Degree Requirements

The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Requirements differ based on degree as indicated below.

A. Grade Point Averages

A cumulative grade point average (GPA) reflects all grades earned, including grades of F and grades in repeated courses. Candidates must earn a minimum overall cumulative GPA of C (that is, a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale) for all UToledo course work. In addition, candidates must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of C in the major, minors (optional) and UT General Education, with the grades of all courses attempted at all institutions included in the GPA calculation. Some programs require a higher GPA in the major. For example, BS Chemistry and BS Biochemistry require a 2.5 GPA.

B. Residency Requirement

Students transferring from other institutions must earn at least 30 hours of credit at The University of Toledo; at least 12 of these must be in the major area, and for students pursuing a minor, at least 9 hours must be earned at The University of Toledo.  Policy Name:  3364-71-10 Residency requirement for a degree

C. Credit Hours and Levels

  1. Students must complete a minimum of 120 hours of course work that must include the University General Education and college course requirements, and either major and course work related to the major, or an interdisciplinary program. Individual programs may require more than 120 hours of coursework to complete.
  2. In all baccalaureate programs, a minimum of 60 hours must be taken at the 2000 to 4000 levels; of these a minimum of 30 hours must be taken at the 3000 to 4000 levels.
  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. Insofar as a student can complete the basic courses and the courses required for a chosen major (as outlined in sections E - I below) in fewer than the 120 hours required for a degree, the student must choose elective courses to complete the total of 120 hours, subject to the restrictions outlined below.

D. Credit Restrictions

Total earned hours shown on a student’s transcript may not all be applicable to the minimum 120 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 need to complete additional hours.
  2. No courses in typing, shorthand or keyboarding will apply toward the degree.
  3. No more than two hours in skill courses in physical education or recreation courses at the 1000 level 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 courses) and for blanket technical credit not applicable to a student’s specific program.

E. University General Education Requirements

Students earning baccalaureates in all colleges and programs are required to complete a minimum of 36 credit hours of courses that comprise the General Education Curriculum. Those courses are distributed in the areas of English composition, humanities/fine arts, social sciences, natural sciences , mathematics, and multicultural studies courses. Students should view their Degree Audit Report or contact their academic department or college office for specific details.

Students are placed into mathematics courses by ACT scores or placement tests in those subjects. Students are placed into foreign language courses through placement testing. With  careful  planning,  students  will  be  able  to  satisfy  UT  General Education  Curriculum  and  College  of  Natural  Sciences  and  Mathematics requirements  by  taking  the  minimum  required  hours.

F. Natural Sciences and Mathematics Skill Area Requirements

1. Orientation
NSM 1000Natural Sciences & Mathematics 12
2. Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Requirement
Select one writing intensive course (WAC) as specified by the program of study or approved by the advisor if the program of study does not specify a given WAC course. 22-4
1

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

2

Students must pass a minimum of one writing intensive course as specifide by the program or approved by their advisor. Many courses will require completion of Composition I and II  as pre-requisites.

G. Major Area

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 Natural Sciences and Mathematics 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.

1. Departmental Major

  • See the complete list of departmental majors under “Degrees Offered” in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics section of this catalog.
  •  A student may have two majors from two different departments provided the requirements of both programs are satisfied. Work in the second major may be accepted as fulfilling the related course requirement upon 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 statement on requirements when two or more desired major programs are offered as different degrees.

2. Interdisciplinary Majors

  • The College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics offers interdisciplinary majors in Data Science and Interdisciplinary Science. 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 Natural Sciences and Mathematics section of this catalog.

H. Related Courses

Students in some majors also must complete courses related to the major. These courses 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 the later sections of this catalog under Programs of Study. For most programs, related courses must be chosen from courses acceptable for credit in a College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics major. Generally, these are upper-level courses.

Courses given in other colleges of the University may be credited to the major or to related courses only if indicated in later sections of the this catalog under Programs of Study or with the approval of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

I. Minors

Many College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics departments offer minors. Departmental requirements for particular minors are given in later sections of the catalog under Programs of Study. Students wishing to pursue minors should consult with their primary program advisor and then with an advisor in NSM Advising office. 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 that department. In meeting requirements for some majors, work in the minor may be accepted as fulfilling the required hours of related courses, but only with the approval of the student’s major advisor. Students completing a minor must be sure that at least 12 credit hours of the minor requirements are unique to that minor, and are not being used to satisfy requirements in the major or another minor. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required in the minor.  At least nine of those hours must be completed at The University of Toledo.