General Degree Requirements
The student is solely responsible for meeting all program requirements for graduation. The academic advisor will assist and advise students prior to the decision to enroll in courses but is not responsible for ensuring that students satisfy all the program requirements.
Degrees – Lander University confers the degrees of Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Education (MEd), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Science in Management (MSM), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Design (BDes), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), and Bachelor of Science (BS) on candidates who are recommended by the faculty.
A candidate for the first Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Art, Bachelor of Design, or Bachelor of Science degree must complete at least 120 credit hours, with an overall minimum grade point average of 2.00 on all work attempted through Lander University instruction. A candidate for any bachelor degree must earn at least 25% of the total credit hours required for the degree, including a minimum of 12 credit hours of 300/400 level credit in the major, through instruction by Lander University.
All bachelor’s degrees require a minimum of 30 hours numbered 300 and above. At least 12 of these upper-level hours must be in the student’s major.
Credit in a major - Credit in a major consists of at least 30 credit hours with a minimum grade point ratio of 2.00. The major includes major program core requirements, major program concentration requirements, major program additional requirements and teacher certification requirements.
Credit in a minor - Credit in a minor typically consists of 6-7 courses. See the department pages for specific requirements.
Correspondence and/or extension courses - A maximum of 15 hours of credit is allowed for work done through correspondence and/or extension (non-resident credit) courses.
Declaring or Changing Majors and Minors – A prospective student who has not yet attended classes and wants to change their major should contact the Office of Admissions. A current student who wants to change or declare a major should make the request through their intended major department. After the major change request has been submitted by the intended major department, an email notification will be sent to the current student’s Lander email address as verification.
Graduating Under a Catalog - The catalog in place at the time the major is declared becomes the one used to determine graduation requirements for the major and minor. A student may choose a subsequent catalog for purposes of meeting graduation requirements. Students in majors leading to teacher certification may be required to use the most current catalog to be eligible for certification by the South Carolina Department of Education.
“Graduating under a catalog” pertains to degree requirements only, including major and minor. Students must meet all University requirements regarding registration, payment of fees, residency, and personal conduct as stated in the most current catalog.
If a student enrolled at Lander leaves the university for less than two years, the student may remain under the catalog previously selected. If a student enrolled at Lander leaves the University for a period of two or more years, when he or she returns, the catalog in effect at the time of readmission is used to determine graduation requirements.
A student may not graduate under a catalog that is more than eight years old.
Students must provide notification of a change in catalog year to the Office of the Registrar one semester prior to graduation. Students must then submit the Request for Graduation Form and complete the online application in MyLander by the deadline set by the Registrar’s Office.
Second Undergraduate Degree
Requirements for a second undergraduate degree are as follows:
1. Completion and award of an undergraduate four-year degree program.
2. Completion of at least 25% of the total credit hours required for the degree must be taken at Lander University and must be in addition to the requirements for the first degree. These hours must include a minimum of 12 hours of 300- or 400-level credit in the major.
3. Completion of two semesters at Lander University after the first degree has been completed.
4. Students must earn an overall minimum grade point average of 2.00 on all work attempted through Lander University instruction.
5. Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution are not required to meet the General Education Requirements.
Certificates
Because state law specifies that four-year degree-granting institutions may not offer undergraduate degrees lower than a baccalaureate, Lander University offers certificate programs to students who are required to either 1) already have completed a baccalaureate degree, and/or 2) be concurrently enrolled in a baccalaureate program at Lander University. In the event that a student completes the coursework for the certificate and does not graduate from Lander with a baccalaureate degree, the courses for the certificate will appear on the student’s transcript, but the certificate will not be awarded.