Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees

  • Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS)
  • Bachelor of Arts (BA)
  • Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
  • Bachelor of Music (BM)
  • Bachelor of Music Education (BME)
  • Bachelor of Science (BS)
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
  • Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences (BSRS)
  • Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

Credit Hour Distribution

Colorado Mesa University offers baccalaureate degrees in the traditional liberal arts and sciences disciplines and professional fields of study. Candidates for baccalaureate degrees must complete, in general, a minimum of 120 semester credit hours for a baccalaureate degree program. The distribution of the credit hour requirement is:

  • Essential Learning (General Education):
    • Essential Learning Core Courses: 31 semester credit hours
    • Essential Learning Capstone: 4 semester credit hours
      Consists of the Maverick Milestone and Essential Speech (co-requisites)
  • Wellness Requirement:
    • 2 – 3 semester credit hours (varies by major)
  • Major Requirements:
    • 36 – 48 semester credit hours in the program discipline; some professional programs may exceed 60 hours when including foundation courses
  • Degree Category Requirements:
    • 3 – 6 semester credit hours
      • BS and BSN degrees require 3 semester credit hours.
      • BA and BSW degrees require 6 semester credit hours.
      • Some BFA degrees require 3 or 6 semester credit hours. This requirement does not apply to the BAS, BBA, and some BFA degrees. Select the chosen program of study in Programs A-Z for more information.
  • Unrestricted Electives:
    • 0 – 36 semester credit hours

Students may not use the same course to satisfy more than one category within a degree. Program requirements indicate the specific number of semester hours that must be earned in courses numbered 300 or higher. For most baccalaureate degree programs, students need 40 credits earned in 300-level courses or higher in order to graduate. Students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher for all courses taken and for the courses which comprise the area of the major field of study.

The program requirements, found under Programs A-Z, list all details for the degree program for the catalog under which students are working. For students who declared a major prior to the 2018-19 academic year, details applicable to their program of study can be found under Program Sheets for Previous Years. These students should check with an advisor to make sure they are referencing the correct program sheet/program requirements. All students should refer to DegreeWorks to monitor their progress and ensure that requirements are met. Throughout their time of study, students should work closely with their faculty advisors to meet graduation requirements. Students are ultimately and solely responsible for knowing the requirements for a particular degree and for fulfilling those requirements. 

Using Graduate Courses for Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Credit

With the consent of the instructor and the Graduate Program Director/Coordinator, students with more than 90 earned credit hours and a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or greater will be allowed to take up to 6 total credit hours of graduate credit and apply those credits to their undergraduate degree. Acceptance of credits is contingent on approval of individual departments. Those same credits may subsequently be applied toward the completion of a CMU graduate degree. If approved, the appropriate forms will need to be submitted to the Registrar’s office prior to completion of the course(s) to ensure proper assignment of credits to both the undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Note that any grades earned in these courses will affect the student’s undergraduate and graduate GPA.

Academic Residency for Baccalaureate Degrees

To receive a baccalaureate degree from Colorado Mesa University, students must complete a minimum of 30 of the last 60 semester hours of credit through CMU with at least 15 semester hours in major discipline courses numbered 300 or higher.

Degree-Specific Requirements and Degree Category

The requirements below are separate from and in addition to the Essential Learning requirements (i.e., the same course cannot be used for Essential Learning, degree category and/or other major requirements) and are included in the foundation courses or major courses. When applicable, the requirements are a part of a major’s requirements and must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher.

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts

Candidates for the BA degrees shall complete six sequential semester credit hours of one classical or modern foreign language with a grade of “C” or higher. At the discretion of the foreign language faculty and with the approval of the department head, a student may satisfy this requirement by demonstration of equivalent competency. Students with two or more years of high school coursework in a foreign language may

  1. see the department head for placement in a higher level class;
  2. receive credit by successful completion of a CLEP test in that language; or
  3. pursue another language.

Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees may or may not have a one or two semester foreign language requirement as described above. Select the chosen program of study in Programs A-Z for more information..

Bachelor of Music

The Bachelor of Music degrees are designed for those students who desire a professional career in music performance or the music business/industry.

This degree is a PTO program. See the description for PTO programs below.

Bachelor of Music Education

The Bachelor of Music Education degree provides students with the knowledge, skills, and musicianship to become a successful music educator. Studies in music theory, history, literature, ensemble performance, and applied study give the student a strong foundation on which to build a successful teaching career.

This degree is a PTO program. See the description for PTO programs below.

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Candidates for the BS and BSN degrees shall complete at least three semester credit hours of the following: CSCI 110 or higher or STAT 200 or higher, or a math course at a level beyond the Essential Learning requirement. Candidates must complete each of these courses with a grade of “C” or higher. At the discretion of the Math and Statistics faculty and with the approval of the Math and Statistics department head, a student may satisfy the requirement of their program by a demonstration of equivalent competency.

Bachelor of Social Work

Candidates for the BSW degree must meet the same foreign language requirements as those listed for the BA (see above).

Bachelor of Applied Science

In order to obtain a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree from Colorado Mesa University, the following requirements apply. All BAS students are required to meet with the department BAS advisor in order to plan and schedule all classes.

