Graduation Requirements
Major fields of study leading to a bachelor degree are offered in accounting, agriculture business, agriculture education, art education, biology, business data analytics, business education, chemistry, chemistry education,computer science, creative writing, creative writing education, economics and finance, elementary education, environmental science, fine arts, electrical engineering, emergency management, engineering physics, English, English education, fisheries and wildlife science, foreign language, foreign language education, game and interactive design media, geology, graphic design, health and physical education, health information management, history, hospitality administration, information systems, information technology, international studies, journalism, life science for teacher licensure, management and marketing, mathematics, mathematics education, mechanical engineering, medical technology, middle level education, music, music education, nuclear physics, nursing, physical science, physics, physics education, political science, professional studies, psychology, public history, recreation and park administration, rehabilitation science, social studies education, sociology, speech, and speech education.
Associate degrees are offered in criminal justice, culinary management, early childhood education, general education, information technology, nuclear technology and Ozark-Ouachita studies.
Students may graduate under the catalog in force when they first enroll in the University, or any subsequent catalog, subject to the approval of the appropriate department head and dean. Students should keep in mind that curricula change in order to maintain relevance, up-to-date knowledge, and, in some cases, accreditation standards. The University reserves the right to make effective immediately any change in graduation requirements for students whose studies have not advanced beyond the level at which the change becomes operative.
Degree Audit and Application for Graduation
Candidates for graduation must complete a degree audit and an application for graduation. Seniors completing graduation requirements at the end of the fall semester must submit to the Registrar’s Office an application for graduation and complete a degree audit in consultation with their advisor on or before the end of the eighth week of the previous fall semester. Seniors completing graduation requirements at the end of the spring semester or either of the following summer sessions must submit an application for graduation and complete a degree audit in consultation with their advisor on or before the end of the eighth week of the previous spring semester.
Financial Obligation
Before any transcript is issued, the student must have paid any debt owed the University.
Graduation Honors
The bachelor’s degree with honors will be conferred upon candidates who at graduation have earned a minimum grade point average on all courses taken at Arkansas Tech as follows: Summa Cum Laude-3.900 - 4.000, Magna Cum Laude-3.700 - 3.899, Cum Laude-3.500 - 3.699. Graduation honors will be determined by work taken at Arkansas Tech only. The associate degree with honors will be conferred upon candidates subject to the grade point average criteria listed above.
Commencement Participation
Students must complete all degree requirements prior to participating in the December, May, or August commencement ceremonies. Students completing all degree requirements in the fall semester will participate in the December commencement ceremony; spring semester will participate in the May commencement ceremony; and summer sessions will participate in the commencement ceremony held in August. Students will not participate in the commencement ceremony if all degree requirements are not completed prior to the ceremony. Students not completing all requirements will participate in the next scheduled commencement ceremony providing all degree requirements are met. Students taking courses at other institutions must have official transcripts submitted to the Registrar’s Office and have completed all degree requirements prior to the commencement ceremony to be allowed to participate.
Participation in commencement is expected of all candidates for degrees. Students who are unable to participate may officially petition the Vice President for Academic Affairs in writing for permission to have the degree awarded in absentia.
Students who do not have a minimum grade point of 2.00 in the major and overall will not be eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony.
Academic Regalia shall be worn by all graduates during the graduation ceremony (See University Bookstore). The academic regalia consist only of the cap and gown. Students may wear honor cords, pins, or stoles representative of university groups over their gown during the ceremony. Decoration on caps is permitted.
Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees
In compliance with Act 1014 of 2005, Arkansas Tech University has developed guaranteed, eight-semester degree completion plans for most of the baccalaureate degree programs offered by the institution.
- General Requirements
- A student must earn a minimum of 30 hours taken from Arkansas Tech, at least 6 semesters hours of which must be upper division work in the student's major. Certain programs may have more rigorous standards due to, for example, accreditation standards or licensure requirements.
- No more than a total of 30 hours of correspondence, extension, military service, or credit by examination work may be applied as credit towards a degree.
- At least 120 hours (excluding pre-college level courses) must be successfully completed.
- The cumulative grade point average must not be less than 2.00 and not more than 25 percent of the hours may carry the “D” grade. Students must have a 2.00 grade point in their major and a 2.00 grade point in their minor, if applicable.
- At least 40 hours must be in junior and senior courses, preferably more.
- No more than four hours of activity credit may be counted toward graduation. The only exception is that a student may have the standard allowance of military credit (three hours of military science and three hours of PE credit) and four other hours of activity credit for a total of ten semester hours. A student registering for an activities course in excess of these limits receives no credit for the additional course and the grade is not included in the computation of grade point.
- Only six hours of freshman English composition may be used to satisfy degree requirements.
