General Education Requirements for all baccalaureate degrees have been established for the university. A general education is a mastery of a common body of essential knowledge and skills facilitating the development of human potential in the individual and community. That common body of essential knowledge and skills shall include the following eight component areas equaling 45 semester credit hours:

Communication (English rhetoric/composition)

Required: 6 semester credit hours
ENGL 1301-1302

Mathematics (Logic, college-level algebra equivalent, or above)

Required: 3 semester credit hours
PHIL 3301
or 3 SCH MATH: any course excluding MATH 1335

Natural Sciences (Science**)

Required: 6 semester credit hours
Any two courses with laboratory in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics or Physical Geography

Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts divided into two areas as follows:

A. Visual/Performing Arts (Visual/performing arts**)
Required: 3 semester credit hours
ARTS 2301, MUSI 2301 or THEA 2301;
or any 3 SCH of lab or studio courses from Art, Music, Theatre Arts;
or ARTS 1303, ARTS 1304, ARTS 3302;
or EDKN 1116, EDKN 1141, EDKN 1146, EDKN 1147;
or MUSI 2302, MUSI 2306, MUSI 3302, MUSI 3306;
or THEA 3302, THEA 4308.

B. Literature, Philosophy, Modern or Classical Language/Literature and Cultural Studies
Required: 3 semester credit hours see Note 1 (Literature/philosophy**)
ANTH 2302, ANTH 3301, ANTH 4308, ANTH 4309;
or any Modern Language;
or GEOG 1303, GEOG 3310, GEOG 3335;
or any HIST exclusive of Texas and/or U.S. History;
or any Literature exclusive of U.S. literature courses;
or PHIL 3323;
or SWBS 2302.

Social and Behavioral Sciences divided into three areas as follows:

A. U.S. History (legislatively mandated)
Required: 6 semester credit hours
HIST 1301-1302 (HIST 1310 substitutes for ROTC students)

B. Political Science (legislatively mandated)
Required: 6 semester credit hours
POLS 2301-2302

C. Social/Behavioral Science (Social/behavioral**)
Required: 3 semester credit hours, see Note 1
POLS any course exclusive of POLS 2301 and POLS 2302;
or ECON 2301, ECON 2302;
or EDSE 2358
or HIST 4324, HIST 4336, HIST 4338;
or HSCI 3321;
or PSYC 2301;
or SOCI 1301, SOCI 1306, SOCI 2361, SOCI 4307, SOCI 4324

Note 1: Due to accreditation limitations, students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in engineering need complete only 3 SCH from the two sections of the chart above that contain the label "See Note 1." Any student who has attended an institution of higher education in a country other than the U.S. for one academic year may be exempt from the three hour requirement for Social/Behavioral Science.

Communication (Composition, speech, modern language/communication skills) (Communication**)

Required: 3 semester credit hours of oral communication from:
BCOM 3304
COMS 1311
COMS 1315
COMS 2335
COMS 3331
or Modern Language

Computer Literacy (Computer literacy**)

Required: 3 semester credit hours from:
CISA any course
CSEN any course
IEEN any course
or EDED 2301

Kinesiology (Kinesiology**)

Required: 3 semester credit hours
EDKN activity courses
MUSI 1227 Band*
ROTC Military Science courses*

*May be counted toward kinesiology activity hours

Exceptions to the requirements of three semester credit hours of EDKN activity courses may be made under the following conditions: (a) students with disabilities should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office and may be placed in restricted kinesiology activity courses if necessary or under special circumstances will be permitted to substitute 3 academic semester credit hours for activity hours upon the approval of their college dean; (b) students who have passed their 23rd birthday before graduation may substitute academic hours for kinesiology activity hours; (c) students who have served in the military may receive credit subject to approval by their college dean (students should take DD-214 form to the Admissions Office for record credit, and students on active duty should consult with their college dean).

**as stated in curriculum guides following course descriptions in later sections of this Catalog.

Other Degree Requirements
Major and Minor
A major when specified as a degree requirement shall consist of a minimum of 24 semester hours in one subject, 6 of which must be taken at this university. In English, the required freshman courses may not count as part of this amount.

A minor shall consist of a minimum of 18 semester hours in a subject closely related to the major. In English, the required freshman courses may not count as part of this amount.

At least 50% of the work offered in the major field must be advanced, and at least 6 semester hours of advanced work must be offered in the minor field.

Advanced Work
A student must complete a minimum of 45 semester hours of advanced work (except in the BAAS Program) before the student is eligible to receive a bachelor's degree.

Grade Average
An overall average of C (2.0) or above on all work attempted at A&M-Kingsville must be maintained. The grade average in the major and minor field where required must be C or above. For purposes of grade point average calculation on A&M-Kingsville course work for graduation, grades stand as recorded unless the same course is repeated at this university.

Academic Residence Requirement
The applicant for a bachelor's degree must have a minimum of 30 semester hours completed in residence at this university. Twenty-four of the last 30 semester hours must be advanced hours and must be taken at this university.

Restrictions
Number of Physical Activity Courses
No more than four semesters of kinesiology activity courses may be counted toward a degree, except for the kinesiology majors.

Maximum Number of Hours in Religion
No more than 12 semester hours in religion may be counted toward any degree.

Correspondence Work
No credit earned by correspondence on a course previously failed in residence may be counted toward a degree at this university.

Graduation Under a Particular Catalog
A student has the privilege of being graduated according to the curricular requirements as stated in the catalog of the year in which the student first registered for work in residence at the university, or the student may be graduated under any later catalog of a year in which the student was registered for residence work provided that requirements are met within five years of the date of the catalog chosen and provided further that the institution offers courses listed as requirements in previous catalogs.

Application for Graduation
A student who plans to receive a degree from Texas A&M University-Kingsville must apply for graduation. This process begins in the office of the appropriate dean or director. Graduation fees must be paid in the Business Office and an "Application for Candidacy" form and "Diploma Card" submitted to the Senior Vice President and Provost by the deadline date designated in the University Calendar. The University Calendar at the front of this catalog should be consulted for specific deadline dates. The degree will not be conferred unless the candidate has completed the application process on or before the designated deadline.

Use of Official Name on Diploma
Students applying for graduation must use their official name as listed on their permanent record in the Office of the Registrar. No nicknames or any other informal name will be allowed. All printed information, including diplomas, will list a student's official name. Students requesting a name other than their official name on their diploma must change their name on their permanent record.

Graduation in Absentia
Graduation in absentia will be permitted only under special conditions stated in writing and approved by the Senior Vice President and Provost.

A Second Bachelor's Degree
A&M-Kingsville will not confer a second bachelor's degree until the candidate has accumulated at least 24 hours at this university in addition to those counted toward the first bachelor's degree. The applicant for a second bachelor's degree must complete the specific course requirements of the second degree and meet the grade average as specified above.

Graduation With Honors (For undergraduate degrees only)
Students completing undergraduate degrees with superior overall academic records will be graduated with honors. A grade point average of 3.65 is the minimum for graduation Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors); a grade point average of 3.5 or higher but less than 3.65 will merit Magna Cum Laude (with high honors); an average of 3.25 or higher but less than 3.5 will merit graduation Cum Laude (with honors). Grade point averages are not rounded up to achieve these figures.

Students who have transferred work from other colleges or universities are eligible for graduation with honors provided they have completed at least 60 semester hours of work toward their degrees at this university. Only the record at this university will be used to determine eligibility for graduation with honors.