Degree Requirements

In order to receive a baccalaureate degree from Northland College, a student must complete a major field of study, fulfill the requirements for the Connections Curriculum  and the Co-Curricular Wellness Program , earn at least 124 credits, and be in good academic standing. First-year students must also complete a first-year experience (FYE) course. The distribution of credits is typically:

• 31 to 36 credits in the Connections curricula;
• 40 to 60 credits in a declared major field of study; and
• 32 to 53 elective credits or credits in an optional declared major or minor field of study.

To complete a degree, students must also:

• earn a grade point average of 2.00 on a scale of 4.00 for all coursework (3.00 for students pursuing teacher licensure or a teacher certification minor);
• earn a grade point average of 2.00 in the major, including concentrations or emphases, and in minors (students pursuing a directed studies major must earn a 3.00 grade point average in the major);
• earn at least 20 credits in the major at Northland College;
• earn at least 6 credits in the minor at Northland College (students are limited to two minors);
• earn 30 of the total required credits at Northland College;
• earn 20 of the final 30 credits at Northland College;
• complete a Senior Capstone.

The following credit limits apply:

• no more than 65 credits earned from a two-year community or junior college may be applied toward requirements for the baccalaureate degree (see Transfer of Credits  under Academic Policies and Procedures);
• no more than 12 internship, field experience, or teaching assistantship credits may be applied towards requirements for the baccalaureate degree;
• no more than 12 correspondence credits may be applied towards requirements for the baccalaureate degree;
• no more than 30 credits may be applied through testing options such as Advanced Placement, CLEP, or International Baccalaureate.

Though the Registrar’s Office tracks every student’s progress toward meeting degree requirements, each student is ultimately responsible for determining and completing the academic credits and co-curricular wellness workshops s/he needs to satisfy the degree requirements.

Second Baccalaureate Degree

A second baccalaureate degree may be earned at Northland College. The following provisions apply:

• all degree requirements for the second degree are satisfactorily completed;
• a 30-credit minimum is earned at Northland beyond all of the credits and degree requirements for the first baccalaureate degree, and any repeated courses do not count toward the 30 credits (For students who earned their first degree at Northland, this means that a minimum of 154 credits must be earned to qualify for a second degree.);
• for students who did not earn their first degree at Northland, all major area requirements still apply, including minimum GPA within the declared major and the minimum number of credits completed within the major at Northland;
• a student may not earn two of the same degrees (e.g. two B.A.’s or two B.S.’s) from Northland College, and double majors within the same degree category lead to one degree with two majors listed, regardless of how many credits are earned;
• students who earn two majors in different degree categories but who do not earn 30 credits beyond the number needed for graduation will be required to choose between a B.A. and B.S.;
• students enrolling with a prior degree and wishing to pursue a second degree must declare their intentions, complete the admissions process, and contact the Registrar’s Office no later than the end of the add/drop period of the student’s first term in attendance at Northland College (Students pursuing a second degree must follow this procedure regardless of how many credits the student plans to enroll in each semester, and failure to do so could result in the loss of the opportunity to earn a second degree.);
• students should complete all requirements for the second degree within four semesters of attendance at Northland, and exceptions to this policy must be cleared with the Registrar’s Office prior to the first semester of enrollment.