- For non-business majors, no more than 30 hours of courses offered by the College of
Business may be counted towards completion of degree requirements.
- General Education Requirements
To meet the need for all students to have educational experiences which broaden their knowledge of the arts, humanities, and sciences, all curricula are designed to include basic courses in these areas. Students should refer to the curriculum in their major area of study for specific courses either recommended or required by the academic department to fulfill the General Education Requirements.
- Competence in English, Mathematics, and Reading
Each candidate for a baccalaureate degree is required to demonstrate the ability to write English clearly and correctly by completing the freshman composition courses (ENGL 1013 Composition I or ENGL 1043 Honors Composition I and ENGL 1023 Composition II or ENGL 1053 Honors Composition II) with a grade of “C” or better. A student who receives a grade of “D” or “F” in ENGL 0303 Foundational Composition, ENGL 1013 Composition I, or ENGL 1043 Honors Composition I must repeat the course to earn a grade of “C” or better before enrolling in the next course of the English sequence. The same criteria apply to transfer students.
A student who is placed in READ 0103 College Reading Skills must earn a grade of “C” or better in the course or receive a departmental waiver to complete the reading requirement.
Students showing evidence of deficiency in mathematics will be counseled to enroll in appropriate remedial courses. All students must earn a grade of “C” or higher in the course used to satisfy the general education mathematics requirement.
- Examination for Education Majors or Teacher Candidates
Section 1 (b) of Act 5 of the first Special Extraordinary Session (1983) of the Arkansas General Assembly stipulates: “After July 1, 1984, all colleges and universities in this State shall require persons who are education majors or teacher candidates to take the examination prescribed by the State Board of Education for initial certification as a teacher in the public schools of this State and to report the results of the examination to the college or university prior to graduation. All colleges and universities in this State shall report the results of the examinations to the Department of Education upon request.”
- An official record of any correspondence or transfer work completed at another institution must be on file in the Registrar’s Office prior to the end of the semester or term in which graduation is planned.
Requirements for a Minor
Arkansas Tech University offers 42 minors with requirements varying from 16-22 semester hours. Only candidates for a bachelors degree are eligible for minors. In order for the minor to be awarded a student must earn a 2.0 grade point average in the courses used to complete the minor. A minimum of 6 semester hours must be taken in residence and the same catalog must be used to complete requirements for both the major and the minor. Specific requirements for each minor are stated in the respective sections of this catalog.
Requirements for Associate Degrees
The requirements for associate degrees in culinary management, information technology, and nuclear technology are outlined under the statements of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Requirements for the associate degree in early childhood education are outlined under the statements of the College of Education. The requirements for the associate degrees in criminal justice, general education, and Ozark-Ouachita studies are outlined under the statements of the College of Arts and Humanities. In addition to completing the necessary hours prescribed, candidates for associate degrees must meet the following requirements:
- A student must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours taken from Arkansas Tech.
- No more than a total of 30 semester hours of correspondence, extension, military service, or credit by examination work may be applied as credit towards a degree.
- Refer to major field of study for semester hour requirements.
- The cumulative grade point average must not be less than 2.00 and not more than 25 percent of the semester hours may carry the “D” grade. Students must have a 2.00 grade point in their major.
- No more than four semester hours of activity credit may be counted toward graduation. The only exception is that a student may have the standard allowance of military credit (three hours of military science and three hours of PE credit) and four other hours of activity credit for a total of ten semester hours. A student registering for an activities course in excess of these limits receives no credit for the additional course and the grade is not included in the computation of grade point.
- Only six hours of freshman English composition may be used to satisfy degree requirements.
- An official record of any correspondence or transfer work completed at another institution must be on file in the Registrar’s Office prior to the end of the semester or term in which graduation is planned.
Requirements for Additional Degrees
For both baccalaureate and associate degrees, a student may not receive multiple degrees within a semester for a single approved degree program. Students wishing to earn multiple degrees in different degree programs within the same semester may do so by completing all degree requirements for each degree, which typically takes more than 120 hours.
Baccalaureate Degrees
Students who have already received a baccalaureate degree may earn an additional baccalaureate degree by completing a minimum of 30 additional semester hours from Arkansas Tech, at least 6 semester hours of which must be upper division work in the student's major. Certain programs may have more rigorous standards due to, for example, accreditation standards or licensure requirements. All degree requirements must be satisfied. Students pursuing a second baccalaureate degree must use the Arkansas Tech University catalog in effect at the time they first enroll subsequent to receiving the first degree or any subsequent Tech catalog provided they were enrolled at the University during the year the catalog was in effect.
Associate Degrees
Students who have already received an associate degree may earn an additional associate degree if the following have been completed: (a) all University catalog requirements for the major field of study, (b) applicable requirements specified under “Requirements for Associate Degrees”.
