The requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) are:

  1. The completion of 128 semester hours, of which no more than 12 may be from courses with numbers lower than 100, and all the courses required by the faculty, including the courses required for a major; and
  2. A GPA of C (2.00) or above for all courses taken at Ursinus College.

To qualify for the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, a student must have successfully completed a minimum of 64 semester hours of credit at Ursinus. Half of the semester hours of credits required in the major department must be taken at Ursinus; exceptions may be granted by the dean of the College. A degree from the College requires that a student spend the two semesters of the senior year as a full-time student.

A full-time student may not take fewer than 12 semester hours per semester. The normal load for a term is 16-18 credits. It is recommended that students normally take no more than 16 credits per semester. Students may register for up to 18 credits with the approval of their advisers. They may not register for more than 18 credits in any semester without special permission from the dean of the College. Students carrying fewer than 12 hours are not permitted to remain or to become residents of College residence halls.

All requirements for graduation must be satisfied before the end of the last day of examination week preceding commencement. Each student must bear responsibility for fulfilling the requirements for graduation.

Degrees

Ursinus College confers the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. For specific requirements of the curricula leading to each of these degrees, see departmental requirements. Degrees are conferred only at commencement in May of each year and candidates must present themselves in person.

A student in good standing who has earned a minimum of 96 semester hours of credit and who withdraws from the College to enter an accredited graduate or professional school may, with the approval of the faculty, receive a baccalaureate degree from Ursinus after earning any doctoral degree from an accredited institution.

The College may confer the honorary degrees of Doctor of Divinity, Doctor of Humane Letters, Doctor of Pedagogy, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Letters, and Doctor of Laws on persons whose distinguished ability and service have been deemed worthy of such recognition by the faculty and the Board of Directors.

Second Bachelor’s Degrees

We usually recommend against students working toward a second bachelor’s degree. For those who do desire a second degree, the following applies: Students who hold a bachelor’s degree from another institution may be admitted to degree candidacy at Ursinus as transfer students. The student must satisfy all degree requirements at Ursinus, including completion of a minimum of sixty-four (64) semester hours work at Ursinus. Students who hold a bachelor’s degree from Ursinus will not be awarded a second degree of the same type (B.A., B.S., or B.B.A.). They may be admitted to candidacy in a second degree area. The student must satisfy all requirements and must complete at least thirty-two (32) additional semester hours beyond what was required for the first degree.