Graduation Requirements

Graduation Planning

Degrees are conferred three times each year, at the close of the fall and spring semesters and at the close of summer sessions. Commencement ceremonies are held in May and December in Denton and Houston.

Degree Plan Deadline:  At least one year before the intended semester of graduation, any student planning to graduate must submit an Undergraduate Degree Plan Verification Form, signed by their advisor, to the Registrar’s Office.

Application Deadlines for Graduation: A student must apply to graduate online through the Pioneer Portal by the published deadline, which is the census date of the graduating term. (See the academic calendar and the Registrar’s website for specific deadlines.) All undergraduate applicants must have earned at least 90 semester credit hours and be in good academic standing on the application deadline date.

Students are urged to check under the "My Progress" tab in Student Self-Service that their Degree Plan shows completion or pending completion on all requirements prior to applying for graduation. A non-refundable graduation application fee of $40.00 will be charged at the time of application.

Application Roll-Over

TWU will allow a student to move their graduation application forward to the next term twice without paying a new graduation application fee. A Request to Change Graduating Term form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the published deadline, typically six weeks from the end of the long term and four weeks from the end of the summer term (see the academic calendar for specific deadlines).

Grade Point Requirements

A graduating senior must have at least an overall 2.0 in all coursework, a 2.0 in TWU coursework, and a 2.0 in major, minor, and core courses by the beginning of the intended semester of graduation. A course that has been repeated is counted only once, and the higher grade is counted for repeated coursework in determining grade points accumulated. Transcripts and diplomas are withheld if the student is indebted to the University.

Credit-by-examination courses will not be considered when computing the grade point average to determine eligibility for graduation. A course in which the student has made a grade of F cannot be repeated by correspondence for credit. The Office of the Registrar keeps an accurate record of the number of semester credit hours each student has earned.

Residency Requirements

  1. A minimum of 25% of the semester credit hours must be at TWU.

  2. At least one-half of the upper-level courses in the major and at least one-half of the upper-level courses in the minor must be completed at the University. Correspondence and credit-by-examination courses do not satisfy residence requirements for graduation.

Advanced Semester Credit Hours Requirement

A minimum of 36 advanced semester credit hours is required for any baccalaureate degree. An advanced course for a baccalaureate degree is one that is numbered 3000 or 4000.

Transfer Work Needed for Degree Completion

All transfer work required for degree completion must be received by TWU within four weeks of the end of the term for which a student has applied to graduate. Transfer work not received by this deadline or failure to apply to have the graduation application forwarded to a future term by the rollover deadline will require the student to reapply to graduate the following term (with a new application fee assessed).

Summary of University Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree

This catalog is designed to assist the student and academic advisor in planning and scheduling a degree program. Each student should keep in mind, however, that she or he alone is ultimately responsible for understanding and fulfilling all degree requirements. Students are responsible for their own degree plans and for the completion of all requirements for the degrees that they seek. Below are the minimum  requirements for undergraduate degrees:

  • Completion of core curriculum with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher

  • Completion of three semester credit hours for global perspectives requirement

  • Overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher

  • TWU grade point average of 2.0 or higher

  • Major and minor 2.0 grade point average or higher

  • No grades of Incomplete on the transcript

  • Successful completion of a minimum of 120 semester credit hours

  • Successful completion of a minimum of 36 advanced semester credit hours

  • Successful completion of a major or an approved degree program, verified in the My Progress degree plan located in Student Self-Service.

  • Successful completion of residency requirements:

    • 25% of all semester credit hours required for the degree at TWU

    • half of major upper-level and half of minor upper-level courses at TWU

  • Successful completion of comprehensive examinations where applicable

  • Successful completion of all departmental, legislative, and University course requirements. See degree plans and websites for academic programs’ requirements.

Global Perspectives Graduation Requirement

Living in an interconnected global society requires an appreciation of the complexity and interdependency of world events and issues. Undergraduate education at TWU aims to broaden students’ perspectives, expand the boundaries of their conversations, and provide them with opportunities to recognize and understand other worldviews. To meet this goal, all undergraduates who enroll at TWU must complete three (3) semester credit hours of approved global perspectives. Courses designated to satisfy the global perspectives graduation requirement are identified in the course description, are listed in the undergraduate catalog, and may be identified online in the Course Search through Webadvisor.

Double Major

Students may earn a degree with a double major by completing all requirements set forth by each major. To qualify as a double major, both majors must be the same degree type (BA, BS, BBA, etc.) and be awarded in the same semester. Two majors that do not share a common degree type constitute two separate degrees (see Second Baccalaureate Degree requirements). If a student in pursuit of a double major chooses to graduate with one major before completing both, the student will have to reapply to the institution to pursue a second baccalaureate degree (see Second Baccalaureate Degree requirements).

Students earning a degree with a double major will receive a single diploma listing the degree (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, etc.) with both majors. The academic transcript will show a single degree posting with both majors listed.

Second Baccalaureate Degree Conferred at the Same Commencement

In departments where the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees are awarded in the same field, a student completing the prescribed courses in one of the majors and earning a minimum of 135 semester credit hours, 42 advanced hours, and all the requirements of the second baccalaureate degree may receive both degrees at the same commencement.

When a second baccalaureate degree is desired in a field other than that covered by the first degree, the student must earn a minimum of 30 additional semester credit hours, including 12 advanced hours in the second field, and must meet all catalog requirements for the second degree.

Second Baccalaureate Degree

When an additional baccalaureate degree is desired in a field other than that covered by the first degree, the student must meet all the catalog requirements for the second major.  A student who pursues an additional bachelor's degree must:

  • hold a valid bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university;
  • complete a minimum of 30 additional semester credit hours in residence at TWU, including half the major or a minimum of 15 advanced hours; and
  • complete the state-mandated credits in history and government if they were not completed for the first degree.

Courses taken for prior baccalaureate degrees may be used for the next degree except for the required 30 additional semester credit hours.  These degree requirements apply to students holding a baccalaureate degree from TWU or other accredited institutions.

Senior Registration for Graduate Studies

In the last semester of their undergraduate degree program at TWU, students who are within 12 semester credit hours of a baccalaureate degree will be permitted to register for courses that may be applied toward meeting the requirement for the master’s degree, provided that the total registration does not exceed 16 semester credit hours and proper application is made to the Dean of the Graduate School before registering for such courses. Students must have filed a Degree Plan Verification form and a Proof of Eligibility form with the Office of the Registrar before enrolling in graduate-level courses.

No work completed by an undergraduate student shall apply to a graduate degree except for the work completed by seniors as provided for in this section. No work which is regularly a part of an undergraduate program shall apply toward a graduate degree, except for Texas Woman’s University seniors who have made special application at the time of registration for graduate credit for certain specific courses to be applied toward a graduate program approved by their major department and by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Graduation Honors Recognition

Graduating seniors (those receiving a baccalaureate degree) whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) reflects excellent scholarship are awarded their degree cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude. A minimum of 30 semester credit hours must be earned at TWU before the final semester to qualify for this recognition. The cumulative GPA ranges for these graduation honors designations are listed below.

Honors GPA
Summa Cum Laude 3.900 and above
Magna Cum Laude 3.700 - 3.899
Cum Laude 3.500 - 3.699

Graduation honors recognition at the commencement ceremony is based on the cumulative GPA at the end of the semester prior to the final semester. Graduation honors recognition, as recorded on the diploma or posted to the official transcript, is based on the cumulative GPA at the end of the final semester.