Requirements for Graduation

Bachelor’s Degree

To be eligible for graduation with a bachelor’s degree, a student must successfully complete at least 120 academic credits, and these credits must fulfill one of the major curricular distributions in the College catalog. The student must follow the curriculum requirements of the catalog under which he/she matriculates or to any successive catalog year, if the student formally elects to change his/her catalog year, during his/her continued matriculation prior to graduation. The change of major/catalog year form can be accessed on Mercy Connect or from the student’s advisor. He/she may not use  combinations from two or more catalogs to satisfy these requirements.

It should be noted that for the Bachelor of Arts degree, 90 of 120 credits must be completed in the liberal arts and sciences and for the Bachelor of Science degree, 60 of the 120 credits must be completed in the liberal arts and sciences. Curricular distributions should be interpreted accordingly.

Further, to be eligible for graduation with the bachelor’s degree, a student must fulfill the following conditions:

1. A minimum average of C in course grades represented by a cumulative scholastic index of not less than 2.0 in courses taken at Mercy College.
2. A minimum average of C in course grades represented by a cumulative scholastic index of not less than 2.0 in courses taken at Mercy College in the major field of study.
3. A minimum of at least 30 credits taken in residence at Mercy College. Graduate level courses are not included in the 30-credit residency requirement.
4. A minimum of one half of the credits in the area of the major concentration taken in residence at Mercy College. The minimum for each major concentration is listed under the major concentration requirements.
5. Residency is defined as courses offered by Mercy College for academic credit. Courses offered by other institutions or in cooperation with Mercy College do not fulfill residency requirements.

Specific requirements for each major concentration are listed at the beginning of each department’s course offerings.

Double Major

Occasionally a student wishes to specialize in two discrete areas of study to prepare for his/her intended career. In such a case the student may want to apply for a double major. The student will complete a single set of core and elective requirements and complete two sets of major requirements, one for each major desired. Where the same course is required in each major, the student may apply a maximum of 12 credits to satisfy both major requirements.

Overlap credits in excess of 12 must be substituted by major courses with the approval of the respective program directors. If a major does not have sufficient courses for substitution, then those two majors cannot be completed as a double major.

Double Degrees

Occasionally a student wishing to specialize in two discrete areas of study (e.g., Business Administration and Computer Science) will complete a double major. The New York State Education Department has issued guidelines stating that under such circumstances the award of two separate degrees would be inappropriate. In rare cases, however, where the two specializations are clearly widely separated (e.g., Business Administration and Music), and the student might need separate credentials attesting to his/her achievement in each area, separate degrees may be awarded. Students wishing to pursue two separate degrees should consult with the registrar early in their academic career.

Programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree are available with the following major concentrations (Hegis Codes indicated):

Behavioral Science (2201)

Interdisciplinary Studies (4901)

Sociology (2208)

Mathematics (1701)

Psychology (2001)

Programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree only are available with the following major concentrations (Hegis Codes indicated):

English (1501)

History (2205)

Spanish (1105)

Programs of study leading to the Bachelor of Science degree only are available with the following major concentrations (Hegis Codes indicated):

Accounting (0502)

Biology (0401)

Business Administration (0506)

Clinical Laboratory Science (1223)

Communication Disorders (1220)

Communication Studies (0601)

Computer Information Systems (0702)

Computer Science (0701)

Corporate and Homeland Security (2105)

Criminal Justice (2105)

Cybersecurity (0799)

Education — B.S. and M.S. Degree (0803), (0823)

Exercise Science (1299.30)

Health Science (1299)

International Relations and Diplomacy (2210)

Journalism and Media (0699)

Legal Studies (0599)

Music Production and Recording Arts (1099)

Nursing (Upper Division only) (1203.10)

Organizational Management (0506)

Veterinary Technology (0104)

Program of study leading to the Bachelor of Social Work degree is available with the following major concentrations (Hegis Codes indicated):

Social Work (2104)

Program of study leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is available in the following major concentration (Hegis Code indicated):

Change to Design + Animation (1009) (formerly Computer Arts + Design)

Specific requirements for each major concentration are listed at the beginning of each department’s course offerings.

