Bachelor's Degree Requirements

The goal of undergraduate programs is to encourage the development of the individual’s values and talents which may be employed in solving the problems of a complex society. Special emphasis is directed to the development of the student’s capacity for independent judgment and creative thought. Undergraduate study combines both theory and practice to educate students and to prepare them for the world of work.

Governors State University is a senior-level university offering transfer students from community colleges, as well as those from four-year institutions, the opportunity to further their education. The fundamental charge of undergraduate study at Governors State University is to extend the educational opportunities for students who have completed the equivalent of two or more years of college work. Baccalaureate degree programs build on this foundation and offer an integrated two years of study to fulfill degree requirements. Degree candidates should approach their academic careers with a sense of what they have already accomplished as well as that which remains to be achieved.

Undergraduate Student Status

Undergraduate degree-seeking students are those students admitted to an undergraduate degree program.

Articulation Agreements

To minimize transfer problems for students, Governors State University and area community colleges have developed articulation agreements that help students plan bachelor’s degree programs beginning at the community college and finishing at Governors State University. These agreements assure smooth transition from lower-division study to upper-division study and completion of a bachelor’s degree. GSU also participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI). The General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) is accepted to meet general education requirements. In addition, GSU accepts the Major Panel recommendations for transfer. Students will receive credit for those courses recommended by the panels and successfully completed.

Student Study Plan

Student study plans are developed with advisors before the end of the first trimester of enrollment. The advisor will explain the degree program and, with the student, develop a study plan that will lead to degree completion of the selected major. The student study plan will detail the degree requirements for the major selected in effect at the time of admission as a degree-seeking student. It will specify the amount of transfer credit, proficiency credit, and credit for experiential learning applied toward the degree requirements; the total credit-hour require­ment for the degree; required and elective courses; and the maximum number of credit-hours and/or courses that can be taken off-campus and applied toward the degree.

Students are encouraged to contact faculty members in specific discipline areas in which they have interests for additional academic advisement.

The study plan must be reviewed and updated whenever a student:

1.      applies for acceptance of transfer credit earned from another institution after enrollment at Governors State University;

2.      wishes to substitute course work specified on the plan;

3.      changes majors; or

4.      is readmitted.

Students choosing to take courses not specified in their study plan may find that such credit may not apply toward the degree requirements.

Orientation

Research, combined with the experience of numerous colleges and universities, makes a convincing case that a thorough orientation for students of all ages leads to a greater probability of their success and ultimate graduation. Therefore, all undergraduate students are required to complete an online orientation program before registering for classes.  Academic advising is required before a student may register.

Undergraduate Degree Programs Offered

Each undergraduate degree program includes a major, and in some cases, a concentration, teaching concentration, or minor.

Major/Concentration  College

Majors                                                            College

Accounting                        Business and Public Administration

Art                                  Arts and Sciences

Biology                             Arts and Sciences

Teacher Education

Business Administration       Business and Public Administration

Finance

Human Resources Management

International Business

Management

Management Information Systems

Marketing

Operations Management

Public Administration

Business and Applied

Science                   Business and Public Administration

Chemistry                         Arts and Sciences

Teacher Education

Communication Disorders     Health and Human Services

Communications                 Arts and Sciences

Advertising and Public Relations

Digital Film Making

Journalism

Multimedia Communications

Speech Communications

Computer Science              Arts and Sciences

Criminal Justice                  Arts and Sciences

          Corrections and Punishment

Law Enforcement and Security

          Restorative and Community Justice

Early Childhood Education     Education

Elementary Education          Education

English                             Arts and Sciences

Teacher Education

Health Administration          Health and Human Services

Integrative Studies             Arts and Sciences

Interdisciplinary Studies       Arts and Science

Management Information Systems            Business and Public Administration

Information Security

          Internet Commerce

          Network Management

Systems Engineering

          Strategic Management of Information Systems

Mathematics                      Arts and Sciences

          Teacher Education

Nursing                            Health and Human Services

Psychology                        Education

Pre-Clinical

Social Sciences                  Arts and Sciences

Social Work                       Health and Human Services

Minors                                                            College

Student Responsibility

Students are responsible for knowledge of, and adher­ence to, all university requirements and regulations.

Students are also responsible for knowing the degree requirements for their major and enrolling in courses that meet those degree requirements.

Students are strongly encouraged to seek information and assistance from appropriate staff should they have any questions regarding requirements or regulations.

General Requirements

The following general requirements for the bachelor’s degree are minimum standards established by the university. Colleges and individual majors may deter­mine additional, more specific requirements that will be incorporated into an approved student study plan.

