Major and Minor Curriculums

Standards governing completion of a major

  • You must complete a major to earn either a bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree. 
  • You must meet your major requirements in full.
  •  A major must contain at least 45 credits, although most programs require more.
  • At least 23 credits in the major must be upper-division (numbered 3000–4999), although many programs require more.
  • At least 15 of the required upper-division credits in your major must be earned at Seattle Pacific University, except in the Physical Sciences: 3/2 Program.
  • No grade below C- (1.7) will count toward any major at SPU, and some majors require grades higher than C- (1.7) for courses within the major. Refer to department pages in this catalog for specific requirements. 
  • Coursework with a P grade may not be applied to a major, with the exception of clinical practicum classes in the Nursing program and performance practicum courses in the Theatre major. 
  • Unless admitted to the major along with admission to the University, you must apply for a major and be accepted by the school or department in which you plan to complete it. The quarter in which you are formally accepted into the major determines the Undergraduate Catalog under which major requirements will be applied. 
  • Minimum criteria for admission to a particular major are found in the sections of the Undergraduate Catalog assigned to the various schools or departments of the University.
  • The school or department in which you complete a major must certify to the Office of the Registrar that you have satisfactorily met all major requirements. 
  • You may simultaneously complete two majors.
    • Both majors may be in a BA category, or two majors in a BS category, or one in a BA category and one in a BS category.
    • All requirements for each major must be completed prior to the granting of your bachelor’s degrees.
  • Students in the Honors Program who complete the BA in Honors Liberal Arts are required to complete a second major as a condition of graduation.

Standards governing completion of a minor

  • You are not obligated to complete a minor area of study in order to receive the BA or BS degree, unless you are majoring in Professional Studies.
  • However, you must complete a major in order to earn a minor.
  • If you pursue a minor, it is necessary to apply for and be accepted into the minor field. The quarter for which you are formally accepted into a minor determines the Undergraduate Catalog under which minor requirements will be applied.
  • Acceptance into a minor is determined by the academic school or department.
  • Requirements for admission to minors may be found in the school or department sections of this Undergraduate Catalog.
  • If not specifically noted, the GPA for acceptance into the minor is the same as the minimum GPA required for acceptance into the corresponding major.
  • A minor requires a minimum of 30 credits.
  • A minimum of 15 credits is required in courses numbered 3000–4999, with at least 10 of these credits earned at SPU.
  • Requirements for specific minors may be found in the school or department sections of the Undergraduate Catalog.
  • No grade below C- (1.7) will count toward any minor at SPU, and some minors require grades higher than C- (1.7) for courses within the minor. Refer to department pages in this catalog for specific requirements.
  • Coursework with a P grade may not be applied to a minor, with the exception of performance practicum courses in the Theatre minor.
  • The school or department in which you complete a minor must certify to the Office of the Registrar that you have satisfactorily met all requirements for the minor.
  • If you are pursuing a minor, all requirements for the minor must be completed prior to the awarding of your bachelor’s degree. You may not complete a minor after your bachelor's degree has been awarded.