Degree Requirements

Degree Programs

Louisiana State University at Alexandria offers both associate and baccalaureate degree programs. All credits completed with satisfactory grades are transferable to other regionally accredited institutions. Acceptance of credits in satisfaction of degree requirements at other institutions is determined by the receiving institution.

Career education associate degrees are designed to prepare students for immediate gainful employment. Both the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degrees offer students the opportunity to complete the first two years of academic work required by curricula that lead to baccalaureate and professional degrees. Although originally designed as transfer degrees, they can be earned by both students who intend to continue their studies at LSUA and students who intend to transfer to other post-secondary institutions.

The university offers an increasing number of baccalaureate degrees. These include bachelor of arts degrees in Communication Studies, English, History, and World Religions; bachelor of science degrees in Accounting, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Criminal Justice, Elementary Education, Health Professions, Kinesiology, Long Term Care Administration, Mathematics, Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing, and Psychology; and the Bachelor of General Studies with concentrations in Arts Management, Disaster Science and Emergency Management, Graphic Design, Health Sciences, Humanities, Kinesiology, Organizational Studies, Pharmaceutical Sales, Political Science, Political Science Secondary Education, Pre-Art Therapy, Pre-Law, and Visual and Performing Arts.

All associate degree programs, baccalaureate degree programs, and certificate programs require a minimum number of credit hours in general education courses. The number of credit hours is in keeping with the requirements of the Louisiana Board of Regents and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the institutional accreditor for LSUA. For more information about general education requirements, consult General Education (Overview) .

A major is part of a baccalaureate degree program and consists of a specified group of courses of at least 30 credit hours in a particular discipline(s) or field(s). The name of the major is usually consistent with the degree subject area. Requirements for specific majors are presented on Academic Programs (by type) .Admission to a Degree Program

Some degree programs have admission requirements beyond the general requirements for admission to the university. These additional admission requirements are published in the catalog section of the department that houses the degree program.

Degree Requirements

Catalog to Use

1. Students are assigned the catalog of record in effect at the time they are admitted to the university or when they change from one degree program to another.
2. Students who do not change degree programs, however, may elect to follow the curricular requirements of any issue of the LSUA catalog in force during their residence, provided their residence is continuous and provided the catalog is not more than three years old in the case of students pursuing associate degrees and not more than six years in the case of students pursuing baccalaureate degrees. The catalog chosen is for use in determining curricular requirements only.
3. Students whose residence at LSUA is interrupted for two consecutive regular semesters may not elect to use a catalog issued earlier than the one in force at the time of re-entry.
4. Students who change from one degree program to another may not elect to follow the curricular requirements of a catalog in force earlier than the date on which the degree change was made.
5. In some cases, students will be required to meet curricular requirements that supersede those printed in catalogs that were in force earlier in their residence. The university reserves the right to enforce such requirements without prior notice.
6. Students pursuing degrees must meet all curricular requirements as outlined in one issue of the LSUA catalog.
7. Students who were enrolled as non-degree seeking students and who are subsequently admitted as degree-seeking students must meet the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of their admission as degree seeking
   students.
8. Students pursuing the Associate of Arts, the Associate of Science, or a minor curriculum must meet the curricular requirements presented in the current catalog.
9. From the effective date of termination of a degree program, no additional students will be admitted into the program and students already enrolled in the program and who maintain continuous enrollment in it will have 150% of the time associated with earning the degree (three years for an associate degree and six years for a baccalaureate degree) to complete all program requirements.
10. A degree-seeking student who has earned thirty hours from LSUA but who has never declared a major must do so to be able to register for subsequent courses.

