Graduation and General Degree Requirements

APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION
Students fulfilling requirements for a UWF associate, bachelor's, master's, or specialist degree must submit an "Application for Graduation" to their major departments by the application deadline stated in the Academic Calendar. Doctoral students apply for graduation the semester prior to the dissertation defense. Students completing the requirements for a minor must submit an "Application for Completion of Minor" to the minor departments.

Degree graduation forms are available within the academic departments. A.A. degree graduation forms are available in the University Advising Center.

All grade changes and transfer transcripts must be received in the Office of the Registrar no later than three weeks after the last day of classes of the graduation semester.

Retroactive graduation to a prior semester will not be approved.

SUBSTITUTION OF GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Students with documented visual impairments, hearing impairments, motor impairments, or specific learning disabilities may petition for substitution of degree requirements provided such substitutions do not significantly alter the nature of the program in which the student is enrolled. For more information about the University's degree requirement substitution policy, contact the college dean of the program for major requirements; for General Studies and Gordon Rule requirements, contact the Associate Dean, College of Arts and Social Sciences; and for University requirements, contact Enrollment Services.

COMMENCEMENT
Commencement ceremonies at UWF are held twice a year, Fall and Spring. Summer graduates can participate in the preceding spring or the following fall ceremony. Students submitting an Application for Graduation will automatically receive information regarding the ceremonies. This information will be mailed to the students during the semester in which they should participate. If information is not received, students should contact the Commencement Marshal or the Office of the Registrar.

BACCALAUREATE HONORS
The University will confer baccalaureate honors recognition on those students whose catalog year is 1991 or later who have earned:

  1. at least 40 semester hours of graded work at UWF. This policy excludes all courses with grades of "P" or "S." Grades of "WF," "F," or "U" are not earned hours but are included in the GPA;
  2. at least a 3.5 GPA on all work attempted at UWF; and
  3. at least a 3.5 GPA on all work attempted, including UWF and all other institutions. The GPA used for honors will be no higher than the UWF cumulative GPA.
The following minimum GPAs are required for graduation honors:
Cum Laude 3.50
Magna Cum Laude 3.70
Summa Cum Laude 3.90

Students with catalog years prior to 1991 should consult the respective catalogs for baccalaureate honors requirements.

Previous recognition on the President's or Dean's Honor Rolls does not insure baccalaureate honors at graduation.

UWF does not have a graduation honors program for graduate and doctoral students.

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The A.A. degree is available to students who have:

  1. satisfied the requirements of UWF's General Studies requirements;
  2. completed at least 60 semester hours of course work;
  3. completed at least 30 semester hours of those 60 semester hours in residence at UWF. Eighteen semester hours of the 30 semester hours in residence must be taken from the list of UWF General Studies courses (contact the University Advising Center for details);
  4. fulfilled the requirements of the Gordon Rule;
  5. successfully satisfied the CLAST requirement;
  6. have a UWF cumulative GPA of at least 2.0; and
  7. completion of the admissions foreign language requirement.
Students who meet these requirements do not automatically receive the A.A. degree. Students must apply for the degree in the University Advising Center (see academic calendar for submission deadlines). The A.A. degree will not be awarded in the same semester that the baccalaureate degree is awarded or in any semester following the completion of the baccalaureate degree.

BACHELOR'S DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Academic Requirements
Minimum requirements for a bachelor's degree from UWF are listed below. The colleges and departments may have requirements which exceed these minimums. Please consult the individual departments for details.

