Academic Affairs (cont'd)

Bachelor’s Degree Requirements

Major and Minor Requirements

Each student in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Science in Psychiatric Rehabilitation, degree program must complete a subject field major of at least 30 semester credits.  Certain subject field majors require more than 30 semester credits.  A subject field minor of at least 20 semester credits is required in selected degree programs.  Subject to the approval of the appropriate department chairperson, certain courses may fulfill both major and minor course requirements, but the credits may be counted only once.  Therefore, substitutions must be made to meet at least the minimum credits of both the major and the minor.  Students should consult the appropriate section of this catalog to determine the specific requirements for the various majors and minors and should review their programs with their advisors.

In programs that include minors, a student may, with permission of the chairperson concerned, elect to complete an extended major instead of a minor.  Specific details of the extended major program may be obtained from the academic advisor or chairperson of the academic department concerned.

Special Major and Minor Options

1. Any major or minor in the College of Arts and Sciences may be added to a required degree program offered in the College of Business.
2. Selected majors and/or minors in the College of Arts and Sciences may be added to certain degree programs in the College of Education.  Prior approval is required from the Dean of the College of Education.
3. Selected minors in the College of Education (Special Education, Health Education, and Rehabilitation and Related Services) and selected minors in the College of Business (Economics and Business Administration) may be added to or may take the place of the required minor for degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences.
4. Students who plan to meet the requirements for two majors concurrently and who plan to apply the two majors to one degree must have the approval of the respective department chairpersons and deans.

To avoid any misunderstanding, students should seek the required approval of their advisors and of their respective deans prior to enrolling in any required courses for a specific major or minor.

Credits Earned for Graduation

Credits earned for graduation shall mean the total number of credits for which passing grades (A, B, C, D, P) have been received in courses applicable toward graduation.  If a student repeats a course in which a passing grade is earned, the last grade will be the effective grade for graduation and in no case are the credits to be counted more than once toward fulfilling the credit requirements for graduation.

For bachelor’s degrees, a minimum of 120 semester credits must be earned, and a prescribed degree curriculum must be completed at Montana State University Billings.  A minimum of 30 semester credits and satisfactory completion of all degree requirements in a prescribed bachelor’s degree program must be earned at Montana State University Billings.  This may include up to 10 semester credits of residency in the major area of study and up to six semester credits of residency in the minor area of study as determined by individual departments.  Students should contact their major and/or minor department advisors to determine the major and/or minor requirements.

At least 36 semester credits must be in upper division courses (numbered 300 or above), and at least 12 semester credits of these upper division credits must be in the subject major program.

A transfer student may not use community college or other two-year college credits for or in lieu of upper division credits required at MSU Billings.

Except when used to satisfy the requirements of a specified teaching major or minor, not more than a total of eight semester credits in any combination of the following may be counted in the minimum of 120 semester credits required for graduation:  music performance groups, drama and ensemble music credits, and physical education activity credits.

Not more than 20 semester credits of courses taken on a Pass/No Pass basis may be counted toward graduation.

Second Degree

A student may earn a second bachelor’s degree at Montana State University Billings by taking a minimum of an additional 30 semester credits in residence beyond the 120 semester credits required for the first bachelor’s degree.  Once the first bachelor’s degree has been awarded, the student must earn an additional 30 semester credits regardless of the total number of credits earned within the first degree.  Students at Montana State University Billings may earn the two degrees concurrently.  In order to earn two bachelor’s degrees concurrently, a student must earn a minimum of 150 semester credits.  The student must meet all other requirements for the second degree.  Students transferring to MSU Billings for the second degree must have earned the first degree at an institution accredited by its regional accrediting association.  Montana State University Billings will not grant a student a second degree if the second degree is the same degree and from the same Montana State University Billings College that awarded the first degree.

Students who have previously earned a master’s degree or a more advanced degree may be eligible to earn a bachelor’s degree.  The bachelor’s degree must be outside of the major concentration of the advanced degree, and the student must earn no less than 30 additional semester credits at Montana State University Billings while meeting all the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.