Degree/Graduation Requirements

Each student is responsible for knowing and following the policies governing his or her course of study and for fulfilling all academic requirements for the degree sought. The faculty and the staff of the University are available to advise and assist students to understand and to meet these requirements. Students should direct questions about academic policies and degree requirements to their academic advisor or to their program division chair.

Degree Requirements for Graduation

Degree requirements may change over time. Generally, students are responsible for meeting the degree requirements published in the catalog in effect when they entered the university. Students who change to a different major, or who are absent from the university for two or more years, must meet the program requirements in effect at the time of the change or of their return to the university.

Students changing their major to one that leads to licensure should visit the UMS State Authorization & Licensure page to learn more about their specific program and the licensure requirements in other states and territories, in addition to the contact information needed to inquire further into the licensure requirements associated with this program.

Any student has the right to select graduation requirements from a later catalog than the one in effect at the time of initial matriculation. No student may select requirements from an earlier catalog.

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

Receive acceptable grades in all required courses and credits, including core requirements and program courses. The student elected Pass/Fail option is not allowed for courses used to fulfill program requirements for the major, minor, certificate, for the program or for core requirements. This restriction applies only to courses put on Pass/Fail by the student and not courses where the department offers the courses on a Pass/Fail grading basis.
Accumulate the number of degree credits specified by the program(s) in which they are registered (120 credits minimum).
Achieve a cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.0 in University of Maine at Machias courses.
Earn a minimum of 30 credits originating from the University of Maine at Machias with at least 15 of those at the 300 level or higher. There are two exceptions to this policy:
- Students who have already completed three or more years at the University of Maine at Machias (minimum of 90 credits of UMM courses) when, in the opinion of the student’s academic program faculty in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, 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 at Machias and who have been admitted to an accredited professional school of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or divinity. With the approval of the academic program faculty in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, these students may qualify for the appropriate bachelor’s degree at the University of Maine at Machias upon receipt of the professional degree.

Note: Effective Fall 2023, courses completed at the University of Maine shall count towards residency and GPA.

Dual Degrees

Students may earn a second baccalaureate degree by completing at least 30 credits beyond the number required for the degree with the lesser number of credit hours, and by completing all requirements of the second degree.

Students intending to complete more than one degree are required to declare their intent to the Office of Student Records 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 to the university, complete at least 30 credits beyond the minimum required for the first degree, and complete all major requirements for the second degree.

Grade Point Average is based on a student’s entire undergraduate career. A student’s GPA will continue when re-admitted to a second degree program. The original GPA is fixed at graduation and will not be adjusted subsequently.

Double Majors

Double majors are possible within a single baccalaureate degree. Both majors may be within the same division, or they may be in different divisions. 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 Office of Student Records, 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 established for that major. 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 Arts in Integrative Biology, with a second major in Creative Arts, or Bachelor of Art in Creative Arts, with a second major in Integrative 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 university, and are required to satisfy only the specific requirements for the chosen second major that are in force at the time of readmission. Students who had declared the second major prior to graduation may continue to follow the catalog requirements in effect for that major if they have no break from the university or return within two years.

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.

Minors

A minor is a secondary area of specialization and competence that further prepares a student for a career and/or graduate work. A minor can only be awarded at the same time a baccalaureate degree is awarded, and may not be added after the degree has been awarded.

Concentrations

A concentration is a set of courses available only to students within a declared major. Concentrations allow a student to place substantial emphasis on an academic subfield of the discipline. Concentrations may not be completed after the accompanying degree has been earned. A student’s transcript will indicate a completed concentration.

However, students need to officially declare their concentration with the Office of Student Records BEFORE graduation.

Change of Major

It is not unusual for a student to be admitted to UMM for a particular academic program and later discover that a different program will better suit his or her needs and interests. Many students change their majors one or more times. More information can be found on the Office of Student Records website: https://machias.edu/registrar/wp-content/uploads/sites/93/2021/10/Change-of-Program-0921-Final.pdf

Honors

Associate Degrees are awarded with the status of “Honors” for a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and above.

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

summa cum laude: 3.70 GPA
magna cum laude: 3.50 GPA
cum laude: 3.30 GPA

The University bases the GPA only on the student’s work at the University of Maine at Machias.

Valedictorian/Salutatorian

Valedictorian and Salutatorian are the highest honors awarded to students by the University of Maine. Each student will be recognized for outstanding academic achievements and for contributions to the University or wider community.

To be considered for these awards, all candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

Students must have completed at least 75 credits of coursework at the University of Maine at Machias, exclusive of pass/fail or incomplete grades
Students must have a minimum of a 3.80 grade point average at the end of the fall semester prior to graduation.
All credits counting toward the baccalaureate degree must have been completed within six years immediately preceding graduation.
Students must apply for graduation by published dates.

In addition to the above listed criteria, the candidates will be evaluated upon the strength, breadth, and rigor of their academic achievements, evidence of intellectual promise, character, service and other accomplishments.

Application for Graduation

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

By February 1st, for degrees to awarded in May
By July 15th, for degrees to awarded in August
By October 1st, for degrees to awarded in December

General information and details of the application process are available at: https://machias.edu/registrar/graduation/

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

Celebration of Academia

The conferral of associate and baccalaureate 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 graduating students are encouraged to participate in the formal May ceremony each year.

Graduation Timeline

Final certification of degree completion occurs within 60 days after the end of the term. Students who apply for graduation but do not meet the minimum requirements will be notified by the University.