Bachelor of Arts Degree
Degree requirements:
Unless modified in individual cases by administrative action, the following requirements must be fulfilled by all students to qualify for formal recommendation by the faculty for the degree of Bachelor of Arts:
- Completion of a minimum of 128 units.
- Attainment of a 2.0 grade point average or better for all courses undertaken at Occidental College and for the student’s entire course of study.
- Attainment of a 2.0 grade point average or better for all courses undertaken within a departmental major or minor.
- Completion of the Core Program by the end of the junior year, including satisfaction of the foreign language by the end of the third year.
- Satisfaction of the writing proficiency requirement. See below.
- Completion of all required coursework for a declared major(s) or an Independent Pattern of Study.
- Passing of a final comprehensive requirement in the senior year in the major subject or area of concentration, or in the case of those studying under an Independent Pattern of Study, as designed by the student’s advisory committee.
- Fulfillment of all degree requirements, other than the comprehensive examination and work in progress in the final semester, at least six weeks prior to graduation.
- No Incomplete grades, NR grades, or CIP grades on the student’s transcript.
A minimum of 64 units (exclusive of Occidental-sponsored study-abroad programs) of the 128 required for graduation must be taken by the student at Occidental College to receive the Bachelor of Arts degree. Sixteen of the last 32 completed for the degree must be Occidental College courses (study-abroad classes are considered Occidental College courses).
The bachelor of arts degree is conferred at the May Commencement upon all candidates who have satisfied degree requirements at any time since the last Commencement.