Degree Information

Changing Majors

Students who start with one major at Rochester University and then change majors in a later semester must meet the requirements in the current year’s catalog. For example, if a student started RU in Fall 2019, and changed majors in Fall 2020, that student would be required to satisfy all the requirements of the 2020-21 degree plan, including general education requirements. Contact registrar@rc.edu for any questions on this policy.

Dual Bachelor's Degree

If two bachelor’s degrees are conferred simultaneously, the student must complete a minimum of 32 hours beyond the requirements of the first degree and course work for both degrees cannot be in the same subject area. For any degree, at least 50% of a student’s major and minor core requirements must be earned at Rochester University. Graduation will occur when the student has completed requirements for both degrees. Students completing dual bachelor's degrees receive two diplomas and pay an additional fee. Students who have already completed a first baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university should refer to the  Second Bachelor's Degree policy.

Dual Major

Students who wish to complete a dual major may do so by completing a minimum of 27 hours of course work related to the additional major and beyond the requirements of the first degree. Students must meet all requirements of both programs prior to graduation. Once a degree is conferred, a student’s transcript is permanent. If course work is completed after degree conferral, additional majors/minors will not be reflected on the student’s transcript, nor will academic honors be re-evaluated.

Degree Requirements

To earn a degree, students must meet the following requirements in addition to the courses required by the bachelor’s degree program:

1. Complete a minimum of 120 credit hours, including at least 30 credit hours of upper-division courses (RU courses at the 3000 and 4000 level or transfer equivalents). For any degree, at least 50% of a student’s major and minor core must be earned at Rochester University. Transfer credit is not applied toward the calculation of students’ Rochester University GPA.
2. Achieve a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA.
3. Achieve a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA in chosen major (specific majors may require a higher standard).
4. Demonstrate university-level writing proficiency by completing Composition A (ENG 1113) and B (ENG 1123) or their equivalents with a grade of C or above. A grade of C- does not satisfy this requirement. Refer to the Rochester University Writing Proficiency Policy for complete information.
5. Earn 175 points in the Community Life + Worship (CLW) program; 90 CLW credits must be earned through attendance at campus-wide chapel (this number is reduced based on hours transferred in and/or hours earned prior to the 2020-2021 school year). 

Minors

Courses required for a minor cannot be concurrently applied toward courses within the degree core, major, concentration, or track. With department approval, students may use other courses, within the area of study, to substitute duplicate requirements.

At least 50% of a student’s minor core requirements must be earned at Rochester University. Students may add or change minors according to the requirements outlined in the same catalog as their major, as long as the minor is still offered by the university.

Second Bachelor's Degree

Students who have already completed a first baccalaureate degree at an accredited college or university may earn a second bachelor’s degree with approval from the appropriate director or dean. A second bachelor's degree may be earned by completing a minimum of 32 hours of course work. Students must satisfy all program requirements for the new degree and coursework cannot be in the same subject area as the first degree. Second bachelor’s degrees are eligible for graduation with honors if 45 or more hours are earned at Rochester University in pursuit of the second bachelor’s degree.