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Grades - Their Meaning and Value
Passing Grades:
A, B, C, D, S The bachelor's degree will not be conferred upon any student whose total grade average is less than "C" (2.00). Transfer students must also have a "C" average on work completed on this campus to qualify for the bachelor's degree. A grade of "D" is the minimum passing grade for credit in a course. Students who officially withdraw from school prior to the date stated in the current Schedule of Classes will receive a mark of "W". The grade "F" means failure. Students, who because of circumstances beyond their control, are unable to attend classes during finals week or the preceding three weeks will, upon approval of their instructor, receive a mark of "X" (incomplete) in all courses in which they were maintaining passing grades. When an "X" is given for a grade in a course, the credit hours are not included for one semester (exclusive of summer) in calculating the grade point averages. Grades of "X" earned during the spring or summer are to be completed by the end of the following fall semester. If the "X" is not removed by that time, the grade becomes an F, and the hours are included in the number of hours attempted. Recording a grade of "X" requires the filing of a plan for completion. The plan will be submitted with the official grade record sent to the department head who will forward it to the Dean's office. the plan will include why the grade was given and steps necessary for the student to receive the final grade. A grade of "IP" (In Progress) will be used for courses that are scheduled over more than one semester. The grade of "IP" will not be computed in the grade point average and will be removed when the final grade is filed by the instructor. A grade of "I" will be given for courses in dissertation and thesis (including undergraduate honors thesis) for all registrations prior to the semester in which the final document is completed. The time limited imposed on the grade of "X" (one semester) does not apply for these courses. COMPUTATION OF GRADE POINT AVERAGES All grade point averages will be computed by dividing grade points accumulated by the number of hours attempted, with grades of "X", "I", "IP", "DP", "DS", and "W" being excluded. Repeated Courses When a course is repeated, only the last enrollment for that course will be used in computing the grade point average. This second grade would be used to determine credit earned for the course. This procedure invalidates the first credit earned in that course. Courses taken before a degree is awarded (regardless of whether the course is applied to the degree) cannot be repeated and the grade point average recalculated once the degree is awarded. While grades of "DF" and "DU" indicate the course was dropped, these grades have the same effect on the GPA as a course that was repeated and completed with a grade of "F" or "U". Any student who enrolls in the same course a second time must notify the Registrars' Office during the semester in which the course is being repeated. Information and forms are located online. When the semester is completed, the Registrar's Office will then update the student's grade average to reflect the duplication of the course. Native GPA Beginning Fall 2000, all new students who enter A&M-Commerce for the first time will have their cumulative grade point average calculated on courses taken at A&M-Commerce only. Courses taken at other institutions will no longer be considered in the calculation of the A&M-Commerce grade point average. EARLY INTERVENTION FOR FRESHMEN Early intervention for freshmen is designed to communicate the university's interest in their success and a willingness to participate fully to help students accomplish their academic objectives. The university, through faculty advisor sand mentors, will assist students who may be experiencing difficulty to focus on improvement and course completion. This process will allow students to be knowledgeable about their academic progress early in the semester and will provide faculty and staff with useful data for assisting students and enhancing retention. Grade reports will be mailed by the end of the six week of the semester. GOOD STANDING RULE This policy defines good standing for all undergraduate students enrolled at Texas A&M Unviersity-Commerce effective August 1, 1996. Entering students, first time enrollees or transfers who have been fully admitted (without any type of probation provision or restriction) will be considered in good standing. With the exception of students designated in the next sentence, a student is in good standing if, and only if, he or she has a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 and is free of the following tags; tags indicating academic suspension, provisional status, and disciplinary suspension. First time university students who have been fully admitted will be considered in good standing for the first fall and spring semesters of enrollment, unless their records are tagged for one of the reasons listed above. A student who has been placed on academic suspension will not be considered in good standing, regardless of whether the student is allowed to re-enroll, until the student attains a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher. The Dean of Enrollment Management is responsible for the good standing designation and reporting. PRESIDENT'S HONOR ROLL, DEAN'S