University Degree Requirements

General Requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree

All candidates for a bachelor’s degree at UH-Victoria must meet the following outline of minimal requirements. Additional requirements may be imposed by the individual academic school.*

1. Complete a minimum of 120 semester hours of work, unless enrolled in a plan that requires additional hours.* With exception to the RN to BSN and B.A.A.S. programs, at least 36 of the 120 semester hours are to be advanced (upper-division), according to the requirements of the respective degree plans, and at least 18 of these 36 advanced semester hours must be in the student’s plan. The RN to BSN program requires at least 30 of the minimum 120 semester hours to be advanced. The B.A.A.S. programs require at least 40 of the minimum 120 semester hours to be advanced.  Any change or substitution must have the approval of the appropriate dean or with the advice and consent of the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.
2. Core Curriculum: State law requires that all University of Houston-Victoria students complete a general education Core Curriculum of 42 semester credit hours that serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. UH-Victoria’s 42-hour core curriculum is based on a series of basic intellectual competencies–reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking, and computer literacy-that are essential to the learning process in any discipline. The University’s Core Curriculum requirements are described in the sections that follow. These requirements must be met by every student pursuing a baccalaureate degree program at UH-Victoria, regardless of his or her major.

General Core Curriculum guidelines:

1. A course taken for core credit cannot be counted in the hours applied to the major (no “double dipping”). If a course in a student’s major field is also approved for core credit, the student must elect to take the course either for core credit or for credit toward the major, provided the department of the student’s major approves.
2. No upper-division course shall be approved to fulfill a foundational component area requirement in the core curriculum, unless the course is on the institution’s list of core curriculum courses approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
3. A core class cannot be taken for more than one core area. This includes courses that are cross-listed in two or more departments and are approved for two or more areas of the core.
4. A minimum of 42 hours are required for the core.
5. In accordance with the Texas Education Code, Chapter 61, Subchapter S, the UHV Core Curriculum consists of 42 semester credit hours of coursework. If a student successfully completes the entire core curriculum at another public institution of higher education in Texas, that block of courses may be transferred to any other public institution of higher education in Texas and must be substituted for the receiving institution’s core curriculum. Students will receive academic credit for each of the courses transferred and may not be required to take additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution unless the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved a larger core curriculum at that institution.
   
   Students who have completed a portion of the Core Curriculum at another Texas public institution of higher education may use that coursework to satisfy UHV Core Curriculum requirements if:
    

• the course is designated as meeting a Core Curriculum requirement at the institution, and
• the course fits within the UHV Core Curriculum.
  
  For transfer purposes, the designated Texas Common Course Numbering (TCCN) System courses will be accepted in transfer in lieu of these courses. Students should consult with an academic advisor to determine the sequence of courses in the Core Curriculum and the major.

6. If a student does not complete all of the Core Curriculum at another Texas public institution of higher education before matriculating at UHV, the student will receive credit for the portion completed and then may be required to complete additional courses from the UHV Core Curriculum. Note: Some degree programs require completion of core courses (e.g., speech and computer literacy/proficiency) even if the student is certified as core complete by way of transfer from a Texas public institution of higher education. See individual degree program descriptions in this catalog for more information.
7. Except as described in #5, substitutions for core courses are not permitted.
8. If a class counts as a core at another Texas public institution, UHV must accept that class for the area of the core for which it was taken.
9. Courses from private or out-of-state institutions must be evaluated for core credit based on their teaching and testing of the approved core educational objectives. Requests for evaluation of potential core courses should be sent to the student’s academic school. Courses must meet UHV’s approved core educational objectives and may require review by faculty in that particular discipline. Additional documentation such as official transcript(s) and/or course syllabi may be required.
10. Any student concurrently enrolled at more than one institution of higher education must follow the core curriculum of the institution in which they are classified as a degree-seeking student. Accordingly, all undergraduate degree-seeking students at UHV must meet the core curriculum requirements set for by UHV to be considered core complete.

Core Curriculum - Students First Entering College before Fall 1999:

The following core requirements continue to apply to students who first entered college before fall 1999 and who have been continuously enrolled. Students must complete a minimum of 42 semester hours in the core curriculum, 28 of which are prescribed and the balance of which are electives to be taken from designated areas.* These 42 semester hours must be divided as follows:

1. University Core Requirements:
   9 semester hours in English at the lower division level (a minimum of 3 semester hours in composition and 3 semester hours in literature).
   6 semester hours in political science at the lower division level (federal and state government or equivalent).
   6 semester hours in United States history at the lower division level (3 semester hours of Texas history may be applied toward this requirement).
   3 semester hours of college algebra or the equivalent, as determined by the plan program.
   4 semester hours of an upper level course in advanced writing and research.
2. Core Distribution Electives: Each degree program must include at least 12 semester hours of electives selected from the following disciplines:

Anthropology
Art
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Drama
Economics
English
Geography
Geology
History
Languages
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Speech
Statistics

* Each student should always refer to the appropriate school section of this catalog for complete requirements and total number of hours prescribed for a specific degree and plan.

