University Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate degree requirements consist of Dearborn Discovery Core, minimum grade point averages, minimum credit hours, placement exams, and a senior-residency requirement. Undergraduate students must elect to follow (a) the degree requirements in the catalog current in their first term of enrollment after admission or readmission or (b) degree requirements in a subsequent catalogue as long as they were enrolled in a term in which it was in effect. Students may not mix catalogs.

Minimum Total Credit Hours and Grade Point Average

A minimum of 120 credit hours with an overall average of C (2.00) or better is required for graduation.

Upper-Level Coursework

A minimum of 48 hours of upper-level (courses numbered 300-499 and 3000-4999) coursework must be completed by each student. 

Pass/Fail Course Limit for Degree

Up to four courses taken with the Pass/Fail option --- excluding courses counting towards the major(s), cognates, or minor(s) --- by students may be accepted for credit towards a degree.

College of Engineering and Computer Science Upper-Level Coursework

Students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science must complete at least 30 credit hours of upper-level CECS course work at UM-Dearborn of the degree program in which enrolled.

Major Credit Hours Requirement

A student must successfully complete at least half of the credit hours required for a major at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Senior Residency for a Degree

In order to qualify for an undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, a student can take no more than the equivalent of two courses of the students’  last 36 credits for a degree at another higher education institution. Restrictions on maximum transfer credit hours must be observed.

Transfer Residency Requirement

Transfer students must complete at UM-Dearborn the last 30 to 58 credit hours before graduation. The precise number depends on the previously attended institution(s) and the maximum number of transferable credits. Institutions are classified into three categories: (2Y) includes all two-year institutions, (4Y) includes all four-year institutions other than the schools and colleges of the University of Michigan, (UM) includes only the schools and colleges of the University of Michigan. The table below gives the minimum residency requirements for transfer students.

Previously Attended Institutions UM-Dearborn
2Y (only) 58
4Y (only) 45
2Y & 4Y 45
UM (only) 30
2Y & UM 30
4Y & UM 30
2Y, 4Y, & UM 30
 

Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and A level coursework is treated the same as coursework from a four-year institution. 

Foreign Language Requirement for the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters

 

The College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters requires all students to satisfy its foreign language distribution requirement in order to obtain a degree. The requirement can be met by:

  • Successfully completing a two-semester beginning language sequence at UM-Dearborn, or

  • Receiving the approval from the college to transfer the equivalent of 8 semester hours of a beginning language sequence from another institution, or

  • Successfully completing a 3 or 4 hour foreign language course (not taught in English) at the 102 level or higher, or

  • Completing at least 3 years of foreign language (in the same language) in high school with a grade of "C" or better in the final course. Submit a petition.

Those students who wish to meet the the college’s foreign language requirement based on study or experience other than that outlined above may do so by:

  • Completing the equivalent of a high school degree from a school that used a language other than English for instruction. (Appropriate documentation attesting to the language of instruction and graduation from the high school program is necessary and official English translations of foreign transcripts are required. *Submit a petition.), or

  • Passing an oral and written foreign language proficiency exam.​

Dual Degree Requirements

Students may complete two or more degrees at UM-Dearborn at the same time. To earn both degrees, students must meet the requirements for each degree and earn at least 30 credit hours (at least a minimum of 150 credit hours) beyond the first degree (regardless of the number of credit hours completed for the first degree), if the first degree was earned at UM-Dearborn. 

Second Degree Requirements

A student who has already earned a bachelor degree from UM-Dearborn or any other accredited collegiate institution may apply to pursue a second bachelor degree through the Admissions Office (1145 Renick University Center). If accepted, the student must complete at UM-Dearborn at least an additional 30 credit hours (regardless of the number of credit hours completed for the first degree), if the first degree was earned at UM-Dearborn; or 45 credit hours, if the first degree was earned elsewhere; and must satisfy all the requirements for the second degree program. The GPA for the second degree will be based on the cumulative academic records of all courses taken at UM-Dearborn. 

Second Degree Requirements for Post-Baccalaureate Students in the College of Business

Satisfactory completion of the BBA Prerequisite Requirements, Dearborn Discovery Core, BBA Core, and major coursework required for the degree sought.

Satisfactory completion of at least 30 semester hours of coursework while enrolled in the College of Business as a post-baccalaureate student; at least 21 hours of this course-work must be in courses offered by the College of Business.

Achievement of at least a 2.0 grade point average in all coursework and in courses offered by the College of Business.

Concurrent Degrees

UM-Dearborn also offers concurrent degrees for students where the two degree programs overlap significantly in course content. In order to obtain the concurrent degrees, students must complete at least 15 credit hour beyond the degree with the highest required credit hours.  Both degrees must be earned at the same time. 

Graduation Honors

Chancellor's Medallion

The Chancellor's Medallion is awarded at each Commencement Exercise to UM-Dearborn graduates. The students are selected based on their quality of character, vitality, intellect, integrity and academic record. The December awardees are selected from August degree recipients and December degree candidates. The April/May awardees are selected from April/May degree candidates.

With Distinction

Students who graduate and have obtained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 but less than 3.6 are recommended for graduation "With Distinction”. Such distinctions are noted on transcripts and diplomas.

With High Distinction

Students who graduate and have obtained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.6 are recommended for graduation “With High Distinction”. Such distinctions are noted on transcripts and diplomas.