Graduation Requirements

Staying Aware of Changes

University graduation requirements (General Education, religion, and major) change with curriculum, program, and faculty changes. Current requirements are documented in the catalog and class schedule. Students who leave the university for an extended period of time should stay aware of such changes through these these websites. Also, students should stay in contact with their College Advisement Center (CAC) to ensure they are making progress towards current graduation requirements.

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Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

The baccalaureate degree is awarded for completion of a specified program of university study. At BYU this program of study includes

• The university core
• A specific major—Students who graduate with a second major only receive one degree and one diploma. Only the primary major will be listed in the university commencement program and on the diploma. (The official transcript lists the primary and the secondary major.
• Student’s choice of electives

In addition, the following are required for graduation:

• Minimum of 30 semester credit hours in residence on the BYU campus in Provo as an admitted day student
• Minimum total of 120 credit hours
• Cumulative and BYU GPA of at least 2.0
• A current ecclesiastical endorsement—All enrolled continuing undergraduate, graduate, intern, and Study Abroad students are required to obtain a continuing Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement for each new academic year (due in March and good through the end of the August the following year). All students who are candidates for graduation must have a current Ecclesiastical Endorsement for the semester in which they are graduating. This includes students with Independent Study, students submitting transfer work from another school, and returning students.
  

University Core Requirements

See the University Core section of the current class schedule.

Major Requirements

Visit the university catalog or contact your department for major requirements. The requirements of a specific major must be satisfactorily completed, including any additional departmental requirements related to the major. A minimum of 20 credit hours in the major must be completed in residence as an admitted day student, 10 of these on the BYU campus in Provo.

Double Major

A second major is rare and must be approved by the chair(s) of the department(s) involved and the dean of the college responsible for the primary major. The second major proposal and approval process requires an evaluation of all university core and major requirements and a time-to-graduation analysis. College advisement centers are prepared to assist interested students in this process. Courses used to satisfy the requirements of a student’s major can also be used to satisfy the requirements of an approved second major, unless such is not permitted by the requirements of the proposed second major. Only the primary major will be listed in the university commencement program. Only one degree will be awarded. The primary major only will appear on the diploma.

D Grades

Students may use a course in which they receive a D (“minimum passing”) to complete major, minor, religion, or general education requirements. Those receiving a D in a course will not be required to retake the course unless a higher minimum grade is stipulated in a degree program or course sequence description in the undergraduate or graduate catalog.

Courses taken at other colleges or universities with D grades will count toward the total hour requirement for graduation but will not fill BYU general education requirements—and in most instances will not fill major requirements.

Bachelor of General Studies

See the Bachelor of General Studies website.

 

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Policy on “Old” Graduation Requirements and Credit

Students who complete a baccalaureate degree within eight academic years of enrollment at BYU qualify for graduation by meeting those major, religion, university, and general education requirements in effect when they initially enrolled, even though there may have been changes in the originally declared major, general education, and religion requirements since that time.

Students who have not graduated within eight years of their initial enrollment at BYU will be required to meet with the dean and department chair in the area in which they are majoring to determine graduation requirements and the use of credit previously earned (upon review by Graduation Services). This means that credit earned more than eight years before admission or readmission (including transfer credit) may be accepted to meet general education or major graduation requirements at the discretion of the university.

Returning Student Advisement

Good advisement can be of great help in working out a program of study at the university, taking into account individual needs, concerns, and experience. Students who return to the university after an extended absence should contact Graduation Services (B-150 ASB, [801] 422-4218) and confer with their college advisement center counselors and department advisors prior to or immediately following returning to the university. Following these guidelines will allow the student to move toward a degree without lost effort.