UW-Stevens Point offers six distinct baccalaureate degrees and an associate’s degree. Below, each degree is generally defined. The requirements for the associate’s degree are the same for all students at UW-Stevens Point. For baccalaureate degrees, individual academic programs have the flexibility to determine which degrees are offered through their major and the specific requirements. Academic programs have the responsibility to do so within the framework of the general definitions below and in support of UW-Stevens Point’s general education mission to equip you with the knowledge and skills to facilitate intellectual and personal growth, pursue your advanced studies, and improve the world in which you live.
The requirements below are common to all baccalaureate degrees at UW-Stevens Point:
- Complete the General Education Program (GEP) requirements
- Complete the requirements of a major
- Earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW-Stevens Point
- Earn at least 40 credits at the 300 level or above
- Earn a minimum of 120 credits
- Earn a minimum 2.0 gpa in credits attempted at UW-Stevens Point
- Earn a minimum 2.0 gpa overall, including both UW-Stevens Point and transfer credits
Each academic program will build on the foundation provided by the General Education Program by developing its own mission, goals, and program learning outcomes. In doing so, programs will comply with the following degree requirements, which must be assessed within each major:
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
The BA is a liberal arts degree intended to develop skills and talents essential to succeeding in a global society. It combines study of the arts, humanities, historical perspectives, and the natural and social sciences with advanced critical inquiry and an in-depth knowledge in an academic discipline (major). The program develops cultural, social, and political literacy, including the abilities to communicate effectively and clearly in writing and in speech, and to understand on a basic level a world language other than one’s own.* In so doing, it fosters the ability to understand and actively participate in discourses both within and beyond the field of your major (such as a minor or second major), and it promotes engagement with cultural, social, and political difference.
* A two-semester sequence of university entry level world language courses (101, 102) is required. The requirement may be fulfilled through equivalent coursework or other language acquisition as demonstrated through a test out policy (including Native American languages and American Sign Language). If your native language is not English and you can document formal high school or university study of your native language, then you may use ENGL 101 and ENGL 202 , or ENGL 150 as a means of fulfilling this foreign language requirement.
Bachelor of Science (BS)
The BS is a liberal arts degree intended to develop skills and talents essential to professional work. It combines study of the arts, humanities, historical perspectives, and the natural and social sciences with advanced critical inquiry and an in-depth knowledge in a specific academic discipline (major). The program develops an understanding of empirical analysis, scientific methodology and protocols, and mathematics and quantitative techniques. In so doing, it equips you for continued engagement in professional research within your chosen field.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and
Bachelor of Music (BM)
The BFA and BM are professional degrees focusing intensive study and practice in the fine arts, performing arts, and design fields through a specific academic discipline (major). Essential artistic and intellectual development is achieved through building practical experience, repertoire, and mastery within the chosen discipline and through critical inquiry into cultural, historical, and technical aspects relevant to the defined profession. Standards for the BFA and BM are established by national accreditation agencies and implemented in the major at the department level.
Bachelor of Applied Studies (BAS)
The BAS is a liberal arts degree completion program intended to develop skills and talents essential to succeeding in a global society*. The BAS program of study provides a four-year degree option for adult students to pursue advanced career opportunities and thereby strengthen the communities in which they work and live. The BAS curriculum combines advanced coursework in communication and leadership with study of the arts, humanities, historical perspectives, and the natural and social sciences. The program develops cultural , social, and political literacy, and builds the abilities to communicate effectively in writing and in speech and to exercise leadership skills.
*If you’re entering the BAS program you must have completed an Applied Associate degree from a Technical College. The BAS requires completion of at least 120 credit hours, and up to 72 credits may be awarded for coursework previously completed for the Applied Associate degree. Once enrolled in the BAS program, you will also be required to complete the General Education Program (GEP) requirements. Many of the courses required for the BAS will also satisfy the GEP requirements.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
The BSN provides a baccalaureate degree option for nursing professionals who are currently licensed in the State of Wisconsin to explore a greater variety of professional roles and responsibilities. At UW-Stevens Point, this degree program is a degree completion program for registered nurses who possess an Associate or Diploma Degree from a nationally accredited nursing program. The BSN degree requires completion of General Education Program (GEP) requirements and additional coursework in nursing and related disciplines.