To graduate with a bachelor’s degree, an undergraduate student must meet the following minimum university degree requirements:

1.      Complete a minimum of 120 credit-hours.

2.      Satisfactorily complete the university online orientation.

3.      Complete a minimum of 45 upper-division credit-hours, which may include upper-division transfer credit.

4.      Satisfy the university general education requirements.

5.      Be in academic good standing with a minimum 2.0 cumulative G.P.A.

6.      Satisfy the residency requirements.

7.      Demonstrate that all degree requirements, as defined in the approved student study plan, have been met.

8.      Remove all grades of incomplete (I or E) by the graduation processing date.

9.      Meet all financial obligations to the university.

10.  Satisfy the university policy on technology outcomes for students.

11.  Complete the collegial and university procedures that cover implementation of the above requirements.

In addition to the requirements stated above, an under­graduate may:

1.      Apply to degree requirements no more than 18 credit-hours earned as an undeclared student.

2.      Apply to degree requirements no more than 12 credit-hours earned in the pass/no credit grading option.

3.      Apply to degree requirements no more than nine credit-hours earned in independent studies.

Transfer Credit for Undergraduate Students

The following requirements apply to courses being transferred from colleges and universities accredited by regional accrediting agencies. Students seeking to apply transfer credit from non-accredited institutions toward degree requirements must petition the dean of the college in which the major is offered. Transfer credits that are accepted toward degree requirements will be entered in the student study plan.

Transfer of Prior Credits. Credits earned in courses at other universities or earned as an undeclared student at Governors State University will be accepted in accor­dance with the following rules:

1.      Up to 75 semester-hours of lower-division transfer credit may be accepted upon review by the program faculty.

2.      Ordinarily, only credits earned with a grade of “C” or better or “P” (pass) will be considered for transfer credit at the lower-division level. Credits with grades of “D” may be considered for transfer if the cumula­tive grade point average for transfer credit is at least 2.00 (on a 4.00 scale) or if the credit was accepted for the associate’s degree.

3.      Only credits earned with a grade of “C” or better or “P” (pass) will be considered upper-division transfer credit or satisfactory completion of course prerequi­site or corequisite.

4.      No more than 18 credit-hours earned as an unde­clared student may be applied toward degree requirements.

5.      Only credits earned with a grade of “C” or better or “P” (pass) may be applied to meet university general education requirements.

6.      Transfer credits are applied toward specific degree requirements on a course-by-course basis by the academic advisor.

7.      Some individual degree programs have limited the time period within which transfer course credit must have been earned in order to be applied toward degree requirements.

Transfer credit should be reviewed before admission to Governors State University to avoid duplication of course work. The review of transfer credit must be completed no later than the end of the first trimester of enrollment as a degree-seeking student.

Transfer Credit Earned After Admission.

Credits earned in courses taken at another institution, after admission to a degree program, will only be accepted if permission to apply such credit toward degree require­ments was obtained from the student’s academic advisor and the dean before taking course work at the other institution. Only courses with grades of “C” or better will be applied toward degree requirements.

University General Education Requirement

The general education requirement at Governors State University provides graduates with a broad foundation in the liberal arts and sciences. All undergraduate degree-seeking students are required to meet the university general education requirement before graduation.

Students may fulfill this requirement in any of six ways:

1.      Transfer to Governors State University having earned an Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree from a regionally-accredited Illinois community college. Please note: the Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.), Associate of Engineering Sciences (A.E.S.), and the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) do not meet this requirement.

2.      Provide documentation of having earned a bachelor’s degree from any one of the twelve state universities in Illinois.

3.      Complete the Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) at another institution and have it noted on the transcript.

4.      Complete an approved undergraduate teacher education program at Governors State University.

5.      Complete one of the undergraduate business programs.

6.      Complete the distribution requirements with a grade of "C" or better in each course. Requirements may be met either by presenting acceptable transfer courses as evaluated by the GSU Admission Office or completing courses that were specifically approved for meeting the relevant general education requirement at Governors State University

Communication: 3 courses (9 semester credits)*, including two courses in writing (6 semester credits) and one course (3 semester credits) in oral communication.

Mathematics: 1 to 2 courses (3 to 6 semester credits).*

Physical and Life Sciences: 2 courses (7 to 8 semester credits)* with one course selected from the life sciences and one course from the physical sciences, including at least one laboratory course.

Humanities and Fine Arts: 3 courses (9 semester credits)* with at least one course selected from humanities and at least one course from the fine arts.

Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 courses (9 semester credits)* with courses selected from at least two disciplines.

TOTAL: 12 to 13 courses (37 to 41 semester credits)

* For the quarter hour conversion, please contact the Office of Admission or an academic advisor.

Information on specific courses that may be applied to the general education course requirements may be obtained from the Admission Office, the website at http://www.govst.edu/apply/t_apply.aspx?id=7748 or from academic advisors.

