Frequently Asked Questions

The sooner you declare a major, the sooner you will be assigned a Faculty Mentor/Advisor in the program of study you have selected. Declare your major in the college office by completing a Change of Major/Minor form.

Go to the college office and fill out a “Change of Major/Minor” form.

Contact the college office of your intended major and complete the College Transfer form.

Most majors require a minor but it is best to consult the Undergraduate Catalog. If a minor is required for a given major, the statement “minor also required” appears. You must declare your minor in your college office. Note: Courses taken for a major do not count toward a minor. Major and minor courses may not be taken “S/U." Planned minors may not include any courses from a program in which the student has a major. Intercollegiate Minor: You may earn a minor that is offered in the Undergraduate Catalog from another college without having to earn a degree from that college.

A minimum of 122 semester hours are required for graduation. At least 40 hours of the total 122 hours must be completed at the 3000/4000 level, and at least 30 hours must be completed at BGSU. Apply for graduation through your MyBGSU Student Center by the end of the second week of the semester you plan to graduate.

If you take WRIT 1120 after you have reached junior standing (60 semester hours); three credit hours are added to the 122 needed for graduation.

If you take WRIT 1120 after you have reached senior standing (90 semester credits); four credit hours are added to the 122 hours needed for graduation.

The grade of a D is a passing grade. Some departments require a C or better in their core courses or for pre-requisite courses. You may elect to retake the course but there are certain rules that must be fulfilled in retaking a course. Refer to the “Retaking a Course” section in the Undergraduate Catalog for further information.

The Undergraduate Catalog states: “If a student receives a grade of D, F, I or WF in a course and then receives credit for that course by successful completion of a similar course at another institution, the credit hours and quality points for the first registration will continue to be used in computing the student’s GPA.” Therefore, you don’t have to take the course over at BGSU, but your GPA will not change. Credits are transferable, but not grades.

During the fall and spring regular sessions, a student may enroll in a course within seven calendar days from the beginning of classes; fourteen calendar days are allowed for a student to change the grading option without college approval or to drop a course with no record on the transcript. During other sessions, students may enroll in courses during the first three calendar days of a given session; five calendar days are allowed for a student to change the grading option or drop a course with no record on the transcript.

After the above deadlines, a student may choose to change the grade option for a course with the approval of the college in which they are enrolled. The student is responsible for filing a schedule change form in the college office on or before the last day of the 12th week of the regular fall or spring sessions. For all other sessions, the student is responsible for filing a schedule change form in the college office before the 80% completion date.

Students should check their class schedule on MyBGSU Student Center to ensure all changes have been processed as expected. If a student stops attending a course but does not officially drop from it (graded or S/U format) a failing grade will be calculated into the cumulative grade point average.

You will not be allowed to drop your last class electronically through MyBGSU. This action is considered “Withdrawing from the University”.

Withdrawing from BGSU is an extreme choice, please meet with an Arts and Sciences Academic Advisor before making the decision to determine if alternate options can be identified. You initiate the withdrawal process in your MyBGSU “Student Center” in the “Other Academic” drop down box and select “withdraw from term”. After your withdraw is submitted online and permission from the Arts and Sciences Associate Dean is granted, you will have all courses from the semester dropped and the grades of “W” are recorded. A readmission restriction will be imposed for students who withdraw during the last five weeks of the semester. A student is not permitted to withdraw during the final exam period of the fall or spring semesters, or during the last two weeks of any summer session.

You may take up to 16 credit hours S/U. You may not take any classes required in your major or minor S/U. The 16 hours does not include those courses which are only offered S/U. To receive an S in a course you must earn a C or better.

The Transition Review is a degree requirement check for students during their 4th semester or for those enrolled in 59 semester hours or less. This review is to assist students in planning their final two years of undergraduate study and is conducted with an academic advisor in a scheduled appointment.

Double Major: The student who wishes to earn a double major within the College of Arts and Sciences must complete the requirements for both majors. This involves completing the degree requirements for one degree, the requirements for a major, and – instead of a minor – completing the requirements for the second major. The two majors must be offered in the same degree (for example – a double major in Psychology and Sociology). A particular major may not be available to a student as a second major in those cases where there is significant overlap with courses in the second major. Substitutions to course requirements for a major are the jurisdiction of the program offering the major.

Dual Degrees: This involves the completion of two undergraduate degrees from two different colleges, when two majors are desired but cannot be obtained from a single college. You must secure permission of the Deans of both colleges before the end of your junior year, meet with an advisor in both college offices, complete the degree requirements of both collegiate degrees, as well as earn a minimum of 20 hours beyond the 122 hours required for one degree. If you earn dual degrees, you will need a major in each, but you will not need a minor. Courses used to fulfill major or minor requirements for one degree cannot be re-used to satisfy major or minor requirements for the other degree.

Intra-College Degrees: If you pursue two different degrees within the College of Arts and Sciences you must meet with an academic advisor and obtain permission from the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. In addition, requirements for a major and minor in each degree must be completed independently. Course counted toward a major or minor for the first degree cannot apply toward the major or minor in the second degree. At least 32 hours beyond the hours required for a single degree must be earned.

A variety of scholarship opportunities from both university and the College of Arts and Sciences are available in one application process through the Financials icon in your MyBGSU portal.

Permission for any overload must be obtained from the college office. Course registration in excess of 18 hours carries extra fees. Consult the Bursar’s Office for specific charges.

It is possible to transfer courses to BGSU. Prior to doing so, check with Transfer Credit Evaluation in the Registrar’s Office for information about the proper procedure to follow.

You may file an appeal by visiting the college office and completing an appeal form. If you want to improve the chances of your appeal being granted, state precisely and succinctly what you want and write clearly and briefly why you think your appeal should be approved. Attach any relevant supporting information. Please remember that an appeal is not granted until it’s granted; do not presume it will be. An appeal by its nature is a variance from the rule, and there must be good reason for granting it. You may check the status of the appeal by contacting the college office. Most appeals are decided upon within two business days.

For curricular substitution requests, students must see their faculty advisor.

Each student in the College of Arts and Sciences will receive a free subscription to an online digital portfolio called Portfolium. Portfolium is a digital portfolio, job seeking, and social networking platform. Arts and Sciences has partnered with this company so our students have the ability to professionally showcase their academic and extracurricular accomplishments for future employers. Companies like Disney, Nike, Google, Facebook, and Qualcomm are using Portfolium to hire their employees. Students will also have full access to BGSU Career Center services.

This four-course requirement is grounded in the conviction that acquiring proficiency in multiple modes of thought and communication, referred to as habits of mind, is the defining characteristic of a liberal arts education. These courses enhance students’ ability to see things from multiple perspectives, solve problems both creatively and analytically, and communicate effectively with cultural competence. Eligible courses must be chosen from the approved course list in the Arts and Sciences Handbook following the guidelines below:

• Four courses, each with a different prefix
• At least two courses must be at 3000 or 4000 level
• MDC courses may not be used to fulfill other Arts and Sciences degree requirements, nor may they be used to fulfill major, minor, BGP or any other program requirements.
• MDC approved courses carry a minimum of 2 semester hours

Interdisciplinary department and program topics courses can be used for group or MDC requirements with prior approval by the college. Examples: AS 1000, AS 3000, AS 4000, ENVS 4000, ETHN 3000, WS 3000, WS 4000.