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General Degree Requirements - Columbus State University

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Academics

General Degree Requirements

Undergraduate General Degree Requirements

The requirements for degrees described in this catalog are applicable to students currently enrolled. Although students have the right to complete requirements under their catalog of entry, students who change their programs of study must meet requirements that exist at the time they make the change, except that core curriculum requirements (Areas A-E) completed before the change will satisfy similar core requirements. No student will be placed under undue penalty in meeting the requirements. The university reserves the right to change the degree requirements at any time, but no such change will be administered to cause a loss in credit for work already completed.

Each student is assigned an academic advisor. The faculty advisement system is designed to provide the student with effective academic advisement throughout enrollment at Columbus State University. Although academic advisors make every effort to inform students about course and degree requirements, the primary responsibility for meeting all degree requirements rests with the student.

General Education Learning Outcomes

The core curriculum (Areas A-E) and the major-related core courses (Area F) support Columbus State University's general education learning outcomes:

Skills of Communication and Critical Thinking

Communication: Be able to communicate effectively by means of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the diverse situations encountered as educated citizens; and be able to effectively communicate using appropriate symbolic or technological systems.

Critical thinking: Be able to think with a deliberate awareness of the process of critical thinking, employ the process, and strive to augment its effectiveness.

Perspectives and Knowledge

Aesthetics: Be able to interpret aesthetic significance in an object, work, performance, or experience through study or participation.

Contemporary phenomena: Be able to apply appropriate knowledge to the interpretation of current problems and related issues concerning environment, health, society, culture, religion, economics, politics, science, and technology.

Historical interpretation: Be able to develop informed judgments about the past by gathering relevant information, by placing it in context, by interpreting it, and by using it to draw inferences about contemporary events.

Mathematical knowledge: Be able to use mathematical skills to solve problems and to interpret quantitative information.

Scientific investigation: Be able to observe and interpret phenomena in a systematic fashion consistent with recognized principles of scientific inquiry.

Values clarification and cultural diversity: Be able to investigate ethics and personal values and those of others; be able to analyze interactions between value systems and cultural systems; and be able to distinguish prejudices, stereotypes, opinions, facts and cross-cultural contributions.

Wellness

Activity, service and leadership: Be able to participate in extra-curricular, service, or leadership activity during the course of completing an undergraduate education.

General University Requirements

The following general requirements are applicable for all programs leading to an undergraduate degree:

  • A minimum of 123 semester credit hours for a baccalaureate degree or 63 semester credit hours for an associate degree.
  • A minimum Columbus State University degree progress grade point average of 2.0 and a minimum combined Columbus State University and transfer college degree progress grade point average of 2.0.
  • General Education Requirements - for the baccalaureate degree, completion of Core Areas A through F. Transfer students who have completed any core area (Areas A-F) at another University System institution will have completed the same core area at CSU, so long as the student's major remains the same. Students who have received an associate degree from another University System institution will have satisfied the total core at CSU (Areas A-F), so long as the student's major remains the same.
  • Legislative requirements - An act of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia requires that all candidates for degrees possess and demonstrate knowledge of U.S. History, Georgia History, U.S. Constitution, and Georgia Constitution. The following courses, when taken at Columbus State University, will satisfy the requirements.
    • U.S. History Requirement - HIST 2111 or HIST 2112
    • Georgia History Requirement - HIST 2111 or HIST 2112 or HIST 3105
    • U.S. Constitution Requirement - POLS 1101
    • Georgia Constitution Requirement - POLS 1101 or POLS 2201

    • Note: Transfer credit for history and government courses may not satisfy the legislative requirements. Students who transfer credit that does not satisfy these requirements may take a proficiency examination or the courses listed above. Students with questions regarding the proficiency examinations should consult with the Department of History and the Department of Political Science.

