Requirements for Degrees

Some requirements may vary with the program and academic department. Students must abide by the rules set forth in the program sheet which may be obtained from the department offering the degree they are seeking or in the specific program as listed in Programs A-Z. If enrolled at CMU as a degree-seeking student prior to Summer 2019, use the prior year's program sheets website and choose the appropriate year in the left hand menu. 

A useful advising tool for students is DegreeWorks, an online degree audit reporting tool available via MAVzone. DegreeWorks utilizes the published program sheets and the graduation requirements printed in the catalog to create an electronic list of required courses and options in each degree. It is the student's responsibility to utilize DegreeWorks and consult with their advisor in order to plan out their progress toward graduation. Any discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.

Graduation Checklist and Commencement Deadlines

Graduation documents are due the semester prior to completion of all coursework and are available through the Registrar’s Office. Candidates for all degrees must accomplish the following:

  1. Meet with their advisor to create the final graduation plan which outlines how all requirements will be met by the desired graduation date. Depending on department requirements, the plan should be entered on the DegreeWorks Plans tab titled “Final Graduation Plan” or be submitted on a “Graduation Planning Sheet” form to the advisor and the Registrar’s Office. The plan must be approved by the advisor either in DegreeWorks or a signature on the planning sheet.
  2. Submit the Intent to Graduate form to the Registrar’s Office by:
    • October 1 for May graduates.
    • March 1 for December graduates.
  3. Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.

The Registrar’s Office will use the DegreeWorks report to verify degree progress for all students. It is the student’s responsibility to discuss any questions or concerns from their DegreeWorks reports with their advisor or academic department head. Perceived DegreeWorks errors should be reported to the Registrar’s Office for official investigation.

Commencement Ceremony Requirements and Deadlines

Students are eligible to participate in a commencement ceremony based on which semester they complete their graduation requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they are enrolled in the necessary courses or have a plan on file with the Registrar’s Office using the “Graduation Planning Sheet” or DegreeWorks Plan which outlines how all requirements will be met. In the four months prior to the ceremony, students must be on track to complete all requirements to remain eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony.

Students who complete graduation requirements during the: Are eligible to participate in the:
Summer semester1 December commencement
Fall semester December or May commencement
Spring semester May commencement
1

Summer graduates may participate in the May ceremony only if they are registered by April 15 for one or more summer courses that do not exceed six credits or an internship course that does not exceed 12 credits. The student must be able to finish the summer coursework by the end of the summer term.

Declaring a Major

The major students list on their application is considered for admission purposes. Once admitted, students may change their major. In order to be admitted/declared into the major, the major must be accepting students, and students must meet the requirements to be admitted to the degree. Some majors have additional admission requirements. Students must visit the department for more information. Students with an undeclared major are required to declare a major or meet with an academic advisor prior to registration.

Students should submit a Major/Minor Change form to request changes to declared majors or minors. The form is routed to the academic department associated with the desired major or minor. Once processed, the student will receive an email noting approved changes and any assigned faculty advisor(s). In addition, DegreeWorks will be updated to show the new major, minor, and advisor information. Questions regarding the process should be routed to the administrative assistant in the academic department for the major/minor.  

Applicable Catalog and Degree Requirements

Students must follow the Colorado Mesa University graduation requirements from the catalog of the same academic year as the program sheet for the declared major. This is true provided that

  1. students remain “continuously enrolled” until graduation and
  2. the degree, emphasis or certificate area is still accepting students into the program when students officially declare their majors.

Students shall be considered to be “continuously enrolled” if there is no interruption in enrollment of more than one semester at any given time (excluding summer sessions). If an interruption in enrollment occurs so that students are no longer “continuously enrolled” as described above, the program sheet and catalog requirements applicable at the time of reenrollment shall apply.

If a candidate for a degree is unable to meet the major requirements because of some unforeseen circumstance, it is the candidate’s responsibility to petition for an exception from their faculty advisor or department head.

Assessment of Student Learning

Colorado Mesa University is committed to providing quality education for students across all disciplines through a variety of campus activities. One means of continuously improving the quality of University offerings is through identifying specific learning outcomes that reflect what a graduate should know and be able to do, and then assess how well students meet those outcomes.

Assessment of student learning in academic programs is one of the processes faculty use to measure student progress in the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful. All CMU students are expected to engage in assessment activities, such as submitting course assignments, taking examinations, developing e-portfolios and/or completing surveys. These assessments center on specialized knowledge and applied learning in each major, in addition to intellectual skills that include communication, computation, and critical thinking. Student learning outcomes specific to each program of study can be found on the relevant program sheet and supporting course syllabi. Beyond the classroom, a second part of assessment involves student learning in co-curricular activities such as student life or service learning.

CMU students should plan to participate in assessment efforts and provide honest feedback that will assist the University to enhance the quality of its programs. More specifically, learning outcome data are compiled to assist faculty and staff members in making improvements in majors at all levels, Essential Learning (General Education) coursework, and student life programming. Finally, aggregated assessment results are reported to members of the CMU community, accreditation organizations, and state and federal agencies.

Deficiencies

All academic and financial deficiencies must be removed (i.e., incomplete grades and/or unpaid financial obligations) before the degree or certificate is conferred.

Final Credit Requirements Taken at Another University

Colorado Mesa University generally accepts academic credits from regionally accredited colleges and universities. When a student intends to earn a Colorado Mesa University degree, but the final credits for completing that degree program are earned at another institution, the following restrictions apply:

  1. Specific approval of the proposed institution and courses must be given by the appropriate academic department head and the Office of the Registrar at Colorado Mesa University during the time of the student’s last enrollment at Colorado Mesa University, and the student must receive a grade of “C-” or higher in each course. Some departments may have higher requirements.
  2. No more than 30 semester hours of final credit will be accepted in transfer. It is the responsibility of the student to request official transcripts of their work from other institutions to be sent to the CMU Office of the Registrar.