Navigating Graduation: An Overview of Amherst College Diploma Requirements

Amherst College, renowned for its open curriculum and commitment to undergraduate education, presents a structured yet flexible pathway towards earning a diploma. With approximately 1,900 students charting their individual academic journeys from a selection of 42 majors, alongside varied research opportunities and the resources of the Five College Consortium, understanding the college's diploma requirements is crucial. Students must assume responsibility for monitoring their progress toward graduation and the fulfillment of requirements.

Core Components of an Amherst College Degree

Earning an Amherst College degree hinges on several key components: course completion, residency, major declaration and fulfillment, and grade point average.

Course Requirements

Total Courses: Students must complete 32 Amherst College courses with an earned passing grade. Note that students who were enrolled during academic year 2020-2021 may graduate with a minimum of 30 courses. Students who are eligible to graduate with 30 courses may not withdraw from a course and graduate with 29 classes.
Half Courses: Only four ½ courses will be counted towards the total courses required for graduation.
Residency: Students complete the course requirements over four years (eight semesters) of residence.

Transfer Students

Transfer students face slightly modified requirements:

Course Load: Transfer students must complete 32 full semester courses or their equivalent.
Amherst Courses: At least 16 courses must be completed at Amherst.
Residency: A minimum of two years (four semesters) in residence at Amherst is required.
Transfer Credit: Transfer credit from other institutions will only count towards an Amherst College degree if: A student is making up an earned deficiency and has the approval of the Class Dean and Registrar’s Office to take a specific course for this purpose. A student has taken an educational leave on an Amherst College approved study away program, and has has the specific courses approved for transfer credit by the Registrar’s Office. A student matriculates as a transfer student to Amherst College and the Registrar’s Office has approved specific courses to count towards the Amherst College degree. No pre-matriculation transfer credit is allowed to count towards the Amherst College degree for students who matriculate as first-years. Transfer credit will only be accepted in four course increments, unless the transfer credit is required due to an earned deficiency. For example, if a student takes the equivalent of five courses while on an approved study away program, only four courses will count towards the total credits for graduation. Additionally, transfer students will only be able to transfer in courses in multiples of four. Note that transfer credit may not be used to advance class year or expected graduation date.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Minimum GPA: The minimum grade point average requirement for graduation is a C-, which is listed as a 1.7 on the 4.0 scale in the College catalog.
Transfer Credit: Earn a grade of at least C in every course completed at another institution for transfer credit to Amherst.

First Year Seminar

Requirement: All students must enroll in and successfully complete a First Year Seminar for those who matriculate as first years.

Declaring a Major

Deadline: All students must declare a major by the end of the second semester of the sophomore year.
Completion: Students are only eligible for graduation when they have completed all major requirements as defined by the department, including a satisfactory performance in the comprehensive evaluation.
Major Requirements: A major normally consists of at least eight courses pursued under the direction of a department or special group.
- Students may change their majors at any time, provided that they will be able to complete the new program before graduation.
- Students may complete the requirement of at least eight courses within one department. They must complete at least six courses within one department and the remaining two courses in related fields approved by the department.
- Some students may wish to declare a major in more than one department or program. This curricular option is available, although it entails special responsibilities. At Amherst, departments are solely responsible for defining the content and structure of an acceptable program of study for majors. Students who elect a double or triple major must present the signatures of all academic advisors when registering for each semester’s courses and they must, of course, fulfill the graduation requirements and comprehensive examinations established by each of the academic programs. In addition, double or multiple majors may not credit courses approved for either major toward the other without the explicit consent of an announced departmental policy or the signature of a departmental chairperson. In their senior year, students with a double or multiple majors must verify their approved courses with both academic advisors before registering for their last semester at the College.

Interdisciplinary Majors

Students who would like to construct an interdisciplinary major must submit a proposed program, endorsed by one or more professors from each of the departments or programs concerned, to the Committee on Academic Standing and Special Majors. Under ordinary circumstances, the proposal is submitted no later than the seventh week of the first semester of the junior year. The program will include a minimum of six upper-level courses and a thesis plan. The Committee on Academic Standing and Special Majors authorizes the appointment of an ad hoc advisory committee of three professors, which will approve any possible modifications in the program, administer an appropriate comprehensive examination, review the thesis, and make recommendations for the degree with or without honors. Information on proposing interdisciplinary programs is available in the Office of Student Affairs.

