To be eligible for any undergraduate, graduate or professional degree, a student must have completed the requirements as approved by the University Senate, except that curriculum substitutions may be made by the college affected if not inconsistent with these rules. Curriculum requirements must include, in addition to specified credits, a specified grade-point average both overall and in the student’s major which may in no case be less than 2.0. Every baccalaureate degree program must include five divisions or components: (1) UK Core, (2) premajor or preprofessional, (3) general college requirements (if any), (4) major or professional, and (5) electives.
To be eligible for an undergraduate degree, a student must file an application with the dean of the college from which the undergraduate degree is to be awarded. The deadline for application for a degree will be no more than two months prior to the conferral dates in December, May, and August. The University Registrar will recommend appropriate deadlines for Senate Council approval. Upon Senate Council approval, the Registrar will publicize the deadlines.
Composition and Communication Requirements
Students must complete the Composition and Communication I and the Composition and Communication II requirements:
Composition and Communication I
In this course, students are introduced to the process of writing, speaking, and visually representing their own ideas and the ideas of others; they also practice basic interpersonal communication skills and the ability to communicate with multiple audiences.
To fulfill the Composition and Communication I requirement, complete one of the following:
- CIS 110 Composition and Communication I
- WRD 110 Composition and Communication I
- CIS 112 Accelerated Composition and Communication II (CIS)
- WRD 112 Accelerated Composition and Communication II (WRD)
- ICT 114 Composition and Communication in the Digital Age I
Composition and Communication II
In this course, students research public controversies and work in teams to analyze and argue for a solution to these controversies in oral, written, and visual/digital forms for multiple audiences.
To fulfill the Composition and Communication II requirement, complete one of the following:
- CIS 111 Composition and Communication II
- WRD 111 Composition and Communication II
- CIS 112 Accelerated Composition and Communication II (CIS)
- WRD 112 Accelerated Composition and Communication II (WRD)
- ICT 115 Composition and Communication in the Digital Age II
Transfer Students
Transfer students may fulfill the Composition and Communication requirements by completing one of the following:
- Become Category Certified in the communications category under GETA (General Education Transfer Agreement) before transferring.
- Complete transfer courses equated to UK’s ENG 101 , ENG 102 , and one of the following: COM 252 , COM 281 or COM 287 .
- Complete an A.A. or A.S. degree from an institution accredited by one of the six organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement
The Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR) replaces the Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR). The GCCR is intended to vertically integrate learning outcome #2 of the UK Core (students will demonstrate competent written, oral, and visual communication skills both as producers and consumers of information) into upper-division majors across the university.
The GCCR is designed to extend and improve education in multimodal composition and communication. Improved vertical integration under the new GCCR will carry this emphasis on composition and communication from the lower level of the UK Core into the upper levels of individual majors and programs.
Beginning fall 2014, every incoming student completing a Bachelors program at UK will be required to fulfill the GCCR. Every undergraduate degree-granting program and major will be required to fulfill the stipulations of the GCCR by assuring a clear path to its completion for their majors.
To complete the Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement, students must:
- Complete the Composition I and Composition II Requirement;
- Attain sophomore status (30+ hours); and
- Complete an approved course or series of courses. Note that some of these courses may only be taken by students in the major; check with your advisor to verify.
