Degree Designations
Undergraduate Degrees
Baccalaureate degrees (B.A., B.S., B.F.A., B.Mus., B.E.S.)
Baccalaureate degrees are considered to be the standard college degree. St. Cloud State University requires the completion of a minimum of 120 credits, excluding credits in courses numbered below 100. Credits must be earned in general education (liberal arts and sciences portion of a degree), in a major and/or minor, and with remaining credits in university electives. St. Cloud offers baccalaureate degrees in Arts (B.A.), Sciences (B.S.), Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Music (B.Mus.), and Elective Studies (B.E.S.)
Although a student normally can finish a baccalaureate degree in four years, some programs offered by the university may require the completion of more than 120 credits. Entering freshman students are encouraged to seek academic advice early regarding specific requirements in order to plan their program most efficiently.
Bachelor of Arts
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree programs are designed for those students who wish to pursue their studies in the liberal arts tradition. The degree is awarded upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 credits, excluding credits in courses numbered below 100, which must include the liberal education requirements, the requirements of a field of concentration, and 40 credits in upper division (300-400 level) courses. The field of concentration requirements may be met by one of the following:
45 credit major
Majors below 45 credits require one year in a single foreign language OR a minor.
Bachelor of Elective Studies
The Bachelor of Elective Studies (B.E.S.) degree is for those students who wish to develop their own programs of study. B.E.S. students must complete the liberal education program. Contact the Advising and Student Transitions Office (320-308-6075) for details. Requirements for the degree are:
Completion of a minimum of 120 credits, excluding credits in courses numbered below 100, with a 2.00 "C" average.
At least 40 credits in upper-division (300-400) courses.
No more than 60 credits can be counted in any one discipline.
A maximum of 6 internship credits may be used as part of the 40 upper-division course work requirement.
A departmental major or minor is not required, but strongly encouraged. Students may complete majors and minors in those departments which indicate B.E.S. programs are available. See individual departmental listings.
Meet the residence requirement of St. Cloud State University as outlined in this catalog.
Students who meet the admission requirements for St. Cloud State University may apply upon admittance. Students who currently are enrolled must have a 2.0 (C) average to be admitted to the program. To be accepted into this degree option students must formally complete a "major program plan" as well as a "program proposal form" which are designed to describe the student's individual educational objectives. Majors or minors earned under the B.E.S. program may be applied to a B.E.S. degree. Requests for admission are received by the program director in the Advising and Student Transitions Office (320-308-6075).
Bachelor of Fine Arts
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) Degree is designed for those students whose primary interest is in obtaining depth, structure, and professionalism in a particular area of the visual arts. 78 credits in art and 40 credits in upper division (300-400 level) courses are required. Additional details of the program are listed in the art department offerings. The degree is awarded upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 credits, excluding credits in courses numbered below 100.
Bachelor of Music
The Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) degree is for those students whose primary interest is musical performance; 80-83 credits in music and 40 credits in upper division (300-400) courses are required. The degree is awarded upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 120 credits, excluding credits in courses numbered below 100. Students are required to study voice or their major instrument each semester and to give recitals at the end of both the junior and senior years. Additional details of the program are listed in the music department offerings.
Bachelor of Science
The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree is awarded to those students who successfully complete a professional four-year program of a minimum of 120 credits, excluding credits in courses numbered below 100 and including general education requirements, the requirements of a field of concentration, and 40 credits in upper division (300-400 level) courses. Students seeking a teaching certificate also must complete the professional education requirements. Students in the Herberger Business School must complete the business core. Requirements for specific programs can be found under departmental headings in this catalog.
Associate degrees (A.A. and A.S.)
Associate of Arts (A.A.)
The Associate of Arts degree programs are intended to provide a broad liberal arts and sciences background. A.A. programs require completion of the liberal education program and additional credits to total at least 60 credits, excluding credits in courses numbered below 100. The A.A. program may be used as the foundation for a baccalaureate degree and is administered by the Advising and Student Transitions Office (320-308-6075). Students receiving an A.A. degree must complete at least 30 additional credits at SCSU to receive a baccalaureate degree (minimum of 120 semester credits required).
Associate of Science (A.S.)
The Associate of Science degree provides students an opportunity to design their own two years of study. In the Individualized Studies (A.S.) degree, the completion of a total of 60 credits is required. This includes a minimum of 30 general education credits selected from at least six of the ten goal areas of the Liberal Education Plan (Minnesota Transfer Curriculum) and 30 additional credits. Courses numbered below 100 are excluded and no more than 30 credits are allowed in one discipline. This program is administered by the Advising and Student Transitions Office (320-308-6075).
