NKU Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate with a bachelorπs degree from NKU, you must fulfill the requirements listed in the catalog in effect when you entered the university.  There are some exceptions to this statement (e.g., if you take more than eight years to complete your degree or if you leave NKU and are out for four years or more) so check the section entitled ≥Catalog Applicability≤ in your catalog.

While the requirements may change with each catalog, they can be generally described as follows:

 

          a. Earn a minimum of 128 semester hours, the last 30 of which must be taken at NKU. It is important to know that any course with a number lower than 100 (e.g. MAT 095, ENG 090) is not included as part of these 128 hours, although some students are required to take them as prerequisites for other courses.

 

          b. At least 25% of the semester hours required for a degree must be taken at NKU. This means that if you are transferring to NKU from another college, you must earn at least 32 semester hours here to get your degree. As a psychology major, you will also be required to complete at least half of your required coursework in psychology here at NKU in order to earn your degree.

 

          c. Complete the general education requirements. These are ≥general education≤ courses (e.g. English, History, Math, Science, etc.) that make up approximately 48-52 semester hours. They are described in detail in the catalog. The requirements changed for those students who began in the fall of 2004.  The  specific sets of requirements that you need to complete are those in the catalog in effect when you entered the university (provided you do not take more than eight years to complete your degree or remain out of NKU for four consecutive years). For most students, determining the proper catalog for general studies is pretty straightforward, but for others it can be more complex. You should consult with your advisor to be sure you are working on the right set of requirements.  SEE APPENDICES D AND E FOR A LIST OF THE GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS.

 

          d. Complete the requirements for a major. The psychology major consists of a minimum of 43 semester hours. These requirements have changed slightly over the past several years, so it is especially important to know what catalog applies to you. This means that all of the requirements that apply to you (including those for your major) are those in the catalog in effect at the time you entered the university. These requirements apply no matter when you declare your major.  Consult with your advisor to be sure which set of requirements applies to you.

 

e. Complete an area of concentration or a minor. An ≥area of concentration≤ is defined as at least 12 semester hours of upper division coursework (i.e. at the 300 level or above) in a discipline outside your major field (e.g. social work, biology, human services, marketing, management, etc.) or in an interdisciplinary program (e.g. womenπs studies, Afro-American studies, etc.). You can also fulfill this requirement by completing an academic minor (these usually require about 24 semester hours) or a second major. Please note that not all disciplines offer a minor (e.g. there is no minor in social work).  You must formally declare your choice through the registrarπs office, and you must have your work in this area ≥certified≤ as part of your application for graduation.

 

          f. Earn an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00 (this is a ≥C≤ average) at NKU, on all college work attempted, and in your major field. For psychology majors, the ≥major field≤ part of this requirement is set a bit higher. You must not only have a ≥C≤ average in all courses required for the major, but you must actually earn a ≥C≤ or better in each individual course. This means that if you get a ≥D≤ in a psychology course (or in STA 205), you must retake that course in order for it to count toward your major. Any ≥D≤ earned in an NKU course outside your major (in a general studies course, for example, or even in psychology courses beyond those required for the major) will still count toward graduation provided your overall GPA is at least 2.00.

 

g. Complete 45 semester hours of coursework at the 300 level or above.  Of the 128 semester hours required by NKU for graduation, 45 of them must be at the 300 level or above.  This is usually not a problem for students because courses in your major and your area of concentration (most of which are at the 300 or 400 level) are counted toward this requirement. The only time it is likely to become an issue is when a student has taken a large number of lower level courses prior to deciding on a major. When this happens, the student will occasionally need to take some ≥extra≤ hours (beyond the 128 required for graduation) in order to accumulate enough hours at the 300 level or above.

 

          h. Demonstrate competence in oral communication. Most students meet this requirement by taking SPE 101. 

 

i. Demonstrate competence in computer use as determined by your major department. In psychology, this requirement must be met by completing the course PSY 210L, Research Tools in Psychology.

 

j.  Complete the senior assessment administered online by the university after completing 90 hours. The assessment can be found at https://access.nku.edu/ucc/senior.htm.

 

k.  Complete the department senior exit exam. This is a standardized test given to graduating majors that provides information to the department about how our students compare to psychology majors from other colleges and universities.  The test is scheduled through the Psychology office during the last few weeks of spring and fall semesters.