  • Formal admission to a BAS program requires completion of the appropriate AAS degree from an accredited institution. Any exceptions to this must be approved in advance by the department BAS advisor and the department head.
  • In order to meet course prerequisites, additional courses may be required. Please meet with the BAS advisor to insure all prerequisites are completed.
  • If a student decides to pursue a four-year degree that is not the BAS, technical credits transferred from another institution will be counted only as electives, with the number of hours determined through a course evaluation completed by the academic department head in collaboration with the CMU’s Registrar’s Office.
  • Students who transfer in credits from a recognized technical program must complete the requirements for an AAS degree before their technical training will be recognized for credit in the appropriate BAS program. Applicants from a non-regionally-accredited institution must meet all Essential Learning program and total credit hour requirements from a regionally-accredited institution prior to graduation from Colorado Mesa with a BAS program.
  • The requirement of at least 33 hours of upper division coursework must be met by all students seeking a BAS degree, with the exception of a BAS awarded in an interdisciplinary program.
  • Students are required to participate in exit examinations, assessments, and any other programs deemed necessary to comply with the college accountability requirement.

A list of specific requirements for each BAS degree is available from the appropriate academic department head of the BAS program and the Transfer Resources section of the University’s web site.

Professional, Technical or Other (PTO) Programs

A professional, technical or other baccalaureate degree is one wherein the curriculum must align with the requirements or recommendations of a nationally recognized accrediting, licensing, certifying, or professional organization in order to maintain the academic integrity of the program. Any program which is proposed to be in the PTO category must identify the accrediting, licensing, certifying, or professional organization with which it aligns. The number of hours required for a major in a PTO degree may exceed 60 hours when verified by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee to be necessary to meet degree requirements which are set by the identified accrediting, licensing, certifying, or professional organization. For more information on specific PTO program requirements, students should refer to the requirements for the degree that they are seeking. See below for a list of approved PTO programs.​

  • BS Accounting
  • BS Sport Management
  • BS Computer Information Systems
  • BS Construction Management
  • BS Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • BSW Social Work
  • BM Music with Elective Studies in Business
  • BM Music Performance
  • BME Music Education K-12
  • BA Kinesiology
  • BAS Public Administration
  • BAS Radiologic Technology
  • BAS/BBA Business Administration
  • BAS Computer Information Systems
  • BAS Criminal Justice – Post Academy
  • BAS Hospitality Management
  • BAS Interdisciplinary Studies
  • BFA Graphic Design
  • BFA Animation, Film, Photography, and Motion Design
  • BFA Dance
  • BFA Theater
  • BFA Art
  • BSN Nursing
  • BSRS Radiologic Science
  • BA Elementary Education
  • BA Secondary Education
  • BA K-12 Education
  • BA Early Childhood Education
  • BS Secondary Education
  • BFA K-12 Education​

Requirements for Teacher Licensure

Students preparing to teach in the public schools (elementary, secondary, K-12) must contact both the Colorado Mesa University Center for Teacher Education regarding state licensure requirements and the appropriate department head regarding program requirements for the major. It is crucial that students seeking teacher licensure plan their schedules with their advisors early in their academic careers, preferably the first semester of their work at Colorado Mesa University.

Teacher licensure is a separate process and must be pursued in addition to a baccalaureate degree. See the section on Center for Teacher Education.

Additional Options While Earning a Baccalaureate Degree

Multiple Concentrations within One Degree

Under many of the baccalaureate degrees, concentrations are available. Before graduating with a baccalaureate degree, a student may complete requirements for one or several of the concentrations as desired. However, after a degree has been awarded, if courses are taken that would have satisfied requirements for an additional concentration, the additional concentration cannot be added to the degree already awarded.

Students wishing to receive multiple concentrations within one degree must satisfy all the requirements for each concentration. Only one degree will be awarded. All concentrations must be declared on the petition to graduate.

Second Baccalaureate Degree

A student seeking a second baccalaureate degree at Colorado Mesa University must earn a minimum of 30 additional semester hours of credit, at least 18 of which must be in courses numbered 300 and higher. None of these 30 credits may have been used toward another baccalaureate degree, and all must be earned at Colorado Mesa University. In addition, the student must satisfy all specific program requirements of the new degree and concentration as well as any graduation requirements not previously met (e.g., the degree category). Students with a baccalaureate degree who are pursuing a second baccalaureate degree from Colorado Mesa University are exempt from the Wellness and Essential Learning Capstone requirements.

Requirements for a Minor

A minor is an approved program of study to broaden the scope of the educational experience and can be awarded with any baccalaureate degree. A minor, if chosen, must be outside the major field of study. Students are urged to consult a faculty advisor and to discuss program requirements for the minor sought. A minor is not a degree by itself and must be earned at the same time as a baccalaureate degree. A student may earn up to five minors with any bachelor’s degree at Colorado Mesa University.

A minor consists of 15-24 semester hours. There may be prerequisites required for the minor which will increase the total number of credit hours for a student who has not already taken those prerequisites. Since a minor is optional, courses taken to satisfy Essential Learning, major requirements, or electives can be counted toward the minor if applicable. At least 33 percent of the minor must be in courses numbered 300 or above and at least 25 percent of the classes must be taken at Colorado Mesa University. A cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher for the courses used for the minor must be achieved.