Associate Degree

To be eligible for graduation with the Associate degree, a student must successfully complete 60 or more academic credits,
and these credits must fulfill one of the curricular distributions by the College.

It should be noted that for the Associate in Arts degree, all 60 credits must be completed in the liberal arts and sciences; for the Associate in Science degree, 48 of 60 credits must be completed in the liberal arts and sciences.

Further, to be eligible for graduation with the associate degree, a student must fulfill the following conditions:

1. A minimum average of C in course grades represented by a cumulative scholastic index of not less than 2.0 in courses taken at Mercy College.
2. A minimum of one year’s work in residence, i.e., at least 30 credits taken at Mercy College.

Note: Enrollment in other than registered or otherwise approved programs may jeopardize a student’s eligibility for certain student aid awards.

The following associate degrees are offered at Mercy College:

Occupational Therapy Assistant (5210) (A.A.S.) (DF)

Liberal Arts & Sciences (5649) (DF, BX, YH, MT)

Posthumous Degree Policy

1. Policy Statement
   This policy establishes guidelines for the process by which a degree may be awarded posthumously in the unfortunate event that a student passes away near the completion of his or her academic program at Mercy College. To recognize the student’s work, a next of kin (including child, parent, spouse, or domestic partner) may request a posthumous degree.
2. Criteria for Awarding Posthumous Degrees
   In consultation with the College administration, a posthumous degree may be awarded upon the following criteria being met:
   1. The College must substantiate the student is deceased, by obtaining a death certificate from the family or other proof of death;
   2. The student must have completed sufficient coursework to be awarded a degree;
   3. The student must have been in good academic standing at the College; and
   4. The student must have no college disciplinary sanctions pending

The College reserves the right to evaluate and approve requests in light of the facts and circumstances relating to a student’s death.

3. Determination of Sufficient Coursework
   • For undergraduate candidates, (a) all coursework and other degree requirements would have been completed in the semester that the student died or (b) within one additional semester of attendance at the College.
   • For master’s degree candidates in degree programs without a thesis requirement, all coursework and other degree requirements would have been completed in the semester that the student died.
   • For master’s degree candidates in degree programs with a thesis requirement, the Dean of relevant school shall consult with appropriate members of the school and make a determination that the thesis was substantially completed, i.e., that a full draft exists and that the student could have defended the thesis during the semester in which he or she died.
   • For doctoral degree candidates, all coursework and other degree requirements would have been completed in the semester that the student died. The Dean of the relevant school shall consult with appropriate members of the school and administration to determine whether the requirements of the doctoral degree were substantially completed.

Procedures for Awarding Degrees

A request for a posthumous degree must be made in writing by the student’s next of kin to the Vice President for Enrollment Services, along with the relevant documentation. The Vice President for Enrollment Services or her/his designee shall review the request, and shall confer with the relevant school dean and the Registrar whether the criteria are met for awarding the degree. If the relevant criteria are met, the Vice President for Enrollment Services shall make a recommendation to the Provost, who will review the request and make a final determination whether to award the degree. The posthumous degree award will be made for the then-current academic year.

Thereafter, the Office of the Provost or designee (such as the relevant school dean) shall notify the next of kin regarding the College’s determination whether to recognize the student with a posthumous degree. The Office of the Provost shall also notify the Vice President for Enrollment Services, who will inform the Registrar regarding necessary actions, such as transcript notations, commencement arrangements, etc. If the next of kin desires to represent the student and receive the diploma at a commencement ceremony, this arrangement must be conveyed within the published commencement deadlines to be included in the planning process for commencement. The commencement program will note that the degree was awarded posthumously. The College Registrar will post the notice of the award of the posthumous degree to the student’s transcript. There will be an indication of a posthumous award on the student’s diploma.

Curricular Distributions for All the Bachelor’s Degrees and Associate Degrees in Liberal Arts: General Rules and Definitions

English

English placement is determined by one’s high school transcript or score on ACCUPLACER. All students are required to take a sequence of two English courses, ENGL 111  and ENGL 112  . All students are required to complete ENGL 111  and ENGL 112  or the equivalent. ENGL 110  do not count toward fulfilling the general education requirement in English.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Electives

These are courses selected in the area of the liberal arts and sciences. The College offers courses in these areas under the following headings (check individual course listings):

Art

Behavioral Science

Biology

Chemistry

Economics

English

Exercise Science

French

History

Humanities

Interdisciplinary Studies

Italian

Linguistics

Mathematics

Music

Philosophy

Physical Science

Physics

Political Science

Psychology

Religion

Sociology

Spanish

Speech

Mathematics

All students are required to complete MATH 115 , Mathematics for the Liberal Arts, or MATH 116 , College Algebra or a higher-level math course.