GCCR Required Courses by Major
Accounting - CIS 300
African American and Africana Studies - AAS 401
Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology - ABT 201 + ABT 301
Agricultural Economics - AEC 306
Analytics - CIS 300
Animal Sciences - WRD 203 or WRD 204
Anthropology - ANT 582
Architecture - ARC 152 + ARC 314
Art Education - EPE 301
Art History and Visual Studies - A-H 300
Art Studio, B.A. - ART 301
Art Studio, B.F.A. - ART 301
Arts Administration - AAD 450
Biology - BIO 425 + one of the following: BIO 398 , BIO 404 , BIO 405 , BIO 418 , BIO 430G , BIO 445 , WRD 305 , WRD 310
Biomedical Engineering - BME 421
Biosystems Engineering - WRD 204
Career and Technical Education - AED 583 or FCS 583
Chemical Engineering - WRD 204
Chemistry - WRD 310
Civil Engineering - WRD 204
Clinical Leadership and Management - CLM 300
Communication - COM 326 or COM 351 (online option: COM 351 )
Communication Sciences and Disorders - CSD 378 + CSD 402 + CSD 591
Community and Leadership Development - CLD 305 + CLD 497
Computer Engineering - CPE 490
Computer Science - CS 499
Consumer Economics and Family Financial Counseling - CEF 390 or FAM 390 + CEF 402 + FAM 360 or CEF 360
Dance - TAD 492
Dietetics - DHN 374
Digital Media Design - A-S 585
Economics (Arts and Sciences) - ECO 499
Economics (Business and Economics) - CIS 300
Electrical Engineering - EE 490
Elementary Education - EPE 301
English - ENG 330
Environmental and Sustainability Studies - ENS 400
Equine Science and Management - EQM 305
Family Sciences - FAM 357 + FAM 360 + FAM 390
Finance - CIS 300
Food Science - WRD 203
Foreign Language and International Economics - MCL 300 or SPA 300
Forestry - FOR 400 + FOR 480
Gender and Women’s Studies - GWS 599
General Business - CIS 300
Geography - GEO 499
Geological Sciences - EES 235 + EES 461
Health Promotion (Teacher Certification) - EPE 301
Health Promotion (Non-Teacher Certification) - KHP 300
Health, Society, and Populations - HSP 499
History - HIS 499
Horticultural Science - PLS 490
Hospitality Management and Tourism - RTM 425
Human Health Sciences - HHS 453
Human Nutrition - DHN 474 + DHN 475
Information Communication Technology - ICT 300 (online track); ICT 305 (all other tracks)
Integrated Strategic Communication - ISC 491 + ISC Portfolio
Interdisciplinary Disability Studies - EPE 301
Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education - EDS 530
Interior Design - ID 362 +ID 461
International Studies - INT 495
Journalism - JOU 330 + JOU Portfolio
Kinesiology - KHP 300
Landscape Architecture - LA 222 + LA 223
Liberal Studies - A&S 420 or A&S 430
Linguistics - LIN 222
Management - CIS 300
Marketing - CIS 300
Materials Engineering - MSE 407
Mathematical Economics - ECO 491G
Mathematics - MA 391
Mechanical Engineering - WRD 204
Media Arts and Studies - MAS 300 + JAT 399
Medical Laboratory Science - MLS 463 + MLS 470
Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles - RTM 425
Middle Level Education - EPE 301
Mining Engineering - MNG 371
Modern and Classical Languages, Literatures and Cultures (all tracks) - MCL 495
Music - MUS 304 + MUS 305
Music Education - EPE 301
Music Performance - MUS 304 + MUS 305
Natural Resources and Environmental Science - NRE 400
Neuroscience - WRD 204
Nursing, Accelerated Program B.S.N. - NUR 321 + NUR 328 + NUR 426
Nursing, Four-Year B.S.N. - NUR 224 + NUR 344 + NUR 437
Nursing, R.N. to B.S.N. - NUR 350 + NUR 463
Philosophy - PHI 350
Physics - PHY 435 (for B.A.) or PHY 535 (for B.S.)
Political Science - WRD 304
Product Design - PRD 370
Psychology - one of the following: PSY 427 , PSY 430 , PSY 440 , PSY 450 , PSY 456 , PSY 460 , PSY 552
Public Health - CPH 470
Public Policy - PPL 434
Secondary English Education - EPE 301
Secondary Social Studies Education - EPE 301
Secondary STEM Education - EPE 301
Social Work - SW 470
Sociology - SOC 302
Spanish - SPA 323
Special Education - EDS 529
Sustainable Agriculture - SAG 310 + SAG 490
Theatre - TA 483
Topical Studies - Any approved A&S course or sequence of courses that satisfies the GCCR requirement for any A&S major: please consult with the Arts & Sciences Dean of Undergraduate Programs.
