Catalog Requirements

Students may graduate under the catalog requirements for the year in which they are first enrolled, provided they complete graduation requirements within a continuous period of no more than 10-years. If a student withdraws or is withdrawn for any reason from the University and is subsequently readmitted after an absence of two or more semesters, re-admittance will be governed by the catalog current at the time of readmission. Any exceptions to the policy must have prior approval from the Provost. Students should obtain and keep a copy of the catalog under which they enter or are readmitted. Students may also elect to follow any subsequent catalog.

Institutional Requirements for all Baccalaureate Degrees

1. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit with an earned grade point average of 2.000 for all CSU Pueblo hours attempted and included in the GPA computation. Courses numbered below the 100-level cannot be applied toward graduation; (i.e. ENG 099, MATH 091, 098, 099, RDG 099).
2. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 40 credit hours in upper-division courses (numbered 300-499). Upper division credit may be earned only through a four-year institution.
3. A minimum of 56 semester hours must be earned from a four-year institution. Programs utilizing Escrow Credit may substitute credits from a 2-year institution to count towards this requirement. See individual programs and Escrow Credit policy for addition information.
4. A minimum of 30 semester hours of credit (as stated in the program of the major) must be earned in residence (courses taken from Colorado State University Pueblo) with a minimum grade point average of 2.000 for all resident hours attempted. (Both on-campus and extended studies for-credit courses are considered resident credit.)
5. For degree purposes, CSU Pueblo accepts a maximum of 64 semester hours from community or junior colleges.
6. For degree purposes, CSU Pueblo accepts a maximum of 90 semester hours from other four-year institutions.
7. Of the last 60 semester hours earned immediately preceding graduation, no more than 30 may be completed at other colleges or universities. Note: Some professional programs may be exempted from this policy. See specific program requirements for transfer exceptions.
8. For degree purposes, CSU Pueblo accepts no more than 90 credits in total through transfer or other assessment of prior learning.
9. Students must successfully complete the requirements for an approved major program. Some major programs may require completion of a minor or specific related courses outside the major field.
10. Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in their major field of study. (Some majors and programs require higher GPAs. Refer to specific program sections of this catalog for details.)
11. Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.000 in their minor field of study.
12. Students must complete the Skills Component (English Composition I and II, and Mathematics) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.000.
13. Students must satisfactorily complete all general education requirements as defined and explained in the General Education Requirements section of the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
14. Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree must satisfy the world language requirement.
15. Degree candidates must file a completed Graduation Contract with the Registrar’s Office no later than the 4^th week of fall and spring semester and no later than the 3^rd week of the 12 week summer session of graduating term (check Semester Notes on-line or with the Registrar’s Office for specific deadlines).
16. Degrees are issued only at the close of each semester and summer session.
17. Degrees will be granted at the end of the term during which the student completes all degree requirements. Degrees cannot be granted if the student has outstanding grades (NG) or incomplete grades (I). 
18. Additional majors, emphasis areas, or minors will not be awarded or posted to a transcript after a baccalaureate degree has been granted.
19. Once a baccalaureate degree has been awarded, the student cannot repeat courses in order to improve the undergraduate grade point average.
20. All accounts with Colorado State University Pueblo must be settled before a diploma will be awarded or official transcripts will be issued.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the baccalaureate degree must satisfy institutional and general education requirements, as well as specific requirements for a major.

Bachelor of Arts Degree: World Language Requirement

Students seeking the degree of Bachelor of Arts must complete one of the three options listed below:

1. Second level of a world language (course number 102).
   • Students may test out of the course.
   • Completion of a world language course above 102 with a grade of C or better will satisfy the requirement.
2. Second level of ASL (course number 102).
   • Students may test out of the course.
   • Completion of an ASL course above 102 with a grade of C or better will satisfy the requirement.
3. WL 100 Intro to Comparative Linguistics (3 c.h.)s, and ANTHR 106 Language, Thought and Culture (3 c.h.)/ENG 106 Language, Thought and Culture (3 c.h.).

International students for whom English is a second language may substitute two terms of English courses (excluding ENG 101 Composition I (3 c.h.) and ENG 102 Composition II (3 c.h.)) for the world language requirement.

Because of the unique use of world languages in musical contexts (vocal repertoire in particular), students earning the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music may, in consultation with their advisor, complete the BA degree World Language Requirement with two 101-level World Language courses, chosen from Italian, German, French and Spanish.

Major Requirements

A baccalaureate candidate must select a major and successfully complete all requirements prior to receiving a degree. The minimum number of required semester hours varies by major but must include a departmentally approved program of at least 30 semester hours of course work in the program of study.

Emphasis Area/Track/Specialization/Concentration

Certain programs of study may specify emphasis areas, tracks, specializations or concentrations within majors. Only the official emphasis areas will be recorded on the transcript. Neither emphasis areas, nor tracks, nor specializations nor concentrations are printed on the diploma.

Double (Second) Major Requirements

Students may choose to complete concurrently the requirements for two majors. Students seeking a double major must satisfy the requirements of both majors as stated by both departments involved under a single degree program. The single degree awarded is that degree appropriate for the first major. A single diploma is issued which displays both majors and both majors are recorded on the student’s academic transcript.

Minor Requirements

Minors consist of a sequence of courses in a specific academic discipline which is established by the department offering the minor.  A minor cannot be completed independently and must be completed simultaneously with a major degree program.  Additionally, minors must be declared before degree conferral.  General education courses can apply towards the minor and major(s) unless otherwise stated. Upon graduation, completed majors and minors are recorded on the transcript. Minors are not printed on the diploma.