Students who have already received a baccalaureate degree may earn an associate degree if the following have been completed: (a) all University catalog requirements for the major field of study, (b) applicable requirements specified under “Requirements for Associate Degrees”.
Assessment Program
Arkansas Tech University (ATU) is dedicated to providing a wide range of traditional and innovative academic programs and is committed to the advancement of student learning and continuous improvement of academic programs and university services. Assessment is at the core of continuous improvement, therefore, students are responsible for participating in state and institutional assessment activities.
General Education Requirements
The general education curriculum is designed to provide a foundation for knowledge common to educated people and to develop the capacity for an individual to expand that knowledge over his or her lifetime. Students who have completed the general education curriculum at Arkansas Tech University will be able to:
Communicate effectively
Think critically
Develop ethical perspectives
Apply scientific and quantitative reasoning
Demonstrate knowledge of the arts and humanities
Understand wellness concepts
To accomplish the above goals, Arkansas Tech requires the completion of the following general education curriculum. Students should refer to the curriculum in their major area of study for specific courses either recommended or required by the academic department to fulfill the general education requirements.
English - 6 hours
(See Course Descriptions for minimum grade requirements)
Three hours from one of the following:
ENGL 1013 Composition I
ENGL 1043 Honors Composition I
Three additional hours from one of the following:
ENGL 1023 Composition II
ENGL 1053 Honors Composition II
Mathematics - 3 hours
(See Course Descriptions for minimum grade requirements)
Three hours from one of the following:
MATH 1003 College Mathematics
MATH 1113 College Algebra
Any higher level mathematics course
Science - 8 hours
Complete a total of eight hours of science with laboratory from BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, PHSC, PHYS
US History or Government - 3 hours
Three hours from one of the following:
HIST 1903 Survey of American History
HIST 2003 United States History to 1877
HIST 2043 Honors United States History to 1877
HIST 2013 United States History since 1877
POLS 2003 American Government
Social Sciences, Fine Arts/Humanities, Speech Communications - 15 hours
(Complete one of the following 3 options):
- Option 1:
- Social Sciences - 6 hours
Fine Arts and Humanities - 6 hours
Speech Communications - 3 hours - Option 2:
- Social Sciences - 6 hours
Fine Arts and Humanities - 9 hours - Option 3:
- Social Sciences - 9 hours
Fine Arts and Humanities - 6 hours
Speech Communications
COMM 1003 Introduction to Communication
COMM 2003 Public Speaking
COMM 2173 Business and Professional Speaking
Social Sciences
(Students majoring in engineering may substitute up to six hours of upper level humanities, social sciences, mathematics, or science)
AGBU 2063 Principles of Agriculture Macroeconomics
AGBU 2073 Principles of Agriculture Microeconomics
AMST 2003 American Studies
ANTH 1213 Introduction to Anthropology
ANTH 2003 Cultural Anthropology
ECON 2003 Principles of Economics I
ECON 2013 Principles of Economics II
ECON 2103 Honors Principles of Economics I
GEOG 2013 Regional Geography of the World
HIST 1503 World History to 1500
HIST 1513 World History since 1500
HIST 1543 Honors World History to 1500
HIST 1903 Survey of American History
HIST 2003 United States History to 1877
HIST 2013 United States History since 1877
HIST 2043 Honors United States History to 1877
POLS 2003 American Government
PSY 2003 General Psychology
SOC 1003 Introductory Sociology
Fine Arts and Humanities
ART 2123 Experiencing Art
ENGL 2003 Introduction to World Literature
ENGL 2013 Introduction to American Literature
ENGL 2023 Honors World Literature
ENGL 2173 Introduction to Film
ENGL 2183 Honors Introduction to Film
JOUR 2173 Introduction to Film
MUS 2003 Introduction to Music
PHIL 2003 Introduction to Philosophy
PHIL 2043 Honors Introduction to Philosophy
TH 2273 Introduction to Theatre
Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS)
Act 747 of 2011 establishes a statewide common course numbering system for postsecondary courses. The Arkansas Course Transfer System (ACTS) meets this requirement. Before you register for ATU general education courses, please see the transfer table located in the "Admissions" section of this catalog to verify whether you have courses that are transferable.
Freshman Orientation
Beginning fall, 2008, all entering freshmen are required to take an orientation course during their first semester of enrollment (fall or spring). A number of the academic majors have an orientation course designed specific to the major. Students whose declared major does not have an orientation course or who are undeclared will take CSP 1013 Principles of Collegiate Success, or TECH 1001 Orientation to the University.