  1. 120 semester hours in an approved program;
  2. UWF cumulative 2.0 GPA with a major GPA of 2.0 (departments may set a minimum grade requirement in each course and limited access programs may require higher minimum major GPAs);
  3. 48 semester hours in upper-level course work;
  4. 30 semester hours residency requirement;
  5. 24 semester hours of upper-level work in the major field with a minimum of 18 upper-level semester hours in the major field at UWF;
  6. Fulfillment of College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) requirement;
  7. Fulfillment of Gordon Rule;
  8. Completion of all general studies requirements (general studies, core, or general education as appropriate;
  9. Completion of all program specific lower division common prerequisites;
  10. Completion of the admissions foreign language requirement;
  11. Completion of the college writing skills requirement; and
  12. Nine hours of summer semester enrollment at an SUS institution (students who entered UWF with less than 60 semester hours).
Additional Bachelor's Degrees
Students holding bachelor's degrees from a regionally accredited institution, including UWF, may qualify for additional bachelor's degrees by completing the following requirements:
  1. 30 semester hours in an approved undergraduate program at UWF after completing the requirements for the previous bachelor's degree. Students who have completed the first degree at UWF, but were not simultaneously enrolled in a second major, must complete 30 semester hours of an approved program after completing the previous bachelor's degree. Of these, 18 semester hours must be completed at UWF; and
  2. meet all departmental requirements for the additional bachelor's degree.
Students earning UWF bachelor's degrees may work on two programs simultaneously and receive two degrees. These students must:
  1. file necessary paperwork to declare both majors at least one year before the first degree is awarded,
  2. complete all department and University requirements,
  3. complete a minimum of 150 semester hours before the second degree is awarded, and
  4. complete graduation applications for each degree.
MASTER'S DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Academic Credit
Academic credit toward the degree shall not be given for courses which are designed to fulfill prerequisites for admission.

Academic Requirements
The following are the general minimum requirements for completion of graduate programs. The colleges and departments may have graduation requirements which exceed these minima. Consult the individual program descriptions in this Catalog. Completion of the program should require one to two years of full-time study or its equivalent beyond the bachelor's degree.

All master's programs require a minimum of 30 semester hours of approved course work. Students whose master's program consists of 30 to 36 semester hours may have a maximum of six semester hours or two courses (whichever is greater in credit) of graduate work at another university accepted toward their program requirements at UWF. The department chairperson's permission is required. Students whose master's program consists of more than 36 semester hours may have a maximum of 10 semester hours of graduate work from another university accepted toward their program requirements at UWF. Graduate credit may be transferred from other institutions when a grade of "B" or higher was earned.

At least 15 semester hours must be in courses at the 6000 level or above.

Effective with catalog year 1992, a graduate program may include nine semester hours (or three courses, whichever is greater in credit) of undergraduate level course work, directed study, and/or graduate level dual-listed courses. These nine semester hours may be chosen from the following two groups of courses:

  1. Six semester hours (or two courses, whichever is greater in credit) of upper-division undergraduate level (3000-4000) and dual-listed graduate level (concurrently offered at the undergraduate level) course work may be chosen from the following three types of courses:
    1. Upper-division undergraduate courses not annotated for graduate credit (included in graduate program without additional work for graduate credit);
    2. Upper-division undergraduate courses annotated for graduate credit (included in graduate program and student does additional work to receive graduate credit); and
    3. Graduate level courses dual-listed during the semester in which the course is attempted.
  2. Six semester hours (or two courses whichever is greater in credit) of graduate level directed study course work.
Advancement to Candidacy
Advancement to candidacy may be required by some departments. This is a separate step from admission to graduate studies. Students are responsible for determining the requirements in each area of study by consulting with the department chairpersons.

Comprehensive or General Examination
Most departments require a written and/or oral general examination. The examination may be an initial diagnostic or a final comprehensive examination over the student's fields of study. Students must pass any examination required by the department to be recommended for a graduate degree.

Credit by Proficiency Examination
At the request of a department and with the approval of the college dean, a student may be permitted to take six semester hours or two courses (whichever is greater in credit) of graduate-level credit by examination. Additional requirements are the same as those for undergraduates.

GPA Requirements
A student must satisfy the UWF GPA requirement of 3.0 based upon grades for all courses included in the initial and approved degree plan and grades for all courses included in subsequent revisions. No grade for a course taken as part of an approved graduate degree program may be deleted from the GPA. Individual programs may set more stringent GPA requirements.

The UWF academic transcript, the student academic record, and grade report do not reflect the degree program GPA. These records indicate a GPA of all UWF graduate level courses with the exception of those included in a UWF baccalaureate degree.

Non Degree-Seeking Student Status
Graduate students who wish to change to non degree-seeking status will complete the appropriate form in the Office of the Registrar for approval by the advisor and department chairperson.

Recency of Credit
To assure currency of knowledge, course work creditable toward a master's degree must be taken no more than five years before or five years after the date of admission to the program or students must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the departmental faculty, currency of knowledge in each of the areas of lapsed course work. Individual programs may set more stringent requirements.