Relationship Between General Education Program and Degree Types
The General Education Program (GEP) applies to all students regardless of degree type (BA, BS, BM, BFA, BAS, and BSN). In addition to the GEP, there are degree requirements for the BA, BS, BM, BFA, BAS, and BSN which have been integrated into majors. See the General Education Program section in this Catalog.
Earning Multiple Baccalaureate Degrees
Upon the implementation of the new GEP and the new degree type requirements, you will be permitted to receive two separate diplomas if you complete the requirements for multiple different baccalaureate degree types concurrently.
You may want to return to school after graduating to complete additional majors or minors. You may do so without earning a second degree. However, if you have earned one bachelor’s degree, you may subsequently earn a second by completing all requirements for the second degree.
You may use courses you completed for your first degree to satisfy requirements for your second degree. The major for your second degree must be an approved major for that degree.
Associate Degree (AD)
The Associate Degree (A.D.) is a liberal arts foundational degree for many college majors and is confirmation of an important accomplishment on the path to a bachelor’s degree. Meeting the four program outcomes of the General Education Program requires the following: demonstrate the critical thinking, quantitative, and communication skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing global society; demonstrate a broad knowledge of the physical, social, and cultural worlds as well as the methods by which this knowledge is produced; recognize that responsible global citizenship involves personal accountability, social equity, and environmental sustainability; and be able to apply this knowledge and skills, working in interdisciplinary ways to solve problems. The Associate Degree requires the completion of the General Education Program, except for the Communication in the Major and the Capstone Experience in the Major.
The following requirements apply to all Associate Degrees at UW-Stevens Point:
- Complete the General Education Program requirements, except for Communication in the Major and Capstone in the Major
- Earn a minimum of 15 credits in residence at UW-Stevens Point
- Earn a minimum of 60 credits.
- Meet the UW System associate degree guidelines.
- Earn a minimum 2.0 gpa in credits attempted at UW-Stevens Point
- Earn a minimum 2.0 gpa overall, including both UW-Stevens Point and transfer credits
If you want to pursue a Bachelor Degree, be sure to tell your adviser. Your adviser can help you select elective credits which may be applied to your future major for the Bachelor Degree.
For more information about the Associate Degree requirements, please visit:
Academic and Career Advising Center
Room 320 Albertson Hall
Phone: 715-346-3226
Email: acac@uwsp.edu
Certificate Programs
Certificate programs are groupings of courses that are usually interdisciplinary and are different from any specific UW-Stevens Point major or minor. Certificate programs are recognized by various professional organizations and industries. They are designed to enhance your career goals and/or eligibility for membership in some professional organizations. Contact your adviser, Continuing Education and Outreach, or the appropriate academic department for more details.
Transferred Credits
We use only the credits and grade points you earn at UW-Stevens Point in determining your cumulative grade point average. However, transfer credits and grades are included in the calculation of the grade point average in most majors and minors and in the determination of graduation honors.
You may use credits with grades of D or better that transfer-red from an accredited institution toward graduation. You may also use them to meet your requirements and prerequisites for specific courses, but not necessarily toward your major.
Because different institutions use different course numbering systems, we may not consider a course numbered 300 or above at another institution to be equivalent to a course we number 300 or above here. Direct any questions about the transfer of your credits to the Admissions Office, Room 102, Student Services Center.
If you earn the last credits toward your degree at another college or university, have a transcript of these credits sent to the Office of the Registrar, UW-Stevens Point, 1108 Fremont Street, Stevens Point WI 54481-3897, within 30 days after the date of the UW-Stevens Point graduation. If you fail to meet this deadline, your degree will not be awarded until the next graduation.
Programs by Degree Type
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