Requirements for All Undergraduate Degrees

Although administrative and faculty advisors are ready to help the student in planning and checking the progress of the degree program, the final responsibility for completing all requirements for a degree rests with the student. If a student has not satisfied all the requirements, her or his degree will be withheld pending adequate fulfillment. The catalog in effect during the student’s first semester of enrollment will be used to determine the requirements for the major, minor, general education, and all other components of the degree. The catalog used may not be more than seven years old at  the time of graduation. Students are encouraged to track their progress toward graduation and degree completion by using the Degree Audit Report on VikingWeb. In cases where students complete two majors, they will be assigned an academic advisor for each major.

To be eligible for graduation, all students must meet the following:

General Degree Requirements

1. Complete BCC 099 or BCC 100 satisfactorily during the first term of enrollment.
2. Successfully complete at least 124 credit hours. If a student repeats a course, only one attempt will count towards the required 124 hours. No more than 4 hours KIN general education activity courses may count toward the 124 hours.
3. Earn at least a 2.0 overall GPA for their Berry College coursework.
4. Be in good standing with the college and receive faculty approval for the degree.
5. Complete the General Education, major, minor, and general degree requirements specified in the catalog in effect during the semester of first enrollment.
6. Complete an Undergraduate Degree Plan outlining courses required for the major.
7. Complete with the registrar early in the senior year (at the completion of 90 semester hours) two semesters before graduation, an application for graduation, which will indicate requirements met, and those remaining to earn the degree. Students who fail to complete an application by the deadline may be withheld from graduation until next term.

Writing Across the Curriculum Requirement

Complete a minimum of two writing-intensive (I) courses totaling six semester hours at the 300 level or above (or in some approved instances, at the 200 level or above) for each major. Ordinarily, these courses are to be completed within the major. Students enrolled in the dualdegree nursing program must complete two writing-intensive (I) courses totaling a minimum of six semester hours, including PSY 221I and at least three other hours at the 300 level or above in any field of their choice.

Major/Minor Requirements

1. Complete the requirements for the major or minor specified in the catalog in the first semester of enrollment.
2. Complete at least 15 hours in the major or 9 hours in the minor in courses at the 300/400 level taken at Berry College.
3. If pursuing the B.A. degree, successfully demonstrate competence in a foreign language at the intermediate level of study. Majors in one of the foreign languages take two other courses of at least three credits each in a second foreign language (or the equivalent by examination), or three courses in the humanities approved by the major  department, in addition to courses counted toward the general-education requirements or humanities courses in the major. Foreign-language majors who complete a second major and/or an education minor are exempt from this requirement.
4. If pursuing the B.S. degree, complete successfully a minimum of six courses of at least three credits each (including courses counted toward the general-education requirements) that support the character and intent of the B.S. degree (here defined as quantitative, mathematical, empirical, statistical or laboratory-oriented). Courses meeting this requirement are noted by the department offering the course; the Registrar maintains a list of all approved courses.
5. Earn at least a 2.0 overall average in the major field (including all coursework whether or not taken at Berry). Note that some majors require a minimum grade for certain coursework within the major.
6. Complete the assessment(s) within the major and general education as required in the final term of enrollment.
7. In cases where courses may be used to satisfy more than one degree requirement, at least 15 hours in courses numbered 300 or above counted toward the major must be used solely for that requirement. At least 9 hours in courses numbered 300 or above must be used solely to satisfy the requirements for each minor, unless otherwise specified by the discipline.

Residency Requirements

1. Complete a minimum of 62 hours in residence at Berry College.
2. Complete the last two semesters in residence at Berry College. No more than three courses (9 hours) of the last 30 hours may be taken off campus.
3. Complete 15 hours in the major in residence at Berry College. These 15 hours must be in courses numbered at the 300 level or above.
4. Complete 9 hours in the minor in residence at Berry College. These 9 hours must be in courses numbered at the 300 level or above.

Cultural Events Requirement

Attend a minimum of 24 cultural events in the four-year program, or an average of 3 cultural events per semester if enrolled less than four years. Cultural events must be completed no later than the last day to withdraw from a course in the semester the student intends to graduate.

Double Majors, Double Degrees, Dual Majors and Dual Degrees

A student is typically awarded one of four degrees at graduation: B.A., B.MUS., B.S., or B.S.N. A double major is earned when a student completes all the major requirements for two majors that lead to the same degree (either a B.A. or B.S.) and the requirements specified for that degree.

A student may earn double degrees (some combination of a B.A., B.S., B.S.N., or B.MUS.) by meeting all requirements for both majors and both degrees including 32 independent hours earned solely for the second degree. Both degrees must be listed on the application for graduation.

The secondary education  major is a dual major that cannot be completed independently; it must be completed in conjunction with a second approved major. Students must complete the degree requirements for the second chosen major.

Berry College has dual-degree options with Georgia Tech (Engineering) and Emory University (nursing). Upon completion of the necessary components, and receipt of the transcript from Georgia Tech or Emory, Berry College will award the Bachelor of Science degree. Students will earn the second degree from Georgia Tech or Emory upon completion of their degree requirements.