degree requirements and academic planning

The Undergraduate Bulletin 

The Undergraduate Bulletin (also called the Undergraduate Catalog or General Bulletin) is available exclusively online! It can answer almost any question you have about prerequisites, majors, minors, General Education, course descriptions, and more. Go to the Bulletin online, then click on the Undergraduate Bulletin that corresponds with your catalog year. In most cases, your catalog year is the academic year in which you started at Appalachian. Once you have opened your Undergraduate Bulletin, click on Programs of Study to find the requirements for your major. This catalog will provide you with details on courses including whether it is typically offered during a specific semester, what the course entails, and what prerequisites you need in order to take the course. 

Programs of Study (POS) 

Your major Program of Study is one of the most important tools you will use in planning your classes each semester. The POS is the faculty-approved document that spells out the courses you are required to take for a particular major. Programs of Study vary, but they typically outline how many hours you will take for Gen Ed, the major, a foreign language (if required), a minor or concentration, and free electives. Get familiar with your POS and ask your advisor if you have any questions about it. Remember to always use the Bulletin and Program of Study that corresponds with your catalog year—that’s the academic year in which you started at Appalachian. 

DegreeWorks 

DegreeWorks is an important online tool you will use to track your progress toward graduation. Although you’ll still need to use your Advising Planner, the Undergraduate Bulletin, and your Program of Study, DegreeWorks offers some interactive features that you will want to take advantage of like a GPA calculator and a “What If ” option that lets you compare requirements for different majors. Your advisor will also make notes in DegreeWorks that you can access later.

Choosing your General Education Themes 

In order for DegreeWorks to work best for you, you need to choose your General Education Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) theme and your Science Inquiry theme in AppalNet Self Service. It’s easy! Login to AppalNet Self Service; then choose the “Student” tab and look for the “General Education Theme Selection” option. You can always change your selections later if necessary. DegreeWorks is a valuable tool, but remember it is not an official graduation audit or an official transcript. 

Starting your own academic plan is a great way to make sure you can graduate on time. Here are some tips for planning your time at Appalachian:

• Review your major’s Program of Study.

• Use your major’s Four-Year Guide to start creating your personalized FYG!  Look for the FYG icon at the top of the Program of 

• If you know your major, you can take a combination of major and General Education courses. 

• If you aren’t sure of your major, focus on taking General Education classes in your first semester.

• The math you will take may depend on your major. See your POS for math requirements. If you are unsure of your major, discuss math options with your advisor.

• It is recommended for students who need both UCO 1200 and RC 1000 to take one of these courses in their first semester and one in their second semester. 

• Deciding on your major early is key to finishing in four years! Take advantage of the campus resources that can help you make the decision. 

Some of the factors that might increase your length of time to graduation are: 

• Taking fewer hours than advised per semester

• Changing majors

• Dropping, failing, or repeating courses

• Taking unnecessary or inappropriate courses

• Transferring from one institution to another

• Adding a second major or minor

• Delaying entry into specific degree-granting programs

• Withdrawing from school for a semester or more

• Entering Appalachian with an incomplete academic background, therefore, requiring developmental courses. 

Four-Year Guides 

Four-year Guides are meant as examples of how a degree can be completed in four years. Individual guides will be developed for each student in consultation with the academic advisor. Prior credit, course availability, and student needs must be considered in developing your individual guide. By using a Four Year Guide, your major Program of Study, and DegreeWorks, you can begin to map out your first few semesters at Appalachian. 

Maintaining Good Academic Standing

To continue at Appalachian in good academic standing, you must maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA. Students who fall below this standard will be placed on academic probation and will have two regular semesters in which to regain good standing before being academically suspended. (Exception: see 0.0 GPA Policy on the "working with your advisor page", under the "quick guide to academic policies" drop-down).

There Are Lots of Reasons to Stay Above “C” Level! 

Keep in mind that the more hours you earn, the harder it will be to raise your cumulative GPA if it falls below a 2.0. Some majors at Appalachian require an even higher GPA for admission or to stay in the program, and of course, employers want to hire students with evidence of strong academic performance, so maintaining a solid GPA is always a good idea. If you plan to go to graduate or professional school, you will likely need a very high GPA. Talk to your advisor if you are concerned about your GPA.