Requirements for Second Master's Degree
Academic departments will not be permitted to offer more than one master's degree without Board of Regents approval for the additional degree(s).

  1. Graduate students may be candidates for two master's degrees at UWF.
  2. Candidacy in two separate master's programs may be held in overlapping time periods.
  3. Candidates so enrolled must meet conditions of graduate status stipulated by both departments.
  4. Since a master's degree represents a level of attainment, some (or all) courses included in one graduate program may be used by another department to satisfy the formal requirements for a second graduate degree. A minimum of 18 semester hours of study must be taken for the second graduate degree which were not a part of the program of study for the first graduate degree.
These stipulations do not apply to specializations within a specific degree program.

Residency Requirement
UWF residency requirements must be satisfied; however, the department offering the program may require additional residency.

Thesis Requirement
Students should consult the current Catalog for the special requirements of the individual program to determine whether a thesis or alternative is required. A maximum of 6 semester hours of credit may be applied toward a master's or specialist degree for successful completion of a thesis. Upon completion of 6 semester hours of thesis credit, graduate students (with catalog year of Fall 1993 or later) who continue thesis work must register for at least 1 semester hour of credit each semester thereafter until the thesis is submitted and accepted.

Theses are to be prepared in accordance with the specifications given in the "Thesis Guide" prepared by and available in the Office of the Vice Provost. Theses must be submitted to the college dean not later than four weeks before the last day of classes of the semester in which the degree is to be awarded (see academic calendar for deadlines).

Students must provide a copy of the thesis to the University library. A thesis grade of "G" (deferred) will be given until the thesis has been approved.

Tool of Research Requirement
Although the University has no general research tool requirement, some departments expect demonstrated competence in a research tool, such as statistics or a foreign language. Students should refer to the appropriate department to ascertain whether a research tool is required.

SPECIALIST DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for an Ed.S. degree, students must meet the following requirements:

  1. be admitted to the program;
  2. submit an approved degree plan which includes at least 36 semester hours;
  3. have completed at least 15 semester hours of course work at the 7000 level; at least nine semester hours of all course work in the curriculum and instruction specialist program must be of 7000 level. The remainder will be at the 5000-6000 level except when specific waivers have been obtained;
  4. complete degree requirements within seven years from the date of admission;
  5. be recommended for graduation by the departmental chairperson.
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
For detailed information, refer to the Policies and Procedures Manual available in the College of Education Graduate Office. To be eligible for an Ed.D. degree, a student must meet the following requirements:
  1. be admitted to the program by the Ed.D. Program Committee and Dean;
  2. complete an approved degree plan of a minimum of 62 semester hours. No more than 10 semester hours earned within five years of the date of admission to the specific institution may be transferred from another institution;
  3. complete the residency requirement of:
    1. 24 semester hours in four or fewer sequential terms including summers and dissertation semester hours or complete two years of active status. Students withdrawing from all courses within a given semester may not count that semester in fulfilling the residency requirement;
      or
    2. complete full-time status requirement of a minimum of nine graduate semester hours for fall and spring semesters and six graduate semester hours of summer semester;
      or
    3. complete the required active status for at least 3/3/6 semester hour combination for fall, spring, and summer semesters, or for six semester hours in two or three semesters within a given year;
  4. complete the minimum eight-hour Preliminary Examination during the specified time frame;
  5. complete all requirements to advance to candidacy;
  6. complete a minimum of 18 semester hours of dissertation credit with continuous registration of at least three semester hours each semester including summer. The maximum number of hours of registration may not exceed six semester hours within a single semester. Students not completing the dissertation after registering for 18 semester hours of credit must register for one dissertation hour for each subsequent semester until completion within the seven year period;
  7. have maintained a minimum cumulative program GPA of 3.25 with no grades of "C+" in major courses and no grades of "D" or "F" counted toward the degree. Specialization areas may have additional requirements regarding acceptable letter grades for major courses that are counted in the degree program;
  8. uccessfully complete and orally defend a dissertation;
  9. be recommended for graduation by the doctoral committee, departmental chairperson, and the College of Education Graduate Office;
  10. complete degree requirements within seven years after the date of admission.

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Adrienne Turner
Enrollment Services
July 1998