Graduation Requirements : Faculty Senate : UMass Amherst

Students must assume responsibility for monitoring their progress toward graduation and the fulfillment of requirements. In order to be graduated, students must be cleared by: (1) their Department, (2) their School or College, and (3) the University. In addition, students must provide the Registrar's Office with accurate information regarding their projected graduation date and degree. If a graduating senior is administratively withdrawn, his/her graduation date will be determined by the date of resolution which clears the outstanding obligation. Students are subject to University graduation requirements published in the Guide to Undergraduate Programs (formerly, the Undergraduate Catalog) in effect when they enter the University, and are subject to the major requirements published in the Guide to Undergraduate Programs in effect when they enter the major. Students who withdraw from and later re-enter the University may be subject to graduation requirements defined in the Guide to Undergraduate Programs in effect at the time they reenter.

The University's graduation requirements are as follows:

A. Credit Requirement: Students must complete a minimum of 120 credits, at least 45 of which must be completed in residence (see paragraph H. Residence Requirements). For exclusions and restrictions, see Section VI Grading System and Credit Guidelines. Individual colleges, schools, and departments may require more than 120 credits.

B. Grade Point Averages: All students must achieve an overall average of at least C (2.000). All students must also achieve a cumulative average of at least C (2.000) in their major.

C. General Education Requirements for Students Entering the University in Fall 2018 or Later: Students must complete a set of course requirements in several different areas. Courses offered by the University that satisfy these requirements are identified by letter designations (except for the Junior Year Writing and Integrative Experience requirements). These areas and requirements are as follows.

The University Writing Requirement consists of two courses. The Freshman Writing requirement is satisfied by ENGLWRIT 112 or ENGLWRIT 113, College Writing (CW), taken during the freshman year, or by exemption from the requirement through the Placement Exam, SAT/Achievement Test scores, or Advanced Placement test score. The Junior Year Writing requirement (which does not carry a letter designation) is part of the requirements for each student's major.
Students must take four courses (16 credits) in the Social World curriculum area: four credits in Literature (AL) or the Arts (AT); four credits in Historical Studies (HS); four credits in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SB); and an additional four credits in a course holding an AL, AT, or SB designation, or an Interdisciplinary (I) or Science Interdisciplinary (SI) course. Social and Cultural Diversity: Within the four courses listed above students must take one course focusing on UNITED STATES diversity (DU) and one course focusing on GLOBAL diversity (DG). Either a DU or DG course must be taken during the student’s first year on campus.
Biological and Physical World: Eight credits are required, with at least four credits in a Biological Science (BS) and at least four credits in a Physical Science (PS).
One Basic Math Skills course (R1) and one Analytic Reasoning course (R2) are required. A student may be exempted from the Basic Math Skills requirement by achieving a sufficiently high score on the Basic Math Skills exemption exams (offered twice each semester). Students not exempted by examination score must take one Basic Math Skills (R1) course. This requirement can also be satisfied with some higher level courses that presuppose knowledge of basic math skills. A student who takes an R2 course listed on the Gen Ed List can satisfy both the R1 and R2 requirements with the same course. All students must take one course in Analytic Reasoning (R2).
Upper-Division Integrative Experience: The Integrative Experience requirement is part of the requirements of each student’s major, as well as a General Education requirement. Academic departments will provide a list of Integrative Experiences that fulfill the requirement for each major. There is no designation for this requirement.
In addition to the requirements listed above, transfer students must take two additional 4-unit General Education courses selected from the following categories: Basic Math Skills, Analytical Reasoning, Biological and Physical World, or Social World and Diversity.

NOTE: Only one course from a student’s major department may be applied to General Education requirements.

Students should not elect the Pass/Fail option for courses that they wish to count toward their General Education requirements. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not satisfy General Education, regardless of whether a P (Pass) grade or a letter grade is earned. If a student took a course on a pass/fail basis and wishes to count the course toward a General Education requirement, the student must revoke the pass/fail option through the Registrar’s Office prior to graduation.

