Graduation Requirements

Each degree program has established courses, examinations, and other performance requirements students must satisfy in order to be awarded a degree. General graduation requirements include:

  1. Satisfactory completion of work in an academic major;

  2. Satisfactory completion of the Core Curriculum requirements;

  3. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00;

  4. Completion of the residency requirement: A minimum of 36 semester hours of credit toward a degree must be earned in residence at Prairie View A&M University. For the Bachelor of Architecture program, a minimum of 42 semester hours of credit toward the degree must be earned in residence at Prairie View A&M University;

  5. Completion of 30 of the final 36 semester hours of credit in residence at Prairie View A&M University.

Transfer credit during last enrollment period

A student who has the permission of the Dean of his/her college to complete a requirement for graduation at another institution during his final semester at the university, must have on file in the Office of the Registrar, an official transcript of any grade received at the other institution prior to commencement. Students who do not meet this requirement will not be permitted to graduate and may not participate in the commencement exercise. A student who does not graduate because of failure to satisfy this requirement must reapply for graduation during the next graduation period. An official transcript is the only acceptable documentation of the completion of a graduation requirement.

Transfer of Grades from Other Institutions while Matriculating at Prairie View A&M University

Undergraduate students matriculating at Prairie View A&M University may wish to take courses from other institutions of higher education. Prior to enrolling in a face-to-face or electronically delivered course at another institution, the student who wishes to take courses to be transferred back to Prairie View A&M University and to be counted toward degree requirements must obtain approval from the respective department head and dean. Written specifications identifying the course or courses to be taken must be signed by both the student, the department head, and the dean. The original letter or form will be forwarded to the Office of the Registrar for inclusion in the student’s record. If there is no agreement on file in the Office of the Registrar, grades for courses taken at other institutions by students attending Prairie View A&M University will not be accepted.

Teacher Certification Requirement

Students seeking degrees in education, or degree majors in other fields with eligibility for teacher certification, must be admitted to teacher education by the College of Education before enrolling in teacher education professional education courses. Entrance and exit examinations are required. Students interested in being certified as teachers after graduation should contact the Office of the Dean, College of Education, for information and advisement following admission to the University.

Registration Requirement

Students completing work required for a degree must be enrolled during the term in which the work is completed and the application for graduation is filed. A fee is required for registration in absentia.

Removal of “I” grades

A student who has a grade of Incomplete, “I”, must arrange to complete the work and receive a grade that meets the minimum acceptable to pass the course and to receive credit in the major or minor. No student will be awarded a degree until the “I” grade has been converted to a passing grade. All grades of “I” must be removed and replaced with passing grades for courses included in degree requirements. A student should not re-enroll in a course for which a grade of “I” has been recorded.

Second Baccalaureate Degree Requirement

A second bachelor degree will be conferred when a student has completed at least 30 semester hours in residence (24 semester hours in upper division [3xxx – 4xxx] courses beyond those counted toward the first degree.) Any additional requirements of the department and college approving the respective degree plan and state legislative mandated requirements must be completed. If the student did not take (6) semester hours of U.S. History and (6) semester hours of U.S. Government, the student must take the course or pass a CLEP examination to meet this twelve (12) semester hour requirement Texas mandates for all bachelor degree recipients.

RN-BSN Program:

This program is accredited by the national league for Nursing Accrediting Commission to provide an opportunity for diploma or associate degree registered nurses (RNs) to pursue a Bachelor of Science Degree in nursing. The curriculum requirements are the same for the generic, LVN and RN student groups, but the program methodology to achieve degree requirements differs. Students are expected to complete the upper‑division curriculum within five years of the initial admission date. Thirty‑five (35) semester hours will be awarded toward the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree for nurses who have completed the first 12 credit hours in the RN to BSN Program.

Prerequisites: 64 semester hours of core non-nursing course requirements may be transferred from any accredited college or university. The College of Nursing accepts the previous Bachelors degree as evidence of having met these prerequisite course requirements.

Advanced Standing Credits in Nursing from ADN Program: 39 semester hours. At the completion of the first 13 hours of the required Nursing curriculum at the College of Nursing and evidence of an experiential base students are granted 39 semester hours toward graduation from previous Nursing Studies in an NLN accredited ADN program.