Core Curriculum for Students First Entering College in Fall 1999 - Summer 2014.

Fall 1999 - Summer 2014 Core courses presently offered:

Core Curriculum for Students First Entering College in Fall 2014 or after.

Fall 2014 or later Core courses presently offered:

4. Other Requirements
   1. A 2.0 grade point average is the minimum permitted for graduation, as applied to credit hours attempted at this institution. Students are therefore expected to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0. Averages below that number may result in probation and suspension, as specified in the section entitled ‘Academic Probation or Suspension’. For graduation requirements and academic probation and suspension, only the last completion grade recorded for repeated courses is used in computing the grade point average for courses at UHV. However, all courses attempted are included in the grade point average, including repeated courses, for undergraduate graduation with honors. Any grade of I not made up by the date of graduation will be treated as an F for determination of graduation requirements.
   2. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (A=4.0) is required for all hours attempted in the plan at this institution. Grades for repeated courses are computed as in IIIA above. Students in the School of Business Administration cannot accumulate more than two D’s in the business plan. Any grade of I not made up by the date of graduation will be treated as an F for determination of graduation requirements.
   3. 30 of the last 36 advanced semester hours must be completed with UH-Victoria. These residence hours are not to include correspondence work. The following regulations are in effect:
      • Maximum correspondence credit applicable to the degree is 18 semester hours, with no more than six applicable toward the plan.
      • Complete a minimum of six semester hours of advanced work in the plan field in residence at this university.
   4. In addition to these general requirements, the candidate for graduation must meet all special degree requirements outlined by the appropriate academic program of the student’s plan.
   5. Students must be clear from academic probation at the time of graduation.
   6. In addition to other graduation requirements, students in teacher education programs must meet all requirements for admission to and retention in the teacher education program.
   7. All students entering with less than 30 semester hours are required to take UNIV 1300 First Year Seminar  

Undergraduate Double Majors

Students may earn and receive credit for more than one plan (major). This provision is often referred to as a “double major”, consisting of a first plan and an additional plan or, in rare instances, more than one additional plan. The following conditions apply:

• The plans must lead to the same baccalaureate degree (e.g., both must lead to a B.A. or B.S.), rather than one leading to a B.A. and one to a B.S.). Otherwise, the conditions for an additional bachelor’s degree apply.
• Both plans (majors) must be on UH-Victoria’s Inventory of Approved Degree Programs with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• Non-disciplinary majors such as Applied Arts and Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies shall not be allowed in multi-major degree programs. Additionally, Computer Science and Information Systems majors are not eligible to double major.
• Only one plan will be used for institutional data reports, whichever one the student indicates as the primary plan.
• Both plans (majors) will be noted on the transcript and diploma of students who are certified with double majors.
• The major requirement hours completed for each additional major must be unique to each major, and completed with University of Houston-Victoria.
• Students must earn a 2.00 minimum grade point average in all courses attempted in each major at the university.
• A student may elect to stop pursuing the double major at any time before certification for graduation by submitting a Change of Plan (Major) form. The student would continue with just the one primary major.
• Only one degree is awarded for a double major.
• Students pursuing a double major typically complete both majors before being graduated. However, students pursuing a double major who complete all degree requirements for one major but not the other may graduate with a single major and, as long as a student is continuously enrolled with UHV, excluding summers, a student can complete the remaining requirements for the second major without being subject to an additional 30 hour requirement. This applies only to undergraduate double majors. Students pursuing an additional or dual degree must complete the additional 30 hour requirement.

In the case where a student completes all degree requirements for just one major, the transcript and diploma will reflect only one major. When the second major is completed, the student should notify their academic advisor to confirm completion of the second major. Once the academic advisor confirms completion with the Registrar’s Office, the second major will be posted to the student’s transcript with the completion term/date noted. The student must forfeit the issued diploma to the Registrar’s Office in order to receive a diploma reflecting both majors.

Additional Bachelor’s Degree

The fact that a student has a bachelor’s degree from UH-Victoria or from another recognized institution does not preclude receiving an additional bachelor’s degree from UH-Victoria. A student pursuing a dual degree will, upon completion of all requirements, receive two separate degrees. E.g., two B.A.s, two B.S.s, or a combination of either B.A, B.S., B.B.A., etc. Students may not pursue more than two degree programs concurrently.

