Graduation Requirements

The following information answers some frequently asked questions.

  1. All majors, minors and teacher licensures must be declared (by completing the correct form) prior to submitting a graduation application.
  2. For graduation, you will need a minimum of 120 semester hours (more if requirements are not met). Only four hours of 100-level PE/HW/DAN fitness development/skill courses and eight hours from each of the music ensemble courses, MUSC 113-129 (20 hours maximum) can count toward the required 120 hours.
  3. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 is required overall, and in both your major and minor courses to graduate.
  4. A demonstration of major competency is required of all degree candidates. The competency requirements for your major can be found in the course catalog.
  5. You must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours at the 300-400 level. This is a combined total of upper level courses in the Liberal Arts Core, your major and electives.
  6. You must fulfill the Liberal Arts Core requirements in effect when you entered UNC Asheville as a degree-seeking student unless specifically exempted from the requirement, in writing, by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs or his/her designee. You must meet the major requirements in effect when you declared your major OR changed your major and/or concentration unless an exception is made by the Department Chair, subject to the approval of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
  7. If you withdraw from UNC Asheville for one academic year or more, or transfer to another school and then return to UNC Asheville, you must fulfill the Liberal Arts Core requirements and major requirements in effect when you return.
  8. If you have transfer credit from two-year schools, you must earn a minimum of 60 semester hours from four-year schools in order to graduate. If you attended only two-year schools prior to coming to UNC Asheville and were given transfer credit for more than 60 semester hours, you must complete at least 60 semester hours in residence at UNC Asheville, thus increasing your total required hours to graduate to more than 120. If you transferred from four-year schools and were given credit for more than 90 semester hours, you must complete a minimum of 25% of the required semester hours (at least 30 hours, depending on program) in residence at UNC Asheville.
  9. All transfer students must complete one-half of their major requirements at UNC Asheville. Post-graduate students seeking a second degree must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours, with two-thirds of the major courses completed at UNC Asheville.
  10. If you are seeking teacher licensure, you must complete the education requirements in effect when you file your formal declaration with the Education Department. All required forms must be completed prior to submitting a graduation application. Licensure students must maintain a minimum major GPA of 2.5 and an overall GPA of 2.7.
  11. During their time of enrollment at UNC Asheville, students may repeat a course in which they earned a grade that is less than C (C-, D+, D, F or U). The grades from all course attempts will be used in the calculation of the student’s grade point average, and the total attempted hours will increase with each repeat. However, students will earn hours for only one of the successful attempts.
    Students have the option to replace the grades in a maximum of 16 hours and use the new grades in the calculation of the grade-point average. The grades for the initial attempts will remain on the student’s permanent record and appear on the student’s transcript, but will not calculate into the grade-point average. The credit hours from all attempts will count in the student’s attempted hours.
  12. University-wide Latin Honors are figured on all UNC Asheville grades, and require a minimum of 60 semester hours earned at UNC Asheville. Latin Honor GPA cut-offs are 3.600, 3.750, and 3.900 for Cum laude, Magna cum laude, and Summa cum laude, respectively.
  13. Students who have been readmitted under the Conditional Readmission Policy are not eligible for Latin Honors, nor may they replace grades of C-, D, F or U.
  14. Plan ahead. Check catalog course descriptions for frequency of course offerings. Not all courses are offered every semester.