2007-08 Academic Catalog	home FAQs request

Degree and Graduation Requirements

Concordia offers Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees, as well as a Master of Education in World Language Instruction. It is important that students understand the requirements of their desired degree. Advisers will assist in selecting programs of study, and the Office of the Registrar will review the remaining graduation requirements for all students during their junior year. However, the final responsibility for meeting all requirements rests with the student.

Students graduate according to requirements published in the Concordia College Catalog at the time of their matriculation at Concordia, or any one subsequent catalog published during their enrollment. Students who are readmitted two years or more after their last enrollment must satisfy requirements published in the catalog in effect at the time of readmission, or any one subsequent catalog published during their enrollment. Graduation rates are available from the Office of the Registrar.

Bachelor of Arts Degree — Requirements

1. General
A. 31.5 course credits (excluding music ensembles)
B. Cumulative GPA of 2.0 in Concordia courses and in all courses combined
C. Residence requirements met (see Residence Requirement below)
D. 10.0 course credits with senior college credit (courses numbered 300 and above)

2. Major
A. Completion of all requirements for at least one major, as outlined in the department pages of the catalog
B. A minimum GPA of 2.0 in Concordia courses and all courses in the major presented for graduation
C. No more than 10.0 course credits in any department unless approved by Faculty Senate, as noted in department description. (Students may count one course in a May Seminar and one course in Cooperative Education beyond the 10-credit maximum.)

3. Liberal Arts Core Curriculum Requirements  

The requirements for the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum are listed here.

Bachelor Of Music Degree — Requirements

The Bachelor of Music degree is available in five different areas: instrumental music, piano, voice, music theory, and music teaching. Each program has its own requirements, which are listed here.

Master of Education — Requirements

The requirements for the Master of Education are listed here.

Graduation

Graduation honors: The required grade point average (GPA) scale for graduation honors is 3.5 for cum laude, 3.7 for magna cum laude and 3.9 for summa cum laude. Honors listed in the Commencement program are based on grades up to but not including the current semester. The final honors status is determined after all grades are known.

All academic work, including transfer credits, is counted in determining graduation honors. Two GPAs are computed for all students — a Concordia GPA and a cumulative GPA that includes grades from transfer credits. (If a student has no transfer credits, the two GPAs are identical.) Graduation honors are based on the lower of the two GPAs.

Diplomas and commencement participation: Diplomas are awarded only to students who have satisfied all graduation requirements and who have settled all financial obligations with the Business Office. Students who are within 3.0 course credits of completing their graduation requirements and will complete them by the end of the summer may participate in the May Commencement ceremonies. However, a diploma is not awarded until all graduation requirements are met.

Residence Requirement: To fulfill this requirement, students must earn at least 7.0 course credits on campus and must spend the last two semesters preceding graduation as a full-time student at Concordia.