University undergraduate graduation requirements (baccalaureate)

All students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program must fulfill the following university requirements to graduate.

Credit requirements

A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for graduation with a baccalaureate degree; at least 45 credit hours must be in upper-division courses. Associate degrees require a minimum of 60 credit hours. Students should check the program's graduation audit and major map for graduation requirements.

No more than 60 credit hours earned in independent learning courses or earned by comprehensive examination (including Advanced Placement, College-Level Examination Program, DANTES Subject Standardized Test, Cambridge International Exam and International Baccalaureate exams) are accepted for credit toward the baccalaureate degree. Credit is not granted for courses taken at an educational institution after credit by examination has been awarded.

There may be instances in which students wish to remove exam credit earned through Advanced Placement, College-Level Examination Program, DANTES Subject Standardized Test, Cambridge International Exam and International Baccalaureate exams. If the student elects to remove exam credit, the cumulative university hours are adjusted, and the student can complete the corresponding ASU course. When the student decides to complete the ASU course, the earned credit and grade always apply.

Grade point requirement

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 for all courses taken at ASU is required to graduate with an undergraduate degree. Some programs may require a cumulative GPA higher than 2.00; students should refer to the specific program's graduation audit and major map for graduation requirements.

General studies requirement

All students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program must satisfy the university requirement for a minimum number of approved credit hours of general studies coursework. Effective fall 2024, ASU has approved a revised general studies curriculum. Students beginning in the 2024-2025 catalog year will complete the requirements in the General Studies Gold curriculum. Students who attended ASU before fall 2024, and are in a catalog year prior to 2024-2025, complete the requirements defined by the General Studies Maroon curriculum. The requirements applicable for a student's catalog year are displayed on their major map and graduation audit. Students should refer to the General Studies Policy page for more information on their specific general studies requirements.

Completion of general studies and composition requirements, as documented on an official transcript from regionally accredited institutions of higher education within the United States will fulfill ASU's lower-division general studies requirements within the Gold and Maroon systems as well as first-year composition requirements. Certification of completed general studies includes completion of a general education package recognized by ASU, an associate of arts degree, bachelor's degree, or comparable. General studies packages and recognized degrees do not waive program requirements and prerequisites within major and minor areas of study.

Transfer students without completed and documented general education packages or degrees receive credit for general studies based on course-by-course equivalency. Students transferring from Arizona community colleges should see the Arizona General Education Curriculum page for more information.

Mathematics requirement

All undergraduate degree-seeking students are expected to fulfill the university's mathematics requirement by the time they have accumulated 30 credit hours in residence at ASU. Any student who has more than 30 credit hours and has not fulfilled the mathematics requirement must enroll in a mathematics course or an appropriate prerequisite course and continue to do so every semester until the mathematics requirement is met. A waiver may be granted for continuous enrollment if there are scheduling conflicts detrimental to the student's academic progress. Students should also see the Math Intensive Programs: Required Course Policy.

First-year composition requirement

Completion of both ENG 101 and ENG 102, or ENG 105 with a grade of "C" (2.00) or higher is required for graduation from ASU in any baccalaureate or associate program. Students for whom English is not a native language may meet the first-year composition requirement by completing ENG 107 and 108 with a grade of "C" (2.00) or higher. Students who are required to take first-year composition must enroll in their first required composition course within the first year and continue to enroll in required composition courses every term until composition requirements are met.

Transfer credit

Composition courses transferred from other postsecondary institutions may require evaluation. After consultation with an advisor, if evaluation is necessary, the student should submit a request for evaluation through the ASU Transfer Guide. The process should be completed upon transfer of coursework to ASU so the student is able to enroll in additional courses if required to do so. Students who are required to take first-year composition must enroll in their first required composition course within the first year and continue to enroll in required composition courses every term until composition requirements are met.

Resident credit requirement

Resident credit refers to a course that is offered in a regular semester or summer session. Credit earned through comprehensive examinations also is included when calculating ASU resident hours. Credit earned through independent learning, Advanced Placement testing, the College-Level Examination Program or an International Baccalaureate exam is excluded when calculating ASU resident hours.

Every candidate for an undergraduate degree is required to earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in resident-credit courses at ASU.

Definition of a catalog year

The ASU Academic Catalog is published annually. A catalog year runs from fall through summer, and a student who enters during the fall or spring semester follows the policies and requirements in effect for that catalog year. For example, catalog year 2024-2025 is the catalog year for students who enter in fall 2024 or spring 2025. Students who enter for the first time during the summer term follow the requirements in effect for the subsequent catalog year.

