Nov 22, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2019-2020 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

University-Wide Degree Requirements


Academic Guidelines for the Baccalaureate Degree

  1. The academic guidelines for a baccalaureate degree are located in the University Bulletin.  A student may graduate under the requirements of the current University Bulletin during the initial enrollment or any Bulletin thereafter that includes enrollment.  A Bulletin is valid for six years under the initial Bulletin they entered APSU or any Bulletin thereafter, which includes enrollment.
  2. Students who have satisfactorily completed at least 24 weeks of intensive linguistic instruction, as recommended by ACE, may apply these credits to satisfy the Humanities - Foreign Language (III. B. 3 - 6 hours) core general education requirement for the BA degree.

Candidates for the Baccalaureate Degree Must:

  1. Earn a minimum of 120 semester hours credit.
  2. Earn 33 semester credit hours in courses numbered 3000-4999 or upper division elective (EU) transfer credits.
  3. Earn at least 25 percent of the degree requirements in residency and earn at least 24 semester credit hours during the junior or senior years.  Courses offered by *TN eCampus, formerly RODP/ROCC, must be taught by APSU instructors in order to be included in the program of study residency requirement.  Residency is defined as courses delivered and taught by APSU instructors.
  4. Earn an overall GPA of 2.00 in all courses attempted at any regionally accredited college or university if the coursework was transferred to APSU prior to Summer 2015, for all courses completed at APSU, and for all courses used to satisfy the requirements of a major, concentration or a minor, if applicable.
  5. Complete the General Education Core courses. Any substitution of a core course is to be approved by the dean/director of the college/school in which the course is located. Courses in the general education core requirements should be completed by the end of the sophomore year.
  6. Complete the First Year Experience Course (APSU 1000) during the first semester of enrollment if entering APSU with fewer than 12 credits earned in a regionally accredited college or university setting.
  7. Complete the requirements of the major or concentration required by the school or department in which the major or concentration is located. Any substitution for a required course is to be approved by the chair of the department or director of the school and Dean of the College requiring the course in the major or minor.
  8. The minor consisting of at least 18 semester hours of credit shall include at least six semester hours of credit in courses numbered  3000 to 4999.  Check descriptions of department majors to learn whether a minor is required with a particular major.
  9. Transfer no more than 24 semester hours credit earned at other institutions after the last term in residence.
  10. If required, complete the Major Field Test in the candidate’s major during the semester of graduation.
  11. Complete Senior Exit Exam (CCTST, California Critical Thinking Skills Test) by the final semester of graduation.
  12. Apply no more than 60 hours of credit earned by testing and other non-traditional means toward a baccalaureate degree.
  13. Completion of ENGL 1010 with minimum grade of “C.”
  14. Submit an application online for the baccalaureate degree through AP OneStop at onestop.apsu.edu by the published deadline.

Candidates for the Associate Degree Must:

  1. Earn at least 15 APSU semester hours credit.
  2. Earn at least 60 semester hours credit and follow the specific course requirements as given in the outlined Program of Study.
  3. Complete the First Year Experience course (APSU 1000) during the first semester of enrollment if entering APSU with fewer than 12 credit earned in a regionally accredited college or university setting.
  4. Fulfill degree requirement with no more than one-half non-traditional credits.
  5. Earn at least 25 percent of the degree requirements in residency and earn at least 24 semester credit hours during the sophomore year.  Courses offered by *TN eCampus, formerly RODP/ROCC, must be taught by APSU instructors in order to be included in the program of study residency requirement.  Residency is defined as courses delivered and taught by APSU instructors.
  6. Transfer no more than 15 semester hours of credit earned at other institutions after the last semester of residence.
  7. Be admitted to APSU if transferring from other associate degree programs.
  8. Maintain an overall minimum grade-point average of at least a “C” (2.00) average in all courses.  Effective Summer 2015 and after, any coursework transferred to APSU, regardless of when it was earned, will not be included in the overall GPA calculation.  It will also not be included in the major or minor calculation.
  9. Completion of ENGL 1010 with minimum grade of “C.”
  10. Submit an application online for the associate degree through AP OneStop at onestop.apsu.edu by the published deadline.

*TN eCampus Consortial Courses

Formerly Regents Online Degree Program (RODP) and Regents Online Campus Collaborative (ROCC)

TN eCampus courses are offered in the institution’s Schedule of Classes, but instruction may be delivered by any of the institutions listed below.  Courses will appear on the transcript with the acronym of the delivery institution annotated at the beginning of the course title. 

Example:  ENGL 1010           C-ETSU: Composition I 

The C indicates it is a consortial course that was taught by East Tennessee State University.

