General

The candidate for any degree should study carefully all course and other requirements for that degree and for graduation. Each student is responsible for all requirements as stated, and careful attention to the program will result in completion of the requirements for graduation in the minimum time.

The minimum requirement for a Baylor degree is 124 semester hours including at least thirty-six semester hours of “3000” or “4000” level courses; however, specific degrees may require more than the minimum.

Approximately the first sixty-four hours required for the bachelor’s degree are devoted to general or introductory study in diverse fields. This diversification is intended to give breadth of view and to assist students in selecting a field of specialization.

Majors

A major field of specialization should be chosen by the beginning of the junior year and may be chosen earlier. The student may access a current degree audit in the Bearweb system (Student Academic Services ->Student Records->Degree Audit>u.Achieve Graphical and Interactive degree audit), and is expected to monitor the degree audit each semester. The degree audit, a computer-generated report outlining the student’s academic progress toward completion of a specified degree program, is available via Bearweb. University requirements for the major, such as minimum hours, residence, advanced work, and GPA, are listed under the “Degree Requirements” for each academic unit.

Minors

A student may elect a minor consisting of a minimum of eighteen semester hours in a designated area of study, which may be from a different school/college than the major field (at least twelve hours in residence). At least nine hours must be at the “3000” or “4000” level; not more than three hours from the major may be applied to the minor. Specific requirements for the minor, as designated by the academic units, are listed with “Degree Requirements” and in the department and institute sections of this catalog.

Second Degrees

Students may qualify for a second, and different, bachelor’s degree from Baylor University by completing a minimum of thirty semester hours (sixty hours if the first degree was obtained elsewhere) after the first degree has been awarded.  Students returning for a second undergraduate degree will be classified as a postbaccalaureate student.  These hours must include all major requirements pertaining to the second degree that were not included in the first degree program. All courses must be completed in residence. The major for the second degree must differ from the first and must include at least twelve hours of additional “3000” or “4000” level courses.

If a student wishes to seek a minor on a second degree, it must be in a different field from the major or minor on the first degree and must include a minimum of nine additional hours taken in residence beyond the hours in that field taken on the first degree. At least six hours of the additional nine hours must be advanced. All of the basic requirements for all minors also apply.

Secondary Majors

Secondary majors offer students the opportunity to earn one baccalaureate degree in one program supplemented by a rich intellectual experience in a second field of specialization outside of that primary program. The "secondary major" offers students the option of studying two subjects from two different programs while earning a baccalaureate degree in the first major without the requirement of earning a second baccalaureate degree in the secondary major.

This option allows a student from one degree program to earn a secondary major from a participating department within a different program by fulfilling the requirements set forth by that participating department but without requiring students to enroll in the additional courses that comprise that other program's core curriculum. Through the secondary major option, upon graduation, a student earns one baccalaureate degree from Baylor (through the fulfillment of all requirements from the student's home college or school). Although that student will not be awarded a second degree, the student's transcript will reflect that he or she has earned a secondary major in that second area of study.

Interested students should consult the departmental sections within this catalog to determine specific requirements for secondary majors. If interested, students also should contact their "secondary" department as early in their undergraduate studies as possible to determine if a secondary major is available and to receive advising.

General requirements for coursework and progression standards for primary majors also apply to secondary majors.

Certificates

• Certificates are optional and offer students the opportunity to choose from a select group of courses focused on developing a skill that students can put to practical and professional use.
• Twelve hours minimum required.
• Residence - minimum nine hours, six hours advanced.
• Advanced work - minimum nine hours.
• Grade point average - a minimum of 2.00 (“C”) on all courses in the certificate taken at Baylor. Some departments require a “C” or better in every course applying to the certificate or may require a higher overall GPA for the certificate.
• Certificates must be pursued in conjunction with a degree program
• Cross-Curricular certificates may contain additional non-course requirements which may differ from the requirements above. These cross-curricular certificates may be offered outside of an academic department, are open to students of any major, and are designed to strategically incorporate  academic courses of study with co-curricular experiences during the student’s undergraduate career.