Graduation Requirements and Policies

All students completing a first bachelor’s degree at Seattle Pacific University are governed by the following requirements and policies:

Requirements

• A minimum of 180 college-level quarter credits. 
• At least 60 credits earned in upper-division (UD) courses (those numbered 3000–4999), including at least 23 in the major.
• At least 45 college-level credits earned in residence as a matriculated student, including at least 15 in the major and 10 in a minor. (Credits earned through Credit by Examination at SPU do not satisfy the residence requirement.) 
• At least 25 of your final 45 credits for the degree must be earned through SPU, with the exception of approved study abroad credits. 
• Satisfactory completion of your academic major.
• Students completing the BA in Honors Liberal Arts major must satisfactorily complete a second major.
• Completion of all general education requirements.
• Demonstration of competency in a foreign language, either through coursework or one of the means outlined under Foreign Language Competency. 
• Completion of the “W” requirement. This requirement is different than and separate from the Academic Inquiry and Writing requirement.
• Completion of the Cultural Understanding and Engagement (CUE) requirement. 
• A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in all courses applicable to the degree. 
• A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in all college-level courses taken at SPU. 

Policies

• With the exception of courses from pre-approved study abroad programs, no more than 30 credits may be earned from another institution after a student has matriculated at SPU. 
• You must gain pre-approval for transfer credit from an academic counselor before enrolling at any other institution.
• Transfer credit policies are found in the Admissions section of this catalog.
• You may not take courses concurrently from SPU and another institution during the regular academic year (Autumn through Spring quarters) unless participating in an approved study abroad program. 
• “Pass” grades do not fulfill requirements in the major or minor, in the General Education curriculum (except UCOL 1000 University Colloquium), or in the Honors curriculum. 
• All degree requirements for a major or minor are determined by the Undergraduate Catalog in effect when you are accepted to the major or minor.
  • For example, if you are accepted to a major in Autumn Quarter 2020, you are subject to all major requirements listed in the 2020–21 Undergraduate Catalog.
• Most new students are admitted to a major along with admission to the University, since most SPU majors are open enrollment majors.
• If not in an open enrollment major, or if seeking a second major, students are encouraged to apply no later than April of their sophomore year, or as soon as they are eligible based on that major’s admission policies and procedures.
• Transfer students who enter as juniors or seniors should apply to a major as soon as they are eligible based on that major's admission policies and procedures.
• Students on academic probation (with an SPU cumulative GPA below 2.0) will not be permitted to enter a new major or minor until they regain good academic standing.
• The University requires a grade of C- or better in all classes that apply to a major or minor; however, some programs may require higher minimum grades in specific courses or in all courses.
• You may repeat an SPU course only once for a higher grade. (Exceptions to this policy included UFDN, WRI, and UCOR courses, which may repeated until a sufficiently high grade is earned.)
• You may not repeat a course in which you earned a grade of A, except in courses designated as repeatable for credit.
• Major and minor applications are available online in Banner, in most cases.
• The quarter in which you complete your final degree requirements will be listed as your quarter of graduation.
• The official record of your degree completion is the official SPU academic transcript.
• Certain limitations on credit toward a degree apply.