US Culture and Business Practices - USB 495
Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies - WRD 430
The Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement is overseen and assessed by the GCCR Advisory Committee. For questions regarding fulfillment of the Requirement, please consult the Director of Undergraduate Studies and/ or Chair of the appropriate major or program.
Change in Program Requirements
When requirements for an undergraduate degree program are changed after a student has enrolled in it, the student has the option of fulfilling either the old or the new requirements.
In fulfilling the old requirements, if a student finds that necessary courses have been eliminated or substantially revised, he or she may substitute other courses with the approval of the dean of the college. In this eventuality, however, the student shall not be forced to comply with the new requirements.
However, if a student interrupts work in the program or the University for more than two semesters, then the dean of the college shall determine which requirements the student shall fulfill.
If the curriculum revision is required by an external accreditation or certification body, and this body submits a written statement to the University that the accreditation of a program or certification of its graduates is in jeopardy unless students fulfill the new requirements, the option of fulfilling the old requirements shall not apply.
When The Graduate School or degree program requirements are changed after a student has begun a course of study, the student shall have the option of fulfilling either the old or new requirements.
If the student elects to fulfill the old requirements but finds that necessary resources (e.g., courses, instruction in particular skills) are no longer available, the student may make reasonable substitutes with the approval of The Graduate School Dean upon recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies.
In the event that a student interrupts work on a graduate degree (i.e., is not enrolled) for one calendar year or more, The Graduate School Dean shall determine, upon recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies, whether the old requirements or the new requirements shall apply. In the event a student has not completed the requirements for the graduate degree five years after the effective date of a change in degree requirements, the new requirements shall apply unless determined otherwise by The Graduate School Dean.
The colleges offering professional degrees (Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy) reserve the right to change curriculum requirements provided the program change has gone through the University’s approval process. Any such change in curriculum, however, shall not result in a longer tenure for students enrolled in the program who are making satisfactory academic progress.
Residence Requirements
Residence - a requirement for a degree which specifies the minimum period during which a student must be registered on the main campus - is intended to provide an adequate contact with the University and its faculty for each student who is awarded a degree.
For an undergraduate degree, (a) at least 25 percent of the credits presented for a degree1; (b) not less than 30 credit hours; and (c) a minimum of 30 of the last 36 credits presented for the degree* must be taken from the University.
1Courses taken elsewhere with credit transfer to UK, courses taken through the UK International Center (except for courses taught by UK faculty), credits achieved by examination, credits earned via CLEP (the College Level Examination Program), and courses taken through the National Student Exchange do not count toward the 25 percent requirement.
Any request for waiver by veterans of any of the above requirements, or a request by other students for a waiver of requirement (b) or (c), must be presented for approval to the dean of the student’s college. Students who wish to satisfy the above requirement with credit earned through such methods as independent study by correspondence, special examination, CLEP, and other methods which limit the opportunity for active exchange between students and instructors must have the prior approval of their department chair and college dean.
*Courses taken through the UK International Center and through the National Exchange Student programs are considered as courses taken at UK for purposes of both the residence requirement and for graduates to be conferred commencement honors at the time of award of their degrees.
Credit by Correspondence and Examination
No more than 30 credit hours of the total required for an undergraduate degree may be gained by correspondence. No more than one-third of the requirements for a major may be gained by correspondence.
No credit will be conferred in The Graduate School or in the professional colleges for courses done by correspondence.
No more than half of the credit toward an undergraduate degree may be earned by any combination of CLEP Examinations, PEP Examinations, National College Credit Recommendation Service courses, Special Departmental Examinations, Advanced Placement Examinations and IB Examinations.
Application for Degrees
To be eligible for an undergraduate degree, a student must file an application with the dean of the college from which the undergraduate degree is to be awarded. The deadline for application for a degree will be no more than two months prior to the conferral dates in December, May, and August. The University Registrar will recommend appropriate deadlines for Senate Council approval. Upon Senate Council approval, the Registrar will publicize the deadlines.
