Program Structure
University undergraduate degree requirements are those courses or hours required of every UofM graduate, as well as admissions, Q.P.A., residency, retention, and testing requirements. See the online Undergraduate Catalog for minimum degree requirements and individual program requirements.
Each graduate program identifies specific courses or hours, as well as admission, Q.P.A., residency, retention, and testing requirements. See the online Graduate Catalog for minimum degree requirements and individual program requirements. There are no common course requirements for graduate degrees at the University level.
Beginning Fall 2004, each institution in the State University and Community College System of the Tennessee Board of Regents shares a common lower-division general education core curriculum of forty-one (41) semester hours for the baccalaureate degrees and the Associate of Arts and the Associate of Science degrees.
UNIVERSITY GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM: Specific courses within the following subject categories are listed in the current online Undergraduate Catalog in “Graduation from the University” and in specific college degree requirements.
Communication 9 hours**
Humanities and/or Fine Arts 9 hours (at least one course must be in literature)
Social/Behavioral Sciences 6 hours
History 6 hours***
Natural Science 8 hours
Mathematics 3 hours
Total 41 hours
Foreign language courses are an additional requirement for the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. This degree requires proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to completion of two years of college-level work.
**Six hours of English Composition and three hours in English oral presentation communication are required.
****Students who have not completed one year of American History in high school must complete 6 credit hours of American History or 3 credit hours of American History plus 3 credit hours of Tennessee History in order to satisfy the History General Education requirement. Students who plan to transfer to University of Tennessee System universities or to out-of-state or private universities should check requirements and take the appropriate courses.
College Degree Requirements
All courses or hours required of every graduate earning a particular degree through the college include University requirements, though individual programs may be more specific where University requirements permit choices. There must be an identifiable set of requirements that differentiates one degree from another. All course prerequisites and any special admissions, Q.P.A., residency, or retention requirements or special limitations pertaining to academic regulations that are different from or in addition to University requirements must be included in proposals and specified in the online Catalog. Only those requirements specified in the online Catalog are applicable.
REQUIREMENTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS: There must be an identifiable set of requirements, including a specified sequence of courses, which differentiates this major from others. There must be a major core, comprising a minimum of six to nine semester hours, exclusive of major field courses, which may also be included in the degree requirements. All of those courses or hours (excluding University and college degree requirements, except where specifying electives or choices) required of every graduate with the major must include course prerequisites, any special admission, Q.P.A., residency or retention requirements, special limitations, etc., not included in University or college degree requirements.
REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS: There must be an identifiable set of requirements, including a specified sequence of courses, which differentiates this major from others. Each masters and doctoral program has specific requirements that vary with the academic unit.
REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS: There must be an identifiable set of requirements, including a specified sequence of courses, which differentiates this certificate from others. Each certificate program has specific requirements that vary with the academic unit.
Concentration Requirements
A concentration is an area of specialization within the major. There must be an identifiable set of requirements, including at least twelve hours that are different from the course requirements for any other concentration, which differentiates the concentration from others. It is not required that programs include concentrations; however, if this level of specialization is desired, then each must be sufficiently different from the other to justify a separate title.
Minor Requirements
Minors are not required at the undergraduate level. The minimum number of hours required for a minor is eighteen unless some of the hours in the specialization are included in the student's degree requirements as well. There must be at least nine hours at the upper division level. Minor requirements do not apply to graduate programs.
Program Requirements
A. University minimum
Bachelor's Degree - 120 hours
Master's Degree - 30 -36 hours
Graduate Certificate - 12-18 hours
Doctoral Degree - 72 hours beyond the Bachelor's degree
B. College minimum
Varies by college
C. Major
Undergraduate – Varies by program and includes concentration requirements
Graduate – Varies by program and includes concentration requirements
D. Minor
18 hours