Testing as a Degree Requirement

Unless otherwise provided for any individual program, no minimum score or level of achievement on senior assessments listed in the baccalaureate degree requirements is required for graduation. Participation in testing is a graduation requirement for all students, and a commitment to performing well is expected.

Common Bulletin Statement Regarding General Education


Effective Fall Semester 2004, each institution in the State University and Community College System of Tennessee share a common lower division general education core curriculum of forty-one (41) semester hours for baccalaureate degrees and the Associate of Science degrees. Lower division means 1000 and 2000 level courses. The courses comprising the general education curriculum are contained within the following subject categories.

APSU Recommended Courses for General Education Core


V Natural Sciences


Academic Regulations for Degree Completion


I. Application for Degree and Commencement: Participation

A. Application for degree must be filed with the Office of the Registrar no later than the date published in the University Calendar.

B. Application must be submitted online for the baccalaureate degree through AP OneStop at onestop.apsu.edu. The link to apply for graduation may also be found on your degree evaluation in Degree works.

C. Candidates may only participate in the commencement held at the end of the semester in which the requirements for the degree are completed.

II. Degree Evaluation

A. In preparation for graduation, students may Preliminary review coursework taken at APSU and any evaluated transfer work which is available in AP OneStop at onestop.apsu.edu.

B. To view, click on the Degree Works tile once logged in to AP OneStop.

III. Records Complete

A. All grades, undergraduate and graduate level, of “Incomplete (I), “In-progress” ” “In-progress (IP)” and “Not Recorded (NR)” must be removed for any degree to be conferred.

B. All evaluation of transfer credits must be completed

IV. Earning a Second Major or Concentration Under Same Bachelor Degree Earned at APSU

A. A student who has already been awarded an undergraduate degree at APSU may also earn a second major or concentration under the degree already awarded by meeting all of the requirements for that second major or concentration as shown in the current edition of the University Bulletin at the time of admission to the second major or concentration.

B. The completed second major or concentration will be added to the Transcript as a notation.

C. A second degree will not be awarded and a second diploma will not be issued.

D. Definition: The “degree” is the degree designation (such as a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, etc.).

E. As an illustration of a second undergraduate major under the same degree, a student who earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology can also complete the requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry; however only one Bachelor of Science degree will be awarded with majors in Biology and Chemistry.

1. In this illustration, the Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology will appear on the transcript as awarded and the additional major in Chemistry will be added as a transcript notation.

2. In this illustration, a second Bachelor of Science degree will not be awarded and a second diploma will not be issued.

F. As an illustration of a second concentration under the same undergraduate degree and major, a student who earned a Bachelor of Science in General Agriculture with a concentration in Agri-Business can also complete the requirements for a second concentration Agri-Science; however, only one Bachelor of Science degree will be awarded with a major in General Agriculture with a concentration in Agri-Business.

1. In this illustration, the Bachelor of Science with a major in General Agriculture with a concentration in Agri-Business will appear on the transcript as awarded and the additional concentration of Agri- Science will be added as a transcript notation.

2. In this illustration, a second Bachelor of Science degree will not be awarded and a second diploma will not be issued.

V. Earning Two Majors Under Different Degrees Simultaneously: Students who pursue double majors under different degree programs must comply with one of the following:

A. Before graduation, the student must complete a minimum of 150 hours of which 60 must be earned in courses numbered 3000-4999. Two degrees will be awarded.               

1. An illustration of this is a student can earn a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in English simultaneously. The Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts are considered two different degrees. Biology and English are two different majors.

2. In this illustration, two different degrees would be award and two different diplomas would be issued.

B. The student may elect to change one major to a minor. One degree will be awarded.

VI. Earning a Second Baccalaureate Degree From APSU: Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from APSU or any other regionally accredited college or university may subsequently earn a second baccalaureate degree from APSU if the following requirements are met:

A. Hold an earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or the equivalent of a baccalaureate degree from a foreign university as certified by an educational credential agency, including the History requirement as specified in the APSU General Education core;

B. Indicate second degree on the APSU Application for Admission submitted online to the Office of Admission or submitted online through AP OneStop. When applying as a second degree seeking student, the student must have previously earned a baccalaureate degree to pursue a second degree. (Please see the Academic Regulations for earning a second major or concentration under the same degree at APSU). Students who previously earned an Associate Degree are not considered seeking a second degree.

