office of the Registrar two weeks prior to their degree date (unless special arrangement are made with the Office of the Registrar). Otherwise, they will be awarded their degree at the next official graduation date after they provide the necessary documentation.

Earning a Second Bachelor's Degree or a Double Major

Students are encouraged to design programs that promote their academic and career goals and to explore their interests by taking course work outside their major areas of study. Students are required to complete the requirements of one major to earn a bachelor's degree. In some cases, students who have a strong interest in a second discipline may wish to complete two majors or a major and one or more minors. Requirements for majors and minors are outlined in the catalog section for the appropriate department.

Students may receive a second bachelor's degree at Huntington provided they complete all requirements for the second degree, including any required core curriculum and foreign language/cultural enrichment requirements for the second degree. A minimum of 24 hours beyond the requirements for the first degree, at least 144 hours, is required for the second degree to be awarded. The major for the second degree must be distinct from that of the first.

Students who complete all requirements for two majors from different degree programs but do not complete 144 hours may earn a double major. In such cases, the degree awarded will be the degree that is appropriate for the major designated as the first major.

Students who choose to complete majors from two different degree programs must complete all of the requirements associated with both majors, including core curriculum requirements. Students whose first major is not in the bachelor of arts program and whose second major is in the bachelor of arts program are encouraged but not required to complete the foreign language/cultural enrichment requirement unless they are planning to complete a second bachelor's degree.

Applying for Graduation

Students pursuing any degree should submit a Plan of Study for Degree Completion to the registrar no later than the registration period two semesters prior to their planned completion of requirements. After the registrar has approved a student’s plan, the student must report any changes in the submitted plan of study for completion of requirements to the registrar for approval. Failure to do so could jeopardize the student's ability to graduate.

Students wishing to participate in Commencement in the spring are permitted to have a maximum of nine semester hours of coursework remaining at the time of Commencement. A plan for completing the outstanding credits by the end of the summer must be filed with the registrar. Courses offered by Huntington University and already begun at the time of Commencement and scheduled to be completed before August 10 will not be included in the nine-hour maximum.

Students planning to complete a portion of their requirements for graduation through CLEP or DSST exams must complete that work in time to allow an official report of the results of that work to reach the registrar by mid-term of the spring semester prior to graduation.

Graduation Honors

Graduation honors are accorded to students receiving bachelor degrees with an appropriate cumulative GPA. At least 60 hours must have been completed at Huntington with the minimum GPA, and the students' combined overall records at Huntington and previous institutions must also be above the minimum grade index. A bachelor's degree is conferred cum laude upon students with a cumulative GPA of 3.50, conferred magna cum laude upon students with a cumulative GPA of 3.70 and summa cum laude upon students with a cumulative GPA of 3.85. Students who participate in graduation ceremonies as summer graduates and whose current grade point averages exceed the requirements for graduation honors will receive and be able to wear the honor cord for the graduation ceremony and honors will be listed in the graduation bulletin with the designation "Honors anticipated upon completion of requirements."