FAQ
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Questions?
Please use the contact section in the governing policy.
- How is the “15 of the last 30” credits determined?
Students with questions should consult with their academic advisor. As students are planning their course enrollments, the planning for sequencing of transfer and resident courses is very important. Students planning to take more than 15 credits of transfer coursework toward completing a degree should not plan to take all of those credits at the end of their academic career.
Under extraordinary circumstances, a student can petition for a waiver of this requirement. Each student’s circumstances and entire record of coursework toward the degree is evaluated and considered in responding to such petitions.
Two general examples of such petitions, which were recently approved are provided here: (1) A student takes 16 of the last 33 credits in residence during their last academic terms, and seeks an exception, with an explanation of their specific circumstances. (2) A student needs only one four-credit course to complete their remaining degree requirements, They move to another state and they take that specific missing course at another institution while also taking other coursework there during that same academic term, totaling 17 credits. When they request the credits to transfer to the University of Minnesota campus so they can receive their degree, all 17 credits will be recorded as transfer credits, although only one course is needed for their degree completion. Approvals of such petitions are not automatic. Students and academic advisors should raise these questions, as early as possible, with the policy contact on their campus.
- Do study abroad credits taken through the University of Minnesota count in the “15 of the last 30 credits” requirement?
Yes, if the study abroad experience is coordinated by the University of Minnesota, it counts as being taken on the student’s home campus. Note that National Student Exchange (NSE) credits are transfer credits from another institution and therefore they do not count as being taken on the student’s home campus. Students should consult with their academic advisors before enrolling in study abroad programs.
- How are students enrolled at Rochester classified? Since Rochester is accredited with the Twin Cities campus, the courses taken at Rochester are counted as being taken on the Twin Cities campus and vice versa, and thereby meet the requirement of the “campus from which the student is seeking to graduate.”
- How does the “15 of the last 30 credits” requirement apply to University of Minnesota, Rochester students who are enrolling for courses on another campus, as part of completing their required capstone experience for the BSHS degree?
If a BSHS student takes courses on a campus of an approved, accredited institution, as a part of an approved capstone plan, those credits will be counted as if they had been taken on the student's home campus.
- What does “discipline” mean with regard to completing more than one degree or program?
A “discipline” refers to an academic field of study (i.e. Psychology, Computer Science, etc.), and this policy prohibits students from completing a major and minor, or receiving more than one degree, in a discipline because there is significant curricular overlap among the different courses of study within a single discipline. For example, a student could not both major and minor in Psychology, or earn both a B.A. and B.S. in Computer Science.
- Do special exam credits count toward campus-specific credit requirements?
No.
- If a student has completed all of the requirements for an undergraduate minor, can the minor be awarded before the student has completed the requirements for earning a bachelor’s degree?
No.
- If a student has completed all of the requirements for an undergraduate certificate, and the student is also working on a bachelor’s degree, can the certificate be awarded before the student has completed the requirements for earning a bachelor’s degree?
Yes.
- Do the credits required for a major include credits in a subplan offered in that major?
Yes. If a student is pursuing a particular subplan within a major, the required subplan credits are part of the total credits required for that major.