Bachelor’s Degree Requirements and Procedures
Bachelor’s Degree Requirements and Procedures
To earn a bachelor’s degree from Cedar Crest College, each student must:
• Successfully complete a specific group of courses in the liberal arts
curriculum (see page 42.)
• Satisfy the requirements of a major course of study.
• Successfully complete a minimum of 120 credits. Some majors may require
additional credits.
• Maintain a 2.000 cumulative grade-point average or higher. Some programs
require higher minimums.
• Students are required to complete their last 30 credits at Cedar Crest. LVAIC
courses may be taken in the last 30 credits.
(Please note that some majors require a cumulative GPA higher than 2.000. Check
department requirements for details.)
Liberal Arts Curriculum Requirements
Students continuing uninterrupted work will graduate according to the liberal
arts curriculum requirements in effect at the time of matriculation unless
students choose to graduate according to provisions enacted by the faculty and
stipulated in subsequent catalogs.
Students re-entering the College after an official leave of absence greater than
one calendar year, a withdrawal or unapproved absence will graduate according
to the liberal arts curriculum in effect at the time of re-enrollment unless
students chooses to graduate according to provisions enacted by the faculty and
stipulated in subsequent catalogs.
An explanation of all liberal arts curriculum requirements is found on page 42.
Declaration of Major
Students should declare their major any time after the completion of their first
semester of study or 12–15 earned credits. Students are required to declare their major once they have
completed 45 credits. Transfer students are encouraged to declare their major
after the completion of 24 credits at Cedar Crest. Education majors may declare
as Intended majors. An education major or co-major may only be declared after
three semesters of full-time study or 45 credits, and successful completion of
the Praxis I.
The official declaration of a major is initiated with a form available from the
Registrar’s Office. Students declaring a major that may lead to either the B.S. or B.A.
degree shall specify at the time of declaration which program they are entering
and which degree they are seeking. Students will graduate according to the major requirements
listed in the College catalog and in effect at the time they enter the College,
provided the students declare their major within four years of matriculation.
After four years, the student will graduate under the requirements in effect at
the time of declaration. If the requirements for the major change after a
student has declared a major, students may choose to graduate according to
curricular changes enacted by the Faculty and stipulated in subsequent
catalogs.
Co-majors must be completed in conjunction with a regular academic major.
Details of such programs may be found in departmental descriptions found in the
College Catalog or may be discussed with appropriates.
Any change in major, including change of B.S. or B.A. program within the same
department, shall be processed through the Registrar’s Office and have departmental approval.
Declaration of a self-designed major: Matriculated students may design their own major and seek its approval from the
Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee. Such proposals will only be
considered if the courses required are available at Cedar Crest or within the
LVAIC and meet the standards for an academic major at Cedar Crest. A formal
petition shall be made indicating her expected degree and be approved by the
relevant Department Chairperson before submission to CAPC. For information, see
the Registrar. Students are required to declare a self-designed major by the
time they have completed 90 credits.
Declaration of more than one major: Students may complete requirements for more than one major. Students declaring
additional majors shall indicate one as their primary major. The primary major
shall determine the degree to be awarded, i.e., B.S. or B.A.
Declaration of an academic minor: Some departments offer minors. Completion of a minor is optional if it is not
required for graduation. A student initiates declaration of a minor with the
completion of a form available from the Registrar’s Office. A minor must be a minimum of 18 credits with one-half taken at Cedar
Crest College. No course with a grade of less than C- may be counted to satisfy
a minor requirement. Some departments have higher requirements. A course taken
Pass/Fail will not satisfy a minor requirement unless it is a course offered on
a Pass/Fail basis only. The minimum cumulative grade-point average for a minor
is 2.000.
Matriculated students may design their own minor and seek its approval from the
Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee. A formal petition shall be made,
including required documentation as set forth by the Registrar, and be approved
by the relevant Department Chairperson before submission to CAPC. Students are
required to declare a self-designed minor by the time they have completed 90
credits. A minor must include a minimum of 18 credits with half the credits
taken at Cedar Crest College. No more than 3 credits may be completed in
independent study. All policies pertaining to a minor apply to the
self-designed minor.
Declaration of concentration/certificatioN Some departments offer concentrations or certifications. A student declares a concentration/certification by completing the appropriate
form available from the Registrar’s Office.
Academic major course requirements: A course with a grade of C- or better may be counted to satisfy a major
requirement. Some departments have higher requirements. Students should consult
with individual departments for exact requirements. A course taken Pass/Fail
will not satisfy a major requirement unless it is a course offered by the
department on a Pass/Fail basis only. The minimum cumulative grade-point
average for coursework in the major is 2.000. Some departments require a higher
cumulative GPA in the major.
If a student re-enters the College to continue a major after an official leave
of absence greater than one academic year, the student will graduate according
to major requirements in effect at the time of re-enrollment. A student may
complete more than one major within one degree.
Declaration of Dual Degrees: A Cedar Crest graduate may be awarded a second bachelor’s degree, either B.A. or B.S., if the student completes a minimum of 30
additional approved credits at Cedar Crest with a cumulative grade-point
average of at least 2.0 and satisfies the requirements for an additional major.
A student may pursue a second bachelor’s degree to be awarded either at the same time as the first degree or at a time
subsequent to the awarding of the first degree, provided that the pursuit of
the second degree reflects a second distinct and comprehensive program of
study. The option for the second bachelor’s degree is limited to the departmental majors and programs listed in the
catalog.
Study Leading to a Second Degree: A student who has earned a baccalaureate or associate’s degree at an accredited institution may pursue a program of study leading to a
second degree at Cedar Crest College. Credits earned as part of the first degree will be evaluated for applicability
toward major requirements and liberal arts curriculum requirements. The student must satisfy all graduation requirements and adhere to all other
academic policies.
Graduation Degree Audit: Before registering for the senior year, a degree audit will be generated by the
Registrar’s Office for each student with a copy sent to the student and the faculty
advisor listing total academic credit requirements for graduation which have
been fulfilled. However, graduation audits may be requested at any time
throughout a student’s career. All students, once they have declared a major, should consult with
their faculty advisor to monitor progress toward fulfillment of all academic
major requirements. All students are responsible for knowing the requirements
for the degree they propose to earn and for arranging the program of study
accordingly.
Declaration of Intent to Graduate: One year before a student’s intended date of graduation, the student must complete a graduation
application, which is available in the Registrar’s Office.