LIST, AND ACADEMIC DINSTINCTION Undergraduate students who maintain sufficiently high academic averages each semester are place on the University's special honor rolls - the President's Honor Roll and the Dean's List. The Dean's List includes the names of those undergraduate students who, during the semester, have been registered for not less than 12 hours of academic work, not counting non-academic service courses, and who have maintained a minimum semester academic grade average of at lease 3.25. The President's Honor Roll includes the names of those undergraduate students who have met the above requirements and have maintained a semester academic grade average of 4.0. Undergraduate students completing the requirements for baccalaureate degrees with exceptional scholastic averages may be graduated with academic distinction based on grade point average calculations at the end of the previous term. In determining eligibility for recognition, the grade point average will be calculated based on all hours attempted, including all transfer work, and the native grade point average. The lower of the two grade point average determine the level of attainment. If a students's last period of enrollment raises his or her average to the level required for distinction, or to a higher level of distinction, the appropriate notation will be made on the academic record and diploma. Likewise, if a student's last period of enrollment lowers his or her average below the minimum grade point average requirement for distinction, the academic record and diploma will not reflect a distinction level. The levels of recognition and the grade point averages required for each are: Summa Cum Laude, 3.9 - 4.0; Magna Cum Laude, 3.7 - 3.89; Cum Laude, 3.50 - 3.69. NUMBERING OF COURSES Courses are numbered according to the following scheme: Freshman courses are 100-199 inclusive; sophomore courses, 200-299 inclusive; junior courses, 300-399 inclusive; senior courses 400-499 inclusive; and graduate courses, 500-799. Courses completed at four-year institutions and numbered at the 300 level or above are considered to be advanced. All courses with a semester credit hour other than three are designated with the semester credit hour value. COMMON COURSE NUMBERS Institutions teach courses that are similar in nature and have been designated by a common number. The common course number, a four-digit abbreviation for the discipline and a four-digit course number, is to facilitate the transferability of these courses between the participating institutions. The first digit reflects the academic credit; the second digit indicates the semester hour credit; and the third and fourth digits establish course sequence. The common course number is show in parenthesis to the right of the Texas A&M University-Commerce course number in departmental course descriptions. Click here for a listing of all common courses numbers adopted by A&M-Commerce as well as institutions participating in the TCCNS. For more information on the Common Courses at A&M-Commerce, please contact the Transfer Admissions Office at 903-886-5076. Those currently enrolled at another institution should contact the appropriate departments for information. VALUE AND DEFINITION OF COURSES The semester value of each course is determined by the number of clock hours spent in class work Three clock hours per week in lecture or two to three hours per week in laboratory for one semester is the normal amount of class work required for one semester hour of credit. ACADEMIC ADIVSING All freshmen and new transfer students will meet with an Academic Advisor to receive an approved advisement form before registering for classes. Students who have not completed the Basic Skills requirement of satisfactorily completing ENG 1301 and a college algebra equivalent, must see an Academic Advisor for registration. Sophomores, juniors and seniors who do not have degree plans for advisement forms should see an Academic Advisor before registering for classes. Degree plans and advisement guides are obtained from the degree plan advisor assigned the College's advising office. Students should contact their major department for an appointment to review their degree audits. Students may view their degree audits on WEBTRAX. Although advisors will strive to provide the best possible advice to students, the final responsibility for selecting and scheduling courses lies with the student. CLASS ATTENDANCE RULE Students are expected to be present for all class meetings of any course for which they are enrolled. Students are responsible for learning abut and complying with the attendance policy stated in the catalog, Student's Guidebook, and/or faculty syllabi. Faculty members will provide details on requirements and guidelines for attendance in their classes in their course syllabi. Faculty members will keep students' attendance records. Students are responsible for requesting makeup work when they are absent. They will be permitted to make up work for absences which are considered by the faculty member to be excusable. The method of making up this work shall be determined by the faculty member. The student is responsible for providing the faculty member reason(s) for his/her absence. The faculty member then determines the validity of the reason(s) for the absence and whether the student is to be excused for the absence. Faculty members may consider the following reasons for absence as excusable.
