GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

 

Summary

A candidate for a degree must complete the following:

  1. Complete one of the curricula as outlined in the catalog, including demonstrated proficiency in English and mathematics as mandated by the Louisiana Board of Regents.
  2. Have a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.0 (C) on all course work, on all work attempted at Southeastern, and on all work in his/her major field.1 OR
  3. Have a minimum Degree Grade Point Average of 2.0 (C) on all course work applicable to the student's curriculum; on all required course work in the major field; and on Southeastern course work applicable to the student's curriculum.1 Certain curricula as noted in the college and departmental sections of this catalog have higher requirements.
  4. Earn the semester hours listed below at Southeastern Louisiana University. No time limitation in years or weeks will be set.
      • Candidate for a Baccalaureate Degree
        • At least one-half of the hours required in the major field or fields
        • At least 25% of semester credit hours required for the degree must be earned at Southeastern
          Work taken through correspondence courses, credit examination or military experience may not be used to satisfy these requirements.
      • Candidates for the Associate Degree
        • At least one-half of the hours required in the major field or fields*
        • At least 25% of credit semester hours must be earned at Southeastern
  5. Clear all University accounts.
  6. Comply with the deadline for application for graduation.
    Applying for graduation is a two-step process that includes paying the diploma fee to the Controller's Office and completing the application for graduation. If a potential graduate does not complete all steps of the graduation process by the appropriate deadline, the student will not be allowed to graduate in that semester.
    Potential graduates for Spring must complete the graduation application process no later than February 15.
    Potential graduates for Summer must complete the graduation application process no later than June 15.
    Potential graduates for Fall must complete the graduation application process no later than September 15.
    If the deadline falls on a University non-business day, the deadline will become the next University business day.
    After the student completes the graduation application process, Enrollment Services will then post the application data to the student's record and forward the application and any accompanying documentation to the academic dean.
    For a complete outline of graduation application fees, please see "Graduation Fees" under the Fees and Expenses section in this catalog.
  7. Complete the exit survey administered though Institutional Research.
  8. Students in teacher education programs, see the Requirements for Student Teaching Residency and additional College of Education graduation requirements found in this catalog.

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1See Scholastic Ratings in this catalog, for explanation of calculation of grade point averages. The symbol "" on each curriculum sheet identifies courses that are used in computing the major grade point average.
*Credit awarded for successful completion of academic work undertaken at another college or university may be used to fulfill these requirements provided that the student is a candidate for a degree at Southeastern and has obtained the prior written approval of the appropriate department head and dean before undertaking the academic work at another institution.

 

Candidate for a Second Baccalaureate Degree, Double Degree, Double Major, Minor

Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from Southeastern or from a regionally accredited institution other than Southeastern may earn a second baccalaureate degree by completing thirty semester hours at Southeastern in addition to the requirements for the first degree and meeting all other requirements for the second degree. If the first degree is from Southeastern it is not necessary that the thirty hours be subsequent to the first degree.

Students who wish to pursue two baccalaureate degrees simultaneously at Southeastern must complete thirty semester hours in addition to the requirements for the first degree and complete all requirements for both degrees. Students completing two baccalaureate degree programs at Southeastern must file a graduation application for each and pay the diploma fee for each by the scheduled deadline.

If students choose to earn two majors or a major and minor they must be earned simultaneously. This can be accomplished by completing all requirements for both majors or by completing all requirements for the major and minor simultaneously. When earning two majors students must designate a primary major, a secondary major and indicate on the graduation application the second major. Students will only earn the degree associated with the primary major. The second major or the minor will be entered on the transcript. Students may not earn a second major after graduating with a first major and degree unless they earn a second degree (30 additional hours). Students may not earn a minor with an Associate Degree or without simultaneously earning a baccalaureate degree.

Provided there is not a break of one calendar year or more in Southeastern attendance, students may meet requirements for the second major or minor according to any catalog in effect during enrollment for seven years prior to receiving the second degree, major, or minor.

There are special requirements regarding the General Studies Program and the College of Education. For further information, General Studies and Education majors should contact their director/department head. If a student wishes to earn more than one baccalaureate degree, one of which is a Bachelor of General Studies, the major concentration group in the General Studies degree cannot contain courses in the same subject as the major of any other baccalaureate degree earned or to be earned.

To initiate the Double Degree/Double Major process students should secure a form from their primary department.

 

Credit Toward the Degree

Some courses are very similar in content to other courses. When a student takes two or more courses that have similar content, only one of the courses can be used toward the degree. Although the other course(s) cannot be used to satisfy a specific course requirement in the degree, all courses and grades will appear on the transcript and will be used in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. In the calculation of the degree grade point average, however, since only the courses applicable to the student's curriculum are used, the other course(s) will not be included in the degree grade point average.

Descriptions of affected courses contain a phrase such as, "Credit toward the degree will not be granted for...". Students should read the course descriptions in the Course Description section in the back of the catalog, or consult with their academic department if there are questions about whether or not credit for a course will be applied toward the degree.