Students will not be allowed to use a single course to satisfy more than one General Education requirement, with the following exceptions: 1) all courses holding a Social and Cultural Diversity designation also hold a second designation in the Social World area (AL, AT, HS, SB, I or SI); 2) an R2 course from the R1/R2 list may satisfy both the Basic Math and Analytical Reasoning Requirements.

Students admitted as freshmen who bring in 9 or more course credits (not test credits) taken prior to their enrollment at UMass Amherst may change to transfer requirements by filing a Change to Transfer General Education Requirements form in the Registrar’s Office (213 Whitmore) by the end of their first spring semester.

Students admitted as freshman who later go on a UMass Amherst-approved exchange or study abroad program may change to transfer requirements by filing a Change to Transfer General Education Requirements form in the Registrar’s Office (213 Whitmore.) It is recommended that students file the form as soon as possible following the exchange, but no later than the beginning of their last semester at UMass Amherst.

Students seeking exception to any of the requirements or restrictions of General Education should consult their undergraduate deans. General Education requirements are very strictly enforced, but students with sufficient grounds (e.g., documented misadvising) may submit a written petition with appropriate documentation through their undergraduate academic dean to the General Education Variance Committee, a Subcommittee of the General Education Council.

D. General Education Requirements for Students Entering the University prior in Fall 2010 or Later (and prior to Fall 18): Students must complete a set of course requirements in several different areas. Courses offered by the University that satisfy these requirements are identified by letter designations (except for the Junior Year Writing and Integrative Experience requirements). These areas and requirements are as follows.

The University Writing Requirement consists of two courses. The Freshman Writing requirement is satisfied by ENGLWRIT 112 or ENGLWRIT 113, College Writing (CW), taken during the freshman year, or by exemption from the requirement through the Placement Exam, SAT/Achievement Test scores, or Advanced Placement test score. The Junior Year Writing requirement (which does not carry a letter designation) is part of the requirements for each student's major.
Social World courses:
1. Four courses distributed as follows: one course in Literature (AL) or the Arts (AT); one course in Historical Studies (HS); one course in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SB); and one additional course in any of the following areas within the Social World (AL, AT, I, SI, or SB). Students who enter as freshmen can satisfy each of these requirements with one 4-unit course or two 3-unit courses with the appropriate designation. Transfers can satisfy each of these requirements with one 3- or 4-unit course.
2. Interdisciplinary courses: While no student is required to take an Interdisciplinary course, a freshman may elect to take a 4-unit interdisciplinary Gen Ed course (I or SI) or two 3-unit interdisciplinary Gen Ed courses (I or SI) as the fourth Social World course. Transfers may elect to take a 3-unit or a 4-unit interdisciplinary Gen Ed course (I or SI) as the fourth Social World course. No more than three Interdisciplinary Gen Ed courses (I and/or SI) may be applied to Gen Ed and Diversity requirements.
Two courses in the Biological and Physical World, with one course in a Biological Science (BS) and one course in a Physical Science (PS). Students who enter as freshmen can satisfy each of these requirements with one 4-unit course or two 3-unit courses with the appropriate designation. Transfers can satisfy each of these requirements with one 3- or 4-unit course.
One Basic Math Skills course and one Analytic Reasoning course. A student may be exempted from the Basic Math Skills requirement by achieving a sufficiently high score on the Basic Math Skills exemption exams (offered twice each semester). Students not exempted by examination score must take one Basic Math Skills (R1) course. This requirement can also be satisfied with some higher level courses that presuppose knowledge of basic math skills. A student who takes an R2 course listed on the Gen Ed List can satisfy both the R1 and R2 requirements with the same course. All students must take one course in Analytic Reasoning (R2).
Two courses designated as having a Social and Cultural Diversity component. One of these courses must focus on Diversity in the United States (U), and the other must focus on Diversity in Global Perspective (G). These may be courses that also fulfill other General Education designations and so bear both letter designations (ALU, ATU, HSU, SBU, IU, SIU, ALG, ATG, HSG, SBG, or IG), or one or both Diversity courses may have only a Diversity designation (U or G).
Upper-Division Integrative Experience: The Integrative Experience requirement is part of the requirements of each student’s major, as well as a General Education requirement. Academic departments will provide a list of Integrative Experiences that fulfill the requirement for each major. There is no designation for this requirement.
In addition to the requirements listed above, transfer students must take two additional 3- or 4-unit General Education courses selected from the following categories: Basic Math Skills, Analytical Reasoning, Biological and Physical World, or Social World.