Appeals can be made through normal administrative channels. A records of excused and unexcused absences will be maintained by a faculty member for reference since certain financial assistance and other programs may require attendance records. Students who have not fulfilled any part of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) are required by the State of Texas to attend developmental courses. The TIS required students who do not attend developmental courses or tutorial sessions will be withdrawn from the university. When requested by the student, teachers will information the student who has been absent whether makeup work is allowed and whether absences jeopardize the student's standing in a class. It is the prerogative of the faculty to drop students from courses in which they have accrued excessive absences as defined in the course syllabus. In such cases, faculty recommend through the department head to the appropriate college dean that a student be dropped from a class. The faculty member will document absences and will make a reasonable effort to communicate with the student prior to recommending the drop. If approved, the college dean will forward the recommendation to the Registrar's Office. Students who wish to drop a course or withdraw from the university are responsible for initiating this action. If a student believes the final grade is unfairly impacted by attendance requirements, an appeal can be made. This appeal process is explained in "Student's Appeal of Instructor's Evaluation" (Procedure A13.06). SUMMONS TO ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES There are times when students may be requested to report to an administrative office. The summons may be transmitted in the form of a letter, telephone call, or by personal messenger. A student who receives a summons is expected to report immediately or on the date scheduled. Failure to do so is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct (#15), and may result in disciplinary actions. SCHOLASTIC PROBATION AND SUSPENSION In order to maintain a high level of scholarship among the students of Texas A&M University-Commerce, standards of scholarship must be maintained. The regulations concerning probation, suspension, and reinstatement in the University were established by the University Academic Council and are administered by the deans of the colleges. In certain cases where there are extenuating circumstances, appeals regarding academic probation and suspension may be made to the Academic Affairs Undergraduate Student Appeal Committee. A satisfactory level of academic achievement is determined on the basis of each student's cumulative grade point average calculated on the basis of all academic work attempted, and, if the student is in remediation, on satisfactory progress toward completion of required remedial work. To be eligible for continued enrollment in good standing in the university, a student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00, and if in remediation, must pass each required remediation course in no more than 1 attempt for each course. When a remediation course must be attempted for the second time, the student will be considered to be on probation regardless of his or her grade point average. Students who do not pass a remediation course on the second attempt will be place on suspension regardless of the grade point average, subject to the requirements of suspension. Upon readmission, each time the same remediation course is attempted and not passed, the student will again be placed on suspension. Should any student fail to maintain satisfactory progress toward graduation as specified by these regulations, the student will be permitted to enroll for further work only on academic probation. Should any student fail to maintain satisfactory progress toward graduation as specified by these regulations, the student will be permitted to enroll for further work only on academic probation. Students enrolled on academic probation may register for no more than fourteen (14) semester hours (academic, remedial, or physical education activity) in any one semester of the regular academic year. A full summer session (two terms) will be considered equivalent under these requirements to one semester of the regular academic year. Probationary students may enroll for no more than two courses during any term of a summer session or no more than four courses for a full summer session. A student on academic probation will remain subject to the requirements of probation until the cumulative grade average has been raised to the level of satisfactory programs specified above and if in remediation must continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of remedial work as stated above. To qualify for continued enrollment while on probation, however, the student must maintain a semester grade average of at least 2.00. Should any probationary student fail to maintain such a 2.00 semester grade average in the academic courses attempted in any semester of probation, the student will be required to leave the University on academic suspension for at least one calendar year. In cases where there are extenuating circumstances, a student who has failed to maintain the required 2.00 semester graduate average in academic courses to quality for continuance of probation may be permitted, with the approval of the dean of the appropriate college, to enroll for one additional semester of extended probation. To ensure that the grade average on the official record has been updated to account for duplicated courses, any student enrolling for the same course must notify the Registrar's Office during the semester in which the course is being repeated. With special permission from the dean of the appropriate college, a student on academic suspension may be allowed to enroll during an intervening semester or summer term. Transfer students whose grades at other colleges or