Mar 28, 2024  
2005-2006 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2005-2006 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Awarding of Degrees


Degree Requirements for Graduation

Candidates for baccalaureate degrees must meet all of the following requirements.

  1. They must receive acceptable grades in all courses required by their academic major
  2. They must accumulate the number of degree credits specified by the program in which they are registered (120 credits minimum)
  3. They must achieve an accumulative average of not less than 2.0 in University of Maine courses
  4. A minimum of 30 credits originating from the University of Maine Campus is required for the attainment of any bachelor’s degree. This regulation can be fulfilled in one of two ways: 1) by taking 30 credits in the senior year or 2) by taking 30 credits at the 300 to 400 level during any year of study. The Board of Trustees approved two exceptions to this regulation in 1978:
    • students who have already completed three or more years at the University of Maine when, in the opinion of the student’s dean, there is sufficient and valid reason to complete the senior year elsewhere
    • Students who have completed a minimum of three years of work at the University of Maine and who have been admitted to an accredited professional school of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or divinity. With the approval of their dean, these students may qualify for the appropriate bachelor’s degree at the University of Maine upon receipt of the professional degree

Double Degrees

Students may earn a second baccalaureate degree by completing at least 30 credits beyond the number required for the primary degree, and by completing all requirements of the second degree and, if the second degree is in a different college from the first, by completing all requirements of the second college.

Students intending to complete more than one degree are required to declare their intent to the dean of their college (or to the deans of both colleges, if the degree programs are in different colleges) in writing no later than first semester of the senior year. At that time the student must declare a primary degree. The student will receive two diplomas.

Students may also complete a second degree subsequent to graduation. Students selecting this option must be readmitted by the college where the new major resides, complete at least 30 credits beyond the minimum required for the first degree, and complete all college and major requirements for the second degree. If readmitted within two years of graduation, students may apply towards the 30-credit minimum any credits previously earned in excess of the minimum number required for the first degree. Students enrolling for a second degree two or more years after completing the first one must complete at least 30 additional credits, regardless of the number of credits earned previously.

Students readmitted after graduation begin a new grade point average: the original GPA is fixed at graduation and will not be adjusted subsequently. Students completing a second degree via this mechanism will receive a second diploma, and the second degree will also be noted on the transcript.

Double Majors

Double majors are possible within a single baccalaureate degree. Both majors may be within the same college, or they may be in different colleges. Students may complete two different majors simultaneously with no prescribed increase in total credits beyond those required to satisfy both majors.

Students intending to complete the requirements of more than one major are required to declare their intent in writing to the dean of their college (or to the deans of both colleges, if the majors are in different colleges) no later than the first semester of the senior year. At this time the student must declare a primary major. The baccalaureate degree granted will be that associated with the primary major, and the student is required to satisfy all of the requirements imposed by that college. To complete the second major, the student need only complete the specific requirements established for that major. The primary and secondary majors will be noted both on the diploma and on the transcript, worded according to the following example: Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a second major in Art, or Bachelor of Art in Studio Art, with a second major in Biology (depending upon which is designated the primary major).

Students may also complete a second major subsequent to graduation. Students selecting this option must be readmitted to the college where the new major resides, and are required to satisfy only the specific requirements for the chosen second major that are in force at the time of readmission. Students readmitted after graduation begin a new grade point average: the original GPA is fixed at graduation and will not be adjusted subsequently.

Students completing a second major via this mechanism will not receive a second, revised diploma, but the phrase “with a second major in X” will be added to the transcript to recognize the accomplishment.

Celebration of Academia

The conferral of baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees upon students is an important event in the life of the institution, one rich in tradition dating to medieval times. It is a celebration of student achievement in which the faculty, the family and friends of the students, and the graduates themselves together mark the end of a formal program of education and the commencement of a new stage in life. All faculty members and graduating students are encouraged to participate in the formal May ceremony each year.

Latin Honors

Degrees with Latin honors are conferred at commencement for the following attainments of rank:

  • Summa cum laude: 3.7 GPA
  • Magna cum laude: 3.5 GPA
  • Cum laude: 3.3 GPA

The University bases the GPA only on the student’s work at the University of Maine, and that must amount to at least 60 credits or 50 percent of the total degree credits required in the student’s program of study, whichever is greater.

Honors

Degrees designated with Honors, with High Honors, or with Highest Honors are awarded only to graduates successfully completing requirements in the University of Maine’s Honors College.

Valedictorian/Salutatorian

At each May Commencement the two highest-ranking baccalaureate degree candidates at the end of the previous Fall semester are designated class Valedictorian (highest) and Salutatorian (next highest). Only students who have completed at least 75 credits of UMaine coursework exclusive of pass/fail or incomplete grades are eligible for these honors. For purposes of determining Valedictorian and Salutatorian, all UMaine course grades appearing on the transcript will be averaged to compute the grade point average.  All credits counting toward the baccalaureate degree must have been completed within eight years immediately preceding graduation. In the event of multiple students meeting these qualifications with the same grade point average, the two students with the highest number of UMaine credits completed at the end of the previous Fall semester, exclusive of pass/fail or incomplete grades, will be designated as Valedictorian and Salutatorian.  In the event of a tie there will be co-Valedictorians.

Application for Graduation

Graduation is not automatic upon completion of all program requirements. Candidates for degrees must submit an Application for Graduation to the Office of Student Records according to the following schedule:

  • by March 15, for degrees to be awarded in May
  • By July 15, for degrees to be awarded in August
  • by November 15, for degrees to be awarded in December

General Information and details of the application process are available at

http://studentrecords.umaine.edu/graduation/applygrad.htm

Note: Students completing degree requirements during May Term are considered as August degree candidates.

Graduation Timeline
Each college performs final certification of degree completion according to the following timetable:

  • December graduation: January 30
  • May graduation: June 30
  • August graduation: September 30

Students who apply for graduation but do not meet the minimum requirements will be notified by the college or the Graduate School..