Graduation Requirements | Willamette University Information

The College of Arts & Sciences offers the baccalaureate degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. To earn a degree, a candidate must successfully complete the General Education Program, specific degree, and major program requirements.

All candidates for graduation with the Baccalaureate Degree must:

1. Satisfactorily complete 124 semester hours, of which no more than 12 hours may be earned in internships. At least 60 of these hours must be earned in residence. Additionally, at least 32 of the final 40 semester hours must be earned in residence or in Willamette-approved off-campus study programs. (Note: Four Willamette credits are equal to 6 quarter/term hours).

2. Apply no more than 48 hours in a single department and no more than 56 hours in any major program toward the minimum of 124 semester hours required for graduation. Internship semester hours are exempted from this limitation.

3. Satisfactorily complete the General Education Program which includes:

College Colloquium
Eight writing-centered semester hours
Four Power, Difference, and Equity semester hours
Sixteen World Engagement semester hours (8 Non-English language semester hours, 8 other World Engagement semester hours)
Twenty Liberal Arts Distribution semester hours:
- Arts & Humanities (8)
- Mathematical Sciences (4)
- Natural Sciences (4)
- Social Sciences (4)

Please see the General Education at Willamette section for a more complete description of these individual requirements.

4. Satisfactorily complete an approved major program, including the Senior Year Experience.

The following majors leading to the degree Bachelor of Arts have been approved by the faculty:

The following majors leading to the degree Bachelor of Science have been approved by the faculty:

A student may devise an individualized major program to meet individual needs or objectives not served by the above listed major programs. Such a program must: (a) be a coherent program of study that crosses disciplinary lines by combining courses from at least two disciplines, (b) adhere to the same principles of breadth, depth, and liberal-arts centered inquiry that the faculty has established for existing majors, (c) be planned with, and endorsed by, a special committee of two faculty members (from disciplines represented in the major) and a representative from the Dean’s office, (d) be submitted for approval by no later than the end of the sophomore year—or, in the case of a student transferring more than 48 credits to Willamette University, by the end of the first semester in residence.

A student may carry out a double major in two fields simultaneously provided that the student: (a) meets all graduation requirements for both majors, and (b) completes separate senior experience requirements for each major. When these senior projects are thematically related, they must represent distinctly separate and independent projects or experience of the sort specified in the respective requirements for each major. An individualized major program may be part of a double major only if at least 50% of its credits do not contribute to the other major.

In addition to completing one or more approved major programs, a student may declare a minor in one of the following disciplines approved by the faculty:

5. Achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 (C), and a grade point average in the major of at least 2.00 (C). Courses presented toward fulfillment of the General Education Program must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.

Regalia Guidelines

In order to provide students with an opportunity to express themselves through Commencement regalia, while preserving the traditions of the occasion for others, the following guidelines shall be observed:

Students marching in the Commencement ceremonies of the College of Arts & Sciences must wear the approved cap and gown. They may personalize their ensemble through:

Altering the tassel of their cap
Adding honor cords, stoles, or other standardized marks of disciplinary affiliation
Adding stoles, feathers, or other markers of tribal, ethnic, or religious identity
Decorating the top surface of their mortarboards

All alterations or additions must conform to generally acceptable community standards of good taste, and should not detract in either content or magnitude from the dignity of the occasion. Students with excessive or questionable displays may be requested to alter them prior to marching; the final decision lies in the hands of the Faculty Marshall. Students who are unsure of the suitability of their plans may seek pre-approval from Academic Council by submitting their requests in writing no later than the final day of classes in spring semester. Approved by Academic Council February 22, 2017.

Marching at Graduation

Students who are registered for coursework that upon completion will fulfill all remaining graduation requirements may participate in commencement with their graduating class. The following stipulations apply:

A student's graduating class refers to the cohort that a student would be expected to graduate with based on that individual's credit at entry and the expectation of normal academic progress
Graduation requirements are understood to include total credits, major requirements, and all general education requirements
All students participating in commencement must have earned cumulative and major grade point averages of at least 2.0 (including the spring semester prior to the commencement ceremony)
The additional required credits in which a student is registered at the time of commencement may represent courses attempted and not successfully completed, or courses yet to be taken
The required credits will be completed by the end of fall semester or no later than the middle of January of the following year if taken at an institution with a different academic calendar.

Dual Degree Policy

A student pursuing majors that lead to different undergraduate degree types in the College of Arts and Sciences (e.g. a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science) may earn both degrees concurrently by meeting all Graduation Requirements as listed above. Both degrees must be conferred on the same date. As with all multiple major/minor programs, students should work closely with their advisors and the Office of Financial Aid to ensure sufficient time for completion of declared programs and to assure that graduation requirements (residency, general education, major, minor, or total credits) are not completed until their final semester.

Students who have previously earned a bachelor's degree from Willamette University may apply for readmission in order to earn an additional major, minor, or to convert a previously earned minor to a major under the same degree type. These students must meet residency, general education, and major and/or minor requirements as listed in the catalog in effect at the time of their readmission. No additional degree will be awarded. Financial aid is not available.

Students who have previously earned a bachelor's degree from Willamette University and wish to pursue a major in a degree type different from the one previously earned may do so by completing a minimum of 40 additional semester hours, including all currently applicable residency and general education requirements listed in the catalog in effect at the time of their readmission. Federal financial aid may be available but students should consult with the Office of Financial Aid to verify eligibility.

Students who have previously earned a bachelor's degree from Willamette University
may not replace their degree with a different one than was awarded.

Students may apply for readmission by completing a CAS Application for Readmission and submitting it to the Registrar's Office.