The Community of Educators (COE) Handbook (section 8) is a resource on academic policy and procedure.
Students must complete the electronic form, Change of Major Request.
Students must complete the electronic form, Change of Minor, Concentration, Certificate.
When a student is completing more than one program, at least 12 credits in a minor, 24 credits in a major, and 8 credits in a concentration must be unique to each program. Before declaring a second major or minor, students should consult their Academic Advisor to confirm compliance with this policy.
A student pursuing a double major must determine which is the primary major and which is the secondary. The primary major determines whether a B.A. or a B.S. will be granted. The primary major is also the standard by which General Education, other requirements, and the degree are determined. Each major must have a minimum of 24 unique credits. A student completing a double major receives only one diploma and one degree representative of the primary major.
A dual degree is the concurrent awarding of two different majors, each eligible to earn a different baccalaureate degree type (e.g. a B.A. and a B.S.). In order to graduate with dual degrees, the following conditions must be met:
1. Each major must have a minimum of 24 unique credits.
2. The student completes the General Education requirements related to each major.
3. At least 30 additional credits beyond the larger baccalaureate degree program are completed. (Since Messiah's baccalaureate programs currently range from 123 to 128 credits, anyone completing two degrees must currently complete from 153-158 credits).
The degree audit is a tool used by students, academic advisors and the Registrar’s Office to display and track a student’s curriculum requirements for graduation. You may access your degree audit in FalconLink; search for Degreeworks (Student).
Before contacting your advisor or the Registrar’s Office, click the “Process New” button first, which causes DegreeWorks to recalculate and redisplay any information that has changed since the last time you viewed it. If there are still questions, email degreecertification@messiah.edu and a representative from the Registrar’s office will follow up with you.
The Registrar’s Office strongly encourages students to have transfer work pre-approved before enrolling in a course. Failure to do so may jeopardize meeting the requirement, as it may not be approved for the requirement you are intending.
You may review courses already evaluated by the Registrar’s Office in the Transfer Course Equivalency Database. If you do not find the course you are looking for, or you’d like it to meet a different requirement, complete the Approval for Transfer Credit Form. Credit will be granted for transfer work in which grades of "C" or better are earned from a regionally accredited institution.
A student may repeat any course in which a grade of D+, D, or F was received. With repeated courses, the second grade and credits count in the calculation of the student's cumulative GPA, but the original grade and course will remain on the student's transcript. All repeat courses must be taken at Messiah University, including approved off-campus program, subject to the assessment of course equivalency.
Grade point average is determined by dividing the number of quality points earned by the number of graded credits attempted. Credit hours in which the student receive a "P" (passing grade) count toward the total credits earned but not toward the GPA. Credit hours in which the student receives an “F” are calculated in the GPA.
Credits transferred from other institutions do not carry quality points and are therefore not computed in the GPA.
Academic policy requires that the last 30 credits preceding the conferring of the degree be earned at Messiah University with a minimum of 12 credits in the major. To request an exception to this policy, an Academic Policy Petition must be submitted to the Registrar's Office.
1. 123 hours of credit, except as noted in the requirements for selected majors.
2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) for all academic work.
3. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) for all work listed as specific requirements for the major.
4. The last 30 credits preceding the conferring of the degree earned at Messiah University with a minimum of 12 credits in the major.
5. For transfer students, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) for hours required at Messiah University for graduation.
6. Completion of a major with requirements as specified by the respective academic department.
7. Completion of all General Education requirements.