  • Regents' Test - Refer to Testing in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations section for specific information regarding the Regents' Test.
  • For the baccalaureate degree, 39 semester hours of courses numbered 3000 or above.
  • Residency requirements:
    • Baccalaureate - 30 semester hours of work taken at Columbus State University after the student has qualified as a junior, of which 20 semester hours must be at the upper division level in the major.
    • Associate - 21 semester credit hours of work taken at Columbus State University.
  • For the BA, the demonstration of proficiency in a foreign language by the satisfactory completion in a foreign language through at least the 2001 course or the equivalent. Students whose secondary education was conducted in a language other than English may be awarded up to nine semester hours of foreign language credit toward a BA degree. Students who think they may qualify for this credit should contact the chair of the Department of Language and Literature.
  • For all degree programs, completion of wellness course requirements: PELM 1205 and one PEDS activity course. Transfer students who have satisfied an established wellness requirement at another University System institution will have satisfied the wellness requirement at CSU. Courses taken at other institutions for partial completion of the wellness requirement will be substituted for equivalent CSU courses.
  • Wellness Exemptions:
    • Students with at least 12 months of active military service.
    • Students 40 years of age or older. (Older students may take related courses, but must have medical clearance to participate in courses requiring moderate-intensity exercise).
    • Students with severe physical disabilities. (Medical verification ;s;hould be obtained through the CSU Office of Disability Services).
  • For all degree programs, demonstration of competency in the basic use of computers.
  • Following are the four components and the courses, when taken at Columbus State University, that will satisfy the requirements:
    • word processing - ENGL 1101, CPSC 1105
    • presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint) - COMM 1110, CPSC 1105
    • electronic information retrieval (Internet and GIL) - ENGL 1102, CPSC 1105
    • e-mail - ENGL 1101, CPSC 1105

Transfer students who have taken ENGL 1101, ENGL 1102, and/or COMM 1110 elsewhere must satisfy the appropriate requirement within two semesters of enrollment, as follows:

  • enroll in:
    MODL 0090 - word processing
    MODL 0091 - presentation software
    MODL 0089 - electronic information retrieval
    MODL 0088 - e-mail

    • OR


  • enroll in CPSC 1105

    • OR


  • complete the appropriate computer proficiency test (a maximum of two attempts on the proficiency test is allowed before the student is required to enroll in the corresponding MODL course or CPSC 1105).

Transfer Associate Degrees

The associate of science transfer program is designed to facilitate transfer into baccalaureate degree programs. Consequently, the minimum 63 semester credit hours required consists of 42 semester credit hours in the core curriculum (Areas A-E), 18 credit hours in the area of study designated in Area F and three semester credit hours of wellness courses. This program is limited to the Associate of Science in general studies.

A special variation of this degree is available under the provisions of the Servicemen's Opportunity College Program. Columbus State University is a member of SOC and participates with the Associate of Science in general studies. The variation in degree requirements for military personnel is the reduction in resident hours to 15 semester credit hours of work to be taken at Columbus State University.

Career Associate Degrees

Career associate degree programs include the associate of applied science programs. These programs are designed to meet specific needs of students preparing for employment in specialized fields. Such programs require careful and continued counseling by an assigned academic advisor. Of the minimum 63 semester credit hours required for an associate degree, the career associate degree programs require at least 21 credit hours of general education course work and three semester credit hours of wellness courses or approved substitutions.

Additional Degree Policy

In order for a student to earn both associate and baccalaureate degrees in the same discipline, all requirements for the associate degree must be satisfied at least two semesters before requirements for the baccalaureate degree are satisfied. Otherwise, only the baccalaureate degree will be awarded. Further, any student graduating from Columbus State University with a baccalaureate degree cannot concurrently receive an Associate of Science degree in general studies.

To earn an additional baccalaureate degree in a significantly different discipline (as determined by the dean of the college offering the degree sought), students must meet the following requirements:

  • Have earned a baccalaureate degree at Columbus State University or at another accredited institution.
  • Meet all major program requirements for the degree sought with a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of additional upper division work in residence at Columbus State University and a minimum degree progress grade point average of 2.0.
  • Satisfy the U.S. and Georgia history and constitutions requirements if the prior degree is not from a University System institution. Refer to General University Requirements for ways to satisfy these requirements.

To earn an additional associate degree in a significantly different discipline (as determined by the dean of the college offering the degree sought), students must meet the following requirements:

  • Have earned an associate degree at Columbus State University or at another accredited institution.
  • Meet all program requirements for the degree sought with a minimum of 21 semester credit hours of additional work in residence at Columbus State University and a minimum degree progress grade point average of 2.0.
  • Satisfy the U.S. and Georgia history and constitutions requirements if the prior degree is not from a University System institution. Refer to General University Requirements for ways to satisfy these requirements.

Students seeking two baccalaureate degrees or two associate degrees simultaneously must meet the above requirements for the additional degree. If the two disciplines are not significantly different, the student may seek a double major. Contact the Office of the Registrar for further information on double degrees and double majors.

Graduate General Degree Requirements

See the specific College/Department for information regarding general degree requirements for graduate programs.

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