What's in a degree?

I just wanted to take a moment to explain the components of an undergraduate degree, in case anyone out there is confused about the many parts that add up to equal a Bachelors degree. There are many things to look out for when planning your path to graduation. Here are some things to always keep in mind.

• to earn a BA or BFA you must have a minimum of 120 credits. Many students will have more than this because of transfer credits, change of major, electives, minors, etc. Several components make up this 120 credits: general education courses, major courses, elective courses, minor/foreign language (depending on your major). Out of the 120 credits at least 45 credits must be courses taken at the 300-499 level.
  
• Our BA degree is made up of 4 parts: general education courses, major courses, foreign language OR minor courses, and electives. The BFA degree has 3 parts: general education courses, major courses, and electives
• In addition to earning at least 120 credits and completing the requirements for the degree, students must earn at least 45 credits of upper division courses in order to graduate. This is a strict university rule and there is no way around this requirement. Upper division courses are courses that are in the 300-499 range and any courses that you take from this range apply to your degree. Check your transcripts and degree audits in PatriotWeb regularly to make sure that you are working towards this requirement.
  
• If you did not do well in a class you have the option of repeating the class to try and earn a higher grade. Repeating a class will not count towards the 45 upper division credit requirement. All attempts you make at a certain class will remain on your transcript, but only the most recent attempt will count towards your cumulative gpa.
  
• The minimum GPA you need to have in order to be in good academic standing and eligible to graduate is a 2.0. Your academic standing is based entirely on your cumulative gpa, which is calculated using the number of attempted credits and grades earned. Be warned- if you withdraw from a course after the drop deadline (meaning you have a 'W' on your transcript. You get a 'W' for courses you drop during Selective Withdrawal perod), those credits are considered attempted credits and will count towards your cumulative gpa. If you fail a course you will not be given credit for the class but the number of credits the failed course was for will count towards your attempted credits, thus affecting your cumulative gpa.
  

I know how confusing this can all seem. Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions about this. I'm here to help you.