Capstone Experience

Every department and program at Amherst College designs a Capstone Experience (CE) for its majors. The CE can take various forms, but in all cases, students are expected to use the knowledge and skill that they have gained in the major in the service of an academic endeavor. In addition to deepening the learning experience in the major, CEs are meant to heighten the feeling of belonging to a knowledge based community, a community that includes faculty and students alike. The Capstone Experience should be completed, at the latest, by the last day of the exam period of the senior year.

Read also: Comprehensive Guide to Amherst

Latin and English Honors

Amherst College distinguishes academic achievement through Latin and English honors, awarded based on specific criteria.Latin honors are awarded to students completing a thesis within their major department or program, depending on the major department’s recommendation and the student’s graduating cumulative average. English honors are awarded to students solely on the basis of performance in course work. The awarding of both Latin and English honors is made by the faculty of the college and will appear on the diploma.

Latin Honors

The following guidelines have been voted on by the faculty regarding awarding degrees with honors:All students graduating through May 2026 will be awarded the higher of the two Latin honors levels that they earn under the earlier system and this new system. Latin honors eligibility is based on two College-wide criteria: median grade and a breadth requirement which consists of passing one full course at Amherst College in each of four categories: Arts, Humanities, Sciences and Mathematics, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Candidates who have a median grade lower than A- or who have not satisfied the breadth requirement are eligible for cum laude honors if they receive a departmental recommendation of any level of honors from a department.Candidates who have a median grade of A- and have satisfied the breadth requirement are eligible for magna cum laude honors if they receive a departmental recommendation of summa cum laude or magna cum laude, or for cum laude honors if they receive a departmental recommendation of cum laude.Candidates who have a median grade higher than A- and have satisfied the breadth requirement are eligible for the level of honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude) that is recommended by a department.

English Honors - Graduation with Distinction

Candidates eligible for a degree with Distinction must have an overall grade point average in the top 25 percent of their class.

Additional Considerations

Beyond the core requirements, several other factors can influence a student's path to graduation.

Course Enrollment and Deficiencies

Normal Course Load: Students are normally required to complete the equivalent of 32 courses, a minimum of 30 of which must be full courses (see degree requirements). All students are normally required to elect four full courses each semester. Students may elect one or two half courses in addition to four full courses at their discretion and without special permission. Students in any semester except their first at Amherst may also elect to enroll in three full courses and two half courses in a semester. Students who have completed courses in excess of what would normally be required for their class standing may, once per academic year, and with the permission of their advisor(s), enroll in three full courses and one half course. In exceptional cases a student may, with the permission of both the student’s academic advisor and class dean, take five full courses for credit during a given semester. Such permission is normally granted only to students of demonstrated superior academic ability, responsibility, and will. Fifth courses cannot be used to accelerate graduation.
Retaking Courses: Students may only retake a course for which they have received a failing grade or from which they have withdrawn in a prior semester.
Making Up Deficiencies: A student who by failing a course incurs a deficiency in the number of courses required for normal progress toward graduation is usually expected to make up that course deficiency by taking a three- or four-semester hour course at another approved institution during the summer prior to the first semester of the next academic year and no later than the semester prior to the student’s last semester at Amherst.
Course Withdrawal: In any semester prior to the final year, a student who experiences severe academic difficulty and has exhausted all academic resources (e.g., met with professors during office hours, received tutoring, met with class deans, etc.), may be allowed to withdraw from a course without penalty and graduate with 31 courses. This exception may be invoked only once, and requires permission of the instructor, advisor and class dean. The deadline for withdrawal requests is the end of the tenth week of the semester. Further exceptions shall be made for disabling medical reasons or for reason of grave personal emergencies, and shall be made by the class dean. All course deficiencies must normally be made up prior to the first semester of the final year, except those arising in the final year, in which case they must be made up prior to graduation.

Administrative Withdrawal

Students with an administrative withdrawal on their records cannot be cleared for graduation until the withdrawal is resolved.

Read also: Impact of Amherst's Endowment

Residence Requirements

A student must successfully complete a minimum of 45 credits in residence. For this purpose residence credits are defined as being credits earned for work done while registered on the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts or while enrolled in one of the University's formal exchange programs. Residence credits thus include UMASS 298 or departmental practicum (a maximum of 15 credits), University Without Walls, student teaching, credits generated through special examinations administered by an Amherst campus academic department, Stockbridge School courses, Five College Interchange courses, and courses in University Without Walls (when these courses and the faculty teaching them have been approved by the normal University procedures). The applicability of any of these toward the residence requirement is contingent on students' enrollment being consistent with policies detailed elsewhere in these regulations. In addition, students must complete their final 30 credits in residence, residence in this sense meaning continuous enrollment in a degree-granting major program and registration in University of Massachusetts Amherst courses. Petitions for permission to take any of the final 30 credits in absentia must be submitted on the Senior Year in Absentia form, available from the Registrar's Office, prior to enrollment in the course(s), and require authorization from the student's major department and undergraduate dean. Students may complete their senior year in absentia in University Without Walls with the approval of the Registrar’s office.

