General Requirements for the Baccalaureate Degree

Candidates for a baccalaureate degree must complete 120 semester-hour credits with a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 and a minimum 2.0 GPA or higher in the departmental and ancillary courses in their major. To receive a baccalaureate degree from Worcester State University, a student must:

  • complete 30 of the last 40 credits at Worcester State University
  • earn a majority of credits in the major at Worcester State University
  • earn a majority of credits in the minor (if elected) at Worcester State University.

Students completing their degrees within six years must meet the degree requirements of the catalog under which they enter Worcester State University. After six years, students are subject to the degree requirements of the catalog in effect for their year of graduation.

Second Baccalaureate Degree: A student who holds a bachelor’s degree from Worcester State University or another four-year institution of higher education accredited by regional accrediting agencies may be awarded a second bachelor’s degree by completing a minimum of 30 additional semester hours of prescribed work at Worcester State University after matriculation into the second degree program. Twelve semester hours of the 30 must be in upper-level work in the student’s major, and the student must meet all requirements for that major. In addition, in order to be granted a second degree, the student must meet all current catalog requirements for a baccalaureate degree at Worcester State University, as follows:

  • All courses from the former institution which the Office of Admissions deems usable towards fulfillment of requirements currently existing at Worcester State University will be transferred to the student’s second baccalaureate program.
  • All courses transferred into the student’s major for the second degree are subject to the approval of the Department Chair.
  • As many credits from the former institution as are deemed appropriate by the Office of Admissions will be transferred to the student’s second degree program as elective credits (up to and not to exceed 90 credits).

Post-baccalaureate students who seek a second major but do not seek a second baccalaureate degree at Worcester State University will receive a letter from the Registrar certifying completion of the second major upon completion of all prerequisites to the major and all requirements of the major. After matriculation into either post-baccalaureate program, no additional transfer credits will be allocated as graduation credit.