General Requirements for Graduation
(Policy 2.16)
Hours Required. A minimum of 120 semester hours of academic credit is required for a Blue Mountain Christian University degree. Not more than twelve semester hours earned by independent study (correspondence) and not more than twelve semester hours earned by AP (Advanced Placement) will be accepted toward a degree. A maximum combined total of 30 semester hours of independent study (correspondence), CLEP (University Level Examination Program), and/or AP (Advanced Placement) can be applied toward a degree at the University.
Credits are measured in terms of semester hours. A semester hour represents one hour of recitation or lecture, or two hours of laboratory work a week for one semester of approximately fifteen weeks, or the equivalent.
Residence Hours Required. The University requires of each candidate for a degree a minimum residence of 32 weeks. Also, 25 percent of the total hours required for a degree must be earned in residence. Of a student's last 18 semester hours, 12 must be earned at the University except for those credits earned by students pursuing degrees awarded through collaborative academic arrangements.
Major and Minor Required. For a bachelor's degree the student must complete an approved major and minor, with the exception that certain comprehensive majors do not require a separate minor.
Minimum Elective Hours Required. The numbers of hours of electives varies with the degree selected; however, a minimum of three semester hours of elective academic credit must be chosen from a discipline outside the degree candidate's major or minor.
Required GPA: Overall and Major. A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.00 (“C”) based on hours attempted, excluding repeated courses is required of all students. (NOTE: Students seeking teacher licensure must maintain a 2.75 GPA.)
A grade point average of 2.00 (“C”) based on hours attempted on all courses in the major, excluding repeated courses, is required for all students. (NOTE: Students seeking teacher licensure must maintain a 2.75 GPA in their major course work.)
All courses required in a major are included in calculating a student’s GPA in the major. If a major requires courses from a discipline outside the major emphasis, these courses are included in the calculation of the GPA in the major.
The GPA for students in the BSN degree program will include all course attempts in calculating the GPA
Chapel Attendance. Chapel attendance is required and no student may graduate with a grade of Failure (F) in Chapel.
Freshman Year Seminar.To graduate with a baccalaureate degree, a student who enters as a freshman must earn 1-hour academic credit from successful completion of the Freshman Year Seminar course.
Proficiency Exams:
Junior English Proficiency:To graduate with a baccalaureate degree, all students must demonstrate proficiency in the use of the English language.
Mathematics Proficiency: To graduate with a baccalaureate degree, all students must demonstrate proficiency in basic mathematical calculations.
Core Curriculum Proficiency Exam: All degree-seeking students must complete the ETS Proficiency Profile (which carries no credit) during the fall semester of the junior year. Students must make the minimum score to graduate from Blue Mountain Christian University.
Junior/Senior Level Courses. A minimum of 40 semester hours of credit in 300- and 400- level courses are required for a degree at the University. Twenty-four of these semester hours must be earned at the University. A minimum of 12 semester hours of 300- and 400-level major course work is required for a degree of which six must be earned at the University. A minimum of six semester hours of 300- and 400-level minor course work is required for a degree of which three must be earned at the University.
Degree Audits.Each degree-seeking student, with assistance from her/his academic advisor, should maintain a careful check of progress toward her/his degree goal. Progress may be tracked through degree audits.
The junior-year degree audit. Each student must request a degree audit from the Office of the Registrar upon attaining junior standing (60 semester hours). This degree audit shows hours and quality points earned and outlines those courses and the number of credit hours still to be taken. The student and his/her advisor should update this degree audit each semester.
The final graduation degree audit. The Registrar, early in a student's first semester of his/her senior year, will conduct a degree conference with each candidate for degree. Following this conference and prior to the student's last semester of enrollment, the Registrar will complete a final degree audit.
Application for Degree. An application for degree must be filed with the Office of the Registrar early in a student’s first semester of his senior year. All tuition and fees, including an assessed graduation fee, must be paid before a candidate for degree is awarded a diploma.
Attendance at Graduation. Only degrees earned through distance learning may be conferred in absentia. (Participation in graduation by students earning a degree through distance learning is optional.) All other undergraduate candidates for degrees are required to participate in the commencement program. May and July/August degree candidates march in May of the degree year. Students completing degree requirements in December will march the following May unless a December commencement is scheduled. Exceptions to participating in the commencement program are rare and only with the approval of the Provost/Vice President.
Graduation with Honors. Students completing the requirement for baccalaureate degrees with exceptional scholastic averages may graduate with honors. The honors designations are as follows:
summa cum laude 3.90 to 4.00
magna cum laude 3.80 to 3.89
cum laude 3.60 to 3.79
To be eligible for honors, a student must have earned the required grade point average on all hours attempted and on cumulative Blue Mountain Christian University hours attempted. These academic honors are announced in the commencement ceremony and recorded on the academic transcript.