universities were unsatisfactory according to the regulations of A&M-Commerce will be placed on academic probation subject to the same requirements as apply to other students on probation. Students on academic suspension from other institutions will not be permitted to enroll at A&M-Commerce until their specified period of suspension expire. A student must be in residence at A&M-Commerce in order to remove the conditions of probation. If the student remains out of school for any intervening period, either voluntarily or as required by the regulations of the University or attends another college or university, the conditions of probation will not be removed. A student, however, who withdraws for a period of at least one calendar year or is suspended for the same period may, upon re-enrollment, petition the dean of the appropriate college to have the unsatisfactory grades on previous academic records eliminated from the calculations of the official cumulative grade average. No course eliminated in this way from calculation of the student's official grade average may be applied toward a degree. This applies only to credits earned at A&M-Commerce. A&M-Commerce reserves the right to deny admission to a student suspended from another college even though his suspension period has expired. Students on academic suspension are not eligible for correspondence or extension courses. UNDERGRADUTE STUDENT LOADS Regular Session Exclusive of physical activity courses, twelve hours is considered by the institution as a full-time load (Procedure A11.20). Appropriate administrative staff will use the following guidelines for approving exceptions to the above: Any student enrolled for student teaching will be limited to a maximum of fifteen semester hours. An undergraduate student who wishes to enroll for more than 19 hours must have the approval of his academic dean before adding the course. Any student who exceeds the normal load by adding additional course(s) and does not have the appropriate academic dean's approval will be automatically dropped from that course and notified of this action by the dean. Students required to enroll in university-designated developmental reading, composition or mathematics in any long semester will be restricted to a 14-hour course load, approved by the academic advisor. All approvals for overloads are obtained from the dean of the college in which the student is majoring. Summer Session Six semester hours, exclusive of physical education activity, is the normal student load for each summer term. A student may not enroll for two sub term courses simultaneously within the same sub term. An undergraduate student may schedule one semester hour above the normal load each summer term. An undergraduate student lacking fifteen semester hours to graduate at the end of that summer and who has an overall "C" (2.00) average may schedule nine semester hours one term with dean's approval. Freshmen admitted provisionally will be limited to 10 semester hours for the entire summer. An undergraduate student who lacks 30 hours to graduate in December may schedule nine hours during one summer term only if the fall schedule would include student teaching and if the student has an overall "C" (2.00) average. A last-semester senior who lacks 12 hours or fewer to graduate and the end of the summer and who has an overall "C" (2.00) average may schedule nine semester hours one term with the appropriate dean's approval. Any student who exceeds the normal load by adding an additional course(s) and does not have the appropriate dean's approval will be automatically dropped from the course and notified of this action. For scholastic probation, see above. STUDENT CLASS SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS Students are expected to make all necessary adjustments in their class schedules by the fourth class class day of a regular semester and the second class day of a summer semester. Eligible students may use WEBTRAX to process dropping and adding classes. Students may add classes until fourth class day during the Fall and Spring semesters and second class day during the summer terms. Students may drop a class with a full refund (if remaining enrolled) until the twelfth class day during the Fall and Spring semesters and fourth class day during the summer terms. The student desiring to add a course(s) after the fourth class day of a regular semester or second class day of a summer semester should pick up a drop/add sheet at the Registrar's Office. The student should proceed to the department(s) where he obtains department/instructor approval and then to the appropriate dean for approval. The drop/add sheet is then returned to the Registrar's Office. Students will not be allowed to add classes after the twelfth class day during Fall/Spring, or the fourth class day during a summer semester. Students not eligible to use WEBTRAX should contact their academic advisor. A drop/add sheet for courses to be dropped may be obtained at the Registrar's Office. The student must obtain approval from the deportment/instructor. The drop/add sheet is returned to the Registrar's Office. No course may be added to student schedules after the last day to change schedules as stated in the university calendar, except in very special cases and then only by approval of the instructor and appropriate dean. A course dropped after the census date in a term that is being passed, may be dropped with a grade of "DP" (Dropped Passing).. After the first twelve days of class work of any semester or after the first four days of class work of any summer term, the instructor may permit a student to officially drop a class in which the student is not passing. A grade of "DF" (Dropped Failing) will be reported at the end of the semester. AUDITING COURSES Students desiring to audit a course may do so with the consent of the instructor and department head. Enrollment for audit courses is not until the