General Degree Requirements / Credit Hour Requirements / 
Merit-Based Scholarships-Freshmen and Sophomores / 
Advanced Placement Credits /Glossary of Academic Terms

General Degree Requirements

All students must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the bachelor's degree:

1. A minimum of 116 earned credit hours.  At least 36 courses with a minimum
   value of 3 credits each must be completed.  Satisfactory completion of the Core
   Curriculum requirements.
2. A minimum 2.00 (4.0 scale) cumulative quality point average (i.e., overall grade point average, "GPA").  Some majors/programs may have higher credit hour and/or GPA requirements.
3. A minimum of 24 upper division credits in the major, with a minimum 2.00 GPA in all required courses within the major.
4. Normally, unless otherwise stipulated, students may not begin their senior year in any major in which they have not achieved a 2.0 cumulative average in their major subject(s).
5. Students are responsible for meeting the graduation requirements of their major curriculum.  Modification of any departmental rule can be made only with written approval of the chair of the department or program director in consultation with the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies
6. Undergraduate students must spend at least 8 semesters in full time attendance, unless the period is reduced by advanced standing credit from another institution as reviewed and approved by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

The college reserves the right to allow graduation at the completion of 7 semesters following the successful petition by students to the Committee on Academic Status with the subsequent approval of the vice president for academic administration.

Credit Hour Requirements

All students are normally required to enroll in four courses that are three credits or more per semester in their freshman and sophomore years and five courses that are three credits or more per semester in their junior and senior years.

The value of each course is stated in terms of credit hours. A credit hour requires one classroom period of fifty (50) minutes or a laboratory period of from one to four hours per week throughout the term.

Each curriculum at Providence College requires that students earn a specific number of credit hours. Students seeking to undertake course credit in excess of the normal number must have the approval of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.  Approval is normally granted only for the purpose of academic enrichment or to rectify deficiencies in credit hours earned, not for the purpose of accelerated advancement of graduation class year status.

Good Academic Standing – Freshmen & Sophomores

Merit-Based Scholarships – Freshmen & Sophomores

 Students who hold President’s or Dean’s scholarships must:

• Maintain a full load of courses – 14 credits each semester of their freshman and sophomore years
• Achieve a semester GPA of 3.25 each semester after the freshman year (There is no minimum for the first semester freshman year, and the minimum for the second semester is 3.0)
• Consult with their academic advisor and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Studies as early as possible if they are struggling in a course

Advanced Placement Credits

*      Free electives count toward degree requirements but are not applicable to major/minor/core requirements without approval

**    History majors who earn a score of "4" or "5" on the A.P. U.S. History or European History exams should refer to the History section of the Providence College Catalog for additional information.

NOTE:    AP credits may be removed for students who earn credits in similar or repeat courses at Providence College

Glossary of Academic Terms

Academic Status- Refers to both the official expected graduation year and semester as well as the categories of academic standing (good standing, academic probation, dismissal) in the college.

Advanced Placement Credits- Credits earned in Advanced Placement (AP) courses during high school. Several conditions apply. (See chart)

Attempted Credit Hours- The total number of credit hours for which a student registers. This number will include all those hours at the conclusion of a given semester for which any grade is received, including a grade of "WD."

Averaged Credit Hours- The number of credit hours included in the quality point average. This number may not be equivalent to the total number of credit hours a student is enrolled in. For example, a student may enroll in 14 credit hours, and earn 11 hours of "A" and three hours of "P" (Passing). This student would then have 11 averaged credit hours for that term.

Certificate Program- A secondary field of study, similar to a "minor," which leads to receipt of a specific certificate (e.g., Business Studies).

Concentration (or Program)- In general, refers to a student's MAJOR course of study. "Concentration" and/or "program" are often used interchangeably with "major" to identify the baccalaureate degree program in which a student is enrolled.

Corequisite- Courses that require the concurrent enrollment in a specific course (or courses).

Credit Hours (or Credits)- Each 50 minutes of scheduled class time per week is normally assigned a value of one credit hour; most classes are three credit hours. Classes are typically scheduled for the equivalent of three 50‑minute sessions or two 75‑minute sessions each week. There are exceptions to this formula, for example, science courses with laboratories and art courses with studios.

Curriculum (or Degree Program)- In general, refers to the specific courses a student must complete in order to earn a baccalaureate degree.

Deficiency (Courses or Credits)- In general, refers to situations when students fall behind in either courses or credit hours. For example, a freshman who has completed only seven (7) courses during the first year is said to have a deficiency of one (1) course and is likely to be behind in earned credits as well.

Degree Audit- Computerized system that electronically matches specific program requirements with completed and enrolled courses of individual students. Audit printouts are intended to serve as a tool for both students and advisors in the academic advisement and course registration processes.

Dual Enrollment Credits- Courses completed in high school that may be considered for possible transfer credits.

Earned Credit Hours- Those credit hours for which passing grades are earned. Students do not earn credits for the following grades: "AB," "AU", "F," "I," "NF," "NM," "X" (e.g., courses with an "X" in front of the letter grade).

Elective Courses- Courses which allow students greater freedom in choosing from alternatives. Electives may take several forms:

Major/Minor Electives - Courses which must be selected as specified within a student's major or minor program

Core Electives - Courses which must be selected from the approved lists of Core Curriculum requirements as indicated in each semester's Course Registration List

Non‑Departmental Electives - Courses that must be outside a student's major department/program

Free Electives - Courses with limited or no restriction

Enrichment Option- Courses, not required by the degree program and beyond the set credit hour limits of the college, for which students would like to enroll simply for enrichment purposes (e.g., to learn a foreign language).

Full‑time Student- A student enrolled for a minimum of twelve (12) credits per semester. Providence College students are normally expected to enroll in a minimum of fourteen (14) credits and four courses that are three credits or more per semester during the freshman and sophomore years, and a minimum of fifteen (15) credits and five courses that are three credits or more per semester during the junior and senior years. For official financial aid, NCAA or other certification purposes, students who are enrolled in a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours during a semester are considered in "full‑time attendance." Exceptions may apply.

Grade Point Average- The total number of quality points earned divided by the total number of averaged credit hours.

Intersession- Refers to the term which begins and ends between the traditional fall and spring semesters (i.e., "winter" session). The School of Continuing Education offers Intersession courses. (See "Schools & Divisions.")

Major- The baccalaureate degree program in which the student is enrolled (see "Academic Programs"). Sometimes used interchangeably with "concentration" and/or "program."

Minor- A secondary field of study requiring fewer courses than a "major." (See "Degree Programs.")

Prerequisite- Courses that require the prior completion of a specific course (or courses) or have other conditions of enrollment (e.g., permission of instructor, limited to specific majors or class years).

Quality Points (or Quality Grade Points)- The numeric equivalent assigned to each course grade multiplied by the number of course credits.

Schedule Adjustment Period- The period of time designated by the college in which students may adjust their course schedules (e.g., add/drop courses) without independent approval or penalty.

Syllabus- The official outline and/or summary of a specific course as provided by the course instructor. The syllabus (or "course syllabus") often includes the following: course objectives, list of required texts and other materials, description of responsibilities per class period, class attendance policies, assignments, summary of grading procedures.

Transfer Credit- Academic credits which are transferred to the College from another institution. Several conditions apply.