Majors
ACCELERATED BACHELOR’S DEGREE PLAN
INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIVERSITY STUDIES
CORE EQUIVALENCIES FROM QUARTER TO SEMESTERS
To earn a second baccalaureate degree, a student must complete all the additional requirements for the second degree (including course work in the major field, college/school core requirements and courses in support of a major). At least 30 semester hours of the second degree must be unique to the second degree and may not be used as major, supporting or core courses for the first degree. In addition, the total number of hours to complete both degrees must total at least 30 additional semester hours. If 30 unique hours or 30 additional hours cannot be identified, the student is not eligible to receive a second baccalaureate degree. Students who are completing a second degree must comply with all the same grade point requirements and residency requirements as other students. Students may elect to pursue and to receive the two degrees simultaneously if college and departmental requirements can be met simultaneously.
Not all colleges allow students to receive two of the same degree from the same college, e.g., Business. All students should consult with their advisor concerning eligibility for a second degree, and if eligible, complete appropriate paperwork to declare the second degree. It is recommended that students declare the second degree prior to the beginning of the senior year. It is the student’s responsibility to file a graduation application for each degree being sought. If the two degrees are in the same college, the student must file two applications with his/her dean’s office. If the student is completing degrees in different colleges, one application must be filed with each dean’s office. Students completing a second or two degrees concurrently receive a diploma for each degree. The transcript will list each degree and each major.
Eligibility for graduation with academic honors for the second baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 60 semester hours above the requirements for the first baccalaureate degree. Students earning the second baccalaureate degree must earn the minimum overall grade average required for the honors distinction on the 60 additional hours for the second degree and must be achieved on Auburn University courses. Honors calculations for the second baccalaureate degree follows the same procedures as graduation honors
for the first degree (see ‘Graduating with Honors’ section of this manual).
To earn a double major, a student must complete all the major courses in the second major (courses bolded in the curriculum model) and meet all the requirements for majors (field of study) such as grade point requirements, the department, school or college core, etc. The minimum number of hours required for an undergraduate major is 30 semester hours. Of these major courses, at least 20 hours must be unique, not courses that have been used as major, supporting, or core courses in the first major. If at least 20 hours of unique courses do not exist between the two majors, a student is not eligible to complete a double major. The student in a double major is not required to complete the college/school core requirements or the courses in support of the second major. The student will designate which major is the primary field of study and which is the secondary field of study. The student must complete all degree requirements in whichever curriculum he/she designates as the primary field of study.
If the two majors for the double major leads to the same degree, e.g., BS or B.A, both majors will appear on the diploma and on the transcript. However, if the two majors for a double major lead to a BA and a BS, the degree will be determined based on the primary field of study and that will dictate which baccalaureate major will appear on the diploma. The student must complete the appropriate forms declaring the double major to the Office of the Registrar and to the dean’s office in his/ her college(s). The student who completes the requirements for a double major receives a degree from the college of his/her first or primary field of study and has the successful completion of the secondary major entered on his/her transcript. A double major does not result in two degrees – only one diploma will be received. Students should consult with their advisor concerning this option and, if eligible for a double major, complete the appropriate paperwork prior to the beginning of the senior year. If a student changes his/her decision to pursue a double major, it is his/her responsibility to notify the Office of the Registrar and the dean’s office of his/her college(s). A double major may not be awarded after the degree for the primary major has been granted.
Accelerated Bachelor’s Degree Plan
The Accelerated Bachelor’s / Master’s Degree Plan allows Auburn students in some academic programs to count up to nine approved hours (in a 30-hour master’s program) or 12 approved hours (in a 36 hour master’s program) toward both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. These hours must be at the graduate level.
To be considered for admission, students must have completed at least 45 credit hours and no more than 96 credit hours, including advanced placement credits. Transfer students must have completed at least 24 credit hours at Auburn University. All students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 / 4.0 or higher on course work completed at Auburn. Individual graduate programs may set higher standards or require additional criteria for admission to the accelerated degree program.
Students must complete an “Application for Admission to the Accelerated Bachelor’s / Master’s Degree Plan,” and work with a graduate advisor in the degree-granting department to complete an approved Plan of Study, including: a) a list of the courses that count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree; and b) the projected dates for the completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Students in the Honors College remain eligible to graduate with Honors while participating, and should consult with an Honors advisor.
Students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average (CGPA) of 3.4 / 4.0 or higher on Auburn University coursework; if the student completes the bachelor’s degree requirements with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.4 / 4.0 at Auburn, the student cannot double-count credit hours and is terminated from the program.
Students must apply for admission to the Graduate School by the prescribed deadline. Admission to the Accelerated Degree Plan does not guarantee admission to the Graduate School. Students cannot opt to bypass the bachelor’s degree.
Students may withdraw voluntarily from the Accelerated Plan at any time. Students must notify, in writing, the graduate program officer and the coordinator/director of undergraduate studies in their respective departments. Students who withdraw from the program voluntarily or because they do not meet program requirements will not be awarded graduate credit for double-counted courses.
Advising
For the undergraduate degree, advising remains with the undergraduate advisors until the student completes his or her undergraduate degree and graduates. Undergraduate advisors will perform the graduation check for the undergraduate degree.
