Degree Requirements for Graduation

Associate of Arts Degree

• Candidates for Associate of Arts degrees must have completed 37 semester hours of General Education.
• Candidates for the Associate degrees must have passed at least 62-66 semester hours, including the minimum 36 hours of general education.
• Candidates for Associate degrees must have earned a “C” average for all college coursework.
• Candidates for Associate degrees must pay in full all current debts to the College.

Bachelor Degrees

Candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science must have passed at least 124 semester hours, including at least 27 and not more than 48 semester hours in a subject chosen as a major. The following hours will not count toward graduation: developmental or remedial courses and repeated courses.

Candidates must have earned a “C” average. A candidate’s average is based upon all courses in which the candidate received a letter grade at Tougaloo College. The average is not based merely upon courses taken to meet the requirements for a major. 

A department will require its majors to take a certain number of semester hours within the department (excluding an emphasis). To graduate, a candidate must not receive a grade lower than a “C” in courses required or elected for the major.

During the senior year, students are required to prepare and submit a comprehensive senior thesis.

Degree candidates, in each department, may also require their majors to pass a comprehensive examination in the major field, or to submit an acceptable score on a national test, such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Assessment Test (GMAT). Students majoring in Elementary Education, as well as Health and Physical Education, are required to take the PRAXIS.

Degree candidates must demonstrate competency level reading skills through the ACT or SAT score.

Candidates for graduation must pay in full all current debts to the College.

Unless specifically stated otherwise (e.g., accelerated or early identification programs) and/or in the case where the Provost/Vice President Academic Affairs grants a written exception, candidates who entered Tougaloo College with advanced standing must spend the final academic year in residence. During this period, they must enroll in at least thirty {30) semester hours of credit and must achieve an average of “C” or higher.

In addition to meeting all other requirements for graduation as specified by Tougaloo College and the major department, any student who receives a degree from Tougaloo College must complete at least 25% of the required credits at Tougaloo College. Unless specifically stated otherwise (e.g., accelerated or early identification programs) and/or in the case where the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs grants a written exception, the final 30 semester hours for the degree must be completed at Tougaloo College.

Following completion of the sophomore year and prior to graduation, the student must complete 60 hours of community service as approved by the chair of the department in which he or she is majoring. The requirement may be met by working at an approved social agency or by completing a project designed by the student and approved by the school dean and the student’s department chair. The project may or may not be in the student’s major and may not be done for pay.

Application for a Degree

Each student is required to apply for graduation in the Office of the Registrar by the dates on the published Academic Calendar. This date also applies to students who plan to complete their work in the summer (August). If the student does not complete graduation requirements by the date on the original form, the student must reapply for the following year.

A nonrefundable graduation fee is assessed. Graduation fee information is provided by the Office of the Registrar. There is a cost to reorder a diploma for former graduates.

Honors at Graduation

Honors will be awarded to students meeting the following scholarship standards at graduation:

Community Service Requirement

Sixty (60) clock hours of community service are required for graduation. Such service shall be rendered after the second semester and may be in any non-profit community or social service agency or organization that seeks to serve the social needs of the most vulnerable members of the community and has been approved by the college. Projects may be completed at any point in the school year or summer but must be done under the mentorship of an approved person who will certify and evaluate the service. Service shall not be done for pay, although some social agencies might assist students with the cost of transportation and other expenses associated with the task.

Each student is required to write a reflective essay detailing her/his community service experience and its benefits. This essay, along with the mentor’s evaluation and other relevant documentation, will become a part of the student’s portfolio and will be used to help provide the kind of assessment needed to gauge the expected student outcomes. The project may or may not be in the student’s major, but it must demand that the student deal with multidimensional problems and situations and use a variety of intellectual resources and interpersonal and leadership skills.

Academic Schools

The college curriculum is divided into four (4) schools: Education, Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.

The Degree

Tougaloo College confers five degrees: Master of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work, and Associate of Arts. Students who complete Master of Teaching in Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Master of Child Development will earn an M.A. degree.   Students who complete a major in Elementary Education, Economics with an Accounting or Business Administration emphasis, English Education, Biology Education, Chemistry Education, English, History, History Education, Music, Music Education, Health and Physical Education, Health and Recreation, Physics Education, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology receive a B.A. degree. Students who complete a major in Biology, Chemistry, Chemistry for Health Professionals, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Mathematics, or Physics will earn a B.S. degree. Students who complete a major in Social Work will earn a BSW degree. Students who complete the requirements for certain specialized programs may receive the Associate of Arts Degree under the Department listings.  

The Major

By or before the end of their first year, students must select a discipline or area in which they will concentrate their study during the remainder of their college tenure. The discipline or subject area so selected is referred to as a major. Through the pursuit of a given major, students should develop a basic understanding of the concepts and principles of a discipline as well as of skills associated with related practical applications. At least one member of the major department serves as an advisor to students and consults with them concerning all courses to be taken in pursuit of the degree. In addition, students will choose courses to prepare for graduate school, to become certified to teach or to satisfy a desire for intellectual exploration. Students are required to complete a Major/Minor Declaration Form via the Loo in consultation with the academic advisor.

The Minor

Although not required for graduation, students may wish to take a cluster of 15-21 hours of course credit in an area of study specifically designated by a program as a minor. No grade below “C” is allowed in any course in the minor. A minor may not be completed by itself, independent of a major at the bachelor’s degree level. This means you cannot earn a minor after you have already earned your bachelor’s degree(s). You need at least one active major in order to pursue a minor. See individual programs offering a minor for requirements.  Students are required to complete a Major/Minor Declaration Form via the Loo in consultation with the academic advisor.

The Emphasis

The emphasis is a specialization within the student’s declared major.

Double Major

Students who take a double major must meet all requirements of each major and all general education requirements.

Double Dipping Across Academic Requirements

Double dipping at Tougaloo College is defined as using a single course, outside of the curriculum, to count toward multiple graduation requirements.

• Students are not allowed to major and minor in the same academic discipline.
• Double-dipping is permitted for two (2) courses or six (6) credit hours satisfying requirements in a minor of a different discipline or for two (2) different minors.

Dual Degree Programs

• Participants in a dual degree program should be identified as early as possible, and not later than the first semester of the sophomore year.
• The Registrar and the head of the appropriate major department should review the student’s record.
• Students should meet all requirements of the specific dual degree program at Tougaloo College before they enroll in the second institution.
• Students should be given a copy of their dual degree status sheet by the end of their sophomore year.
• Annual progress reports and a transcript of the student’s work at the second institution should be sent to the Registrar’s Office at Tougaloo College.

Participation in Baccalaureate and Commencement Policy

Candidates for degree are required to participate in baccalaureate and commencement ceremonies.