Double (Concurrent) Degrees

Students may choose to complete concurrently the requirements for two CSU Pueblo degrees. The second degree must be granted in a major area other than that in which the first baccalaureate degree is granted, and both degrees must be granted from CSU Pueblo. The additional credits required for the second degree may be completed concurrently with the credits applying to the first degree and the two degrees may be granted simultaneously, providing all requirements are completed for both degrees. The total hour requirement is 150 earned hours.

Simultaneous degrees require two separately completed graduation contacts. Successful completion of concurrent degrees will result in two diplomas and both degrees are recorded on the student’s academic transcript. For students wishing to complete more than two degrees simultaneously, a minimum of 30 additional credits is required for each additional degree.

Degree Plus (Second Baccalaureate Degree)

A second baccalaureate degree may be granted in a major area other than that in which the first baccalaureate degree was granted provided the student has met all requirements for the second baccalaureate degree, including not fewer than 30 semester hours of Colorado State University Pueblo (resident) credit beyond the first degree. Students must complete those 30 semester hours with a minimum grade point average of 2.000 while in Degree Plus status. The additional 30 hours of credit must have the approval of the department from which the second degree is to be earned. Students seeking a second degree are eligible for the Deans’ List.

Degree-plus students seeking a second baccalaureate degree are eligible for scholastic honors. To qualify for graduation with honors, a minimum of 60 semester credits must be completed with CSU Pueblo after the first degree(s) are conferred. In determining the grade point average of a student, only grades earned after the first degree(s) are considered.

The general education and institutional requirements are considered complete if the student has earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, and is accepted to the University as a degree-plus student. Prior credit earned will not be posted to the CSU Pueblo transcript; however, each department may internally consider approving prior credit earned toward certain requirements.

Joint (3+2) Undergraduate & Graduate Degrees (Integrated & Non-Integrated)

CSU Pueblo offers several programs in which well-prepared undergraduate students may complete a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree simultaneously. Students may apply to a 3+2 graduate program upon successful completion of at least 60 credits. If accepted into the 3+2 graduate program, students will have the opportunity to fulfill integrated requirements toward both undergraduate and graduate degrees. A maximum of 12 required graduate credits may be applied simultaneously to both the declared undergraduate and graduate degree programs, except for programs requiring completion of more than 138 total hours. All graduate degree course requirements must be completed. Completion of a 3+2 degree program requires a minimum of 138 total credits. However individual degree programs may require more than 138 credits to satisfy the unique discipline requirements.Once admitted to the 3+2 degree program:

• The student must maintain good academic standing for both undergraduate and graduate programs. To remain in good standing, a student’s cumulative and graduate GPA must remain at a 3.00 or better. The graduate GPA will be determined from all approved coursework attempted at the 500 level or above.
• Courses at the 500-level or above completed six or more years before the date of graduation, either at CSU Pueblo or another institution, will not be accepted as satisfying graduation requirements without written approval of the student’s graduate program director/coordinator.
• Courses at the undergraduate level (100-499) may be eligible to be repeated for academic credit.  Please see the Repeating Courses for Academic Credit section of the catalog for more details.
• Courses at the 500-level or above may be repeated for a maximum of six semester hours of graduate credit.  When a graduate level course is repeated, both the subsequent grade and the original grade are included in the grade point average.
• 3+2 students are required to be continuously registered in the fall and spring semester throughout their degree program.  Students may fulfill this requirement by being registered for a credit-bearing course.  As an alternative, students may opt for a Continuous Registration (CR) status.  Please see the Continuous Registration section of the catalog for more details.  
• Students not maintaining graduate academic standards, or who choose to opt out of the 3+2 program may complete the declared undergraduate degree. Consult with program director and undergraduate advisor for assistance.
• 3+2 students are eligible for graduation with undergraduate university scholastic honors.

Institutional Requirements for all Certificate Programs

A certificate program is a focused program of study requiring a minimum of 9 credits. Completed certificate programs will appear on official transcripts and students will receive a printed certificate.  Each certificate program at the University has specific completion requirements, which must be met prior to the certificate being awarded. In addition, students must fulfill the following requirements for completion.

1. Students must be admitted to the University to be awarded a certificate.
2. Students must have a CSU Pueblo cumulative certificate program GPA of 2.00 or better at the time the certificate is awarded, unless stated otherwise within the specific certificate program.
3. Students must complete the certificate program’s minimum number of hours of approved coursework.
4. A minimum of 50% of the credits in a certificate program must be earned in residence at CSU Pueblo, unless otherwise specified by the program. Students must submit a Certificate Contract signed by the student’s advisor during the semester term in which completion is to occur. The deadline for submission is published in the University Catalog, Semester Notes, and Academic Calendar.
5. If students are completing a graduate certificate program, they must provide proof of an undergraduate degree.
6. Successful completion of the course(s) within an undergraduate or graduate certificate program or the award of a certificate does not guarantee admission to an associated degree program.
7. Credits earned within a certificate program can be used toward a degree unless otherwise stated within the degree program.
8. If a student is pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree, a certificate may be conferred independently of their degree program.
9. Certificate candidates must complete and submit the Certificate Conferral Contract to the Registrar's Office within the term they would like their certificate conferred. All certificate conferals will be processed at the end of the semester in conjunction with degree conferrals. For contract due dates, please reference the contract form.