Majors and Minors
All undergraduate degrees require that students complete a major. Students may find it desirable to complete more than one major, or a major and one or more minors. Most majors are structured within a single department, but some majors comprise integrated programs of study on an interdepartmental, college, or intercollege basis.
If no majors are available to meet students’ specific needs, students may be able – in consultation with their academic advisors and with approval of the academic departments involved – to design a major suited to their goals.
A typical major consists of 28-44 credits of course work in a particular department, including a required senior seminar or project. Generally, 12-15 credits of supporting courses are also required from other departments as part of the major program.
All departments offering a major, except the Nursing department, offer a Bachelor of Arts degree. Specific majors that are available, together with other degree requirements, are listed by degree in this catalog. See the List of all majors, track, minors, and certificates.
Declaration of Major
Students must declare a major by the end of the sophomore year. Students may file a Declaration of Major form, signed by their advisor, at Student Administrative Services before that time. Before students can register as juniors, they must file a Declaration of Major or a waiver if they have not yet declared a major.
Department chairs may refuse to accept students as majors if student performance in the proposed major field has been unsatisfactory. Students may be dropped as majors because of unsatisfactory progress.
Major Requirements
Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in their major fields of study. Some departments (consult departmental and major requirements elsewhere in this catalog) require a higher GPA in specific majors. Each department determines any other major and supporting requirements.
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing candidates may present a maximum of 60 credits of the same subject code for graduation. Additional credits may be taken, but will not count toward the total number of credits for graduation.
At least 15 credits, including senior seminar, in each major field must be taken at Rockford University. Some programs may require a larger number of credits at Rockford University.
Declaration of Minor
Students may declare a minor (or minors) in any academic department, normally by the end of sophomore year, and no later than the end of the junior year. The Declaration of Minor, signed by the student’s advisor and the chair of the appropriate department, must be filed with SAS.
Students pursuing a Professional Educator License (PEL) with a secondary education endorsement must file a Declaration of Minor for that area of specialization.
Minor Requirements
A minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required to complete a minor, which consists of 16 to 24 credits of course work as specified by the department. Some departments (consult departmental and major requirements elsewhere in this catalog) require a higher GPA in specific minors.
Students must take at least eight credits in each minor field at Rockford University. Some programs may require more credits at Rockford University.