General requirements for graduation with a bachelor’s degree include:

Hour Requirements:

• A minimum of 120-semester hours of credit (except where specified higher).
• At least 36 credit hours must be upper level courses (numbered 300-400).
• At least 50% of the credit hours must be earned from UNA or other four year institutions. 
• At least 25% of the credit hours must be taken at UNA. 
• At least 50% of the minimum hour requirements for the major/teaching field must be in upper level courses (numbered 300-400).  Additionally, a minimum of 9 upper level credit hours in the major/teaching field must be completed at UNA.
• Exceptions apply to RN to BSN or RN to MSN students.
• Exceptions to these policies must be compliant with accreditation standards and be approved by the department chair for the major and the dean of the college awarding the degree.

Minor Residency: A student whose major requires a minor, or a student who declares a minor at the University of North Alabama, must complete all required coursework for the minor requirements.  Additionally, a minimum of 6 upper level credit hours of the minor requirements must be completed at UNA. 

Program: Completion of the course of study, including the general studies component, major and minor fields (where required), and individual courses, as prescribed by the college for the degree program elected. Students may elect to pursue and to receive two degrees simultaneously if college and departmental requirements can be met simultaneously.

Quality: A minimum grade point average of 2.0 (C) is required at this University in each major and each minor and on all work attempted. For graduation in programs in educator preparation, the student must have a minimum grade point average of 2.75 on UNA work attempted, overall work attempted and on all coursework in the specific teaching field. In addition, educator preparation students must have a GPA of 3.0 in the professional studies coursework. (For Educator Preparation requirements which are in addition to graduation requirements, see “Colleges and Programs,’’ College of Education and Human Sciences.) (For graduation in the nursing program see Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions and Health Professions admission and progression/retention requirements.)  Grades for transfer courses will not factor into the UNA Institutional GPA, but will be factored into the Cumulative GPA and will be factored into degree requirements in which a transfer course is applied.  Students who plan to earn credit through transient, correspondence, or extension courses are required to secure prior approval. Credits to be transferred from other institutions cannot be applied toward meeting requirements for graduation unless filed with the Office of the Registrar at least four weeks prior to the date of graduation.

Application for Graduation: Graduating students must submit a graduation application by the deadline for the particular term in which they plan to graduate. Students are required to apply for graduation even if they do not plan on attending the commencement ceremony.  The degree check out process will not be initiated until a student has applied for graduation.  The graduation application deadline for each term is listed below:

• Spring  - March 1st
• Summer - June 1st
• Fall - October 1st

Information on how to apply for graduation can be found here. 

Catalog Requirements and Time Limits: Degree requirements and other university regulations are established by the catalog current at the time a student enrolls at the University of North Alabama as a degree seeking student and are typically in effect for seven years. For education preparation students, degree requirements are established by the catalog current at time of acceptance into the Educator Preparation Program (EPP). A student who leaves UNA and re-enrolls and/or changes or adds a major during the seven years the original catalog is in effect will be required to change to the catalog current at the time of re-enrollment unless the chair of the student’s major department issues a waiver to permit continuation under the original catalog. In consultation with the academic advisor and permission of the major department chair, a student who wishes to change to a more recent catalog may do so up to the beginning of the student’s final academic year. Students enrolled in any program accredited by a recognized accrediting organization or designed to assure eligibility for official certification or licensure, such as teaching or nursing, will be required to adhere to all governmental and/or accreditation modifications made during their period of enrollment. Individuals who have not completed all degree requirements are not eligible to march at commencement.  Students must submit exceptions to this policy to the Dean's office in the degree-granting college.  The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will review and consider all applications for exceptions, in consultation with the respective dean.  If an exception is approved, the notification will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar for acknowledgment and processing.  

Double Majors: A double major is a condensed pathway that allows a student to complete two majors in less time than it typically takes to earn them separately. The pathway shares specific courses pertinent to both majors. Students may earn a baccalaureate degree with two majors (i.e., a double major) provided they meet all the following requirements:

• The baccalaureate degree must be the same for both majors (e.g., B.S.).
• Students must select a primary major and a secondary major. The college of the primary major will issue the university diploma.
• Students must satisfy the college and major degree requirements for their primary major that were in effect at the time they were admitted into the primary major and those for their secondary major that were in effect at the time they were admitted into the secondary major.
• Students must meet minimum grade requirements as required by the respective college for each major.
• Students must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours of unique upper-level courses (numbered 300-400) in the secondary major (i.e., not used as major, supporting, or core courses in the primary major).
• Coursework that is required by both majors based on catalog requirements can be used towards both majors.
• No course can count towards more than two majors.

Students pursuing a double major who complete all degree requirements for one major but not the other may graduate by dropping the incomplete major and graduating with only the single completed major.

Additional Major After Completion of Degree: To meet requirements for an additional major after completion of an initial degree, UNA graduates must complete any additional major courses and prescribed supporting courses not completed in first degree as well as any general studies courses particular to that major. Transfer students must meet the above requirements including a minimum of 15 hours of 300/400 level courses in the major. Coursework taken toward an additional major after graduation is not currently eligible for federal financial aid. Questions of eligibility regarding federal financial aid should be directed to the UNA Office of Student Financial Services. Additional major students are not required to apply for graduation and a diploma will not be awarded; however, once the additional major has been completed and upon notification to graduation@una.edu, the major will be annotated to the transcript.

Combination Degrees: A combination degree program is a specialized pathway that provides academically qualified students the opportunity to enhance their educational experience and strengthen their career preparation or readiness for future academic pursuits. This pathway allows students to earn two degrees without any loss of integrity, quality, or coherence of the two degrees for fewer total credit hours than would normally be required if both academic degree programs were taken independently. Combination degrees often allow a shorter time for completion due to the sharing of some coursework between the degree programs. Students may earn a combination degree provided they meet all the following requirements:

• The baccalaureate degrees are not the same for both majors (e.g., B.S. and B.S.Ed.)
• Students must select a primary degree and a secondary degree. The college of the primary degree will issue the university diploma.
• Students must satisfy the college and major degree requirements for their primary degree that were in effect at the time they were admitted into the primary degree and those for their secondary degree that were in effect at the time they were admitted into the secondary degree.
• Students must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours of unique upper-level courses (numbered 300-400) in the secondary degree (i.e., not used as major, supporting, or core courses in the primary degree).
• Coursework that is required by both degrees based on catalog requirements can be used towards both degrees.
• No course can count towards more than two degrees.

Students pursuing a combination degree who complete all degree requirements for one degree but not the other may graduate by dropping the incomplete degree and graduating with only the single completed degree.

Second Degree: A student may earn a second bachelor’s degree by completing in residence at least 30 additional semester hours of 300/400 level coursework over and above the total hours completed for the first degree. (This requirement does not apply to degrees awarded concurrently.) All Area V general studies requirements, major core and other requirements for the major, and minor if applicable, must be satisfied. To be eligible for a second degree, the major must be different from the initial degree awarded.  A concentration/option within the first major does not qualify as a second degree. Coursework taken toward a second degree is currently eligible for federal financial aid if the student is degree seeking and enrolled in a different major.

Additional note form catalog on Teaching, Learning, and Leadership Overview page: To qualify for recommendation for teacher certification, candidates must complete the equivalent of two majors: Education and a chosen teaching field.