first day of classes. The tuition and fees and admission requirements are the same as for credit. Students enrolling for a course for audit must notify the Registrar's Office prior to completing registration for the course. A student may not change from credit to audit after the twelfth class day during the long session or the fourth class day in a summer term. SENIORS IN GRADUATE COURSES A last-semester A&M-Commerce senior who lacks 12 hours or fewer to graduate and has a grade point average of 2.75 or higher, may enroll for 3 to 6 hours of graduate credit, subject to prior written recommendation from the major department head and approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Undergraduate students registering for graduate classes without prior approval will be dropped. Seniors desiring to take Business Administration courses for graduate credit must also have permission from the Director of Graduate Programs in Business Administration. Graduate hours taken cannot apply toward an undergraduate degree. The maximum load for seniors who register for graduate credit is 12 credit hours per semester or six hours per summer term. Students in the BPA/MBA five-year accounting program may be exempt from the requirements for this section with the approval of the department head and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. CLASSIFICATION LEVEL Freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classification will be granted on completion of a designated number of semester credit hours passed. These are:
In general, students should take courses at the level of their classification and lower level courses should be completed insofar as possible before upper level courses are taken. PLANNING AND INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVNESS The university-wide responsibility for the development, coordination and monitoring the implementation of the University's institutional effectiveness program including strategic planning, outcomes assessment, follow up on the results of assessment to assure continuous improvement and institutional research necessary to support these endeavors is the responsibility of the Assistant to the President for Planning and Institutional Research. BACHELOR'S DEGREE REQUIREMENTS The University offers twelve recognized degrees on the undergraduate level - the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, the the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, the Bachelor of Business Administration, the Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Music, the Bachelor of Professional Accountancy, and the Bachelor of Social Work.The curricula leading to a baccalaureate degree are designed to give the student a well-rounded and liberal education with specialized study in one or more fields. Bachelor of Science A student entering under this catalog must meet the degree requirements listed below or those of a subsequent catalog. However, a student who fails to graduate within five years after admission will be required to meet the degree requirements of a subsequent catalog that is within five years of currency at the time of his graduation. As required by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) at least 25 percent of the hours applicable to a degree must be earned through instruction by the institution awarding the degree. This rule is effective for students enrolled for the first time at Texas A&M University-Commerce during or after the fall semester of 1979. Majors, Emphasis, Broad-field Majors, Minors and Interdisciplinary Studies Minor. A student must complete a major and a minor, a broad-field major, or two majors in order to be graduated from Texas A&M University-Commerce. Some majors have emphasis areas. All students must take at least six advanced semester hours of work in each of their majors at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Click here for specific departmental course requirements. A major consists of a minimum of 24 semester hours in one subject field, including at lease 12 advanced hours. An emphasis consists of a minimum of 15 semester hours in a 24-semester-jour major or 18 semester hours in a 36-semester-hour major. A broad-field major consists of a minimum of 48 semester hours, including at least 18 advanced hours. A minor consists of a minimum of 18 semester hours in a subject field, including at least six semester hours of advanced courses. An interdisciplinary studies minor includes 18 semester hours in two or more fields, nine of which are advanced and all of which are outside the student's major. University Studies: A minimum of 46 hours in general studies is required for a degree. Junior Level Essay: The Junior Level Essay (JLE), a writing competency exam, is a graduation requirement for all Texas A&M University-Commerce undergraduates. The JLE is administered on two consecutive days in October, February, and June at no cost to students. Students are allowed two hours to write on prompts, one each day, that elicit a narrative essay. Essays are rated holistically within two weeks of the JLE administration by an interdisciplinary faculty team. A cumulative score of seven (7) is passing. This requirement may also be met by passing English 333 or English 341. Advanced Level Courses: A student must complete at least 36 semester hours at the advance level, 24 of which must be completed in residence at A&M-Commerce. No advanced work may be accredited from a junior college or community college. A minimum of 60 semester hours must be completed at Texas A&M University-commerce or another senior level institution. Residence Requirements: For a degree completion, at lease 25 percent of credit semester hours must be earned through instruction at A&M-Commerce. Furthermore, at least 24 of the final 30 semester hours must be taken at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Extension and correspondence credits may not be used to satisfy residence requirements. Physical Education Requirements: Two one-semester-hour courses in physical education or one two-semester-hour health and wellness course are to be completed during the freshman and sophomore years or during the first four semesters of enrollment at A&M-Commerce. Special Major Requirements: In addition to meeting the above minimum requirements, the student must complete any other special requirements as outlined for each major subject. Effective for all new undergraduate students beginning Fall 1999, a minimum grade of "C" will be required in all undergraduate major courses. This includes all transfer and A&M-Commerce courses in the student's major area of study. Semester Hours: A student must complete a minimum of 120 semester hours exclusive of English 100 and Math 131, with the following grade point requirements:
