A bachelor’s degree is conferred on students who satisfactorily complete a curriculum in one of the departments or programs. Students should consult the curriculum requirements for their specific program in the appropriate departmental section of the Catalog (consult Index). All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must also satisfactorily complete each of the requirements of the University as listed below.
- A minimum of 120 semester hours (128 for College of Engineering(engineering programs only) curriculum, 122 for Biology and 124 for Teacher Education Programs) with a minimum cumulative average of “C” (2.00 quality point average). Specific minimum hours for graduation will be as included in each program of study. Credit hours earned in Remedial or Developmental courses are accepted as institutional credit; however, they are not applicable to credit hours required for baccalaureate or associate degrees.
- A minimum of 42 semester hours at the 300 and 400 level of courses
- A minimum of 24 semester hours in a major with a minimum of 10 hours at the 300 and 400 level.
- Nine semester hours in courses designated as Communication. Of these 9 hours, six semester hours must be in English composition (any ENGL 1010 and 1020 level course). Students must earn at least a “C” in each of these courses; if they earn less than a “C” in either course, they must enroll in that course the following semester and repeat it until they raise their grade to at least a “C.” An additional requirement for Communication is a three semester hour in Speech (COMM 2200) .
- Nine semester hours in humanities, including at least three semester hours in sophomore literature, from the approved General Education list. The remaining six hours may include another sophomore literature course and approved courses from other humanities disciplines. Courses in the other disciplines include ART 1010, MUSC 1010, PHIL 1030, THTR 1020, or RELS 2010.
- Six semester hours of introductory-level social behavioral science (AFAS 2010, ANTH 2010, ECON 2010, ECON 2020, GEOG 1010, GEOG 1020, POLI 2010, PSYC 2010, or SOCI 2010).
- Six semester hours of a survey of American history (HIST 2010 and 2020). One semester of Tennessee history (HIST 2030) may be substituted for three of these hours.
- Eight semester hours in natural sciences with accompanying laboratories (BIOL 1010 and 1020, BIOL 1110 and 1120, CHEM 1110 and 1120, PHYS 2010 and 2020, or PHYS 2030-2040, ASTR 1010 and 1020, plus the appropriate laboratory components which must be taken with all of these classes during the same semester.
- Three semester hours in mathematics from the approved list of General Education courses.
- A Senior Project or Senior Seminar.
- At least one academic year in residence and at least 30 semester hours of credit earned in residence with a minimum quality point average of “C” (2.00).
- A minimum of 25 percent of the total hours required for a degree must be taken in residence at Tennessee State University. Upon matriculation at the University, transfer hours must be approved in writing in advance by the department head and the dean of the school or college in which the student is earning the degree.
- A degree seeking student may not register concurrently at Tennessee State University and at another institution and receive transfer credit for work taken at the other institution unless permission is granted in advance by the Dean of the school. This applies to correspondence, extension, electronically delivered, or evening courses as well as to regular courses in residence. In no instance can a student receive credit for more than 21 hours in a given semester.
- All students must be admitted to the upper division or professional component of their major. This is normally done in the second semester of the sophomore year, or when approximately 60 hours of degree level credits have been accumulated. Students who change their majors must meet upper division admission requirements in effect for the new major at the time they seek admission to the upper divisionor professional component for the new major, as opposed to requirements in effect when they entered the University. Upper division admission requirements are specified by each department.
*Students for whom transfer equivalence of “A”, “B”, or “C” in ENGL1010 and 1020 has been accepted by the University will be determined to have satisfied the English Proficiency requirement. A transfer student with a grade of “D” or “F” in either course must repeat it until a minimum grade of “C” is achieved. Any transfer student for whom there is a question in English Proficiency will be required to complete a writing sample which is scored holistically. Transfer students who have not demonstrated English Proficiency must remove the deficiency during the first semester in residence. All non-transfer students must complete the English Proficiency requirement no later than the end of the sophomore year.
University Requirements for a
Bachelor of Arts Degree
In addition to the University Requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree, spelled out above, students who seek the Bachelor of Arts degree all candidates for the Bachelor of Arts must obtain equivalency through the intermediate level (courses numbered 2010 and 2020 or the equivalent) in a single foreign language at the college level.. Students who achieve advanced placement in a foreign language as a result of previous competency must still meet the minimum 120 hour requirements of that program of study .