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Baccalaureate Degree Requirements
A baccalaureate degree (also called a "bachelor's degree") is earned upon the completion of at least 120 college semester hours. In order to earn the degree, students must also meet a series of course requirements, explained in detail in the numbered sections within this chapter.
The table below indicates which of UH Hilo's colleges impose the various degree requirements:
| Requirement | College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management | College of Arts and Sciences | College of Business and Economics | Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. General Education Basic and Area Requirements | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| II. Major Requirements | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| III. Writing Intensive Course Requirement | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| IV. Upper-Division Requirement | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| V. Hawaiian/Asian/Pacific Requirement | ✓ | ✓ | Coursework in this college meets this requirement. |
In addition to earning at least 120 semester hours and completing the requirements on the previous page, students must:
- Earn at least a 2.0 cumulative UH Hilo GPA as well as a 2.0 GPA in courses required for the major (a higher GPA may be required for some degrees) and minor (if any)
- Earn a minimum of 30 semester hours in the college from which a degree is sought.
- Be registered as a classified student with a declared major and in attendance at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo during the semester or summer session in which the degree is granted
- Meet all requirements of their respective colleges and departments In addition, students may take a number of elective courses, which are not used to fulfill any particular requirement but make up the 120+ credits needed to graduate.
These may be chosen from virtually any undergraduate course offered at UH Hilo. When choosing electives, student may wish to consult their advisors to select courses that enhance learning in their major or expand options for careers or graduate study. All degree requirements must be met within the special limitations imposed upon directed reading/directed studies, "credit/no credit" and special topics courses, and the credit by examination policy. Students should consult the appropriate sections of this Catalog and speak with their faculty advisors or college deans for more details on these limitations. With the approval of his or her academic advisor, a student may petition the University for a waiver or modification of academic requirements. If the request involves a requirement for a major or minor, the petition goes to the chair of the department. If it involves a General Education or graduation requirement, the petition goes to the dean of the college. The petition should include clear and convincing justification for the action requested as well as appropriate documentation, such as syllabi or catalog course descriptions of the courses in question. It is extremely important that each student meet with an academic advisor regularly to ensure timely progress toward a degree. Students who have not declared a major should consult with the Advising Center staff (808-974-7688). Declared majors will be assigned a faculty advisor in their discipline.
