Academic Catalog 2016-17 :: Lake Superior State University

Degree Requirements

Lake Superior State University offers bachelor (also called baccalaureate) degrees, associate degrees and certificates. These degrees are offered in a wide variety of academic programs. Each academic department has a set of specific courses and other requirements for each of its degree programs. However, some requirements are of a general nature, applying to all such degrees. These are discussed below.

Bachelor degree: A minimum of 124 credits (at the 100 level or higher) is required for a bachelor degree. Some programs require more than this number of credits. Requirement categories are: general education, bachelor of arts (if applicable) and departmental. Some programs require support courses and/or a minor, and free electives.

Bachelor of Arts degree (8 credits): One year of a modern language other than English.  If taken at LSSU, this would be CHIN151-CHIN152 or CHIN251-CHIN252; FREN151-FREN152 or FREN251-FREN252; or SPAN161-SPAN162. One-half year of two different languages will not meet this requirement.

Associate degree: A minimum of 62 credits (at the 100 level or higher) is required for an associate degree.  Some programs require more than this number of credits.  Requirement categories are:  general education and departmental.  some programs require support courses and free electives.

Certificate: A certificate may be comprised of a series of courses/experiences housed in one department, or a cluster of courses/experiences in a defined thematic area which are not confined to a single disciplinary area - referred to as a multidisciplinary certificate.

Minor: Academic minor programs are offered in a wide variety of disciplines. A minimum of 20 credits is required for a minor, with some minors requiring additional credits.

GPA: A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 for all credits carried at Lake Superior State University and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 for all courses required in your major, minor and general education is necessary for graduation.  Some degree programs may require a higher gpa.

Electives: Elective courses are chosen to obtain credit beyond that of specified requirements. Free electives refer to courses you may select completely of your own choice. Designated electives refer to courses selected from a list specified by the department.

Residency Requirements: On-campus and regional centers

Bachelor degree candidates must successfully complete at least 30 of the 124 credits earned for the degree using Lake Superior State University courses.  Additionally, at least 50 percent of the departmentally required 300/400 level credits must be earned using Lake Superior State University courses.

Associate degree candidates must successfully complete at least 15 of the 62 credits earned for the degree using Lake Superior State University courses.  Additionally, candidates must earn at least 50 percent of their departmentally required credits in courses offered by Lake Superior State University.

Certificate candidates must successfully complete at least 16 of their departmentally required credits in courses offered by Lake Superior State University.

Minor candidates must earn at least 10 of the departmentally required credits using Lake Superior State University courses.

Departmental residency requirements may exceed the residency of the University for certain degree programs.

Multiple Majors

You may earn more than one major by completing all requirements of each desired major program. Before graduation, you must file a Degree Audit approved by the school chair for each major. The double major must be granted as one combined degree such as: bachelor of science degree in accounting and business administration.

Multiple Degrees

If you desire to earn more than one degree, you must complete all program requirements of the additional degree(s) as certified by the school chair, comprising a minimum of 30 additional LSSU credits for each additional baccalaureate degree, or a minimum of 15 additional LSSU credits for each additional associate degree from Lake Superior State University.

There are no overlapping or additive residency requirements between the associate and baccalaureate degree tracks.  The degrees stand alone.  Earning an additional associate degree and a baccalaureate degree at the same time would require the completion of an additional minimum of 30 credits.

Additional degrees for graduates of other universities

Students who hold a baccalaureate degree at another U.S. accredited institution, and who desire a baccalaureate degree from LSSU, must complete all requirements of an approved degree schedule including at least 30 additional credits in courses offered by LSSU. The degree schedule must be approved by the major school chair and sent to the Registrar's Office. Transfer credits from other universities will be evaluated for those classes used for the new degree. You should initiate the approval process with the school chair at the time of or before commencing study toward the additional degree. The schedule elected shall consist mainly of minor, major and cognate courses.

Courses considered essential to the degree but not previously elected may, at the option of the school chair, be required even though the total may exceed 30 credits. Lake Superior State University general education requirements are considered complete if you earned a bachelor’s degree at any United States accredited university or an honors bachelor’s degree from an accredited Canadian university.

If you earned a bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree at another accredited institution and desire an associate’s degree from Lake Superior State University, you must complete all requirements of an approved degree schedule including at least 15 additional credits in courses offered by LSSU. The degree schedule process is identical to that described above for an additional bachelor’s degree. The schedule elected shall consist mainly of major and cognate courses. Courses considered essential to the degree but not previously elected may, at the option of the school and college, be required even though the total may exceed 15 credits.

Failed Classes

If you fail a class required for your degree program, you must repeat the class and receive a passing grade. If the failed class is no longer offered because of program changes and/or course deletions, the dean may approve a substitution or waiver recommended by the academic chair. The chair must provide reasons for the recommendation on the substitution/waiver form which is sent to the dean’s office.

Exceptions to Graduation Requirements

Exceptions to specific general education requirements may be granted only by the Scholastic Standards Committee. Such exceptions are infrequently made. A petition for exceptions to general education requirements is initiated with the Chair of the Scholastic Standards Committee.

Course substitutions and waivers of departmental degree program requirements may be granted only by the dean of the school or college offering the program (major or minor).

Normally, you will graduate under the program degree requirements in effect and published in the Catalog at the time you are admitted into the given degree program, provided enrollment at the University is continuous. If enrollment is interrupted, or if you select a new major, you must satisfy program requirements in effect at the time you re-enter or officially change to the new major. If program requirements are revised during your enrollment, you will be allowed to graduate under the new requirements providing you can meet such requirements in their entirety.

The University reserves the right to change the requirements for graduation at any time as a means of keeping pace with educational developments affecting the various curricula. As such changes are made, they may, at the discretion of the University, be applied to students already enrolled. In such cases, reasonable and prudent effort will be made to provide the benefit of the new educational program without imposing undue hardship.

Posthumous Degree Policy

A posthumous degree may be awarded in the name of a deceased student upon request of the student's family, if the deceased student had met the requirements as set forth below.

The deceased student will need to be in good academic standing with the University and have completed a majority of the requirements for the degree.  The Chair of the school responsible for the student's degree program will make the recommendation to the Dean.  The Dean will complete a degree audit and submit it to the Registrar who will complete a verification of the requirements, and submit the request to the Provost.  If the Provost approves, the request will be submitted for Presidential approval, and final Board of Trustees approval.

The academic transcript will be marked:  "Degree Granted Posthumously".  A copy of the academic record will be released, if requested, to an attorney representing the estate of the deceased student.

Deceased students not meeting the above criteria may receive a "Certificate of Achievement' if requested by the family.

 

 

 

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