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Degree Requirements

The total number of credit-hours required for most degrees is 124. These hours can be broken out into three categories: Major RequirementsGeneral Education Requirements, and Free-Electives.

Major Requirements (usually 30-50 credits): Courses required for a major are intended to give a depth of understand of a specific area. Whether you pursue a major in Chemistry, Economics, Middle Childhood Education, or any of the other majors Muskingum offers, the courses required for the major will ensure you have a detailed understanding of that field study. Certain majors lead to certain degrees. Science majors typically lead to a Bachelor of Science degree, non-science majors typically lead to a Bachelor of Arts degree. The Nursing major is the only one that leads to a specialized degree, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing. For example a student majoring in Biology will earn a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biology, but a Nursing major will earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. A minor also provides some focus on a specific area of study, but where a major requires around 30-50 credit hours in the discipline, a minor may require as few as 15.

General Education Requirements (usually 40-50 credits): These courses are intended to give a breadth of knowledge to every student. Areas include writing, speaking, religious understanding, quantitative reasoning, and cultural diversity to name a few.

Free-Electives (30-50): This category is intended to give you the freedom to pursue an area of personal or professional interest. Did you really like the literature course you took for the Gen Ed, feel free to take another course in literature. You may even end decide to pick up a minor or even a second major!

As you complete your coursework for a degree, there are eight (8) basic degree requirements that you must fulfill in order to receive an undergraduate degree (BA, BS, or BSN) from Muskingum University. Please see your Catalog of Entry for more details.

  1. A minimum of 124 credit hours for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science Degree; 127 for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (a minimum of 124 for the RN to BSN). A maximum of 48 credit hours in any one discipline may be included in this total. In the case of courses of study leading to teacher licensure, the ACS-certified chemistry major, the Engineering Science major, and the music major, the student may apply up to the minimum credit hours required for the major toward the 124 for graduation. A maximum of three physical education activities courses, three language tables, and ten music ensembles may apply within the 124 hours.
  2. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 for all work taken at Muskingum University; a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all courses in the major(s) and, where the option is taken, a minimum GPA of 2.0 for the minor(s).
  3. A minimum of 40 credit hours earned in 300- and 400-level courses
  4. Satisfactory completion of at least one departmental or interdisciplinary major. All work within the specified discipline is counted as part of the major or minor. In the case of students pursuing multiple majors or minors in the same department, the GPA for each is calculated separately; an overall GPA of 2.0 in the academic discipline must be maintained. (Students pursuing multiple majors may write separate senior seminars, one in each of the disciplines involved, or with approval of each department chair, write one interdisciplinary seminar, credit for which is given in the department of their choice. Although the interdisciplinary seminar counts toward the credit hour requirements of only one major, the project may fulfill the senior studies requirement of all departments involved.)
  5. At least 12 credit hours of the major completed in the junior and senior years at Muskingum.
  6. The last 31 credit semester hours toward graduation must be earned as a degree-seeking student at Muskingum University or in approved offcampus study.
  7. Transfer students must successfully complete a minimum of 32 credit hours at Muskingum University (includes approved off-campus study programs). Note: Muskingum adheres to the Ohio Board of Regents Articulation and Transfer Policy. Requirements for some programs may require a higher grade for transfer. For further information, transfer students need to consult the Transfer Admission Information in the Admission section of this catalog.
  8. Satisfactory completion of the General Education curriculum. All transfer students, including adult degree completers, should consult the Transfer Admission Information in the Admission section of this catalog for more information about the transfer module.

If you have any questions regarding these requirements please consult with your Catalog of Entry, your Academic Advisor, or contact someone in the Registrar's Office.

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