Correspondence and Extension Courses: No more than 30 semester hours of extension and correspondence combined may apply toward a degree. No more than 18 of these 30 hours may be completed by correspondence. A maximum of 18 semester hours of advanced credit in a major field, when prerequisites have been satisfied, may be earned and counted toward a baccalaureate degree from this institution. BACHELOR OF ARTS The candidate for the Bachelor of Arts degree must meet the requirements specified for the Bachelor of Science degree. In addition, the candidate must complete at least 12 semester hours (4 courses) in one foreign language, or complete six semester hours above the elementary courses if two units of high school credit in the language have been submitted as a part of the regular university admission requirements, or complete three semester hours if he presents three or four high school credits. A student who holds the Bachelor of Science degree from this university may acquire the Bachelor of Arts degree by completing the foreign languages requirements for the same and surrendering the Bachelor of Science degree. BACHELOR OF ARTS OR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE Requirements are the same as for the Bachelor of Science degree with the following exceptions: The criminal justice major consist of a 58-semester-hour broadfield program of study. The major includes a balance of criminal justice and advanced sociology courses. Twelve semester hours are electives. No minor is required. BACHELOR OF ARTS OR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES The Bachelor od Science in Interdisciplinary Studies degree (B.S.I.S,) is deigned specifically for students who desire the Texas Provisional Teacher certification K-8 classrooms. The requirements for the B.S.I.S. degree are the same as for the Bachelor of Science degree with the following exceptions: A minimum of 46 semester hours of specified course work in University Studies is required. Course work in the major, Interdisciplinary Studies, requires 42 semester hours of course work. Students must have completed a minimum of 45 semester hours of college coursework, have satisfactory scores for TSI, have an overall GPA of 2.5, and have a 2.5 minimum GPA in coursework in their areas of specialization (no grade below "C") to take courses in the Department of Elementary Education. Students must achieve admission to Teacher Education to be admitted to student teaching. Recommendation for certification is contingent upon completing the degree, maintaining established standards, passing the competency examination (TExES) in teaching field(s) and in professional education. The requirement for the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies degree (B.A.I.S.) are the same as for the Bachelor of Arts degree with the following exception: BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION The requirements for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree are the same as for the Bachelor of Science degree with the following exceptions: Programs leading to the Bachelor of Business Administration include a core of basic business courses which the school considers essential in any field of business endeavor. In addition each program provides for specific professional courses. Several distinct programs lead to the B.B.A. degree. Students desiring to work toward the B.B.A. degree should select one of these programs and follow its specific course requirements. BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER INFORMATION SYSTEMS While sharing a common core subset with the Bachelor of Science with a major in Computer Science, the Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems emphasizes the application of computers for information processing by organizations. Candidates for this degree must complete thirty-three semester hours of approved advanced technical electives, and a minor from another department (an area of business is recommended). BACEHLOR OF FINE ARTS The requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts are the same as for the Bachelor of Science degree with the following exceptions: Ninety-one to ninety-five semester hours in art, including a minimum of 36 advanced hours. The Bachelor of Fine Arts required no minor area of study. BACHELOR OF MUSIC The requirements for the Bachelor of Music are the same as for the Bachelor of Science degree, with the following exceptions: Seventy-eight semester hours are required in the major, including 31-33 hours in the emphasis area. No second major field is required for the B.M. Music electives on the B.M. degree vary from 5 hours to 13 hours depending on the emphasis area. BACHELOR OF PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTANCY The requirements for the Bachelor of Professional Accountancy degree ar the same as for the Bachelor of Science degree, with the following exceptions: The program requires concurrent admission into The Graduate School and the Master of Business Administration degree program. The student earning this degree will graduate with the