Academic Requirements for all Degrees

The requirements common to all degrees offered by LSUA are presented below:

1. Students pursuing degrees must meet all curricular requirements as outlined in one issue of the LSUA Catalog.
2. Students must earn a grade of “C” or higher in ENGL 1001  and ENGL 1002 .
3. Students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all college work attempted.
4. Students must be enrolled at LSUA during the semester in which their degrees are awarded.
5. Students will receive no degree credit for courses numbered below 1000, i.e., for developmental education courses.
6. At least 25% of the total number of hours required for a degree must be earned in courses taught by LSUA.
7. Degrees are conferred only by vote of the LSU Board of Supervisors upon recommendation of the faculty of the university.

Additional Academic Requirements for Associate Degrees

1. Students pursuing the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Arts in a specific discipline must complete at least 30 semester hours in general education. For more information about general education requirements, consult General Education (Overview) .
2. Students pursuing the Associate of Science, the Associate of Science in a specific discipline (e.g., Radiologic Technology), and the Associate of Science in Nursing must complete at least 27 semester hours of general education courses. For more information about general education requirements, consult General Education (Overview) .
3. Students must complete at least 21 semester hours at the 2000-level or above.
4. Twelve of the student’s final 15 semester hours must be resident hours.

Additional Academic Requirements for Baccalaureate Degrees

1. Twenty-four of the student’s final 30 semester hours must be taken at LSUA.
2. Students must complete at least 39 semester hours of general education courses. For more information about general education requirements, consult General Education (Overview) .
3. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education must earn an overall grade point average of at least 2.5.

Academic Requirements for a Second Degree

Students who wish to earn a second associate degree must

1. complete the curricular requirements of both the first and second degree;
2. complete at least 15 hours at LSUA beyond the number of hours applied toward the first degree and that are applicable to the second degree;
3. meet any additional requirements (academic or residency) set by the department(s) concerned;
4. meet all academic and graduation requirements pertaining to associate degrees.

Students who wish to earn a second baccalaureate degree must

1. choose a second degree with a major field of study that is different from that of the first degree;
2. complete the curricular requirements of both the first and second degree;
3. complete at least 30 hours at LSUA beyond the number of hours applied towards the first degree and that are applicable to the second degree;
4. meet any additional requirements (academic or residency) set by the department(s) concerned;
5. meet all academic and graduation requirements pertaining to baccalaureate degrees.

Note: Students who have already earned a baccalaureate degree in a particular discipline may not subsequently petition to graduate with an associate degree in the same discipline, with an Associate of Arts degree, or with an Associate of Science degree.

Academic Requirements for a Second Major

Students who wish to earn a second major within a baccalaureate degree must

1. Choose a primary degree program;
2. Choose a second major different from the major of the degree being received but also available at LSUA as a degree program with the same degree designator (BA or BS) as that of the degree being received.  A student may not mix majors from BA and BS programs;
3. Complete all the curricular requirements of the degree being received and all the curricular requirements for the degree program of the second major, including any specifically-designated general education courses;
4. Complete all additional requirements (academic, programmatic, or residency) set by each of the departments concerned;
5. Use as a catalog of record for the requirements of the second major that is in effect at the time the second major was declared, so long as that is within five years;
6. Have all substitutions and waivers applied to the second major approved by the department of the second major;
7. Be recommended for graduation by the faculty of each major;
8. Complete all required assessments of student learning outcomes, including exit exams, required by the degree programs associated with each major;
9. Complete the requirements of the second major at the same commencement where the primary degree (first major) is received.

Note:  Students who earn a second major in a discipline may not then subsequently graduate with a second degree in the same discipline as the second major. In no case will more than two majors be awarded in one degree.

Academic Requirements for a Minor

Like a major, a minor is a part of a baccalaureate degree program and consists of a specified group of courses in a particular discipline or field. A minor, however, requires fewer hours than a major, and does not constitute a student’s main focus of study; rather, it offers the student an opportunity to complement that focus with study in another field.

