University undergraduate graduation requirements (baccalaureate)

Grade point requirement

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 for all courses taken at ASU is required to graduate with an undergraduate degree. Some programs may require a cumulative GPA higher than 2.00; students should refer to the specific program's graduation audit and major map or curriculum checksheet for graduation requirements.

General studies requirement

All students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program must satisfy the university requirement for a minimum number of approved credit hours of general studies coursework. Effective fall 2024, ASU has approved a revised general studies curriculum. Students beginning in the 2024–2025 catalog year complete the requirements in the General Studies Gold curriculum. Students who attended ASU before fall 2024 and are in a catalog year before 2024–2025 complete the requirements defined by the General Studies Maroon curriculum. The requirements applicable for a student's catalog year are displayed on their major map or curriculum checksheet and graduation audit. Students should refer to the general studies policy for more information on their specific general studies requirements.

Completion of general studies and composition requirements, as documented on an official transcript from regionally accredited institutions of higher education within the United States, fulfills ASU's lower-division general studies requirements within the Gold and Maroon systems as well as first-year composition requirements. Certification of completed general studies includes completion of a general education package recognized by ASU, an Associate of Arts degree, a bachelor's degree or comparable. General studies packages and recognized degrees do not waive program requirements and prerequisites within major and minor areas of study.

Transfer students without completed and documented general education packages or degrees receive credit for general studies based on course-by-course equivalency. Students transferring from Arizona community colleges should see the Arizona General Education Curriculum page for more information.

Mathematics requirement

All undergraduate degree-seeking students are expected to fulfill the university's mathematics requirement by the time they have accumulated 30 credit hours in residence at ASU. Any student who has more than 30 credit hours and has not fulfilled the mathematics requirement must enroll in a mathematics course or an appropriate prerequisite course and continue to do so every semester until the mathematics requirement is met. A waiver may be granted for continuous enrollment if there are scheduling conflicts detrimental to the student's academic progress. Students should also see the math-intensive programs: required course policy.

First-year composition requirement

Completion of ENG 101 and ENG 102, or ENG 105 with a grade of "C" (2.00) or higher is required for graduation from ASU in any baccalaureate or associate program. Students whose native language is not English may meet the first-year composition requirement by completing ENG 107 and 108 with a grade of "C" (2.00) or higher. Students who are required to take first-year composition must enroll in their first required composition course within the first year and continue to enroll in required composition courses every term until composition requirements are met.

Transfer credit

Composition courses transferred from other postsecondary institutions may require evaluation. If, after consultation with an advisor, it is determined that an evaluation is necessary, the student should submit a request for evaluation through the ASU Transfer Guide. The process should be completed upon transfer of coursework to ASU so the student is able to enroll in additional courses, if required. Students who are required to take first-year composition must enroll in their first required composition course within the first year and continue to enroll in required composition courses every term until composition requirements are met.

Resident credit requirement

Resident credit refers to a course that is offered in a regular semester or summer session. Credit earned through comprehensive examinations also is included when calculating ASU resident hours. Credit earned through independent learning, Advanced Placement testing, the College-Level Examination Program or an International Baccalaureate exam is excluded when calculating ASU resident hours.

Every candidate for an undergraduate degree is required to earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in resident credit courses at ASU.

Definition of a catalog year

The ASU academic catalog is published annually, and curriculum changes take effect each fall semester. 

Students who begin in the fall or spring semester follow the policies and requirements for that catalog year. For example, catalog year 2026–2027 applies to students who begin in fall 2026 or spring 2027.

Students who begin during the summer term are assigned to the subsequent catalog year. For example, students who begin in summer 2026 follow the 2026–2027 catalog year.

A catalog year is established when a student is admitted to a degree-seeking program. Enrollment as a non-degree-seeking student does not establish or begin a catalog year.

In most cases, a student’s catalog year is the year in which they started at ASU. Students may be in a different catalog year for a variety of reasons, including:

• change of major
• continuous enrollment in an Arizona community college or public university
• student request to move to a newer catalog year
• significant changes to curriculum that are due to either accreditation or rapid changes to subject matter

Guidelines for determination of catalog year

The ASU Academic Catalog is published annually, and academic requirements may change from one catalog year to the next. To satisfy graduation requirements, undergraduate students must follow the requirements of a single catalog year for each credential. Students may choose any catalog year that was in effect during their enrollment, provided they meet the eligibility criteria outlined below.

Eligibility for catalog year use

Students may not use a catalog that was in effect before their high school graduation or completion of a GED.

Students who maintain continuous enrollment at an Arizona community college or public university may graduate under either:

• the catalog in effect when they initially enrolled after high school graduation or GED completion, or

• any single catalog in effect during their continuous enrollment

   

Continuous enrollment may be maintained while attending a single institution or while transferring among Arizona public institutions. Students who transfer must meet all requirements of the degree-granting institution, including admission, residency and academic requirements.

ASU students who return through the Quick Re-entry process may be eligible to continue under their previous catalog year, subject to academic advisor review and currency-of-coursework requirements.

Continuous enrollment

A semester counts toward continuous enrollment only if the student earns course credit. The following do not count toward continuous enrollment:

• noncredit courses
• audited courses
• failed courses
• courses from which the student withdraws

Students are not required to enroll during summer terms to maintain continuous enrollment. However, enrollment in a summer term in which course credit is earned may be used to maintain continuous enrollment.

Students who do not meet the minimum enrollment standard for three consecutive semesters (fall/spring/fall or spring/fall/spring), including the intervening summer term, are no longer considered continuously enrolled. They may be required to follow the catalog in effect at the time of readmission or any subsequent catalog during renewed continuous enrollment.

Students admitted or readmitted during a summer term must follow the catalog in effect for the following fall semester. 