A student pursuing a second/dual degree must complete all university, college, and department/curricular requirements for the second degree not covered in the first. The following conditions apply:

• The courses taken to satisfy core curriculum, general education, and all other common lower-division requirements can be counted to meet the completion requirements of both degree programs.
• Both degrees/majors must be on UH-Victoria’s Inventory of Approved Degree Programs with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• For each subsequent bachelor’s degree, the student must complete a minimum of 30 unique semester hours in addition to those earned toward previous degrees, and must be completed with University of Houston-Victoria.
• Dual bachelor’s degrees: If two bachelor’s degrees are conferred simultaneously, the student must complete a minimum of 30 hours beyond the requirements of the single degree. Graduation will occur when the student has completed requirements for both degrees.
• Students completing dual bachelor’s degrees receive two diplomas.

General Requirements for a Master’s Degree

Planning the Graduate Program

In general the graduate student is expected to be enrolled each semester until completion of the degree program and award of the degree. The graduate student who is not enrolled should not expect the facilities of the university to be available. Such facilities include (but are not limited to) office and classroom space, laboratories, faculty resources and administration of oral or written examination. Exceptions to this requirement may be granted upon petition.

The graduate student should consult the program’s graduate advisor before each registration. The student is required to fulfill the special requirements of that particular degree program in addition to the general requirements stipulated for graduate studies.

Additional requirements are listed with the appropriate degree programs in this catalog.

Applicable Graduate Credit

Graduate credit is not granted for courses taken prior to a student’s admission to any regionally accredited graduate school. The ‘Time Limitation’ section specifies additional restrictions.

Second Master’s Degree

With the advisor’s approval, a maximum of 50% of credit required for a master’s degree earned at this institution may be applied to a second master’s degree. Regulations concerning time limitations apply to transfer credit as well as to credit earned at UHVictoria.

Level of Credit

Effective Fall 2013, undergraduate courses cannot be applied to graduate degree plans.

The graduate student who does not wish to earn graduate credit in a course must first file a Course Credit Petition with the student’s academic school for processing to the Office of the Registrar and Student Records.

A UH-Victoria senior in good academic standing may take a limited number of courses for graduate credit if lacking no more than 12 semester hours for a degree. The student may receive permission to enroll for graduate credit through a Course Credit Petition, which must first be filed with the student’s academic school for processing to the Office of the Registrar and Student Records. Graduate credits earned in this manner may not exceed 12 semester hours and may not be applied to the undergraduate degree.

The Course Credit Petition may be obtained from either the Admissions or Student Records forms list on the website (www.uhv.edu/student-records/forms/).

Continuing Graduate Study Beyond the Master’s Level

The student who completes a master’s degree program at this institution will have the degree status changed to that of a non-degree seeking graduate student. If the student wishes to change plans and/or pursue another master’s degree, a Course Credit Petition must be completed. This petition is available on the Admissions web page (www.uhv.edu/student-records/forms/) or in the Office of the Registrar and Student Records.

Time Limitation

For graduate programs requiring 36 or fewer credit hours to fulfill the degree requirements, the student must complete the requirements within 5 years after formal admission to the program.

For graduate programs requiring more than 36 credit hours to fulfill the degree requirements, the student must complete the program within 7 years after formal admission.

Course credit, either transfer or from UHV, may not apply to any graduate degree if at graduation the course credit is more than 10 years old.

With the exception of programs for which another termination date has been specified, no degree shall be granted for a graduate program not completed within five years of its deletion from this catalog.

Termination of Enrollment

A satisfactory rate of progress toward the degree is required throughout the student’s enrollment. The dean of the school may terminate a student’s enrollment at any time if the rate of progress is not satisfactory. A student whose enrollment is terminated should be so notified with an explanation in writing by the dean of the student’s plan. A copy of this notice and explanation will be made part of the student’s permanent file.

Graduate Program Semester Hour Requirements

The semester hour requirements for graduate programs may vary. At the discretion of the Dean of the academic program, the student may receive up to 25% credit for graduate work taken at another institution that has recognition in some form from the U.S. Department of Education or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. If transferring from a UH System institution, the student may receive up to 50% credit at the discretion of the Dean of the academic program..

Application for Candidacy

Students should refer to respective schools for requirements and procedures for candidacy.

Students failing to fulfill school requirements by the appropriate deadline will have their application for graduation disapproved.

Candidacy applications for graduate students are available in the school offices.

Academic Standards for Graduate Students

1. Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) over all graduate courses attempted at UH-Victoria, regardless of whether the courses are counted toward degree requirements.
2. No more than two courses with earned C’s may be applied toward graduate degree plan requirements.
3. Failure to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) may result in warning, probation or suspension.
4. Graduate students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B) on all courses that appear on the student’s degree plan, including transferred courses.
5. No credit toward a graduate degree is allowed for courses in which grades of D or F are earned, although the grades are included in the grade point average.
6. The thesis grade is not included in the grade point average.
7. Certain graduate courses, as specified annually by the academic school, may be graded as S (satisfactory), U (unsatisfactory) and I (incomplete). Such grades will not be considered in computing a grade point average.