The requirements for specific minors, which are established by the departments that house the minor disciplines, are published on Academic Programs (by type) . The following requirements, however, are common to all minors offered by the university:

1. The student must complete a) at least 18 semester hours, six of which must be taken at the 3000 or 4000-level, or b) at least 21 semesters hours, 15 of which must be taken at the 2000-level or above;
2. The student cannot apply more than 24 hours towards the minor unless the minor is used to fulfill requirements for certification and/or licensure; in such cases the number of hours required by the minor may exceed 24 hours;
3. The student can apply toward the minor any courses that are used to meet the requirements of his or her degree curriculum except those courses that are applied towards the “Major Requirements” section of the curriculum and those courses that employ a pass-fail grading system;
4. The student must earn an overall grade point average of at least 2.0 in the coursework applied toward the minor;
5. The student must meet all specific course requirements established by the department that houses the minor discipline.

Students declare a minor by completing the Minor Declaration Form available on the Registar’s website.

An audit sheet that lists the curricular requirements of the minor must be completed at that time. A complete list of the minors offered by the university is presented on Academic Programs (by type) .

Graduation Requirements

1. Before the final date for applying for degrees to be awarded at commencement, candidates must request that the appropriate department chair evaluate their academic records for compliance with degree requirements. After a candidate’s degree audit form has been signed by the chair, it is presented to the Office of the Registrar for verification. At that time, the candidate must apply for a degree and state his or her exact name as it is to appear on the diploma and in the commencement program. A candidate who wishes to declare a minor must also do so at this time.
2. Candidates must pay the diploma fee.
3. Candidates must meet all degree requirements. If they have not, they cannot participate in commencement.
4. Candidates must clear all financial debts and other obligations to the university before graduation.
5. Candidates are encouraged to participate in the commencement exercises unless excused by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
6. Candidates are required to take an exit examination, as stipulated by the Office of Academic Affairs. The academic department in which the candidate’s degree program is housed may require additional exit assessments. LSUA uses the results of such assessments to monitor the effectiveness of its instructional programs.

Requirements for Receiving Posthumous Degree

The university recognizes that under certain and quite rare circumstances, a student will be sufficiently close to earning a degree at the time of death that consideration by the faculty of a posthumous degree is warranted. The requirements for receiving a posthumous degree are presented below:

1. The student must have been enrolled at LSUA at the time of his or her death and have been in good academic standing.
2. The student must have been within 21 credit hours of completing the degree and have substantially met the degree’s major requirements.
3. The student must have met the degree’s residency requirements.
4. The student’s major department must recommend the awarding of the degree and the faculty and chair of the department must approve the recommendation.
5. The recommendation from the department must be submitted to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for his or her consideration. It must, in turn, be forwarded to the Chancellor who will make an independent recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for final action.
6. Under extraordinary circumstances short of death (e.g., a terminal illness documented by a student’s treating physician), the action described in this section may be considered. In such instances, the requirements outlined above apply.

Service Learning

Providing opportunities for service learning is an increasingly important part of the education that LSUA offers its students. The mission statement and outcomes of LSUA’s Service Learning program are presented below:

Mission Statement:

LSU Alexandria offers students meaningful opportunities to meet needs in the Central Louisiana community through civic engagement with both faculty and community partners.

Outcomes:

1. To recruit and retain civic-minded faculty and students;
2. To develop programs that actively engage students in service learning activities;
3. To effectively assess needs of Central Louisiana and work towards meeting identified needs;
4. To meet with community organizations to create co-educator partnerships.

For more information about Service Learning at LSUA, contact Dr. Julie Gill at (318) 427-4456.

National Student Exchange Program

LSUA is a member of the National Student Exchange (NSE), a consortium of over 180 member institutions in the United States, Canada, Virgin Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

LSUA students who enroll in the program can study at any of the other member institutions for up to one academic year. Exchanging to another university gives a student the opportunity to take courses not offered at LSUA and to experience a culture different from their own. Students who exchange earn credit that transfers back to LSUA. Students may also study abroad through another institution. For more information or to apply, contact Dr. Holly L Wilson at hwilson@lsua.edu or call 318-473-6581.