2013-2014 Undergraduate Catalog

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Major and Minor Information

www.registrar.unco.edu

The catalog used to determine major requirements is the catalog in effect at the time the major is declared. A change of major will effect a change of catalog; a change of emphasis is considered a change of major. Minors, additional majors, licensures and endorsements follow the major catalog. The catalog used to determine Liberal Arts Core requirements is the catalog in effect during the semester that the student first takes courses at UNC.

http://www.unco.edu/regrec/Current%20Students/MajorMinor.html

To change a major or minor, complete and print the Major/Minor Change Form, then submit it to the appropriate academic office(s) for signature approval. The completed form must then be submitted to the Registrar’s Office. (Changes to licensure or endorsements are approved in the School of Teacher Education). A minor cannot be declared unless a degree-seeking major has been declared.

Exploring the Liberal Arts

Any new or transfer student entering the University of Northern Colorado can choose to be designated as Exploring the Liberal Arts when he or she enters the University. Students with a declared major who wish to change their major status to Exploring the Liberal Arts should contact the Office of Academic Support and Advising (www.unco.edu/asa) to make an appointment for review and approval. Students requesting this change must have fewer than 18 credits combined of registered and/or previously earned hours. Students who would like to explore other major or minor options may receive services from the Office of Academic Support and Advising regardless of their current major status.

30-Credit Policy for Exploring the Liberal Arts Students

The 30-Credit Policy directs students towards successfully completing a degree at the University of Northern Colorado. 120 credits are required to complete a degree at Northern Colorado. A student who has earned 30 credits should have completed one quarter of the requirements for earning a degree. Usually students reach 30 credits after either their second or third semester. Ensuring that students have a clear path for degree completion is of utmost importance to Northern Colorado, and the 30-Credit Policy illustrates this commitment to student success.

The 30-Credit Policy requires students who have earned 30-credits to declare a major. Credits used in calculating earned hours at Northern Colorado include all applied transfer credit, college credit earned in high school, and Northern Colorado credit hours. A No-Major Hold is applied to Exploring the Liberal Arts students’ accounts upon the completion of 30 credits. Once a student has completed the appropriate paperwork and met any admission requirements for declaring a chosen major, the No-Major Hold is removed from the student’s account.

Multiple Majors and Concurrent Degrees

Students who complete multiple majors can be awarded multiple degrees if they complete an additional 30 credits (above and beyond the 120 credits required for the first degree) for each additional major. For example:

  • Students who complete two majors and 150 or more credits can receive two degrees.
  • Students who complete three majors and 180 or more credits can receive three degrees.

The following examples illustrate transcript and diploma display when the additional 30 hours are completed, and also when fewer than 30 additional hours are completed.

Student who complete two majors and 150 or more credits earn a double degree. Example: For a student with a first major of Business Administration and a second major of Sociology:

  • Transcript display:

    Bachelor of Science — Business Administration: Finance

    Bachelor of Arts — Sociology: Social Issues

  • Diploma display (two separate diplomas are produced):

    Degree of Bachelor of Science with acknowledgement of major achievements in Business Administration.

    Degree of Bachelor of Arts with acknowledgement of major achievements in Sociology.

Students who complete two majors but have fewer than 150 credits earn one degree with two majors. Example: For a student with a first major of Business Administration and a second of Sociology:

  • Transcript display:

    Bachelor of Science — Business Administration: Finance

    Major Acknowledgement — Sociology: Social Issues

  • Diploma display (a single diploma is produced):

    Degree of Bachelor of Science with acknowledgement of major achievements in Business Administration, Sociology

Students who complete one major with multiple emphases (in selected majors where allowed) earn one major and one degree, regardless of the number of credits completed.

Degrees and majors are approved through the Colorado Department of Higher Education. All credits acquired during pursuit of a degree are incorporated in that degree and may not be used to satisfy any future degree. Students may not pursue both an undergraduate and a graduate degree program simultaneously without prior approval from both the Registrar’s Office and the Graduate School.

Questions regarding multiple majors and concurrent degrees should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.