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Degrees

Students are responsible for making satisfactory progress toward, and to fulfill all requirements for the degree sought. Students have access to various resources to help them make progress, including Degree Progress Reports, Degree Planner, Academic Advisors, and the school/colleges' Deans' Offices. 

To receive a bachelor’s degree from the University, students must earn a minimum of 120 credit hours. Some degrees or programs may require more. Regardless of the required minimum credits, students must have a C average (2.0) or better, as well as a C average (2.0) for all work done at the University of Miami.

Students must also meet all of the degree requirements of their respective schools. They should not expect requirements in composition, mathematics, foreign languages, or other subject areas to be waived for any reason.

  • In addition, each student must complete at least half of the credit hours specified for his or her major in residence at the University of Miami; some programs may require more.  
  • Not more than 30 credit hours of correspondence work and extension work combined will be accepted toward a degree, and neither correspondence nor extension work may be credited as a part of the last 45 credit hours of the student’s program. Correspondence or extension coursework taken elsewhere must be evaluated and approved by the appropriate academic department.
  • Not more than 30 credit hours based on military experience will be awarded toward the degree. Military experience is evaluated and approved on an individual basis and may or may not be accepted for credit or toward degree requirements. 
  • Credit hours earned in a manner other than by course registration, i.e. proficiency examination, CLEP, placement tests, etc., may not be used to meet the final 45 credit hour residency requirement, however such credit by examination may be earned while the student is enrolled in the courses needed to meet the final 45 credit-hour residency requirement. The awarding of credits outside of course enrollment must be approved by the appropriate academic department(s).
  • Once a degree has been awarded, no changes will be made to the academic record. This includes but is not limited to transfer work, course enrollment, grades, and credits awarded. 

Declaring a Major, Minor or Cognate

All students must declare, as part of their degree, a major, minor, and/or cognate1. The required declarations may vary depending on the degree program. These declarations may be done during the admission process and/or during their time as an enrolled student. Each school has a procedure for declaring majors, minors, and cognates. Please consult with the school to ensure you are familiar with their process.  There are deadlines for these changes. Please consult the Academic Calendar so you are familiar with the deadlines. The deadline for declaring a major, minor, and/or cognate means that the request has been processed in CaneLink, not simply requested.

Change of Degree or Major

A student may change their degree or major during their time at the University of Miami.2 Each school has a procedure for requesting a change of degree or major, whether within the school or if requesting to transfer from another school/college. Please consult with the school to ensure you are familiar with their process.  There are deadlines for these changes. Please consult the Academic Calendar so you are familiar with the deadlines. The deadline for Change of Degree or Major means that the request has been processed in CaneLink, not simply requested.

Dual Degree

While it is common for a student to complete two majors, only one degree is normally awarded per student based on the primary major. However, a student may be able to receive separate degrees for each major under the following circumstances:

  • The second degree is different from the first degree3
  • The second major is different from the first major.
    • For example, if a major offers both a B.A. and B.S. degree option, a student can only receive one or the other for the major.
  • The student completes all of the degree requirements for both degrees, except for the University’s General Education Requirements, which only need to be completed for one degree.
    • For example, if both degrees require a major and a minor, to receive both degrees the student must complete two majors and two minors.
  • The student must earn a minimum of 150 credit hours to obtain two bachelor's degrees. Some may require more.
  • If the degrees are in two different schools, a student must meet the requirements with distinctly different majors and minors, wherever applicable, in each school. 

Students must obtain final approval from the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Education to pursue dual degrees. The request form can be found under Student Forms on the University Registrar’s website.

Students can only pursue a second degree before the conferral of their first degree.

1

Each degree has different requirements regarding majors and minors. Some programs may require only a major, some may require a major and a minor, others may require two majors.  Please review the degree requirements to fully understand what is required and what must be declared.

2

Changing a degree or major may affect how previous courses count toward a new degree or major.  It is strongly recommended that students consult with an academic advisor to understand how a change of degree or major may impact their time to degree or ability to receive financial assistance.

3

Students who are considering a second undergraduate degree should discuss courses and number of credits beyond their primary degree with their academic advisor.

Some types of financial assistance may not cover tuition, fees, etc. for a second degree once the first degree's requirements are completed.  After identifying courses and credits, students are strongly encouraged to consult with a financial aid representative before submitting their request form.

Graduation Honors

Latin Honors

Latin Honors (Summa /Magna /Cum Laude) will be determined by a minimum GPA unique to the school or college from which the student is graduating.

  • University Graduation Honors only applies to undergraduate students.
  • The GPA required will change each academic year (beginning with the fall semester) and will be based on the cumulative GPAs of the previous year’s graduating class. The GPAs are calculated every summer, and the year-specific criteria can be found here.
  • The top 5% of the graduating class will receive Summa Cum Laude within each school or college; the next 10% will receive Magna Cum Laude and the next 10% Cum Laude.
  • For the determination of University Graduation Honors, cumulative GPA is never rounded off and is the lower of: 
    • the average of all grades earned at the University of Miami (UM cumulative graduation GPA), OR
    • the combined average of all graded work taken at the University of Miami or elsewhere (whether or not the transfer work is accepted toward a degree at the University of Miami).
  • Students must meet the required GPAs by the completion of the final semester within his/her school or college to be eligible to graduate with a Latin honor.
  • The appropriate honor will automatically be placed on the student’s final transcript and diploma.

Departmental Honors

Among the departments offering approved programs for honors study at the junior-senior level for both majors and elective students are American studies, art and art history, biochemistry and molecular biology, biology, business administration, chemistry, computer science, engineering, English, finance, French, German, history, international finance and marketing, international studies, Judaic Studies, marine science, mathematics, meteorology, microbiology and immunology, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies, sociology, Spanish, and women’s and gender studies. Admission into the program is by invitation, but any student who believes himself or herself qualified may apply to the Chairman or the Departmental Honors Advisor of the major department, preferably during the sophomore or early junior year. Upon successful completion of the required program and with approval by the faculty of the department, the notation Departmental Honors in … is included in the candidate’s diploma and transcript.

Departmental Honors are designed primarily to provide an opportunity for the student to intensify and deepen his or her knowledge of the major, to permit closer associations with professors in the student’s area of concentration, and to prepare the student for research, thesis preparation, and other work at the graduate level in the major areas.

Departmental Honors requirements vary by department. The prospective Departmental Honors student should confer with the Honors Advisor within the department about specific requirements for graduation with Departmental Honors.

Diplomas and Transcripts

Diplomas are issued after a student’s degree has been conferred by the school/college and noted on the student’s official transcript. The diploma must be issued in the name on the student’s academic record. The omission of a middle name on the diploma is acceptable. The addition of a middle name will be acceptable only as it appears on the student’s application for admission. If the middle name is not on the application or if the student wants another version, documented proof of the legal name or name change must be presented to Canes Central.

Official transcripts are issued only upon receipt of a secure electronic request through the university’s online transcript system or a written and signed request from the student is received in the office.  Payment for the transcripts is required before they will be sent.

Unofficial transcripts are available free of charge to students through CaneLink.