Planning My Degree

As you plan your four years of coursework toward earning a Plymouth State University degree, you will want to avail yourself of all the resources we offer to assist you in accomplishing your goals. Review the Degree Planning Responsibilities of a Plymouth State University Student to be sure you are fulfilling your obligations.

Making a Four-Year Plan

You should make a four-year plan of how you are going to satisfy your degree program requirements. Plot out each semester’s coursework, remembering that you will need to register for 15 to 16 credits each semester to graduate in four years. Some majors require more than 122 credits so it may not be feasible to accomplish all this in four years. That is why it is necessary to plan carefully so you can determine whether you may need to take Winterim or Summer courses in order to meet the minimum credits required within the four years.

General Education

As part of your plan, remember to include your general education courses. Each degree program requires you to complete courses that satisfy general education requirements in addition to your major course requirements. Some general education courses may be specified in your major. When choosing courses to satisfy general education requirements, look carefully at your major requirements to see which ones, if any, may be specified. To review the General Education Program further, see www.plymouth.edu/undergrad/gened04/.

Curriculum Planning Guide

Curriculum Planning Guides are a paper-copy listing of all courses required for your program of study based on each Academic Catalog. To print a copy for your major, go to www.plymouth.edu/undergrad/curriculum/index.html.

Academic Support Services

During your time here, we suggest you use the resources available to you. Some of these may include the Math Activity Center for help in any math course, the PASS Office (Plymouth Academic Support Services) for tutoring, study skill or exam preparation assistance, or the Writing and Reading Center for assistance in writing papers. You need to remember that we are all here to help you achieve your goal…to earn a Plymouth State University degree. For a listing of available resources, go to Academic Resources.

Transfer Credit Database and form

You may decide to take a course or courses during the summer or winterim sessions at an institution near your home. Be sure to obtain approval prior to registering for the course, to make sure the course is going to transfer back to Plymouth. The following indicates the steps you should take to transfer courses:

Step 1: Obtain a listing of the courses that will be offered at the institution where you plan to take the course.
Step 2: Go to the Transfer Credit Database and enter the name of the institution. A list of courses that have previously been transferred to Plymouth will be in the list. Check to see if the course you wish to take is included in the database list.
Step 3: If the course you wish to take is listed in the Transfer Credit Database as how you would like it to apply, you only need to fill out the top two sections of a Transfer Credit Approval Form ( 421 Kb). These forms are available from the Office of Undergraduate Studies in Speare 208 or online.

If the course you wish to take is not listed in the Transfer Credit Database, you will need to get a course description of the class, and obtain approval for the course from the appropriate department chair (i.e., if the course you want to take is Psychology, you would see the Psychology Department Chair). The department chair fills out Section A of the Transfer Credit Approval form.

Step 4: Return the Transfer Credit Approval form to the Office of Undergraduate Studies.
Step 5: Register for the course.
Step 6: Once you have completed the course, have an official transcript sent to the Office of Undergraduate Studies. Only courses in which you have earned a grade of C or better will transfer back to Plymouth. Only credits transfer, not the grade itself.
Once an official transcript is received and has been verified that you earned at minimum grade of C, the course credits will be added to your Plymouth State University transcript. Be sure to follow up on this to make sure everything has been taken care of.

International Programs

For information on international programs, visit The Bagley Center in Bagley House or go to www.plymouth.edu/career.

Study Abroad

Many students find they want to expand their program of study by studying abroad. To obtain more information on available programs, visit The Bagley Center or go to www.plymouth.edu/career/.

Internships

Internships offer you an opportunity to apply the “book” knowledge you have learned to a real life setting. You participate in practical, hands-on activities in a work setting that affords you a wonderful culminating experience to your college career. For more information about internships for your major, contact your academic advisor, the department chair of your major, or The Bagley Center in Bagley House. For more information from The Bagley Center, you may also go to www.plymouth.edu/career/internships.

Forms

There are a variety of forms that you may need to file at some point during your time at Plymouth. For example, if you want to declare an academic minor, you need to file an Academic Minor Declaration form. To change your major, you need to file an Academic Major and/or Option Declaration or Change form. Forms may be obtained on the wall outside the Registrar’s Office in Speare Building or by going to www.plymouth.edu/registrar/forms.

Double Majors

You may pursue two Bachelor of Arts or two Bachelor of Science majors, but they must be in different disciplines. For example, you may not declare a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Bachelor of Science in Management because they are both in the Business discipline. However, you may choose a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in History because they are in two different disciplines.

You must fulfill the requirements of both majors, including general education requirements. The major requirements of one program will satisfy the upper-division, outside the major requirement for the second program.

Dual Degrees

You may pursue two different degrees, such as a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science. To do so, you must complete a minimum of 30 credits of coursework beyond what is required for the first degree. The degrees must be from different disciplines. For example, you may not declare a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.

Second Degrees

If you already have received a degree from Plymouth State, you may apply for readmission to add a major to that degree. You will be required to follow the most current Academic Catalog at the time of readmission.

Adding a Degree of the same type

If you have earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Plymouth, you may apply for a second Bachelor of Science degree in a different discipline. You, of course, will need to complete the requirements of the second program.

Adding a Degree of a different type

If you wish to major in a different degree program from your first (i.e., you received a Bachelor of Science and now want to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree), you must complete the following:

A minimum of 30 credits of coursework at Plymouth subsequent to the completion of the first bachelor’s degree.
All the requirements of the second degree, including general education requirements that may not have been fulfilled by the first degree.
At least half of the courses in the new major at Plymouth.

If you have received a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from another college or university, you may pursue any of Plymouth’s degree programs. You must complete the following:

A minimum of 30 credits at Plymouth.
At least half of the courses in the new major at Plymouth.

Retroactively adding a Minor or Option

If you have already graduated from Plymouth State, you may apply for readmission to retroactively add a minor or option to their degree. You will be required to follow the requirements of the current Academic Catalog for a minor. You may follow the requirements of your original Academic Catalog for an option, if possible. If this is not possible, you will be required to follow a more current catalog to complete option and general education requirements.

You have reached your Junior year…now what?

As you approach your junior year, be sure to verify all outstanding requirements and process any necessary paperwork. Adjust your four-year plan if needed. Check out Responsibilities of a Junior as well as Preparing to Graduate for more information.