In most cases, a student’s catalog year is the year in which they started at ASU. Students may be in a different catalog year for a variety of reasons, including:

• change of major
• continuous enrollment in an Arizona community college or public university
• student request to move to a newer catalog year
• significant changes to curriculum that are due either to accreditation or rapid changes to subject matter

Guidelines for determination of catalog year

The ASU Academic Catalog is published annually. Department, school, division, college and university requirements are upgraded often and may change. In determining graduation requirements, an undergraduate student uses only one edition of the catalog but may elect to follow any subsequent catalog edition under which the student attends. Students may not use an edition of the catalog that was in effect before their high school graduation or completion of their GED. Students maintaining continuous enrollment at any Arizona community college or public university may graduate according to the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment following high school graduation or completion of a GED, or according to the requirements of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment. Students may maintain continuous enrollment while pursuing their degrees, whether attending a single Arizona community college or public university, or transferring among public institutions in Arizona. Students transferring among Arizona public higher education institutions must meet all requirements of the degree-granting institution: admission, residency, curricular and academic.

1. A semester in which a student earns course credit is counted toward continuous enrollment. Noncredit courses, audited courses, failed courses and courses from which the student withdraws do not count toward the determination of continuous enrollment for catalog purposes (examples A and B in the continuous enrollment table below).
2. Students who do not meet the minimum enrollment standard stipulated above during three consecutive semesters (fall/spring/fall or spring/fall/spring) and the intervening summer term at any Arizona community college or public university are no longer considered continuously enrolled. These students must meet requirements of the Arizona community college or public university catalog in effect at the time they are readmitted or of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment after readmission (examples C and D in the continuous enrollment table below). Students are not obligated to enroll and earn course credit during summer terms, but summer enrollment may be used to maintain continuous enrollment status.
3. Students admitted or readmitted to an Arizona community college or public university during a summer term must follow the requirements of the catalog in effect for the following fall semester or of any single catalog in effect during subsequent terms of continuous enrollment (example E in the continuous enrollment table below).
4. In areas of study in which the subject matter changes rapidly, material in courses taken long before graduation may become obsolete or irrelevant.
5. Coursework that is more than eight years old is applicable to completion of degree requirements at the discretion of the department of the student’s major. Departments may accept or reject such coursework or request that the student revalidate the substance of the coursework. The eight-year limit on coursework applies except when program accreditation agencies limit the life of coursework to fewer than eight years. Departments also may require students to satisfy current major requirements rather than major requirements stated in earlier catalogs when completing earlier requirements is no longer possible or educationally sound.
6. Enrollment by Arizona community college students in nontransferable courses still constitutes enrollment for purposes of determining whether the student has been continuously enrolled. For example, if a student takes two semesters of cooperative education classes that are not transferable to the university but constitute continuous enrollment at the community college, the university should consider it continuous enrollment.
7. Exceptions made by an institution apply only to the institution that made the exception. For example, if the community college departments accepted credit that was more than eight years old, the university department to which the student transfers might not; the university department has the right and the obligation to reevaluate any credit more than eight years old.

Inquiries about these guidelines may be directed to the student's academic advisor.

Figuring out catalog year by enrollment

Application for graduation

Students should visit the ASU Graduation website for information on how to apply for graduation, associated fees and deadline dates.

Petition for variance from degree

Any student wishing to have a college or university degree requirement variance must petition the standards committee of the college in which the student is enrolled. All petitions must originate with the student's advisor. The University Undergraduate Standards Committee advises the Office of the University Provost regarding undergraduate student petitions that concern university-level academic requirements. These include: requirements on the amount of transfer credit, graduation requirements, limits on credit by examination and requirements for a second baccalaureate degree. To petition for a variance from such university requirements, the University Undergraduate Standards Committee petition is used. Most petitions heard by the University Undergraduate Standards Committee start at the college level and are forwarded for final review and decision to the university-level committee.

Overview of graduation requirements

At ASU, students take classes that fulfill four types of requirements: university requirements, college/school requirements, major requirements and electives. University requirements include general studies and first-year composition requirements. Some colleges and schools at ASU have college-specific requirements applicable across all degrees offered within that academic unit. Major requirements represent the majority of the disciplinary content of the degree. Many degrees also have room for electives, allowing students to complete credit hours toward the minimum number of credits required for graduation while exploring area of personal and professional interest. Some students choose to declare a minor or certificate, which typically adds 15 to 25 credit hours of coursework; this can also be used for elective credit. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor in planning a program to ensure it meets all requirements for their specific combination of credentials. Bachelor's degrees are 120 credit hours, 45 of which must be upper-division. Some courses may fulfill two or more types of requirements, but other courses fulfill only one requirement. As such, the size of the circle segment attributed to each requirement category in the graphic below does not necessarily correspond to the exact number of credits required for each.

Change of major

Some majors may have specific requirements that a student must meet to be eligible for acceptance to the new major. A degree-seeking undergraduate student may view the requirements for changing majors on Degree Search and visit the Changing your major site for more information and resources on major exploration. Changing from a bachelor’s degree to an associate degree program may impact financial aid.

Graduation with academic recognition

An undergraduate student must have completed at least 56 hours of resident credit at ASU to qualify for graduation with academic recognition for a baccalaureate degree. The ASU cumulative GPA determines the designation, as shown in the academic recognition table below.

