Graduation Requirements – Universitywide

Click on a link to be taken to the entry below.

• Catalog of Entry
• Requirements
• OHIO BRICKS (General Education Requirements)
• Residency Requirements for Graduation
• In Absentia
• Earning a Second Degree
• Graduation Procedures

The undergraduate catalog is published for an academic year, which comprises fall through summer semesters. For example, the 2022-2023 academic year is fall 2022, spring 2023 and summer 2023. The catalog in effect for the term in which you first enroll in a degree program at Ohio University becomes your University and Major Program Catalog of Entry. This catalog defines the Universitywide and college-level academic requirements you must complete and academic policies you must follow for the next five years.

After five years from your enrollment in a degree program, your college may choose to update either or both catalogs as they pertain to the requirements for graduation. Offices responsible for enforcing other University policies, such as graduation with honor, for example, may apply to the current Universitywide policies to existing students after five years.

Either major or nonmajor requirement changes made necessary by altered or discontinued courses, or by requirements imposed by external accrediting or certification agencies will be resolved on an individual basis by the dean of your college. Whenever possible, new requirements will be implemented with a beginning class or upon the expiration of the appropriate time limit.

Ohio University has two sets of graduation requirements: Universitywide requirements, which all students must complete, and college–level requirements, which include the requirements for completing a major or minor. Universitywide requirements are discussed in this section. Specific college–level, department–level, and school–level requirements for majors and minors are explained under the appropriate college, department, or school listing. Universitywide graduation requirements stipulate:

• You must have a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit for a bachelor’s degree*, with all other requirements met. An associate’s degree requires a minimum of 60 semester hours.
• You must earn a minimum of 30 semester credit hours for a bachelor’s degree while enrolled at Ohio University, and you must earn a minimum of 50 percent of coursework taken to fulfill your major concentration, minor, or certificate requirements in residence. You must earn a minimum of 18 semester credit hours for an associate’s degree while enrolled at Ohio University, and you must earn a minimum of 50 percent of coursework taken to fulfill your major concentration, minor, or certificate requirements in residence. Your college may require more than 50 percent of Ohio University credit to fulfill a major concentration or have other additional residence requirements for a given program. Note: Associate of Technical Study requires a minimum of 18 semester credit hours while enrolled at Ohio University, but not the 50 percent of coursework taken to fulfill your major concentration.
• To complete requirements for two bachelor’s degrees, you must meet the requirements for both degrees and must have completed a total of 135 semester hours of college work, with a minimum of 45 semester hours of residence, or the equivalent, at Ohio University. When the two degrees are offered by different colleges, you must declare a major program in both colleges and meet the residence requirement.
• If you have met the requirements for two degrees, as stated above, and want to have the degrees conferred in successive semesters, you may do so without further credit or residence. For example, one degree may be conferred at the end of one semester and application made for the second degree in a subsequent semester.
• No more than six semester credit hours earned in developmental courses may be applied toward the total hours required for graduation. Developmental courses are identified by a “D” at the beginning of the course number.
• No more than 12 semester credit hours earned under the Pass/Fail grading option may be applied toward total hours required for graduation.
• No more than 30 semester credit hours earned in prior learning assessment (also referred to as portfolio-based assessment) may be applied toward a bachelor’s degree, and no more than 15 semester credit hours toward an associate’s degree. Successful completion of UC 2030 - Credit for Work Experience: Portfolio Development  is a requirement for prior learning assessment (also referred to as portfolio-based assessment).
• The University requires a minimum of 15 semester credit hours completed in the minor, and has no policy on the minimum requirements for a major. The specific requirements are determined by your major (and minor, if you have one) department/school and are included in this catalog.
• You must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 (C) on all hours attempted (including work taken at another institution, if you are a transfer student) and in the major or equivalent as determined by your college. Your college may have additional GPA requirements.
• All bachelor’s degree students (except Honors Tutorial College students) must complete Ohio University’s OHIO BRICKS (General Education) requirements. Associate’s degree students must complete a portion of OHIO BRICKS depending on the type of associate degree being completed.
• Certificates are for degree-seeking students (associate’s and bachelor’s) and provide a significant interdisciplinary academic experience intended to compliment the major, broaden career possibilities, or allow study in an area of interest from a variety of perspectives. Certificate programs require a minimum of 12 semester hours and specific requirements are included in this catalog. 

*Edited November 9, 2022, to remove exception to 120 semester hours for Honors Tutorial College degree programs.

Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS)

Students may view their DARS report through the Faculty & Advising Center. 

Your official Ohio University transcript lists all courses you have taken or are taking at Ohio University, the grades you have earned, and your official grade point average. These totals are used to determine graduation with honors, financial aid and scholarship eligibility, fees, and total hours earned at Ohio University.

