Navigating Graduation at BYU-Idaho: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements

BYU-Idaho is dedicated to the success of each of its students. With a focus on student well-being and academic achievement, BYU-Idaho has designed clear and supportive policies to guide students toward completing their desired programs. This article provides a detailed overview of the graduation requirements at BYU-Idaho, drawing upon official policies and guidelines to offer clarity and direction.

Academic Standards and GPA Requirements

BYU-Idaho's Academic Standards Policy is designed to help students persist in their academic goals to completion of their desired program. A crucial aspect of graduation is maintaining a satisfactory Grade Point Average (GPA). To graduate with a bachelor’s or associate degree, a student must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0. To be awarded a certificate, a student must have a minimum certificate grade point average of 2.0. An individual grade of "C" equates to a 2.0 GPA and is defined in the BYU-Idaho Academic Catalog as a "sufficient understanding of subject matter."

Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 will not automatically become ineligible. However, students who are academically ineligible are prevented from enrolling in any course for two consecutive semesters, including online courses or internships. Before allowing an ineligible student to return to BYU-Idaho, the University wants to ensure the student has taken the necessary steps to change any factors that prevented previous academic success. During the petition process, students will be asked to outline what steps they have taken to prepare for a successful return to BYU-Idaho.

Program Requirements: Majors, Minors, and Certificates

Degree requirements are based on your choice of major, minor, certificate, or other components.

Major: A major is a group of related courses that build skills in a particular area.
Minor: A minor is a group of related courses that can complement your choice of major. Most majors at BYU-Idaho do not require a minor, but some do.
Certificates: Most certificates or clusters consist of a group of courses with a total of 12 to 15 credits. Although a non-matriculating student cannot apply for degrees, they can apply for certificates.

To satisfy a certificate or major requirement students must earn a minimum grade of C- unless otherwise noted in the specific program requirements. To satisfy General Education, college fundamentals, elective, and College and Career Success requirements students must earn a minimum grade of D-. A passing grade (P) in a Pass/Fail course will satisfy the applicable program requirement.

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General Education and Elective Courses

Required General Education courses will help improve your ability to think, write, and speak with clarity and skill. Complement your major studies with elective courses in other disciplines. Degree-seeking students are required to complete BYU-Idaho religion courses.

Residency Requirements

To graduate with a bachelor’s degree a student must complete a minimum of 30 credits from an awarding institution. To graduate with an associate degree a student must complete a minimum of 15 credits from an awarding institution. To be awarded a certificate a student must complete a minimum of 6 credits in the certificate from the awarding institution. Test credits and credit for prior learning are not included as residency credits.

Upper Division Credit Requirements

To graduate with a bachelor’s degree, a student must complete program specific requirements of upper-division credits (300 or 400-level courses). Associate degrees do not require a minimum number of upper-division credits.

Internship Requirements

Most BYU-Idaho majors require an internship. The purpose of an internship is to help you prepare for your career by providing relevant work experience.

Honor Code Standing and Ecclesiastical Endorsement

Students must be in Good Honor Code Standing to graduate from BYU-Idaho or Ensign College. Students must have a current ecclesiastical endorsement. Former students wishing to graduate but whose ecclesiastical endorsement has expired will need to submit a current endorsement before their graduation will be processed.

Graduation Application and Deadlines

You must be registered for your final courses for us to confirm that you will meet all requirements by the end of the term. For that reason, you will not be able to apply to your declared major until you are registered for all remaining classes, including internships or student teaching. You can apply for associate degrees or certificates once all requirements have been met.

Participation in Graduation Events

Students can participate in graduation events up to one semester before or after they have earned their degree.

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