Commencement Honors
Students who attain a grade-point average of 3.8 or higher for at least three years (90 hours) of work at the University (excepting correspondence study) shall be graduated “Summa Cum Laude.”
Students who attain a grade-point average of 3.6 or higher for at least three years (90 hours) of work at the University (excepting correspondence study) shall be graduated “Magna Cum Laude.”
Students who attain a grade-point average of 3.4 or higher for at least three years (90 hours) of work at the University (excepting correspondence study) shall be graduated “Cum Laude.”
Students with a minimum of two (60 hours) but less than three years (90 hours) of work at the University will receive the appropriate commencement honors if they attain a grade-point average of 0.2 greater than those specified for three years of residence work.
The bachelor’s degree with honors in a student’s major or a degree with honors from a professional college will be conferred upon a student whom the faculty of the student’s department, or college, in the case of a professional college, and the dean of the student’s college recommend receive the degree. A student may be required to complete work in addition to that required for the bachelor’s or professional degree to receive a degree with honors.
The degree with honors from a professional college is based solely upon work done in the professional college.
All students in the Lewis Honors College of the University who do not have a grade-point standing of 3.5 or better but are in the top 10 percent of their college’s class are eligible to graduate in the Honors program if they satisfy the other requirements and have approval of the Lewis Honors College Dean.
Work done in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System shall not be counted as work at the University of Kentucky in calculating the grade-point average for honors.
A Double Major
An undergraduate student earns a double major when he or she completes all university, college, and departmental requirements in one department-the Primary Major-and all departmental requirements in a second department-the Secondary Major. Students choose which major is their Primary Major. If there is a generic relationship, work in the Primary Major may be applicable to the Secondary Major. The student must indicate the double major to the Registrar and to the student records office in his or her college(s). The student must have an advisor in each major. The student who completes the requirements for a double major receives a degree from the college of his or her Primary Major and has the successful completion of the Secondary Major entered on his or her transcript. A Secondary Major may be completed after the degree for the Primary Major has been awarded. A double major does not result in an additional degree.
Concurrent enrollment for degree purposes in more than one graduate program is permitted only with the approval of the student’s graduate advisor(s), Directors of Graduate Studies in the programs, and the Dean of The Graduate School.
Subsequent to the receipt of a doctoral degree, a student is not eligible to receive a master’s degree based on the work which led to the doctorate.
Additional Bachelor’s Degrees
A student is eligible to qualify for additional Bachelor’s degrees in different majors. The student must complete all university, college, and departmental requirements for all degrees. Courses taken towards fulfilling one degree may also count towards fulfilling parallel requirements in another degree, but the student must complete at least 24 additional hours for each degree. The student may elect to receive the degrees simultaneously if college and departmental requirements can be met simultaneously.
A Second Master’s Degree
A student may receive two master’s degrees. However, simultaneous enrollment in two or more programs and the granting of two or more master’s degrees at the same time is not permitted, unless approved by the student’s advisors and the Directors of Graduate Studies in the programs.
The University Scholars Program
The University Scholars program enables gifted and highly motivated students to integrate their undergraduate and graduate or professional courses of study into a single, continuous program leading to both a baccalaureate and master’s degree. The admissions requirements for the University Scholars program and the curricular requirements are outlined in the Special Academic Programs section of this Bulletin.
Academic Minors
Many departments have designed academic minors for the convenience of undergraduate students. A minor is a structured group of courses that leads to considerable knowledge and understanding of a subject, although with less depth than a major. Some employers consider minors desirable, and the corresponding major requirements at the University may stipulate a minor. Some students choose to complement their major program with a minor in a related field or even in an entirely different field of interest. The minors that are available are described with the departmental listings and major programs in this Bulletin. Students interested in pursuing an academic minor should contact their college dean’s office and the department responsible for the minor program for guidance and advising. Please note that undergraduate students can only complete a minor in addition to and as a complement to a major. The University does not award stand-alone minors.
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