Academic Standing

Undergraduate students who maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 are in good standing.

Writing Across the Curriculum Requirement

Governors State University recognizes that today’s successful graduates must be excellent communicators. To ensure that GSU graduates meet this standard of excellence, the university has developed a program that emphasizes written and oral communication in each degree area. Known as Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC), this program allows faculty and students to use writing as a vehicle for learning. WAC applies the most current knowledge from education and composition studies to a variety of specially designated writing courses that help students master the language conven­tions used by members of given fields. This mastery is a key factor not only in academic success, but also in professional success after graduation.

Students are required to complete at least one WAC writing course in their major before receiving a bachelor’s degree. Program advisors or the Registrar’s Office can provide information on which courses in the program qualify as WAC writing courses.

Residency Requirements

All undergraduate degree-seeking students are required to earn a minimum of 24 credit-hours of course work from Governors State University before being awarded a bachelor’s degree.

Technology Competency Requirement

Governors State University recognizes that computer and information technologies are integral features of our culture and that mastery of basic technology is essential for success in school and the workplace. To ensure such mastery, each academic program will incorporate technological competencies into its curricula and assess expected outcomes. At a minimum, students must demonstrate their ability to: 1) use appropriate software for the development of papers, reports, and other assignments; 2) conduct searches on the Internet and use library databases to access relevant literature; and 3) send and receive electronic mail with attachments. Achievement of these minimal competencies will be verified on the student’s application for graduation by the advisor.

University Minors

Various academic divisions within the university offer minors available to degree-seeking students who wish to pursue organized course work in addition to their major field of study. The requirements for each minor are listed elsewhere in this catalog.

To earn a minor, a student must do the following:

1.      meet all university and collegial requirements for the baccalaureate degree;

2.      complete the specific course requirements for the minor as described in the catalog and detailed in a study plan approved by a faculty advisor in the minor discipline. Credit-hours can count toward both a major and a minor, provided they are accepted on both study plans;

3.      earn at least one-half of the required credit-hours from Governors State University. Transfer courses should be submitted to the minor advisor for approval by the first week of the trimester in which graduation is intended;

4.      satisfy all applicable collegial requirements, including minimum grade requirements for courses applied to the minor; and

5.      complete and apply for the minor at the time of degree completion by submitting an approved student study plan for each minor with the application for graduation.

Second Bachelor’s Degree

A student having earned a bachelor’s degree may earn a subsequent bachelor’s degree at Governors State University by:

1.      Applying and being admitted to the undergraduate degree program.

2.      Meeting requirements of the University Residency Policy for the subsequent degree. Hours applied toward the first degree may not be included in hours required to meet residency requirements.

3.      Completing all requirements of the subsequent degree program as stipulated in the student study plan.

4.      Meeting university, college/school and/or major degree requirements for the subsequent degree.

Application for Graduation

Students should arrange to meet with their assigned academic advisors to review the student study plan and verify expected completion of degree requirements. They should apply for graduation by the published deadline for the term in which they plan to have all requirements met. Students should complete both an Application for Graduation form and a Student Progress Report form, available on the web or in the Registrar’s Office. Upon completion of these forms, students should have no more than 16 credit-hours outstanding toward degree requirements, either as incomplete work or as current enrollment at the time of application. The application is approved by the advisor, division/department chair, and dean. Approval by the Registrar’s Office results in degree certification and awarding of the diploma.  A $40 graduation application fee covers costs of diplomas, caps and gowns, and commencement.

Commencement

Commencement is held twice a year, in January or February and in June. Participation is optional. Students who have graduated in August or December of the previous year may participate in the January commencement, while those who have graduated in April of the current year may participate in the June commencement. Participation in commencement is limited to students who have been certified by the registrar as having completed all requirements for the degree.

Diplomas

Diplomas are awarded only upon verification of completion of all degree requirements and satisfaction of all financial obligations to the university. Diplomas are inscribed with the type of degree, major, date, and the student name on record at the time the degree was confirmed.

Audit Registration

A student who is interested in a particular course(s) but does not wish to take it for credit may audit the course(s). All attendance and work is voluntary. A student may register to audit a course during the registration period upon paying the required fee and obtaining the instructor’s approval. Audit registrations do not appear on the academic transcript. A change from audit to credit registration or from credit to audit registration must be made during the registration period. See the schedule of classes for complete information on auditing a class.

Veterans and other eligible persons cannot be certified for audited courses per 38 CFR 21.4252(i) of the code of federal regulations.

Change in Major/Change of Status

Degree-seeking and Undeclared students who wish to change their major and/or concentration must complete the appropriate forms available on the web or in the Registrar’s Office. Students who change their course of study are subject to any special admission and degree requirements in effect for the new major and/or concentration at the time of the change.