Interdisciplinary University Studies
The Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary University Studies, offered through the Office of Undergraduate Studies, allows students to attain a broad education and acquire diverse skill sets unique to a profession they desire. Students seeking an Interdisciplinary University Studies Degree have the opportunity to create a personalized academic program. Students are allowed to customize a curriculum that demonstrates proficiency in broad skills as well as discipline-specific knowledge.
In addition to completion of the individually designed plan of study as approved by the faculty mentor and the faculty members overseeing the undergraduate programs inside each concentration, all IDSC majors must fulfill Auburn University’s general education requirements (Core Curriculum) and the following specific IDSC requirements.
Interdisciplinary degree seeking students are required to successfully complete the following courses:
UNIV 2190, Foundations of Interdisciplinary University Studies (3 credit hours)
This introductory course examines the fundamental concepts of interdisciplinary theory with a strong emphasis on career exploration. Students will be taught basic theories of interdisciplinary thinking and will conceptualize their own interdisciplinary goals. In addition to completing personal career assessments, students will also produce a written prospectus as a primary product of the course.
The written prospectus (detailed plan of study) defines the intended major and outlines the curriculum. The student must demonstrate the relationship between the chosen fields and how the combination relates to the student’s intended educational and career goals. With the assistance of a Career Development Services counselor, each student is required to design a unique program of study and identify how he or she plans to assess the plan in order for it to be approved. Students are also required to demonstrate that their proposed plan is a feasible method of entry into an established job field or graduate program of study. Students must attain a grade of “C” or better in UNIV 2190 to be eligible to declare Interdisciplinary Studies as their major.
UNIV 4980, Interdisciplinary Capstone Experience (3 credit hours)
Students will complete a capstone course in which they apply their knowledge of the interdisciplinary discipline to a service-learning, professional internship or thesis project. The capstone project should adequately recognize all academic areas and concentrations the student has completed as part of the degree. Prior approval is required from the Faculty Oversight Committee.
| Auburn University Core Curriculum | 41 hours |
| Introductory Course to Interdisciplinary Studies | 3 hours |
| Major Course Hours | 36 hours |
| Capstone Experience | 3 hours |
| Interdisciplinary Supporting Coursework | 8-9 hours |
| Electives | 28-29 hours |
| Minimum Number of Required Hours | 120 |
In addition to the required major and Interdisciplinary coursework, students must also complete the following: 8-9 hours of Interdisciplinary supporting coursework with a grade of “C” or better in each course.
3 hours of Oral Communication
Students can satisfy this requirement with COMMUNICATION 1000, Introduction to Public Speaking or an additional upper-level course with an emphasis on oral communication.
2-3 hours of Computer Competency
Students can satisfy this requirement with COMPUTER 1000, Personal Computer Applications or an additional upper-level course with an emphasis on technological and information literacy.
3 hours of Written Communication
Students can satisfy this requirement with any course beyond ENGL 1120 with an emphasis on writing.
Students desiring an IDSC degree must get approval of their individual degree plan of study from the minor advisors in the concentrated areas selected and from their faculty mentor.
For major course hours, students must select two or three concentrations from at least two different colleges or schools. Students selecting two areas of concentration must complete 18 hours from each area of concentration. Students selecting three areas of concentration must complete 12 hours from each area of concentration. At least 20 of the 36 hours in the major must be at the 3000 level or higher. Within a particular concentration, at least 12 out of the 18 hours (for two concentrations) or 9 out of the 12 hours (for three concentrations) must be from courses offered by that College or School. The remaining courses may be chosen from closely related courses in another College or School. Courses in the major that are outside the College or School of the concentration areas must be at the 3000 level or higher.
For more information on the IDSC major, go to http://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/undergrad_studies/IDSC/index.htm
Students who have previously attended Auburn and who wish to re-enter must secure permission to register from the Office of the Registrar if they have not been enrolled at AU during the preceding 12 months or if they have been academically ineligible to be enrolled. Undergraduate students who have not been enrolled at Auburn University for a period of five years or more and who are returning to the same curriculum may be subject to different university, college, school, or departmental requirements than those which existed at the time of their initial entry, as well as those which existed at the program level when continuous enrollment ceased. The university, college, school, or department reserves the right to review a former student’s completed work, and if deemed appropriate, may require any readmitted student to meet graduation requirements as listed in the catalog in effect at the time of re-entry. In addition, each college/school may have more specific requirements for readmitted students. A student seeking readmission who has attended another college since being enrolled at Auburn University must (1) be eligible to re-enter the last institution attended and (2) have a 2.0 average overall in course work attempted at other colleges if they have been enrolled elsewhere for two or more terms. Two official transcripts from each institution attended must be furnished to the Office of the Registrar. Students who have been away from the University for more than one term must re-establish their right to residency. They will initially be classified as a non-resident and be required to produce normal documentation.
Program Elimination: In the event that program elimination affects a re-admitted undergraduate student, the Associate Dean of the School or College shall determine whether the student is capable of completing his or her degree with coursework available or reasonable substitutions. If it is deemed possible, the Associate Dean shall work with the Office of Undergraduate Studies to request that the Office of the Provost petition the President to allow special re-opening of the program for the candidate, for the purpose of receipt of the diploma.
In the event that the Associate Dean determines it is not feasible to complete the original degree, the student will need to identify a different degree program. Interdisciplinary University Studies may be an option for some returning students faced with elimination of their previous programs.
Core equivalencies from quarters to semesters are found at www.auburn.edu/semesters/equal.pdfwww.auburn.edu/semesters/equal.pdf