Academic Degrees and Programs

 The academic programs at Heritage University are administered through two colleges:

• College of Arts and Sciences  
• College of Education  

Degree and Certificate Requirements:

• Associate of Arts Degree
• Baccalaureate Degrees 
• Master Degrees
• Undergraduate Professional Certificate Programs
• Second Undergraduate Degree
• Second Graduate Degree

Requirements for the Associate of Arts Degree

1. Complete a minimum of 60 semester credit hours, with the following requirements:
   1. General University Course Requirements must be completed.
   2. 14 credits must be earned at Heritage University.
   3. 36 credits must be earned in traditionally graded courses; a maximum of 24 credits may be earned in courses with a pass grade.
2. Complete major requirements; a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required in the major.
3. Application for a degree must be on file two semesters before the expected graduation date.

Requirements for the Baccalaureate Degrees

1. Complete a minimum of 120 semester credit hours (programs may require more than the 120-credit minimum), with the following requirements:
   1. General University Course Requirements must be completed.
   2. Four writing-intensive courses must be completed by students beginning at Heritage with fewer than 60 credits. Two writing-intensive courses must be completed by students beginning at Heritage with 60 or more credits. 
   3. 48 upper-division credits (300-level or above) must be completed.
   4. 30 credits must be earned at Heritage, including 14 upper-division credits.
   5. 96 credits must be in traditionally graded courses from any accredited college/university; a maximum of 24 credits of courses with a pass grade are allowed.
   6. 30 of the last 40 credits must be from Heritage University.
2. Complete major requirements. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 is required in the education major and 2.0 in other majors. Departments may specify particular courses for degree programs where options exist.
3. An overall minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is required for most programs unless otherwise stated. Certain programs require a higher GPA, as specified in that department’s section of this university catalog.
4. Application for a degree must be on file two semesters before the expected graduation date.

Double Majors

Students can declare a double major and graduate with both majors listed on their diploma if they satisfy the minimum requirements for the degree (B.A., B.S., etc.) as well as the major requirements for both majors. Provided those minimum requirements are met, a student could complete a double major in 120 semester credits.

Dual Degree

A student may wish to complete two baccalaureate degrees at the same time. A dual degree results in two degrees conferred at the same time and two diplomas, each with the name of the specific degrees earned. The minimum degree requirement for a baccalaureate is 120 semester credits, and a second degree requires a minimum of 32 semester credits beyond the first baccalaureate, so a minimum of 152 credits must be completed to earn a dual degree.

Requirements for the Master’s Degrees

It is the responsibility of each student to know his or her status academically and professionally, to meet university and class deadlines throughout his or her course of study, and to satisfy the following requirements for the master’s degree:

1. Complete a minimum of 32 semester credit hours at the graduate level, with the following requirements:
   1. 26 credits must be taken at Heritage University.
   2. 6 credits may be transferred if those courses were completed within the last eight years.
   3. All credits must be in traditionally graded courses.
   4. All master’s degree programs must be completed within eight (8) years of formal acceptance to the program.
2. Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Educational administration students can earn no lower than 3.0 in each course.
3. Complete a special project, thesis, portfolio, and/or written comprehensive examination.
4. Submit a graduation application for master’s degree two semesters before the expected graduation date.
5. Fulfill catalog requirements in effect at the time of the student’s official acceptance to Heritage University.
6. Clear all financial obligations to the university before graduation.

Requirements for Undergraduate Professional Certificates

1. Complete a minimum of 30 upper-division semester credit hours, with the following requirements:
   1. 12 credits must be earned at Heritage.
   2. 18 credits must be earned in traditionally graded courses.
   3. A maximum of 12 credits may be earned in courses with a pass grade; a maximum of 8 credits may be earned by any single means such as LINK, credit by examination, etc.
2. Application for a certificate must be on file one semester before the expected completion date.

Second Degree at Heritage University

Undergraduate:

A second baccalaureate or associate degree different from that of the first degree requires that the student fulfill all the General University Course Requirements and major requirements listed for the second degree. Requirements fulfilled by the first degree are not repeated. After transcript evaluation, requirements already fulfilled are approved by the chair the appropriate programs and maintained in the student’s file. A minimum of 32 semester credits beyond the first baccalaureate degree, and 14 credits beyond the first associate of arts degree, are required of students from Heritage University.

Graduate:

A second master’s degree for graduates who earned their first master’s degree at Heritage University requires that the student fulfill all the General University Course Requirements listed for the second degree. A minimum of 24 semester credits beyond the first master’s degree is required, which shall include a 3-4 credit special project/thesis in the specialty area, with the topic subject to approval by the department chair. All credits for the second degree must be taken at Heritage University, and requirements that fulfilled the first degree cannot be repeated. A course of study must be approved by each respective department chair. Candidates who completed a first master’s degree at an institution other than Heritage University are not covered by this policy and therefore must complete all degree requirements.

Degree Programs

*Indicates a program is currently under a teach-out plan and is not accepting new applicants.