All orientation courses are designed to introduce the beginning student to the Arkansas Tech University campus, its culture, and traditions, and will contain certain common topics. Important policies governing campus life will be explained, and campus resources will be identified. Topics covered in each course will answer many questions typical freshmen have, which will assist in the transition from a high school environment. Subject matter will include managing time, setting academic goals, exam preparation, study and note-taking skills, introduction to library resources, and choosing a major and career.
State Minimum Core
The courses that comprise Tech’s general education curriculum also constitute the University’s State Minimum Core, established in accordance with Act 98 of 1989, for implementation the fall semester of 1991. Act 98 requires colleges and universities to identify “a minimum core of courses which shall apply toward the general education core curriculum requirements for baccalaureate degrees at state supported institutions of higher education and which shall be fully transferable between state institutions.”
Credit By Examination
Arkansas Tech University recognizes the rigor of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate Programme (IB), and the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Students who have scored accordingly on an AP, IB, or CLEP exam can earn credit toward graduation at Arkansas Tech University by receiving a qualifying score on the examinations. These credits can satisfy general education requirements.
Students who have already earned a grade in a course may not earn duplicate credit through advanced credit. Advanced credit is not used to calculate a student's grade point average, and therefore, cannot be used to retain scholarship awards.
AP, CLEP, and IB scores should be documented on your application for admission. Submit official score reports or readable copies embossed by your high school to the Office of Admissions. Students who have earned International Baccalaureate (IB) credit should submit their IB transcript for evaluation.
No more than a total of 30 semester hours of correspondence, extension, military service, or credit by examination work may be applied as credit towards a degree.
IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma
Students who successfully complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, with a minimum score of four on each examination, will be granted 24 semester credit hours of undergraduate general education courses. ATU may grant fewer than 24 semester credit hours if the student received a score of less than four on an examination administered as part of the IB Diploma Programme.
Following are the IB examinations that Tech will accept, the corresponding qualifying score, and credit awarded.
AP (Advanced Placement) Program
High school students who participated in The College Board’s AP Program may receive college credit by attaining Tech’s AP qualifying score. Credit earned through AP may satisfy general education requirements. Following are the AP examinations that Tech will accept, the corresponding qualifying score required, and credit awarded.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
CLEP allows students to earn credit toward graduation by attaining Tech’s qualifying score on either the general and/or subject examinations. Credit earned through CLEP may satisfy general education requirements. No more than one subject examination may be taken in a particular departmental area, and students must have prior approval from the department in which they are majoring to count the hours toward graduation.
It is recommended that an ACT sub-score of 24 or above or an SAT sub-score of 500 or above be used as a guideline for attempting to earn credit through CLEP. Following are the CLEP examinations that Tech will accept, the corresponding qualifying score required, and credit awarded.
Institutional Credit
Computer Science
Students with previous computer experience may petition the Department of Computer and Information Science for credit for COMS 1003 Introduction to Computer Based Systems. Petitioners will be given written and/or oral examinations by a computer science faculty member.
Engineering
Students who complete the appropriate Project Lead the Way (PLTW) course(s) with an average of “B” or better and score 70% or higher score on the corresponding PLTW college credit exam(s) may receive institutional credit for MCEG 1002 Engineering Graphics, and/or MCEG 1011/ELEG 1011 Introduction to Engineering.
Foreign Language
Students with previous foreign language experience may petition the Department of English and World Languages for advanced placement and credit. A foreign language faculty member will recommend an appropriate foreign language placement level. This placement level will not exceed FR 3013 Conversation and Composition II, GER 3013 Conversation and Composition II, JPN 3013 Conversation and Composition, LAT 2023 Intermediate Latin II, or SPAN 3013 Conversation and Composition II, and will be approved by the department head. Students who have omitted one or more courses in the basic language sequence will receive credit for omitted courses when they have validated their advanced placement by passing the course into which they are placed with a grade of “C” or better.
Challenge Subject Examinations
Students who have had extensive experience in health care and industrial settings may elect to attempt to earn credit through an institutional challenge examination in the following subjects or technical programs:
HIM 3023 Introduction to Health Information Management
HIM 3033 Basic Coding Principles
HIM 3133 Alternative Health Records
HIM 3132 Health Data and Statistics
Nursing Examinations
Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and/or licensed psychiatric technician nurses seeking admission to Arkansas Tech University’s nursing program may elect to demonstrate and validate previous collegiate-quality nursing education. This may be accomplished by successfully completing certain ACT-PEP, CLEP, and National League for Nursing examinations. See the Department of Nursing.
Internships
Arkansas Tech University endorses the internship approach to learning and has adopted university-wide guidelines. This approach can help students understand the reality of certain careers and supplement academic instruction with practical, realistic implementation in a work environment. Academic credit can be earned for internships in several degree programs. Please see individual programs for availability of specific degree credit.