 

Participation in Student Assessment Activities

Since 1987, Southeastern Louisiana University has focused on outcomes assessment as one of the key components of our commitment to excellence. Considerable effort has been focused on refining and implementing a comprehensive, effective, and efficient assessment program to determine the extent to which students' learning needs are met. Assessments may consist of activities such as standardized tests, computerized exit surveys, paper-and-pencil questionnaires, exit interviews, and other means. Although not all students complete the same set of assessment activities, all students will be asked to participate at some points in their academic careers. Since student involvement is critical to the success of outcomes assessment, student participation in assessment activities is both necessary and required.

 

Graduation Under a Particular catalog

A student may meet degree requirements as stated in any catalog in effect during the years of enrollment provided:

  1. The student has not changed his/her major.
  2. There is not a break of one calendar year or more in attending Southeastern.
  3. Seven years have not elapsed since entering the major.

A student who changes his or her major, or declares a second major, or does not attend Southeastern for one calendar year or longer, must meet the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of change of major, or declaration of a second major, or re-entry—or any catalog in effect between that time and that student's graduation. The student may declare a second major in any semester prior to graduation, including the semester of graduation. At no time may a student use a catalog in effect prior to the change in major, or declaration of a second major, or re-entry. The catalog year begins on June 1 each calendar year.

These academic regulations and degree requirements are subject to revision at any time to accommodate changes in Board policies, occupational and licensure requirements, and other situations involving the quality of the program.

 

Conferring of Degrees

Eligibility for honors is based on the criteria outlined in the University's current catalog. This may not be the catalog the student is following for curriculum purposes. Students who have done superior work at Southeastern Louisiana University will be recognized in accordance with the following rules.

Honors before Graduation

Semester Hours
At the end of each semester, academic semester honors will be issued to all full-time undergraduate students who earn 12 or more semester hours in the Fall or Spring (6 or more in the Summer) with grades of A, B, or C and a semester grade point average of 3.000 or better. Students who receive grades of D, F, U, or I in the given semester are not eligible for the honors. When an I grade is changed to a regular grade, students may qualify for honors at that time. Students who are enrolled in fewer than 12 hours in the fall or spring (6 hours in the Summer) but are classified as full-time students may also qualify for semester honors if they meet the remaining criteria. (See definition of full-time students.)

Students whose full-time enrollment (excluding developmental/transitional courses) includes a course or courses in which a grade of P is earned may also receive semester honors under the following conditions:

      • Grades of "A," "B," or "C" and a semester grade point average of 3.00 or better must be earned on all other courses taken.
      • Honors-level work as confirmed by the dean based on faculty recommendations must be performed in the course(s) with a "P" grade.
      • The honor received will be based on the cumulative grade point average instead of the semester grade point average.

The semester grade point average (or cumulative for students with "P" grades) for academic honors before graduation at all universities in the University of Louisiana System are as follows:

      • President's List 3.500 – 4.000
      • Dean's List 3.200 – 3.499
      • Honor Roll 3.000 – 3.199

 

Academic Honor Societies

  1. The Thirteen Club. Seniors who fulfill the following requirements shall be formally recognized as members of the Thirteen Club:
      • They must be full-time students enrolled in the University.
      • They must have an overall 3.200 grade point average.
      • They must have earned no grade below "C."
      • They must have had all their academic work at Southeastern Louisiana University.
  2. The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Juniors, Seniors, and graduate students of sound character who fulfill the following requirements may be elected to membership in Phi Kappa Phi:
      • They must have been registered in the University at least one year.
      • Juniors must rank in the top 7.5% of their class.
      • Seniors must rank in the top 10% of their class.
      • Graduate students must rank in scholarship in the top 10% of all graduate students at the time.

 

Academic Honors
Numerous academic honors are awarded each year in the academic departments and colleges.
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1See the Scholastic Ratings section of this catalog, for explanation of calculation of grade point averages.

Honors at Graduation

The faculty will recognize as honor graduates those students who are receiving a baccalaureate degree who have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.500 or better. The cumulative grade point average includes course work that was transferred from another institution.

Effective with the Summer 2003 semester, the cumulative grade point averages for honors at graduation at all universities in the University of Louisiana System are as follows:

Cum Laude 3.500 – 3.699
Magna Cum Laude 3.700 – 3.899
Summa Cum Laude 3.900 – 4.000

That student who has the highest average in his College or School and is eligible to be graduated cum laude (3.500 or above) shall be awarded the President's Medal for Academic Excellence. A recipient who earns a second baccalaureate degree and again qualifies for the President's Medal will be awarded that Medal, provided sixty-five semester hours have been earned at Southeastern after completing the first degree. Those sixty-five hours must be in upper level courses or in courses required in the second-degree curriculum.

The faculty will recognize honor graduates of Associate Degree programs who have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.