Graduation

Detailed explanations of the Honors Program are available in the Dean's office for the College of Arts and Sciences and in the Honors section of this catalog.

Recognition of superior scholarship of graduates is made at the annual commencement exercises. The following is the criteria for selection of valedictorians and salutatorians:

1. The Valedictorian will have the highest earned Cumulative Grade Point Average of the graduating class (CGPA).
2. Eligible graduates must have earned 90 credit hours at BYU-Hawaii.
3. All accredited college grades, including transfer and repeats, will be calculated in the total GPA.

There are three categories of academic recognition awarded to graduating students at commencement who have earned a minimum of 45 semester hours of credit at BYUH. These are: summa cum laude (GPA 3.85-4.00), magna cum laude (GPA 3.70-3.84) and cum laude (GPA 3.50-3.69).

A candidate for the bachelor's degree must complete a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit.

The student's record must show a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 (C or higher) in all work presented in fulfillment of requirements by the beginning of the semester in which he or she plans to graduate. Students may not graduate in a semester in which they are on academic probation. A 2.00 GPA must also be maintained during the last semester of work. Transfer students must show at least a 2.00 GPA for their residence credit at BYUH. No more than 18 semester hours of D credit may be applied toward completion of the bachelor's degree requirements.

A student must complete a major program with at least 15 hours of credit in the major program earned at BYUH. A student's graduation date will not be extended for a minor or second major. Due to changes which occur from time to time in major and minor requirements, it is the responsibility of the dean of the college/school offering the major or minor to certify to the Vice President for Academics that requirements are properly fulfilled.

It is expected that students will graduate in four years (120 semester hours of earned credit). The maximum time spent at BYU-Hawaii should not exceed four years or a total of eight semesters and eight terms. Students with transfer credit should graduate in a shorter time period and will not be allotted the eight semester and eight terms to complete their graduation requirements. Given the generous tuition subsidy paid by the LDS Church, double majors and/or double minors are not approved unless they can be earned within eight semesters and eight terms. Exceptions to this policy must be approved in writing by the student's academic dean. A copy will be kept in the student's permanent record at the Records Office.

Specific courses which fill these requirements are listed in the General Education and Honors section (starting on page 67) of this catalog. A student is held responsible for the general education and major student) from the year of first registration to the year of requirements listed in any one catalog (chosen by the graduation, provided the catalog chosen is not more than eight years old).

The Baccalaureate degree at BYU-Hawaii is awarded for the equivalent of four years of dedicated university study. At BYU-Hawaii this includes not just the discipline of a major, but the foundation of religious education and the enlarged perspective of general education. A student may have more than one major, but there is only one baccalaureate degree. The degree granted (BA, BS, etc.) is associated with the primary major.

The student must complete the religious education and English proficiency requirements.

At least 30 semester hours of credit taken in residence at BYUH (15 of which must be in the major) are required for the bachelor's degree. A maximum of 10 semester hours earned through CITO may be applied toward this 30-hour requirement. A student must register on campus for two semesters, not necessarily consecutive, to satisfy the residence requirement. This requirement may be waived for certain programs completed through CITO if approval is given by the dean of the college/school sponsoring the program and the director of CITO. A maximum of 36 semester hours of correspondence credit may be applied toward the total requirement of 120 semester hours. There is a deadline for filing of transfer and correspondence credit and for the removal of incomplete (I) grades from the student's record. All credit transactions must be complete, except for filing of final grades, four weeks prior to the date of commencement.

Students not currently in residence at BYUH who desire to transfer credits to the University and take their degree from BYUH will be able to do so provided they left school in "good standing" and filed their graduation application.

Proficiency in English is required of all students earning the Bachelor's degree. Students, who successfully complete English 101, 201, and an advanced-writing course, will be considered to have met the proficiency requirement. Transfer credits in English will not be given automatically to students who take English at a university or college in their home country where English is a second language. If they desire to receive transfer credit, they must take an English proficiency examination administered by the Testing Center at the University and have the results evaluated by the English Department. Advanced placement credit for English 101 is accepted. A currently enrolled student who desires to take English 315 by independent study must obtain permission in writing and in advance from the chair of the English Department.

For those students who take English at an accredited university or college in their country where English is the first language, transfer credit may be given up to English 201 (Critical Composition) without taking an English proficiency examination. Students who plan to graduate from BYUH must take an advanced-writing course at BYUH. However, if a student has taken an equivalent course elsewhere, he/she may request a substitution through his/her academic advisor.

Students are required to register for the appropriate English class: 101 in their first semester; 201 by the first semester of their sophomore year, and an advanced-writing course by the first semester of their junior year. In no case should a student enroll for the first time in the advanced-writing course later than the first semester of the senior year. Students who do not pass 101 or 201 on their first attempt must register for it each semester until they do. Failure to pass English 101 or 201 or the advanced-writing course by the third attempt may be grounds for suspension from the university.

Students should enroll in the advanced-writing course as early as possible in their junior year and in no case later than the first semester of their senior year.

A proficiency in mathematics is required of all students earning a Bachelor's degree. All students desiring to attend BYUH should have successfully completed a minimum of two years of algebra and one year of plane geometry. An additional year of mathematics-such as statistics, trigonometry, or calculus-is recommended. Any student seeking a degree who has not satisfied the mathematics proficiency requirement will be required to register for mathematics every semester/term until successfully completing Math 106 or a higher level mathematics course.

If a student desires to register for any mathematics course which has a mathematics prerequisite, the student must either: (1) achieve a grade of C-" or better in the prerequisite mathematics course within the past calendar year, (2) receive the instructor's written consent, or (3) take the Math Placement Test within the past calendar year resulting in placement in the mathematics course for which the student desires to register. A student may be dropped from a mathematics course if prerequisite requirements are not met.

If a student is unable to complete a mathematics course successfully after two attempts (that is, the student receives a letter grade of UW, D, F, NP, or WF), then the student must demonstrate proficiency in the prerequisite mathematics course, by successfully completing the prerequisite course or passing an examination in the prerequisite course. Upon demonstrating proficiency in the prerequisite course, the student will be allowed to register again for the mathematics course. A third unsuccessful attempt will result in suspension from the university.

The Graduate Survey is required of all students the semester or term they graduate. The purpose of this survey is to aid the University in evaluating its instructional programs and to provide data for University research .