Baccalaureate Information and Policies
Overview
The information below contains general undergraduate policies and academic information specific to the Baccalaureate students. Visit the Dougherty Family College (DFC) catalog for information specifically applicable to the Associate students in the DFC. Visit the Graduate Catalog for all graduate policies and academic information for graduate programs across all schools and colleges.
To see all policies related to students, visit the Policy Repository.
Major Requirements
Major concentrations or programs of study are listed and described in the Curricula section in this catalog.
St. Thomas students may choose a major area of concentration that is not offered at St. Thomas through any of the four other institutions in the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) Consortium: Augsburg College, Hamline University, Macalester College and St. Catherine University. The student must be accepted into the major by the appropriate department chair at the school where the major is offered and the proposed program of study must be submitted to the Committee on Undergraduate Studies at St. Thomas for its approval. Curricula involving other institutions in the ACTC consortium are indicated by [ACTC].
An individualized major also may be proposed to the Committee on Undergraduate Studies for acceptance. Guidelines for such a proposal are available from the Academic Counseling.
Regular Majors
After a student has completed 48 semester credits, that student must apply to be admitted to a major in his or her chosen field. Admission to a major field is necessary if the student wants to continue receiving registration times that coincide with his/her class.
A student must complete one of the regular major concentrations described in the section on Curricula with a grade point average of 2.00 or better in courses taken in the department (Opus College of Business for business majors) of the major required for the major. (See section on Academic Programs for a list of these majors.)
A major in a Bachelor of Arts degree program consists of 30 to 44 credits in the area of concentration plus allied courses as specified by the department in which the major is offered.
A major in a Bachelor of Science degree program (or an Engineering or music program) may require more than 48 semester credits in the field of the major.
Students with transfer courses in the major must also attain a 2.00 grade point average for the courses taken in the department (Opus College of Business for business majors) of the major at St. Thomas. (See section on Requirements for a Degree).
If major field requirements or courses specified in the catalog are no longer available, the chair of the appropriate department will designate acceptable substitutes for the major program.
The department has the right to specify how many courses in the major field (and at what level) must be taken at St. Thomas. Students may earn more than one major.
Procedures for applying to a major are available from the Office of the University Registrar.
Majors at other Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) Institutions
A student wishing to complete a major offered at one of the ACTC schools (and not offered at St. Thomas), must file a petition with the Committee on Studies for approval. In the petition, the student should indicate his/her acceptance for the major by the chair of the department at the other institution, the list of courses that will need to be completed at that institution, and the name of a St. Thomas faculty member in a closely-related field who will act as an adviser. Core curriculum requirements for St. Thomas and any prerequisites for courses in the major program offered at St. Thomas will be taken on the home campus.
Individualized Majors
A student may pursue a major other than one of the regular majors described in the section on Curricula.
An individualized major requires the selection of a faculty adviser, a proposal explaining the rationale for the selection of courses (which should include lower- and upper-division courses), a number of credits in accordance with the guidelines for a regular major, and approval by the Committee on Studies.
Education Co-Majors
Education Co-Majors are listed and described in the Curricula section in this catalog.
Education Co-Majors (with specialty) require a second major. They cannot be “stand-alone” majors.
There are also sets of education majors that constitute a double major when taken together. The education component cannot be a “stand-alone” major.
Minor Requirements
Students may choose to complete a minor in addition to a major. A student may declare more than one minor. Minor concentrations are listed and described in the Curricula section in this catalog.
A student may propose an individualized minor to meet a specific need or interest, subject to the approval of the Committee on Undergraduate Studies. Guidelines for such a proposal are available from Academic Counseling.
Regular Minors
A student is not required to complete a minor. A minor consists of 16 to 26 credits in the area of concentration including all prerequisites and allied courses as determined by the department or program offering the minor.
A minimum grade point average of 2.00 is required for the courses in the minor. Transfer students must also attain a minimum grade point average of 2.00 for minor courses taken at St. Thomas.
The department has the right to specify how many courses in the minor field (and at what level) must be taken at St. Thomas.
A student may earn more than one minor.
Minors at other Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) Institutions
A student wishing to complete a minor offered at one of the ACTC schools (and not offered at St. Thomas), must file a petition with the Committee on Studies for approval. In the petition, the student should indicate his/her acceptance for the minor by the chair of the department at the other institution, and the list of courses that need to be completed.
Individualized Minors
A faculty adviser should be chosen for the minor. Individualized minors must be approved by the Committee on Studies.
Certificate Requirements
Students may choose to complete a certificate in addition to a major. A student may declare more than one certificate. Certificates are listed and described in the Curricula section in this catalog.
A student is not required to complete a certificate. A certificate consists of at least 12 credits in the focus area as determined by the department or program offering the certificate.
A minimum grade point average of 2.00 is required for the courses in the certificate. Transfer students must also attain a minimum grade point average of 2.00 for certificate courses taken at St. Thomas.
The department has the right to specify how many courses in the certificate (and at what level) must be taken at St. Thomas.
A student may earn more than one certificate.
Addition of major, minor, or degree after graduation
A student who has graduated from the University of St. Thomas may add an additional major by fulfilling all remaining requirements of the major. The 32-credit senior residency requirement need not be met a second time. No more than one additional transfer course may be used to meet major and allied requirements.
A student who has graduated from the University of St. Thomas may add a minor by fulfilling all remaining requirements of the minor. The 32-credit senior residency requirement need not be met a second time. No more than one additional transfer course may be used to meet minor and allied requirements.
A student who has graduated from the University of St. Thomas may add a second degree (such as a B.S. added to the original B.A.) by fulfilling all remaining requirements of the degree. The 32-credit senior residency requirement need not be met a second time. The second degree may not be in the same discipline as the original degree.