Graduation Requirements
Bachelor's Degree
Unit Requirements
Total
120 units are required for a Bachelor of Arts degree, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and Bachelor of Science degree
Units with limits
The maximum number of units accepted for a bachelor's degree are:
- 6 units from intercollegiate athletics
- 2 units from intramural
- 24 units from credit grades (taken at HSU)
- 24 units from Open University (see HSU catalog for details)
- 24 units from Extended Education (do not count toward residence)
- 70 units from a community college
Distribution of Units
48 units General Education & All-University Requirements (GEAR)
Major* requirements vary from major to major. See program descriptions in the university catalog.
Minor/Electives to bring total units to 120.
Graduation Writing Proficiency Exam (GWPE)
CSU degree requirement: must pass to graduate.
You may take the GWPE after completing:
- 60 semester units (junior standing) and
- ENGL 103 or ENGL 104 (or an equivalent college composition course with a C- or better).
More information about the GWPE, including, what to expect, how to prepare and how to register is available on the GWPE Website.
Residence Requirement
To graduate from Humboldt State University, you need to earn at least 30 units from courses taken here, with a minimum of:
- 24 units upper division,
- 12 units upper division major courses,
- 9 units general education
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Your overall GPA, major GPA and HSU GPA must be at least 2.0
Degree Check
Apply to graduate 3 semesters before you expect to complete all your degree requirements.
*Major minimum unit requirements: A Bachelor of Arts (BA) requires a minimum of 24 units of major coursework, including 12 upper division, excluding GE and a Bachelor of Science (BS) requires a minimum of 36 units major coursework, including 18 upper division, excluding GE.
Graduation Requirements & Catalog Rights
At HSU, students are automatically assigned graduation requirements upon admission to the university or at the time of the most recent major/minor change. As long as a student stays in continuous attendance they retain the right to those assigned graduation requirements, referred to as “catalog rights”.
Continuous attendance, for undergraduate students, is attending at least one semester or two quarters of consecutive calendar years, unless on an approved educational leave.
Catalog Rights & General Education & All University Requirements
Although catalog rights maintain a particular set of general education and all-university requirements, catalog rights do not apply to the courses that fulfill those requirements. Courses, including required prerequisites, are subject to change. To fulfill a particular requirement, a course must be completed during the academic year in which the GEAR status is designated in the catalog (not a student’s catalog year).
Catalog rights to not apply to policies, services and fees, which when revised, apply to all students regardless of catalog year.
Catalog Year Options
Students, who remain in continuous attendance may choose to meet the bachelor’s degree graduation requirements in the HSU catalog that:
- was in effect at the time they first enrolled at HSU,
- was in effect at the time they first enrolled at any other CSU or a California Community College, or
- is in effect the semester that they graduate.
Usually, it is in a student’s best interest to keep the catalog rights in place at the time they:
- began attending HSU for GEAR, and
- when they declared or changed to their current major (or minor)
Note: Students changing their major or minor may be required to complete the major or minor requirements in effect at the time of the change
DARS Audit displays a student’s official catalog year of record at the top of the first page. If you have questions about switching a different catalog year contact the Office of the Registrar or run a “what if” DARS degree audit with the year you graduate to see if that would be a better choice for you.
Master's Degree
The following are general requirements for a master’s degree as specified by Title 5. See the individual program descriptions in the university catalog for specific program requirements. Additional information is also available in The Master's Degree section of the catalog and the Graduate Student Handbook.
Unit Requirement
Total
Minimum of 30 units of approved coursework
Graduate
At least half the units must be at the graduate level (courses numbered 500-699 at HSU)
Time Limit
Complete all coursework within seven years.
Unit Limits
The maximum number of units accepted for a master’s degree are:
- 0 units from lower division level (courses numbered 100-299 at HSU)
- 6 unit from thesis/project courses (9 units total from independent study, field work, & thesis/project courses)
- 9 units from Open University/Special Session (do not count toward residence requirement)
- one-third of total units from courses taken credit/no credit
Residence Requirement
To graduate from Humboldt State University, you need to earn at least 21 units from courses taken here, after admission to your graduate program.
Grades & Grade Point Average (GPA)
You must earn at least a B- in all courses taken to satisfy the requirements for the degree, and maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Individual graduate degree programs may have higher grade standards.
Culminating Experience
Completion of an approved thesis, project, or comprehensive examination, as defined by Title 5.
Degree Check
Apply to graduate at least one semester before you expect to complete all your degree requirements.
Continuous Enrollment Requirement
Enroll in a minimum of one unit per term for at least two terms per academic year until all degree requirements are completed. For additional information, see The Master's Degree section of the catalog and the Graduate Student Handbook.
Disclosure of Student Information
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