Bachelor of Professional Accountancy degree and the Master of Business Administration with a minor in Accounting. Students majoring in professional accountancy will achieve competencies in the undergraduate common body of knowledge of business and the core competencies in the Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in accounting. In addition, they will achieve competencies in auditing, advanced financial accounting, advanced income tax accounting, and the competencies outlined in the Master of Business Administration degree. Students working toward the B.P.A. degree should select specific courses as outlined in the Accounting Major in Professional Accountancy to meet these requirements. BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK The requirements for the Bachelor of Social Work degree are the same as for the Bachelor of Science degree with the following exceptions: Forty-six semester hours in social work, and 16 hours in psychology, anthropology and sociology are required. No minor or second major is required. SECOND BACHELOR'S DEGREE In order for a student to qualify for a second baccalaureate degree, all requirements for the second degree must be met including:
EARLY GRADUATION CHECKING The purpose of Early Graduation Checking is to facilitate the progress of undergraduate students toward completion of degree requirements by ensuring that those with 90 or more semester hours of credit will have a certified degree audit. This process should ensure that graduation issues are identified and resolved prior to the last semester of a student's enrollment. Faculty Advisors are responsible for ensuring that degree audits and plans for completion are aligned so that the student will graduate as planned. At the beginning of each semester, the Registrar's Office will send a degree audit to all undergraduate students who have, for the first time, completed 90 or more semester hours to alert them to the graduation checking process. Copies of the degree audits and certification lists will be sent to the respective departments. Students will be advised to contact their faculty advisors for the purpose of reviewing the degree audit document and certifying its accuracy or completing a new degree audit to reflect all degree requirements. APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION Application for the degree should be made with the Registrar's Office within the first four weeks (for fall and spring) and 3 weeks (for summer) of the semester in which the student intends to graduate. Application acceptance dates will be published in the university calendar. Degree candidates should meet with their departmental academic advisor during the beginning of the semester PRIOR to their expected graduation to ensure they are meting degree requirements (see Graduation Checking procedure, A13.26). Undergraduate students must have an official and accurate degree audit on file to be eligible to apply for graduation. Graduate School candidates must submit a copy of their official degree plan with the application. An application fee of $20.00 is required upon submission of the graduation application. Students not meeting degree requirements will be removed and notified via certified letter. A new application and an additional $2.00 re-activation fee will be required. This application must meet the same deadlines as stated above. Students applying after the published application deadline will not be calculated in the original dispersal of tickets for their designated ceremony. (A13.14). COMMENCEMENT PARTICIPATION Commencement ceremonies recognize academic achievements of students and faculty. While ceremonial in nature, commencement is a time for the university to celebrate a major milestone in the life of the academic community. Participation in commencement at Texas A&M University-Commerce is an earned honor shared among graduates. Participation in the commencement ceremony is restricted to those will will complete all degree requirements the semester in which the graduation application was received. Students not meeting all degree requirements will be notified and may become eligible in subsequent terms upon submission of a new application and clearance from the Registrar's Office. Commencement exercises are held 3 times each academic year in May, August and December. Participation in the commencement ceremony does not guarantee conferring of any degree. Degrees are conferred based on official grades received in the Registrar's Office following commencement. Students with holds will not receive a diploma or official transcript until all obligations to the University have been cleared. (A13.14) Texas A&M University-Commerce has the right to rescind any conferred degree if the University becomes aware of information that the student did not meet degree requirements. UNIVERSITY STUDIES REQUIREMENTS University Studies is an essential element in the educational process that results in professional success, personal growth, and responsible citizenship. In this process students have the opportunity to acquire knowledge, learn reasoning and communication skills, examine their goals, values and potentialities, and develop and enduring commitment to learning through both formal and informal educational experiences. The University Studies program at A&M-Commerce embodies the characteristics and purposes of the University. With both professional and liberal arts programs, A&M-Commerce recognizes general education as a necessary component in the development of all students. The general education which takes place in the University Studies program is therefore, not only compatible with specialization, but is the context in which specialization occurs. Specifically, the University Studies program
Presently, there are two configurations by which students may satisfy the University Studies requirement at A&M-Commerce:
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