The cumulative GPA for these designations is based on ASU resident coursework only. All designations of graduation with academic recognition are indicated on the diploma and the ASU transcript. Graduation with academic recognition applies only to undergraduate bachelor's degrees. A student who has a baccalaureate degree from ASU and is pursuing a second baccalaureate degree at ASU (with a minimum of 30 hours of resident credit) is granted academic recognition on the second degree based on the credit hours earned subsequent to the posting of the first degree. If fewer than 56 credit hours are completed at ASU subsequent to completion of the first ASU degree, the level of academic recognition can be no higher than that obtained on the first degree. If 56 or more credit hours are completed at ASU after completion of the first ASU degree, the level of academic recognition is based on the GPA earned for the second ASU degree. Inquiries about graduation with academic recognition may be directed to University Registrar Services.

Additional degrees

Second baccalaureate degree

Students seeking a second baccalaureate degree must meet admission criteria for that degree. After conferral of the first degree, a minimum of 30 additional credit hours in resident credit courses at ASU must be successfully completed to earn the second baccalaureate degree. The student must meet all degree and university requirements of the second degree. Admission to a specific second baccalaureate degree program may be deemed inappropriate based on the discipline or degree type of the original baccalaureate degree, regardless of whether that degree was earned at ASU or another institution (e.g., admission to a BS program in psychology after earning a BA in psychology). A student pursuing a second baccalaureate degree in the same discipline as a minor previously conferred by ASU will have the minor removed from the original academic record upon completion of the second degree. Students who wish to use courses taken while in graduate nondegree status toward a second bachelor’s degree may have up to 15 credit hours applied toward this degree.

Concurrent degrees

If prior approval is given by the colleges or schools offering the degrees, more than one baccalaureate degree may be pursued concurrently . Students may receive concurrent degrees if they meet the minimum requirements for both degrees. Specific combinations of degrees may be deemed inappropriate because of high curricular overlap. For additional information, students are asked to review the glossary description.

eAdvisor and critical requirements

1. Learn more about graduation requirements for their major.
2. Discern the critical courses and grades that are required to stay on track to successfully complete their degree.
3. Plan for and schedule appropriate courses in the correct sequence to maximize success.
4. Monitor progress toward their degree.
5. Find out how courses may fit into other majors if they decide to change majors.

Through eAdvisor, students follow a major map that outlines the critical requirements and optimal eight-semester plan. If students do not meet the critical requirements, an advising hold may be placed on the students' records, and an advising session is required before future registration activities can take place. When students do not meet the critical requirements for two consecutive semesters, they are considered off track and may be advised to change majors.

Critical requirements are identified by the faculty and academic units as predictors of success in a major. To ensure students are able to enroll in critical courses, ASU academic units coordinate to offer sufficient seats to meet demand. Specific class schedules (days and times) are not guaranteed.

Math-intensive programs: required course policy

ASU undergraduate degree programs are categorized in the area of math intensity as either general, moderate or substantial based on the number and type of required math courses. Students enrolled in a degree program categorized as substantial in math intensity who receive a failing grade of “E” twice in the same required math course may be required to change their major to a major categorized as general or moderate. This policy is applicable even if the required math course is not marked as critical through the eAdvisor tracking tool.

Disestablished programs

A disestablished program is a major, minor or certificate that the institution has chosen to discontinue. Upon the effective term and year of disestablishment, ASU may choose to stop admitting new students into the program. This includes current ASU students seeking to change to the disestablished major, to add the disestablished major as a concurrent degree, or to add the disestablished minor or certificate. Active students in a disestablished program have a period of four academic years to complete the program requirements. This includes active, not enrolled students typically eligible for quick re-entry. Students choosing quick re-entry to the institution after a period of nonenrollment cannot re-enroll in a disestablished program if four academic years have passed since the effective term of disestablishment.

Students who have not completed the requirements for a disestablished program four academic years after disestablishment are changed administratively to a different major, or have the minor or certificate removed from their record.

Nondegree credit

Some individuals may be interested in studying in a nondegree status, either through pre-college summer programs or for their own personal learning experience. An undergraduate nondegree-seeking student is one who has not attended ASU as a degree-seeking student, has not earned a bachelor's degree, is not attending full time, and is not, at this time, applying to a degree program.

• Once admitted to a degree program, a student is not permitted to register in a nondegree status.
• Nondegree-seeking students may enroll in eight credit hours each fall or spring semester, seven credit hours for each six-week summer session, and nine credit hours for the eight-week summer session with a maximum limit of 24 credit hours over the course of the academic year.
• Nondegree-seeking students may apply up to 15 credit hours taken in nondegree status to a degree program if they choose to pursue an undergraduate degree in the future.
• Nondegree-seeking students are not eligible for financial aid.
• Students in a nondegree status may not be eligible for academic advising.

Exceptions to these guidelines may be made for specific programs or partners with approval from the Office of the University Provost. Students enrolled in ASU Prep may apply 30 credit hours earned at ASU while in a nondegree status toward a degree program.