Your DARS report shows how courses and grades apply to the graduation requirements for a given program. Most of the time the total hours attempted, hours earned, and grade point average displayed in the General Graduation requirements section of your DARS report will match those reported on your transcript. However, legitimate differences may exist. For example, some colleges place limits on credit hours from certain categories, such as the number of technical elective credits and number of hours with grades of “CR” (credit) that can count toward graduation. Also, there are limits on the total number of hours in developmental courses and the total number of hours with “P” (pass) grades. All of these are included in the total number of hours earned and reported on your transcript, but they might or might not count toward graduation requirements, depending on the program you are completing and other limitations. DARS reflects these idiosyncrasies for each individual program by counting only the hours and grades that are appropriate for a given program, giving you an accurate assessment of your progress toward completing graduation requirements.

Sometimes discrepancies can exist because students take courses they should not take (for example, MATH 1350 after passing MATH 2301 and MATH 2302). In this case, DARS deducts the credit and grade for MATH 1350, but MATH 1350 will still be listed on the transcript.

If you are thinking about changing your major, you may request a “What - If” DARS report from the Faculty & Advising Center mentioned above. This report will show how courses already completed will apply to the new major and what additional courses are needed to complete that program.

Although the DARS report provides a quantitative assessment of program requirements, it is intended to supplement the role of the academic advisor, who will help you with course selection and assist you in making informed decisions about a future career. If you have questions concerning the DARS report, please contact your college student services office or your regional campus student services office.

Like most universities, Ohio University requires that you be “in residence” for a certain number of credit hours in order to graduate. Some colleges have additional residency requirements, so check with your advisor or college student service’s office to make certain all requirements are being met.

Residence credit is defined as any credit earned by regular enrollment at Ohio University on the Athens campus or any regional campus or by Ohio University education abroad, any approved student teaching, online or distance education courses offered through eCampus, or any combination of these options.

Bachelor’s Degree

You must earn a minimum of 30 semester credit hours while enrolled at Ohio University; and you must earn a minimum of 50 percent of coursework taken to fulfill each of your major concentration, minor, or certificate requirements in residence with resident credit as defined above. A college may require more than 50 percent of Ohio University credit to fulfill a major concentration, minor, or certificate or have other additional residence requirements for a given program. A college may permit fewer than 50 percent of Ohio University credit to fulfill minor or certificate requirements for transfer credit approved in advance through education abroad programs in which a student participates while enrolled at Ohio University.

If you begin graduate study at Ohio University before completing all requirements for a bachelor’s degree, your residency requirement will be reduced by as many hours as credit hours of graduate work completed. The number of hours subtracted also will be credited toward the residency requirement for a master’s degree, if the credit is acceptable in the program approved for graduate work toward a degree. Residence credits used for meeting requirements for one or more bachelor’s degrees may not also be used for meeting the residency requirements for the graduate degree.

The residency requirements apply even if you have been approved for graduation in absentia and are completing your last year in an accredited institution, except that the regulations apply to residence before you leave the University. (See the In Absentia section below.)

Associate’s Degree (except Associate of Technical Study)

You must earn a minimum of 18 semester credit hours while enrolled at Ohio University; and you must earn a minimum of 50 percent of coursework taken to fulfill your major concentration in residence with resident credit as defined above. A college may require more than 50 percent of Ohio University credit to fulfill a major concentration or have other additional residence requirements for a given program.

Associate of Technical Study

You must earn a minimum of 18 semester credit hours while enrolled at Ohio University. The Associate of Technical Study program allows for courses of study from career technical schools not offered at Ohio University but which are approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education under Career-Technical Credit Transfer to be accepted as majors.

To be considered for in absentia status, you must obtain permission from the student services office of your college. If you have been approved for the senior–in absentia privilege, you must complete a full year’s work in an Ohio University–approved professional school and be eligible for advancement without condition to the second year to obtain your bachelor’s degree in absentia. In absentia programs involve preplanned curricula and cannot be arranged on an ad hoc basis. The in absentia privilege does not apply to graduate degree programs.

The official transcript from the school you attend must be submitted to Undergraduate Admissions, Ohio University, Chubb Hall 120, Athens, OH 45701, before the degree conferral date.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

If you plan to earn two bachelor’s degrees, you may meet the requirements either simultaneously or successively:

1. To complete requirements for two bachelor’s degrees, you must meet the requirements for both degrees and must have completed a total of 135 semester hours of college work, with a minimum of 45 semester hours of residence, or the equivalent, at Ohio University. When the two degrees are offered by different colleges, you must declare a major program in both colleges and meet the residence requirement of each major.
2. If you have met the requirements for two degrees, as stated above, and want to have the degrees conferred in successive semesters, you may do so without further credit or residence. For example, one degree may be conferred at the end of one semester and application made for the second degree in a subsequent semester.

Second Associate’s Degree

You cannot earn the same associate’s degree twice. Furthermore, you are not permitted to earn both the A.A. and A.S. degrees. If you have already earned the A.I.S. degree, you are not permitted to earn either the A.A. or A.S. degree. Although it is possible to complete an A.A.B. or A.A.S. degree with a double major, you can earn the degree only once. If an A.A. or A.S. has been completed previously, you will not be permitted to complete the A.I.S.