Part-time Study

For students engaged in part-time study, twelve (12) credits will be considered the equivalent of one semester. Although there is no limit on the number of years allowed between beginning and completing a degree, a student's undergraduate dean, in consultation with the Department, has authority to rule that certain courses taken more than five years prior to the completion of a degree may not apply to major or college requirements.

General Education Requirements

Students are subject to University graduation requirements published in the Guide to Undergraduate Programs (formerly, the Undergraduate Catalog) in effect when they enter the University, and are subject to the major requirements published in the Guide to Undergraduate Programs in effect when they enter the major.

Credit Requirement: Students must complete a minimum of 120 credits, at least 45 of which must be completed in residence
Grade Point Averages: All students must achieve an overall average of at least C (2.000).
General Education Requirements for Students Entering the University in Fall 2018 or Later: Students must complete a set of course requirements in several different areas. Courses offered by the University that satisfy these requirements are identified by letter designations (except for the Junior Year Writing and Integrative Experience requirements). The University Writing Requirement consists of two courses. The Freshman Writing requirement is satisfied by ENGLWRIT 112 or ENGLWRIT 113, College Writing (CW), taken during the freshman year, or by exemption from the requirement through the Placement Exam, SAT/Achievement Test scores, or Advanced Placement test score. Students must take four courses (16 credits) in the Social World curriculum area: four credits in Literature (AL) or the Arts (AT); four credits in Historical Studies (HS); four credits in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SB); and an additional four credits in a course holding an AL, AT, or SB designation, or an Interdisciplinary (I) or Science Interdisciplinary (SI) course. Social and Cultural Diversity: Within the four courses listed above students must take one course focusing on UNITED STATES diversity (DU) and one course focusing on GLOBAL diversity (DG). One Basic Math Skills course (R1) and one Analytic Reasoning course (R2) are required. A student may be exempted from the Basic Math Skills requirement by achieving a sufficiently high score on the Basic Math Skills exemption exams (offered twice each semester). Students not exempted by examination score must take one Basic Math Skills (R1) course. This requirement can also be satisfied with some higher level courses that presuppose knowledge of basic math skills. A student who takes an R2 course listed on the Gen Ed List can satisfy both the R1 and R2 requirements with the same course. Upper-Division Integrative Experience: The Integrative Experience requirement is part of the requirements of each student’s major, as well as a General Education requirement. Academic departments will provide a list of Integrative Experiences that fulfill the requirement for each major. Students should not elect the Pass/Fail option for courses that they wish to count toward their General Education requirements. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not satisfy General Education, regardless of whether a P (Pass) grade or a letter grade is earned. Students seeking exception to any of the requirements or restrictions of General Education should consult their undergraduate deans.
General Education Requirements for Students Entering the University prior in Fall 2010 or Later (and prior to Fall 18): Students must complete a set of course requirements in several different areas. Courses offered by the University that satisfy these requirements are identified by letter designations (except for the Junior Year Writing and Integrative Experience requirements). The University Writing Requirement consists of two courses. The Freshman Writing requirement is satisfied by ENGLWRIT 112 or ENGLWRIT 113, College Writing (CW), taken during the freshman year, or by exemption from the requirement through the Placement Exam, SAT/Achievement Test scores, or Advanced Placement test score. Four courses distributed as follows: one course in Literature (AL) or the Arts (AT); one course in Historical Studies (HS); one course in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (SB); and one additional course in any of the following areas within the Social World (AL, AT, I, SI, or SB). Students who enter as freshmen can satisfy each of these requirements with one 4-unit course or two 3-unit courses with the appropriate designation. Interdisciplinary courses: While no student is required to take an Interdisciplinary course, a freshman may elect to take a 4-unit interdisciplinary Gen Ed course (I or SI) or two 3-unit interdisciplinary Gen Ed courses (I or SI) as the fourth Social World course. Transfers may elect to take a 3-unit or a 4-unit interdisciplinary Gen Ed course (I or SI) as the fourth Social World course. Two courses in the Biological and Physical World, with one course in a Biological Science (BS) and one course in a Physical Science (PS). Students who enter as freshmen can satisfy each of these requirements with one 4-unit course or two 3-unit courses with the appropriate designation. One Basic Math Skills course and one Analytic Reasoning course. A student may be exempted from the Basic Math Skills requirement by achieving a sufficiently high score on the Basic Math Skills exemption exams (offered twice each semester). Students not exempted by examination score must take one Basic Math Skills (R1) course. This requirement can also be satisfied with some higher level courses that presuppose knowledge of basic math skills. A student who takes an R2 course listed on the Gen Ed List can satisfy both the R1 and R2 requirements with the same course. Two courses designated as having a Social and Cultural Diversity component. One of these courses must focus on Diversity in the United States (U), and the other must focus on Diversity in Global Perspective (G). Upper-Division Integrative Experience: The Integrative Experience requirement is part of the requirements of each student’s major, as well as a General Education requirement. Academic departments will provide a list of Integrative Experiences that fulfill the requirement for each major. Students should not elect the Pass/Fail option for courses that they wish to count toward their General Education requirements. Courses taken on a pass/fail basis will not satisfy General Education, regardless of whether a P (Pass) grade or a letter grade is earned. Students seeking exception to any of the requirements or restrictions of General Education should consult their undergraduate deans.

