Degree Requirements

Degree and Certificate Completion Requirements

Students are eligible to receive academic degrees and certificates from CityU if they have satisfactorily met the following general requirements:

• Fulfilled all admissions requirements.
• Fulfilled all degree and/or certificate requirements.
• Achieved the minimum cumulative GPA for all CityU coursework of 2.0 for undergraduate programs, 3.0 for masters and doctoral programs.
• Fulfilled all financial obligations to CityU.
• Submitted a degree or certificate audit application and paid the fee, if applying for a degree.
• For Master of Counselling (Canada), Master of Arts Counseling, and doctoral degree programs students must graduate within 7 years from their first quarter of enrollment.
• For the Master in Teaching and Bachelor of Arts in Education programs students must graduate within 5 years from their first quarter of enrollment. 

Degree and certificate program offerings, courses, course sequences, curricula and the terms and conditions of enrollment may change. The University makes every effort to keep students informed of any changes. As a general rule, students who remain continuously enrolled follow the requirements in effect at the time they first enrolled as a degree or certificate candidate.

The Office of the Registrar provides each student with a program plan, and updates or revises the program plan as needed. However, the responsibility for fulfilling the requirements of a degree or certificate program rests ultimately with the student.

Note: Undergraduate certificates containing less than 25 credits and graduate certificates containing less than 15 credits are not eligible for federal funding.

Exceptions to this policy may be made by the Provost.

Prerequisites for Entry into Upper Division Coursework

Undergraduate students seeking degrees and certificates are required to demonstrate that they have met the requirements for college composition and college mathematics as defined in the City University of Seattle catalog prior to enrolling in upper-division coursework. General Education requirements may be fulfilled by any of the following, singly or in combination:

1. City University of Seattle lower- or upper-division courses, as designated; some undergraduate programs allow students to satisfy certain General Education requirements through upper-division course work.
2. Courses completed at other recognized institutions.
3. Standardized examinations in appropriate subjects.
4. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).

Second Degree

Students who want to earn a second degree at the same academic level as another CityU degree must fulfill all residency requirements for the second degree program.

Undergraduate Level

• Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology
• Bachelor of Arts in Education and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Graduate Level

• Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Leadership
• Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Information Security

A second degree produces a second diploma.

Degree/Certificate Posting Requirements

Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees: Application for Diploma

Students who have completed the requirements for an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree must submit a degree audit application and pay a fee for the audit and degree-posting process. Degrees will not be posted to students’ transcripts if this step is omitted. If a student applies for a diploma in a second degree or second major, the audit/posting fee is assessed again. Each time a student applies for an additional degree or major, the audit/posting fee is assessed. The degree audit application fee policy is found in the Finance section of the University catalog.

Undergraduate and Graduate Certificates: Application for Certificate

Students who have earned undergraduate or graduate certificates must initiate the audit and posting process by submitting a certificate audit application. Certificates will not be posted to students’ transcripts if this step is omitted. There is no charge to process certificates.

Financial Criteria Applicable to Both Degree and Certificate Candidates

Degrees and certificates are posted to the transcripts of students who have completed their academic requirements and have submitted a degree or certificate audit application and any applicable fee. Transcripts, diplomas and/or certificates cannot be released to any student with an outstanding obligation to CityU, however, until the student’s financial account is cleared.