Making Satisfactory Academic Progress

In addition to maintaining a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, students must make satisfactory academic progress by earning at least 67% of the hours they attempt. Attempted hours include credits from courses you took and completed at Appalachian (regardless of the grade earned), courses from which you withdrew or dropped after the drop/add period (the first five days of the semester), courses you repeated at Appalachian and developmental courses (MAT 0010). Students who fail to achieve this ratio will receive an academic probation warning notice at the end of the semester. Failing to make satisfactory academic progress alone does not result in academic suspension, but it does signal that you may soon be in academic difficulty or indicate that you are not on track to graduate in four years. You should always consult with your academic advisor if you are on academic probation for a low GPA. Also consult with your advisor if you are on academic probation warning because of your ratio of earned hours to attempted hours. You can view your grades and cumulative GPA at the end of each semester by looking at your final grade report or your unofficial transcript in AppalNet. DegreeWorks also displays your overall GPA and grades for each class you have completed.

Academic Probation and Suspension

To continue at Appalachian in good academic standing or to return to good standing after being on probation, undergraduate students must maintain a:

1. 2.0 cumulative grade point average

2. 67% ratio or higher of cumulative earned credit hours to cumulative attempted credit hours

If you do not meet the cumulative 2.0 GPA requirement, your grade report will indicate one of the following: 

1. Academic Probation (First probation semester)

2. Continued Probation (Second probation semester) 

3. Suspended (Suspension from Appalachian) 

If you use both of your probation semesters and your grades are still not high enough to meet the academic standards or if you make a 0.0 GPA during your first semester, you will be suspended. If you fail to achieve the 67% ratio of earned to attempted hours, you will receive a warning, which should prompt you to make some changes to avoid future academic difficulty. 

0.0 GPA in the First Semester Policy

The exception to the two-semester probation policy is that any undergraduate, degree-seeking, full-time student enrolled in his/her first semester (fall or spring) at Appalachian will be academically suspended if he/she receives a GPA of 0.0 (including “I” Incomplete grades) for that semester. Full-time students are defined for these purposes as students who are registered for 12 or more hours at the end of the drop/add period. A student who is suspended under the 0.0 in the first-semester policy does NOT receive the two semesters of probation and, upon his/her return, must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA or will again be academically suspended. 

Students who are academically suspended under either of these policies can return to Appalachian for summer sessions or under one of the Forgiveness policies but should first meet with an academic advisor (Refer to the “Academic Regulations” section of the Undergraduate Bulletin. 

How to Predict my GPA

An online GPA calculator is available in DegreeWorks via the Term Calculator option.

Effective Strategies for Students on Academic Probation

• Reflect and Be Proactive | Examine the factors that led to your academic situation and reflect on ways to adopt positive behaviors. 

• Meet with your academic advisor | Develop a plan for academic improvement that might include repeating a course, taking a study skills course, limiting the number of hours in your job, or taking a reduced course load if necessary. In your first semester of probation, you will be required to attend an Academic Success Workshop (ASW) and meet with your academic advisor. 

• Utilize the resources on campus | Refer to the resources in this Mountaineer Advising Planner and ask your advisor for recommendations on where to get help. 

• Use the Grade Forgiveness Policy | You may retake up to four different courses in which the new grade replaces the initial grade in your GPA. This is the fastest way to improve your grade point average. Discuss retaking courses with your academic advisor; they can help you crunch the numbers to see how many courses you should retake and how soon. 

• Attend summer session(s) at Appalachian | Summer sessions do not count as probation semesters for GPA purposes. You may always (even if you’ve been suspended) attend summer sessions at Appalachian to try to improve your grade point average. But take note: consult with your academic advisor before enrolling in summer school to regain good standing because it might not be a good idea in your case. Also note that courses taken at other schools do not affect your grade point average because only hours transfer, not grades. All courses retaken to replace the initial grade must be retaken at Appalachian. Even though grades from other schools don’t affect your GPA here, some majors at Appalachian do consider all grades from all institutions when determining admission to their program. 

• Know important dates and deadlines | You may access the Academic Calendar. It is important to be familiar with information posted in the academic calendar: last day of drop/add and the final day to use a career drop or withdraw from the University.