Open Electives

These are any courses selected by the student, whether in the liberal arts and sciences or in such areas as Education, Accounting, Management, Finance, Marketing, Computer Information Systems, Social Work, Journalism, Physical Education, Nursing, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Veterinary Technology, etc.

Degree Conferral Form

Formal graduation ceremonies take place in May. Degree conferral occurs in February, May and August. Diplomas are issued the subsequent month of the respective degree conferral.

A student applies for graduation by filling out the Graduation Application Form (available online via Mercy Connect under the Student Services tab or in the Office of Enrollment Services) and submitting the completed form to the Registrar.

Forms must be submitted according to the following deadlines. Failure to meet the appropriate deadline will result in postponement of graduation to the next scheduled date for issuing diplomas. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Student must be registered for the 6 or less credits to complete requirements

Graduation Honors

To be eligible for academic honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and major program honors, a student must be a candidate for a baccalaureate degree and complete a minimum of 36 credits in residency at Mercy College. Required indices for honors are as follows:

To be eligible for major program honors, a student must have an overall GPA of 3.0 and a 3.5 GPA in courses meeting requirements for their major program in the semester prior to the beginning of the semester their commencement takes place.

To be eligible for the President’s Medal and major program honors, which are awarded annually, and to have his/ her honors appear in the published commencement program, a student must complete a minimum of 36 credits in residency at Mercy College prior to the beginning of the semester in which his/her commencement takes place.

Candidates for the Associate degree are eligible for honors if they have completed at least 36 credits at Mercy College and a minimum GPA of 3.4 for courses completed at Mercy College in the semester before their commencement takes place.

Transfer credits are not included in the calculation for graduation honors.

Honor Societies

Mercy College has established chapters of a range of national honor societies. One of these, Alpha Chi, is an honor society promoting general academic excellence and character. Departments that have established chapters of honor societies are:

Biological Sciences — Beta Beta Beta

Business, Accounting — Delta Mu Delta

Criminal Justice — Alpha Phi Sigma

Education — Kappa Delta Pi

English — Sigma Tau Delta

Foreign Languages — Phi Sigma Iota

Gerontology — Sigma Phi Omega

Health Sciences/Health Professions — Alpha Eta

History — Phi Alpha Theta

International Studies — Sigma Iota Rho

Mathematics and Computer Science — Pi Mu Epsilon

Nursing — Sigma Theta Tau

Paralegal /Legal — Lambda Epsilon Chi

Psychology — Psi Chi

Social Work — Phi Alpha

Social Sciences — Pi Gamma Mu

Undergraduate Programs

Associate in Arts

Associate in Applied Science

Associate in Science

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Social Work

Minor Concentrations

Students may group a set of elective courses as a minor concentration. Minor concentrations are noted on a student’s transcript as a way of recognizing that he/she has, over and above the required major program, also concentrated to a lesser degree in one or more other areas. The rules governing a minor concentration are the same and are as follows:

A minor concentration is constituted by a group of courses (numbered 120 or above) amounting to at least 15 credits in one of the following areas:

Biology

Business

Chemistry

Communications Disorders

Communication Studies

Computer Information Systems

Computer Science

Criminal Justice

* Cybersecurity

English

Health Science

* History

Legal Studies

Mathematics

Media Studies

Music Production and Recording Arts

Psychology

Sociology

Spanish

Speech

* Refer to the program page for specific requirements.

The following conditions apply:

1. At least nine credits used toward a minor concentration must have been taken at Mercy College.
2. A student must have a 2.0 cumulative scholastic index in a specific discipline above in order for the minor concentration to be recorded on the student’s transcript.
3. Courses already counted toward a major or the general education liberal arts core competencies skills requirement cannot also constitute as part of the major concentration.