Bachelor Degrees
A degree is a unified programme of study leading to an academic title. UB offers five bachelor degrees in a variety of majors: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Business Administration; Bachelor of Education; Bachelor of Laws; Bachelor of Science. To pursue a bachelor’s degree, students take a series of major, General Education and elective courses, each of which is awarded a number of credits. Most courses carry three credits; however, a varying amount of credit may be awarded for laboratories, practical courses and internships.
To earn a bachelor’s degree, students complete a minimum of 120 credit hours and must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 and minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in major area courses. Specific programmes may require a higher minimum pass in the major.
Associate Degrees
UB offers three associate degrees in a variety of majors: Associate of Arts; Associate of Science; Associate of Applied Science. Students complete a minimum of 60 credit hours of lower level major, General Education and elective courses.
To earn an associate degree, students complete a minimum of 60 credit hours and must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 and minimum grade point average of 2.00 in major area courses.
Dual Degrees
UB students have the opportunity to pursue a dual degree; that is, they may pursue two areas of interest while having the General Education and elective courses count toward both degrees. Dual degrees can consist of degrees/programmes from the same or from different academic units. The major into which the student was originally accepted will be considered the primary major except in those instances where both majors lead to different levels of degrees, for example Bachelor and Associate degrees. In this instance, the higher level degree will be the primary degree.
Students must pursue both degrees simultaneously; complete the requisite course requirements for both degrees; comply with all grade requirements as specified on each contract of study; and graduate from both degrees in the same year and semester regardless of the time of application for the dual degree.
Students who wish to pursue a dual degree must:
• have earned at least 15 credits at UB;
• have earned less than 45 credits at UB in the case of dual degree requests consisting of at least one associate level degree;
• have earned less than 75 credits at UB in the case of dual bachelor level degrees;
• meet admission requirements for both degrees;
• obtain written approval in the form of the duly approved Dual Degree Request Form.
A major is a concentration of courses in a discipline or subject area. UB offers some 55 majors and requires that students complete a minimum of 66 credit hours of major courses. At least 24 credit hours are lower level courses and 42 credit hours are upper level ones. This ensures that students progress from introductory to intermediate to advanced levels of work, skills and competencies.
To fulfill graduation requirements, students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.00 in major area courses. However, some departments require a higher minimum GPA in the major; students should consult the department offering the major and the programme of study for details.
A double major allows UB students to pursue two areas of interest within the same degree. Students must pursue both majors simultaneously; must complete the course requirements for both majors; and comply with grade requirements as specified on each contract of study. Students who wish to pursue a double major must:
- have earned at least 15 credits at UB;
- meet admission requirements for both majors;
- meet with their academic advisor to discuss academic and career goals and with the Chair or Dean with responsibility for the second major;
- submit the Double Major Degree Request form to the Chair or Dean responsible for the second major at least one year prior to graduation; and
- obtain written approval from whom in the form of a duly approved Double Major Request Form.
A minor is an area of concentration taken along with a major that allows students to explore an area of general interest. Minors consist of a coherent sequence of courses that takes the student beyond the introductory level in an academic field, subject and/or discipline but which is not sufficient to constitute a major.
Minors promote the intellectual growth of students, enhance their professional profile and increase their career opportunities and opportunities for further studies. Minors are recorded on the student’s transcript and on the UB diploma.
Normally, all bachelor degree students may pursue a minor; however, some professional programmes (for example, Education or Nursing) which lead to certification or licensure prohibit the pursuit of a minor.
To pursue a minor, students must:
- complete at least 30 credits of college level coursework at UB;
- have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00;
- consult with their academic advisor; and
- obtain written approval, in the form of the Minor Student Advisement Form/Contract of Study, from the academic unit offering the minor.
In addition to the development of skills and competencies in the major, UB offers a broad liberal arts education. With the exception of the Bachelor of Laws, students in bachelor degree programmes take a prescribed number of General Education courses of which at least 27 credit hours are lower level courses and 9 credit hours are upper level ones. These include the First Year Seminar; two Foreign Language courses; three composition and rhetoric courses; Computer Literacy; Physical Education, Health or Nutrition; Mathematics; and courses in the Humanities, Social and Natural Sciences.
Students in associate degree programmes complete the lower-level General Education courses which include the First Year Seminar; two Foreign Language courses; two composition and rhetoric courses; Computer Literacy; Physical Education, Health or Nutrition; Mathematics; and one lower level course in the Humanities, Social and Natural Sciences.
Students should consult the website for courses approved to fulfill Gen Ed requirements.
Normally, students choose courses to fulfill elective requirements; however, some programmes require that students choose electives from a list of approved or prescribed options. Bachelor degree students normally complete a minimum of nine credit hours of lower level electives and nine credit hours of upper level ones’ associate degree students complete a minimum of three lower level elective courses.