C. Submit all transcripts from previously attended regionally accredited institutions. Coursework that applies to the second degree must be reviewed. Majors with additional admission requirements may require a review of the entire transcript;

D. Seek Academic Advising. After reviewing the Degree Evaluation online in AP OneStop at onestop.apsu.edu, the student must arrange an appointment with the academic advisor in the department of the second major;

E. Complete an additional 30 hours of APSU credit; of which 24 of these hours must be earned in courses numbered 3000-4999, and meet the residency requirement of 25 percent of the overall degree requirements earned at APSU;

F. Complete, without exception, the requirements for the major and minor appropriate to the new degree (this requirement may be met by the major and minor of the curriculum for the first degree if appropriate for the second degree);

G. Transfer no more than 24 semester hours credit earned at other institutions after the last term in residence. Exceptions: Pre-professional programs.

H. Earn an overall GPA of 2.00. This GPA is calculated by using all course work transferred inn from a regionally accredited college or university prior to Summer 2015, transferred in from non-regionally accredited institutions prior to Summer 2015, and all course work completed at APSU. Transfer work accepted Summer 2015 and after will not be included in this GPA calculation.

I. Earn an overall GPA of 2.00 in all courses used to satisfy the requirements for major, concentration and minor. The GPA is calculated by using all course work transferred in from a regionally accredited college or university prior to Summer 2015, transfer work accepted from non-regionally accredited institutions prior to Summer 2015, and all course work completed at APSU. Transfer work accepted Summer 2015 and after will not be included in this GPA calculation.

J. Complete the requirements of the major or concentration required by the school or department in which the major or concentration resides. Any substitutions for a required course must be approved by the department chair or director of the school requiring the course in the major or minor.

K. As an illustration, a student who has earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Physics at the University of Texas can attend APSU, as a second degree seeking student, to earn a Bachelor in Arts with a major in Foreign Languages.

L. Students may not earn a second degree in a major previously earned at APSU.

1. Definition: The “degree” is the degree designation (such as a Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, etc.).

2. An illustration of this is a student who previously earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with the major of Communication with a concentration in Broadcast Media cannot return to APSU and earn an additional Bachelor of Arts degree with the major of Communication however the student could complete the requirements for a second concentration and have it annotated on the transcript as indicated above in IV.F.

3. In this illustration, the student could return and complete the requirements for an additional concentration in Sport Communication and a notation would be placed on the transcript for the additional concentration.

4.In this illustration, no additional degree would be awarded and no additional diploma would be awarded.

M. Students may not earn a second bachelor’s degree in APSU’s General Studies major either after previously earning a bachelor’s degree, regardless of where the degree was earned, or simultaneously with another bachelor’s degree.

1. Previously Earned Degree: As an illustration, a student who has previously earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Physics at the University of Texas cannot earn a Bachelor of Science degree in General Studies at APSU or

2. Simultaneously Earning a Degree: As an illustration, a student who is currently earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at APSU cannot simultaneously earn an APSU Bachelor of Science Degree in General Studies.

Requirements for Degrees in Absentia



A student may plan to complete three years of college coursework before transferring to a professional school, and be a candidate for the bachelor’s degree at APSU after the successful completion of the year’s coursework in the professional school, provided that the following is completed:


1. The candidate must submit a Degree in Absentia Plan to the Department Chair and receive approval: and this plan must be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar.

2. During the first year of enrollment in a professional program, the candidate must earn 120 or more credit hours, if the professional program grants undergraduate credit, when combined with professional school credits to satisfy APSU graduation requirements.  Should the professional program grant graduate level credit only, a minimum of 90 hours of undergraduate coursework toward the APSU bachelor’s degree will be required to earn the APSU bachelor’s degree and an additional 30 hours of graduate level work will be required to reach the minimum of 120 earned credit hours for the program of study.

3. Candidates transferring back graduate level credit from the professional program will be granted a maximum of 30 hours of transfer work to be utilized toward their Bachelor degree completion.

4. Candidates needing clinical internship credit register at APSU for a minimum of 15 hours of internship for those hospital programs generating 36 hours or less of credit applicable toward the degree in absentia (enrollment for these units shall be approved by the APSU clinical education coordinator).

5. The candidate must satisfy APSU GPA requirements and APSU departmental program requirements.  It is strongly recommended to review the APSU Undergraduate Bulletin for major and/or minor requirements to completely understand those unique requirements.

6. The candidate must complete a program of study at APSU that must include (a) the General Education core requirements for a degree, in addition to (b) an approved major, (c) at least 24 semester hours earned in courses within the major numbered 3000 or above, and (d) at least 25 percent of the course work in the program of study for an APSU Bachelor’s Degree must be earned at APSU (30 semester hours of credit).

7.  The professional school must be part of a regionally accredited institution.  Submit an application online for the baccalaureate degree through AP OneStop at onestop.apsu.edu by the published deadline.  The link to apply for graduation may also be found on your degree evaluation in Degree Works.

8. The candidate files an application for degree by the deadline as published.