Transfer Students - Liberal Studies and Graduation Requirements

Students must complete a total of 40 credits as shown in the table below. If students take the maximum recommended number of credits in each division, they will accumulate the total required. Students taking the minimum recommended number of credits in any division will fall short of the total number of credits required. This deficiency may be made up by taking the appropriate number of credits from any of the six division provided that they have taken at least the minimum in each division. NOTE: Students can count no more than 8 Liberal Studies credits (excluding the EN 111 and EN 211 composition courses) from any one academic department toward the overall Liberal Studies requirements.

Upper Division Course Requirement

At least three liberal studies credits must be at the 300 level or above, chosen from the list of courses included in this section. All such courses have the prerequisite of sophomore standing and completion of the composition requirement.

Graduation Requirements

Laboratory Science Requirement

The Laboratory Science course a student takes must come from those listed within the Natural Sciences Division of the Liberal Studies. A complete list of these courses can be found in the Northern Michigan University Undergraduate Bulletin.

World Cultures

The World Cultures Course requirement may be met by taking an approved course as part of fulfilling the Liberal Studies requirement, by taking an approved course which is required for a particular major or minor, or by taking an approved course as an elective.

Health Promotion Requirement

The Physical Education Requirement is a graduation requirement. Students must complete 2 credit hours of Health Promotion courses. One credit will be taken in theory, HP 200 (or HP 250 for some select majors), and one credit will be taken in any designated HP activity class.

In addition, there are limits, based on degree track, on the number of HP activity credits which students can count toward graduation.

• Students in a baccalaureate program may count up to six (6) credits of HP classes toward graduation.
• Students in an associate degree program may count up to three (3) credits of HP courses toward graduation.
• Students in a certificate program may count up to two (2) credits of HP courses toward graduation.
• Students with majors and/or minors in the HPER department have different requirements.

Writing Proficiency Exam

Students graduating in May or August of 2006 will be required to pass the Writing Proficiency Exam in order to graduate. (The WPE will not be administered beyond the summer of 2006.)

Currently-enrolled students who will graduate in December, 2006, or beyond must have earned at least a “C-“ grade in EN 111 and a “C” grade in EN 211 in order to graduate.

All students enrolling in EN 111 for the first time in the 2006 Fall Semester or beyond will be required to earn a “C” grade in both EN 111 and EN 211 in order to graduate.

Limitations and Special Situations

Interdisciplinary Studies - To advise students in Interdisciplinary Majors, see that section in the Northern Michigan University Undergraduate Bulletin.

Special Note for Transfer Students

Transfer students are governed by the requirements that were in effect at NMU when they first entered college, not when they first entered NMU, provided that their first collegiate experience does not precede their NMU enrollment by more than three years. Students who enter under the MACRAO agreement have special provisions. See the appropriate section of the Northern Michigan University Undergraduate Bulletin for further information regarding the MACRAO agreement.

Applying Transfer Credits to Liberal Studies
(Excludes MACRAO approved transcripts)

Questions to ask yourself:

• Has the student completed the minimum number of credits required for each division (3 or 6 credits depending on division)?
• Which divisions are short required credits? How many credits are needed?
• When minimum credits are met in each division, what is the total number of credits that will be earned?
• Subtract total number of credits that will be earned (see #3) from the total of 40 credits required to meet the liberal studies requirement.
• If the student is short of the 40 credits, they can make up the difference with additional approved liberal studies courses. a. The courses can be taken from any division b. The number of credits from any one department can not exceed 8 credits, except for courses satisfying the Composition requirements (EN). c. No liberal studies courses can have the same pre-fix as the student's first major or first minor, unless major or minor are interdepartmental.
• Does the student need a 300/400 level Liberal Studies course? Does the student need a Laboratory and/or World Cultures course? (These last two are graduation requirements which can be met within Liberal Studies or the Major/Minor.)
• If, after fulfilling all Liberal Studies requirements, the student exceeds 40 credits, the additional credits can be used as general elective credits.

Key to Abbreviations used on the Transfer Credit Evaluation When there is not an Equivalent Course at NMU

CR - college credit awarded, no NMU equivalent course
HUM - Humanities credit
NS (lab) - Natural Science credit with Lab
NS - - Natural Science credit
SS - Social Science credit
FS - Formal Communication Studies credit
VPA - Visual and Performing Arts credit
CR - example AD CR = art credit) Space denotes alpha course ID when course is given elective status within a department. The advising department determines if credit counts within the major/minor.

Example of Transfer Liberal Studies

• All divisions, with exception of Social Science, meet the minimum number of credits required.
• All approved Social Science courses are four credits, so student will meet SS division with a 4 credit course from NMU bringing the division total to 7 credits.
• Credits earned column will increase from 31 to 35 with 4 credit SS course.

  Previous credits earned 31
  Social Science course 4
  New division credit total 35

• Credits required for Liberal Studies (40), minus total division credits earned (35), equals number of additional L.S. credits required (5).

  40 - 35 = 5 additional credits needed

• Additional credits could be met with transfer credits if student had additional course credits which met liberal studies credit.
• Otherwise, student would take additional credits at NMU which may or not equal exactly 5 credits. (Most approved L.S. courses are 4 credits.)
• If student chooses two 4 credit courses to meet 5 additional credits, student's L.S. total will be 43 credits. Any credits beyond 40 can be used as general elective credit.

  40 - 35 = 5 additional L.S. credits needed
  35 + 8 = 43 total L.S. credits earned with two 4 credit courses
  43 - 40 = 3 excess credits that can be used as general elective credit

Contact the Degree Audits Office at 906-227-2257 for more information about individual situations.