Academic Honesty

To best function and accomplish its objectives, the university expects and encourages all students, faculty, and staff to contribute to an atmosphere of high ethical standards in every way possible and especially by observing all accepted principles of academic honesty. Academic dishonesty may take a variety of forms, ranging from breach of ethics to a criminal offense. The faculty and administration of UH-Victoria view academic dishonesty as a significant breach of ethical conduct which incurs various disciplinary actions. Policies and procedures are outlined in the Academic Honesty policy in the UHV Student Handbook. These policies and procedures are designed to handle these cases in fairness to all concerned: the accused student, the faculty, and the university.

Thesis

Approval of Thesis Proposal

The student may not begin the research prior to the approval of the thesis proposal by the student’s thesis committee (consult particular programs for committee composition). The thesis must present evidence of a mastery of the literature, a significant contribution to knowledge or professional skills and the ability to do independent research.

The final draft of the thesis must be completed and submitted to the committee no later than the following deadlines:

Fall graduation-November 1
Spring graduation-April 1
Summer graduation-July 1

The paragraph regarding “Binding and Distribution of Thesis” on the following pages specifies deadlines for submission of the approved thesis.

Continuous Registration and Credit for Thesis

The student who is working on a thesis is required to be continuously enrolled in the appropriate thesis course for a minimum of 6 semester hours per year (12 months). Advice or assistance from a member of the faculty in the preparation of a thesis may not be expected unless the student is officially enrolled. Failure to enroll in thesis may delay the student’s graduation. Enrollment is required in the semester in which the thesis is completed.

A person who lives in excess of 100 miles from the campus may register in absentia for thesis courses if arrangements are made through  the Office of the Registrar and Student Records at least two weeks before the registration period. Registration for all other students must be completed in the prescribed manner during the announced registration period. The thesis course is considered a part of the student’s current course load.

For acquisition of three thesis credits (6308) a grade of S will be recorded. For completion of the other three credits (6309) a regular grade (A, B, etc.) will be recorded. A grade of I may be assigned in either case to indicate work still in progress. Students are to enroll in 6308 until a grade of S is achieved before registering for 6309. In rare cases where the thesis is likely to be completed in one semester, permission for dual registration may be granted by the dean of the school.

A final grade of B or better is required in the completed thesis. A grade of C indicates that the thesis is not acceptable. Students who are not progressing satisfactorily may be asked to withdraw.

An optional graduate grading system of S (satisfactory), U (unsatisfactory) or I (incomplete) may be elected by any school for a given period, generally the academic year. Grades in the thesis courses whether under the optional or regular grading system, are not considered in computing a student’s grade point average. For the master’s thesis, six semester hours may be earned. Although more than this number may be required of the student, six is the maximum number of hours which may be applied toward the master’s degree.

An oral examination over the research study will be held upon completion of the thesis.

Suggested Format for Thesis

As a general rule, the format and style of presentation should conform to the most acceptable standards of scientific and scholarly writing in the discipline. For example, psychology students should refer to the publication, Manual of the American Psychological Association (available in the Victoria College Bookstore and the Academic Center). The title page must bear the month and year of commencement and the signatures of the thesis committee members.

Before preparing the thesis, the student should obtain a copy of the guide for the preparation and submission of thesis from the advisor.

Binding and Distribution of Thesis

The original and three copies of the approved thesis should be submitted for binding to the Senior Director of the Libraries as early as possible, but no later than 4:00 p.m. on the last day of final exams for the semester or term in which the candidate expects to graduate.

Fall graduation-Last day of final exams for the fall semester (December)
Spring graduation-Last day of final exams for the spring semester (May)
Summer graduation-Last day of final exams for the summer terms (August)

Cost of Binding

The Library will charge the candidate the current binding charge, which may be based on the size of the thesis.

Distribution of Thesis

1. Original-Library Archives (All signatures on this copy must be originals)
2. One copy-Library circulating copy
3. One copy-School office of candidate’s plan (Arts & Sciences, Business Administration or Education)
4. One copy-Chair of candidate’s committee

At the candidate’s option, other copies may be bound for his/her own use.

Choice of Paper

The original copy of the thesis must be printed on acid-free paper.

Copyright

Copyright of your thesis is secured automatically when the thesis is created, and it is “created” when it is fixed in a copy for the first time. However, if you want to register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office, you have two options: (1) you may handle this entirely on your own, or (2) you may submit the appropriate paper work, along with one copy of your thesis (which may be unbound), and the registration fee of $20 to UHVictoria by the deadline date shown above. The university will send all of this to the U.S. Copyright Office for you. (The Library has a packet of materials that explain copyright registration in more detail.)