Associate’s Degree After a Bachelor’s Degree

Typically, the Associate in Individualized Studies degree is not an appropriate degree program for someone who previously has completed a bachelor’s degree. In special circumstances, a person who has completed a prior bachelor’s degree may petition the director of degree programs in University College to seek permission to complete the A.I.S. degree. The Associate in Arts or the Associate in Science degree will not be granted, if you have already earned a bachelor’s degree.

Application

Graduation is not automatic. To graduate and have your degree conferred you must apply for graduation. Candidates for graduation must make application and pay the application fee (non-OHIO Guarantee students only) no later than the deadline listed in the academic calendar for the semester in which graduation is planned. You can apply online at MyOHIO Student Center. Questions about applying for graduation should be directed to graduation@ohio.edu. This application initiates the process that informs your college to check for fulfillment of degree requirements. The process culminates with the entry of the college, major, minor, certificate, degree, and date of degree conferral on your permanent academic record. At the end of this process, your graduation grade point average and eligibility for honors are determined. They cannot be changed after graduation by completing additional coursework or retaking classes, although taking additional classes will affect your accumulative grade point average (GPA).

The application fee for all degrees is $50 for non-OHIO Guarantee students. If you fail to meet the requirements for graduation, you must reapply for the semester in which you plan to complete the requirements. Failure to reapply will result in you not graduating and your degree not being conferred. The fee for reapplication is $5. International students in F–1 or J–1 status are encouraged to see an advisor in International Student and Scholar Services during the semester in which they plan to graduate to discuss their immigration status.

Graduation with Honor

The GPA requirements for graduation with honor are: cum laude (with honor), 3.5 to 3.749; magna cum laude (with high honor), 3.75 to 3.899; and summa cum laude (with highest honor), 3.9 to 4.0. The Latin honors notation will appear on your diploma, transcript, and in the commencement program. Note: The commencement program honor notation for candidates is calculated based on your most recent accumulative GPA, approximately five weeks prior to the semester closing date. After grades are recorded, the final honor is determined and will appear on your transcript and diploma.

To be eligible for graduation with honor, you must complete a minimum of 30 hours of coursework with letter grades that affect your GPA in residence at Ohio University. Successful completion of a special honors program of study is noted in the commencement program and on your diploma. Graduation with honor applies only to bachelor’s degrees and does not apply to associate’s or graduate degrees.

Commencement Ceremonies

Commencement ceremonies are held at the end of fall and spring semesters.

If you are a candidate for spring semester graduation, or if you plan to complete your degree requirements at the end of the summer semester, you are eligible to attend spring commencement. In order to attend spring commencement, you must apply for graduation by the spring graduation application deadline.

If you are a candidate for fall semester graduation, or if you graduated summer semester, you are eligible to attend fall commencement. When you apply for graduation, please indicate your intent to attend commencement.

Commencement details will be sent to you after you have applied for graduation, provided you indicated your intention to attend the commencement ceremony when you submitted your graduation application.

Commencement information is available online at www.ohio.edu/commencement/. Direct any questions concerning commencement ceremonies to the Office of Event Services, 740.593.4020.

Transcripts

Degree-bearing transcripts will be available approximately four to six weeks after graduation. Transcripts may be ordered online, in person, by fax, or through the mail. If you wish your transcript(s) to indicate your recently conferred degree, you must specifically indicate this on your request. Please note that same day transcripts process immediately and may not include grades or degrees. If you are unsure if your degree has been conferred and you want your transcript to reflect degree conferral, please do not order a same day transcript. Transcripts will not be mailed for students with financial or other obligations to the University. If you have questions concerning your transcript, please contact the Office of the University Registrar, 740.593.4200 or transcripts@ohio.edu.

Diploma

At the conclusion of the semester, after grades are recorded, the college offering the degree for which you applied will review your degree audit report and academic record to determine whether you have completed all degree requirements. If you have completed all degree requirements your record will be updated to reflect the degree(s), minor(s), and certificate(s) earned. One diploma is printed for each degree completed and will be mailed to the address you provided on your application for graduation. This diploma is mailed approximately six - eight weeks after the semester ends. An email will be sent to your OHIO email address indicating when your diploma is mailed. If your diploma mailing address changes or you have questions concerning your diploma, please contact the Office of the University Registrar, 740.593.4196 or graduation@ohio.edu. Please note that your diploma will not be mailed if you have financial or other obligations to the University.

Once your diploma is mailed you will be eligible to purchase a Certified Electronic Diploma (CeDiploma). A CeDiploma is an official, highly secure electronic copy of your Ohio University diploma that may be downloaded and shared for a lifetime. There is additional information on the CeDiploma on our website, including a brief video.

If you have not received your diploma within eight weeks after the close of the semester, please contact us at 740.593.4196 or graduation@ohio.edu. A letter will be mailed to you if you have not met your degree requirements and a diploma is not being mailed. You must reapply for graduation in the semester in which you will complete your degree requirements.