Degree Requirements

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Grade Point Averages

A cumulative grade point average (GPA) reflects all grades earned, including grades of F and grades in repeated courses. Students must earn a minimum overall cumulative GPA of C (that is, a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale) for all UT course work. In addition, students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of C in the major, minor (optional) and UT core curriculum requirements with the grades of all courses attempted at all institutions included in the GPA calculation. Some programs require a higher GPA in the major. Criteria governing this policy are detailed under 3364 71 07: GPA recalculation.

Residency Requirement

The undergraduate residency requirement establishes a definition for residency for the awarding of an undergraduate degree from the university. Residency is defined as the minimum number of credit hours a student needs to complete while enrolled at the university. The undergraduate residency requirement for the University of Toledo is 30 credit hours. A student must complete at least 30 credit hours while enrolled at the university in order to qualify for a degree. The 30 credit hours may be accumulated over mulitple semesters in which the student is enrolled at the university.  Policy Name:  3364-71-10 Residency requirement for a degree

Credit Hours and Levels

  1. Students must complete 120-124 credit hours of course work that must include the University and college core curriculum requirements, and an area of concentration (major) and course work related to the major. The exact number of hours is determined by the program.
  2. In all baccalaureate programs, a minimum of 60-64 hours must be taken at the 2000 to 4000 levels; of these a minimum of 30-32 hours must be taken at the 3000 to 4000 levels. (Courses transferred from community, junior or technical colleges offering Associate degrees will count at the levels of their UT equivalents.)
  3. Students are cautioned to make use of their degree audit and review remaining requirements with their Advisor before every registration in order to make progress toward completion of their requirements in an orderly, timely manner.
  4. Insofar as a student can complete the basic courses and the courses required for a chosen major in fewer than the hours required for a degree, the student must choose elective courses to complete the total hours, subject to the restrictions outlined below.

Credit Restrictions

Total earned hours shown on a student’s transcript may not all be applicable to the 120-124 credits required for a degree, as follows:

  1. Students with entrance deficiencies in mathematics and other students who are required or choose to take developmental course work will not be able to count those hours toward the degree.
  2. No more than four hours of credit in performing ensembles (MUS 3010 to MUS 3190) will apply toward the degree.
  3. No courses in typing, shorthand or keyboarding will apply toward the degree.
  4. No more than two hours in Student Leadership Development I and II will apply toward the degree.
  5. Duplicate credit - except for courses identified as repeatable courses, students will not receive credit for repeated courses (taking the same course twice), whether taken at The University of Toledo or elsewhere.
  6. The college reserves the right to deny credit for other specific courses (including most SKLS and some UC courses) and for blanket technical credit not applicable to a student’s specific program.
  7. A maximum of 2 credits of sport and physical courses are applicable toward a degree.

University General Education/Core Requirements

Students earning baccalaureates in all colleges and programs are required to complete between 36 and 42 credit hours of courses that comprise the university core curriculum. Those courses are distributed in the areas of English composition, humanities/fine arts, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, and multicultural studies. Some colleges and programs require courses in these areas above those required to fulfill University core curriculum requirements. Students should consult their degree audit or their advisor for specific details.

Departmental Major

Every student must complete either a departmental major or an interdisciplinary major. Courses given in other colleges of the University may be credited to the major only with the approval of the Dean of the College of Arts and Letters upon recommendation of the Department Chair. Waiver of a required course or the substitution of a course from another department does not necessarily reduce the minimum credits required in the major.

See the complete list of departmental majors under “Degrees Offered” in the College of Arts and Letters section of this catalog.

The minimum number of semester hours a student must complete for a departmental major is prescribed by the department.  A student may have two majors from two different departments within the College of Arts and Letters, provided the requirements of both programs are satisfied. Work in the second major may be accepted as fulfilling the related course requirement, but requires the approval of the Advisors in both departments. A student cannot use courses from the first major to satisfy the second and vice-versa. See section on “Earning a Second Degree” for the statement on requirements when two or more desired major programs are offered as different degrees.

Interdisciplinary Majors

A student may complete one of the interdisciplinary majors if accepted into that particular program. A student completing a departmental major and a second major in an interdisciplinary or interdepartmental major cannot use courses from the first major to satisfy the second or vice-versa. See the complete list of interdisciplinary majors under “Degrees Offered” in the College of Arts and Letters section of this catalog.

Minors

Many College of Arts and Letters departments and interdisciplinary programs offer minors. In addition, non-program minors are offered in the college. Specific minor requirements are listed under Programs of Study. Students wishing to pursue minors should consult with their primary program Advisors and then with an Advisor in Student Services. Not all minors can be added to all degree programs. Courses selected for the minor must be chosen from courses acceptable for credit toward a major in the college. In meeting requirements for some majors, work in the minor may be accepted as fulfilling the 18 hours of related courses, but only with the approval of the student’s major Advisor. At least 12 hours of the minor must be distinct from any credit hours used to fulfill any major the student is pursuing.

No more than six hours of courses taken for minor credit may be applied to the total College of Arts and Letters core curriculum requirements. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in the minor. Credit hours for a minor contained in the College of Arts and Letters vary from 18 to 22 hours, depending on the minor. At least nine of those hours must be completed at The University of Toledo. All minors must be declared and completed prior to graduation.

Certificates

The College of Arts and Letters offers several certificates containing credit-bearing courses which appear on an official transcript and give added value to career goals. See the programs in the Departments of Art, Economics, Communication, and World Languages and Cultures for more information.

Orientation

All new first-year students are required to take AR 1000 Orientation.  The course is optional for transfer students.

Related Fields Courses

Every student who chooses a departmental major or interdisciplinary major also must complete a minimum of 18 hours in courses related to the major. These 18 hours must be in addition to courses taken to fulfill the basic requirements listed above. Each department defines the areas from which courses may be chosen by its majors, and these listings are given in other sections of this catalog under Programs of Study or in the student’s online degree audit. Related fields must be chosen from courses acceptable for credit in a College of Arts and Letters major. Generally, these are upper-level courses.

Courses offered by other colleges of the University may be credited to the major or to related courses only with the approval of the department Chair.

Writing Across the Curriculum

Students must pass both Composition I and II with a C or better. The College of Arts and Letters recommends that these requirements be met before completing 45 hours of course work.

After completing Composition I and II with a C or better, students must pass two writing intensive courses. The College of Arts and Letters recommends that the first of these writing courses be completed within the first 65 hours of course work, and the second within the first 90 hours. One of these courses must be taken within the student’s major. Students with dual majors must take a writing intensive course in each major. Students with interdisciplinary majors will meet this requirement by selecting courses in consultation with their Advisors, who will monitor students’ progress to help them complete these requirements in a timely fashion.

Transfer students from institutions that have required writing intensive courses should forward the syllabus to the Registrar's office for review (transfer@utoledo.edu) to show that they have completed writing intensive courses comparable to those required in the College of Arts and Letters. Transfer students who have not taken writing intensive courses must meet the College of Arts and Letters Writing Across the Curriculum requirements.

Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental and Pre-Veterinary Program

Students interested in professional medical, dental or veterinary careers may choose to apply for the pre-medical, pre-dental or pre-veterinary programs. Students choosing this option must also complete the requirements for a major in a specific discipline or in an interdisciplinary baccalaureate program.

Students who have declared the pre-medical, pre-dental or pre-veterinary concentration will have access to additional advising support through the Pre-Health Advising Center, https://www.utoledo.edu/success/pre-health-advising/.