NOTE: Only one course from a student’s major department may be applied to General Education requirements and one course applied to Diversity requirements.

Students will not be allowed to use a single course to satisfy more than one General Education requirement, with the following exceptions:

a course which carries a Social and Cultural Diversity designation and is also designated as a Social World or Interdisciplinary course may be applied to another General Education requirement (as appropriate) in addition to one of the Social and Cultural Diversity requirements;
an R2 course from the R1/R2 list.

F. College and/or School requirements, where applicable.

G. An Approved Major: A major consists of intensive or specialized work in a particular department or program, requiring a minimum of at least 30 credits in a coherent and extensive set of courses with a particular discipline or focus. Most majors require more than 30 credits.

H. Residence Requirements: A student must successfully complete a minimum of 45 credits in residence: A student must successfully complete a minimum of 45 credits in residence. For this purpose residence credits are defined as being credits earned for work done while registered on the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts or while enrolled in one of the University's formal exchange programs. Residence credits thus include UMASS 298 or departmental practicum (a maximum of 15 credits), University Without Walls, student teaching, credits generated through special examinations administered by an Amherst campus academic department, Stockbridge School courses, Five College Interchange courses, and courses in University Without Walls (when these courses and the faculty teaching them have been approved by the normal University procedures). The applicability of any of these toward the residence requirement is contingent on students' enrollment being consistent with policies detailed elsewhere in these regulations. In contrast, the following will not be counted toward residency requirements: transfer credits, AP credits (based on the College Board's high school Advanced Placement tests), CLEP credits (based on the College Board's College Level Examination Program of credits by exam), and military service credits.

In addition, students must complete their final 30 credits in residence, residence in this sense meaning continuous enrollment in a degree-granting major program and registration in University of Massachusetts Amherst courses. Petitions for permission to take any of the final 30 credits in absentia must be submitted on the Senior Year in Absentia form, available from the Registrar's Office, prior to enrollment in the course(s), and require authorization from the student's major department and undergraduate dean. Students may complete their senior year in absentia in University Without Walls with the approval of the Registrar’s office. Approvals are only granted for a limited number of credits.

I. Statute of Limitations: Students shall be allowed no more than ten semesters as defined under Section III, Academic Status, paragraph J, to complete all graduation requirements.

For students engaged in part-time study, twelve (12) credits will be considered the equivalent of one semester. Students involved in part-time study must complete their last sixty (60) credits in five years.
Continuation at the University beyond these limits is contingent upon approval by the student's undergraduate dean, with recommendation from the department, which is granted only for pressing academic and/or personal reasons.
Although there is no limit on the number of years allowed between beginning and completing a degree, a student's undergraduate dean, in consultation with the Department, has authority to rule that certain courses taken more than five years prior to the completion of a degree may not apply to major or college requirements. Students admitted under former sets of university-wide degree requirements, such as the Core or General Education requirements, may also be required to fulfill current university-wide degree requirements.

J. Administrative Withdrawal: Students with an administrative withdrawal on their records cannot be cleared for graduation until the withdrawal is resolved. The graduation date will reflect the date the withdrawal is resolved.

Source: Academic Regulations

Graduation Requirements

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