Review of Coursework Older Than Eight Years 

In some fields, subject matter changes rapidly, and earlier coursework may become outdated. Coursework more than eight years old may be applied toward a degree only at the discretion of the student’s academic department. The department may accept, reject or require revalidation of such coursework.

The eight-year limit applies unless program accreditation requires a shorter timeframe. Departments may also require students to meet current major requirements when earlier requirements are no longer feasible or academically appropriate.

Transfer and institutional authority

Enrollment in nontransferable courses at an Arizona community college counts toward continuous enrollment.

ASU ultimately determines how coursework applies to its own degree requirements. Exceptions granted by previous institutions may not apply at ASU. For example, another institution may accept coursework more than eight years old, while ASU may require reevaluation of that same coursework. 

Application for graduation

Students should visit the ASU graduation website for information on how to apply for graduation, associated fees and deadline dates.

Petition for variance from degree

Any student wishing to have a college or university degree requirement variance must petition the standards committee of the college in which the student is enrolled. All petitions must originate with the student's advisor.

The University Undergraduate Standards Committee advises the Office of the University Provost regarding undergraduate student petitions that concern university-level academic requirements. These include requirements on the amount of transfer credit, graduation requirements, limits on credit by examination and requirements for a second baccalaureate degree. To petition for a variance from such university requirements, the University Undergraduate Standards Committee petition is used. Most petitions heard by the University Undergraduate Standards Committee start at the college level and are forwarded for final review and decision to the university-level committee.

Overview of graduation requirements

At ASU, students take classes that fulfill four types of requirements: university requirements, college/school requirements, major requirements and electives.

University requirements include general studies and first-year composition requirements. Some colleges and schools at ASU have college-specific requirements applicable across all degrees offered within that academic unit. Major requirements represent the majority of the disciplinary content of the degree. Many degrees also have room for electives, allowing students to complete credit hours toward the minimum number of credits required for graduation while exploring areas of personal and professional interest. Some students choose to declare a minor or certificate; this typically adds 15–25 credit hours of coursework, which can also be used for elective credit. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor in planning a program to ensure it meets all requirements for their specific combination of credentials.

Bachelor's degrees consist of 120 credit hours, 45 of which must be upper-division. Some courses may fulfill two or more types of requirements, but other courses fulfill only one requirement. For that reason, the size of the circle segment attributed to each requirement category in the graphic below does not necessarily correspond to the exact number of credits required for each

Graduation with academic recognition

Undergraduate students may qualify for graduation with academic recognition for a baccalaureate degree. The ASU cumulative GPA determines the designation, as shown in the academic recognition table below.

The cumulative GPA for these designations is based on ASU resident coursework only. All designations of graduation with academic recognition are indicated on the diploma and the ASU transcript. Graduation with academic recognition applies only to undergraduate bachelor's degrees.

A student who has a baccalaureate degree from ASU and is pursuing a second baccalaureate degree at ASU (with a minimum of 30 additional hours of resident credit) is granted academic recognition on the second degree based on the credit hours earned after the posting of the first degree. 

Inquiries about graduation with academic recognition may be directed to University Registrar Services.

Additional degrees

Second baccalaureate degree

Students seeking a second baccalaureate degree must meet admission criteria for that degree. After conferral of the first degree, students must successfully complete a minimum of 30 additional credit hours in resident credit courses at ASU to earn the second baccalaureate degree. The student must meet all degree and university requirements of the second degree.

Admission to a specific second baccalaureate degree program may be deemed inappropriate based on the discipline or degree type of the original baccalaureate degree, regardless of whether that degree was earned at ASU or another institution (e.g., admission to a BS program in psychology after earning a BA in psychology).

A student pursuing a second baccalaureate degree in the same discipline as a minor previously conferred by ASU will have the minor removed from the original academic record upon completion of the second degree.

Students who wish to use courses taken while in graduate nondegree status toward a second bachelor’s degree may have up to 15 credit hours applied toward this degree.

Concurrent degrees

If prior approval is given by the colleges or schools offering the degrees, more than one baccalaureate degree may be pursued concurrently. Students may receive concurrent degrees if they meet the minimum requirements for both degrees. Specific combinations of degrees may be deemed inappropriate because of high curricular overlap.

For additional information, students can review the glossary description.

eAdvisor and critical requirements

eAdvisor ensures that students get off to a good start and stay on track toward graduation by helping them find a major that fits their talents and career goals, and then monitoring progress. Students use eAdvisor to do the following:

1. Learn more about graduation requirements for their major.
2. Discern the critical courses and grades that are required to stay on track to successfully complete their degree.
3. Plan for and schedule appropriate courses in the correct sequence to maximize success.
4. Monitor progress toward their degree.
5. Find out how courses may fit into other majors if they decide to change majors.

Through eAdvisor, students follow a major map that outlines the critical requirements and optimal eight-semester plan. If a student does not meet the critical requirements, an advising hold may be placed on their record, and an advising session is required before future registration activities can take place. When students do not meet the critical requirements for two consecutive semesters, they are considered off track and may be advised to change majors.

Critical requirements are identified by the faculty and academic units as predictors of success in a major. To ensure that students are able to enroll in critical courses, ASU academic units coordinate to offer sufficient seats to meet demand. Specific class schedules (days and times) are not guaranteed.

Math-intensive programs: Required course policy

ASU undergraduate degree programs are categorized in the area of math intensity as either general, moderate or substantial based on the number and type of required math courses. Students enrolled in a degree program that is categorized as substantial in math intensity who receive a failing grade of “E” twice in the same required math course may be required to change their major to one categorized as general or moderate. This policy is applicable even if the required math course is not marked as critical through the eAdvisor tracking tool.