Certificate Program
A certificate is awarded to students who satisfactorily complete a prescribed course of study. Specific program requirements are given under departmental headings. To be awarded a certificate, students must complete and be awarded an undergraduate degree.
Graduate Degrees
Doctor of Education
The doctor of education degree is designed to prepare students for administrative leadership, academic or clinical positions in educational disciplines. The degree requires 72 semester credits of graduate study, at least 60% of which will be met through coursework designated as doctoral only, those numbered 800-899.
Specialist
The specialist degree is designed to serve a qualitative need for highly trained specialists in various fields. The emphasis in a specialist degree program is placed on the development of competencies needed for a specific job category. The program is designed to meet the needs of students in professional areas where a master's degree is not sufficient. The program requires 30 semester credits of graduate study beyond a master's degree.
The specialist degree program is offered by the Department of Educational Leadership. The specialist degree program offered by the Department of Educational Leadership is designed for three distinct groups: the K-12 school principal, the superintendent of schools, and the director of special education.
Master of Arts
The master of arts degree offers the candidate the opportunity to specialize in a particular subject matter field. It is open to students with undergraduate liberal arts backgrounds as well as students who have completed teacher education programs. Programs of study leading to the master of arts degree have been approved for the following majors: art; biology: cell and molecular biology, biology: ecology and natural resources biology; English, English: college teaching, English: rhetoric and applied writing, English: teaching English as a second language; history, history: public history, and special studies. The degree requires a range of 30 - 54 graduate credits as noted in the program requirements, 50% of which must be completed at the graduate only (600) level. All master of arts programs require a thesis, creative work, starred paper(s), or final written comprehensive examination. Information concerning the program requirements for a particular major may be found with the course offerings for the department.
Master of Business Administration
The master of business administration degree develops professional managers for public and private sectors. It stresses conceptual, analytical and behavioral skills relevant to organization and leadership, provides students the opportunity to develop specialized competencies reflecting individual aptitudes and interests, and explores the relationships between organizations and their environment. The degree requires a range of 30 - 54 graduate credits as noted in the program requirements, 50% of which must be completed at the graduate only (600) level.
Master of Engineering Management
The master of engineering management degree prepares graduates for taking on managerial roles in technical and scientific organizations. The master of engineering management is for engineers, technologists and scientists who are looking for managerial skills to advance to executive positions in technology based business. The degree requires a range of 30 - 54 graduate credits as noted in the program requirements, 50% of which must be completed at the graduate only (600) level.
Master of Music
The master of music degree allows the student to pursue a degree in music with an emphasis in music education, piano pedagogy, or conducting. The degree requires a range of 30 - 54 graduate credits as noted in the program requirements, 50% of which must be completed at the graduate only (600) level.
Master of Science
The master of science degree is designed to provide preparation in a variety of professional fields. The degree requires a range of 30 - 60 graduate credits as noted in the program requirements, 50% of which must be completed at the graduate only (600) level.
Eligibility for programs in teacher education is limited to students whose undergraduate preparation qualifies them for teacher licensure.
Master of Social Work
The master of social work degree is considered a terminal practice degree in the field of social work and prepares professionals to think critically, and work effectively and collaboratively in social services. The degree requires a range of 30 - 54 graduate credits as noted in the program requirements, 50% of which must be completed at the graduate only (600) level.
Special Studies
Special studies programs (M.A. or M.S.) are intended to meet the specialized needs of students whose educational or career goals can be best served by carefully designed programs which provide advanced study in two or three related academic disciplines. To be considered for approval, special studies programs must provide a clear focus on a field of study which combines the contributions of these academic disciplines in a multi-disciplinary major.
To request consideration of a special studies program, the student must prepare a written proposal which contains the following elements: proposed title for the multidisciplinary program, a discussion of the contributions of the disciplines which would comprise the program, a preliminary list of potentially applicable courses, and a summary of the student's educational and career objectives, philosophy and background. Each special studies applicant is interviewed by a four-member committee chaired and appointed by the graduate dean. The committee reviews the program proposal and makes a recommendation based upon the appropriateness of the proposal as a field for graduate study, the availability of adequate curricular and other resources to insure a strong program, and the qualifications of the individual applicant. A special studies degree requires a range of 30 - 54 graduate credits as approved by the admission committee, 50% of which must be completed at the graduate only (600) level. For further information concerning application procedures and program requirements, contact the School of Graduate Studies.
Graduate Certificates
A graduate certificate is awarded upon completion of a minimum of 9 graduate credits in a focused area of study at St. Cloud State University. A graduate certificate requires 9 - 42 credits completed at the graduate level (500/600) as noted in the individual program requirements.