Commencement

Participation in commencement exercises is limited to those who either (1) have completed all graduation requirements and whose degree will be voted by the faculty and the board of trustees; or (2) are within four courses (sixteen credits) of the total required for graduation, have no disciplinary violations, and are a member of the current graduating class, any prior class, or the subsequent graduating “E” class. Students who wish to participate in commencement early must complete an application to do so.

Diploma Information

You can view and update your diploma name in your SPIRE Student Center Graduation information. For help with updating your diploma name, visit View/Update Your Graduation Data. If you no longer have access to SPIRE, send a written letter which includes your name, student id or social security number, date of graduation, the name you want printed on your diploma,and your signature to the address listed below. As such, please provide an address (preferably in the US) to which your diploma may be sent. You can view and update this address in your SPIRE Student Center Graduation information. For help with updating your diploma address, visit View/Update Your Graduation Data.

Read also: Getting into Amherst: Scores

Monitoring Progress

In order to be graduated, students must be cleared by: (1) their Department, (2) their School or College, and (3) the University. In addition, students must provide the Registrar's Office with accurate information regarding their projected graduation date and degree. If a graduating senior is administratively withdrawn, his/her graduation date will be determined by the date of resolution which clears the outstanding obligation.

Resources for Career Exploration

The Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning at Amherst is focused on empowering students to think about their futures reflectively and strategically. The school’s flagship Charles Hamilton Houston Internship Program provides students with specialized internship advising-providing total support throughout the internship cycle, including preparation and skill development. Other resources like Career Beam and the Liberal Arts Career netWORK list job and internship opportunities for gaining professional experience. Students can easily connect with former grads through the Alumni-in-Residence program that brings alumni back to campus for a series of candid conversations designed to help students explore career options, build relationships, and get real-world advice.

Campus Life and Location

The packed weekdays at Amherst follow a pretty standard formula: "Go to class. Work. Generally participate in at least one activity a day. Study. Socialize. Repeat." That socializing takes many forms: "People see movies, bowl, and hike," but they also just hang out in the campus center. They also fill their time "cooking, spending time in town or in neighboring towns or cities," and going to recitals. Bradley International Airport near Hartford, CT is 45 miles from campus. Amtrak trains provide regular service from New York City to Springfield, MA. Greyhound buses serve Springfield hourly from Boston and New York. Buses also run hourly from Springfield to Amherst. From the south, take I-91 N. to Exit 19. Take Rte. 9 E. for 7 miles. In the town of Amherst, turn right onto Rte. 116 S. Proceed a quarter mile to the admissions office on the left. From the east, take I-90 W. (Massachusetts Tpke.) to Exit 8 (Palmer-Amherst). Take Rte. 181 N. to Rte. 9 W. From Rte. 9, turn left onto Rte. 116 S. for a quarter mile to the admissions office. From the west, take I-90 E. to the W. Springfield exit. Head north on I-91 to Exit 19; then head east on Rte. 9 for 7 miles to the town of Amherst. Turn right onto Rte. 116 S. for a quarter mile to the admissions office. From the north, take I-91 S. to Exit 25 (Amherst). Take Rte. 116 S.

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