Degree & Graduation Requirements | Chapman University
Source: https://www.chapman.edu/academics/undergraduate/degree-requirements/index.aspx
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:13
Degree & Graduation Requirements | Chapman University
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Degree & Graduation Requirements
The ultimate goal of attending college is to graduate, ideally on time or even early.
Whether you are an incoming or current student, it is important you understand your
undergraduate degree requirements and stay on track for graduation:
You will need a minimum of 120 credits.
These credits will be from a combination of General Education and major program courses.
However, you may end up sharing one to three courses in your major with your GE requirements,
so the 45 credit minimum can be reduced by as much as 9 credits, making the minimum
36 credits
To graduate within four years
, you should earn an average of 30 credits a year (minus any credits you transfer
into Chapman).
A full-time course load is 12 credits
, and it is important to take at least this many per semester (to stay on track for
graduation and retain financial aid awards).
Most Chapman classes are 3 credits
.
You can view all Undergraduate Degree Requirements in our Catalog. You can select
the Catalog year that you entered to find the specific requirements applicable to
you:
2025-26 Undergraduate Catalog
2024-25 Undergraduate Catalog
2023-24 Undergraduate Catalog
2022-23 Undergraduate Catalog
2021-22 Undergraduate Catalog
2020-21 Undergraduate Catalog
2019-20 Undergraduate Catalog
How do those 120 credits work?
In general, there are three categories of classes that you will need to take before
graduation: major courses, General Education courses, and elective courses.
Major program requirements
Every major has its own requirements, which can include a combination of required
courses and electives (where you must pick a course/courses from a selection of options).
For every major, you will need to take a certain number of required major credits
to graduate with that degree.
You can find the list of required courses and electives for your major program in
the
Chapman Catalog
.
You can
learn more about major requirements here
.
General Education requirements: minors and more
Chapman’s General Education (GE) courses provide a broad base of knowledge that complements
specialized learning in your major.
GE courses also allow you to discover and cultivate new interests. In fact, as part
of the General Education process all students must add at least one of the following:
A second major.
A
minor
.
A "
Themed Inquiry
."
You can
learn more about our General Education Program here
.
Electives
Each major requires a different number of credits to complete the degree. Depending
on your major requirements and your GE courses, you might have room to take elective
courses. These can be entirely up to you based on your interests, as long as you meet
the prerequisites for the courses.
Changing/Adding majors
According to the U.S. Department of Education, about a third of students earning bachelor’s
degrees change majors at least once.
Our
Change/Add Majors Tool
makes it easy to find requirements and directions for changing or adding a major
at Chapman.
Additional requirements
As part of or in addition to your General Education or major programs requirements,
you will need to satisfy the following:
Introductory math requirement:
All students must satisfy an introductory mathematics requirement. You can learn more
about the requirement in the
Chapman Catalog’s Undergraduate Degree Requirements
.
Incoming students must complete a math assessment to potentially satisfy this requirement
and/or place you in the math class that is appropriate for your level.
Global Citizen requirement:
All students are required to complete a course that incorporates and addresses global
citizen issues in meaningful ways.
Language Inquiry requirement
: This requirement ensures students have a demonstrated competency to speak, read
and write in a language other than English.
You can place into a higher language course, or have your language requirement waived,
via a language exam.
You learn more about these requirements below:
Math Assessment
GLOBAL CITIZEN Requirement
Language Exams
Undergraduate Advising
Every undergraduate student has an assigned advisor. Your advisor is a partner in
your success at Chapman. They can help ensure you start off and stay on track to graduate
on time.
You can learn more on our Undergraduate Advising website or, if you are an incoming/current
student, find your advisor.
Undergraduate Advising
Find Your Advisor
Degree Requirements
Degree & Graduation Requirements
General Education Requirements
Major Requirements
4-year Plans
Contact Us
Email:
undergrad@chapman.edu
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Skip to main content
Skip over carousel to next section
Off
Undergraduate Academics
Degree & Graduation Requirements
Academics
Office of the Provost
Academic Calendar
Degrees & Programs
Schools and Colleges
Undergraduate Academics
Graduate Education
Course Catalogs
Libraries
Academic Freedom
Academic Integrity
Learning at Chapman
Undergraduate
Undergraduate Academics
Degree & Graduation Requirements
Changing Your Academic Pathway
Undergraduate Advising
Study Abroad
Undeclared/Exploratory Students
Pre-Health Professions Office
University Honors Program
Aims of Education
Phi Beta Kappa
Contact Us
Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Follow
»
Degree & Graduation Requirements
The ultimate goal of attending college is to graduate, ideally on time or even early.
Whether you are an incoming or current student, it is important you understand your
undergraduate degree requirements and stay on track for graduation:
You will need a minimum of 120 credits.
These credits will be from a combination of General Education and major program courses.
However, you may end up sharing one to three courses in your major with your GE requirements,
so the 45 credit minimum can be reduced by as much as 9 credits, making the minimum
36 credits
To graduate within four years
, you should earn an average of 30 credits a year (minus any credits you transfer
into Chapman).
A full-time course load is 12 credits
, and it is important to take at least this many per semester (to stay on track for
graduation and retain financial aid awards).
Most Chapman classes are 3 credits
.
You can view all Undergraduate Degree Requirements in our Catalog. You can select
the Catalog year that you entered to find the specific requirements applicable to
you:
2025-26 Undergraduate Catalog
2024-25 Undergraduate Catalog
2023-24 Undergraduate Catalog
2022-23 Undergraduate Catalog
2021-22 Undergraduate Catalog
2020-21 Undergraduate Catalog
2019-20 Undergraduate Catalog
How do those 120 credits work?
In general, there are three categories of classes that you will need to take before
graduation: major courses, General Education courses, and elective courses.
Major program requirements
Every major has its own requirements, which can include a combination of required
courses and electives (where you must pick a course/courses from a selection of options).
For every major, you will need to take a certain number of required major credits
to graduate with that degree.
You can find the list of required courses and electives for your major program in
the
Chapman Catalog
.
You can
learn more about major requirements here
.
General Education requirements: minors and more
Chapman’s General Education (GE) courses provide a broad base of knowledge that complements
specialized learning in your major.
GE courses also allow you to discover and cultivate new interests. In fact, as part
of the General Education process all students must add at least one of the following:
A second major.
A
minor
.
A "
Themed Inquiry
."
You can
learn more about our General Education Program here
.
Electives
Each major requires a different number of credits to complete the degree. Depending
on your major requirements and your GE courses, you might have room to take elective
courses. These can be entirely up to you based on your interests, as long as you meet
the prerequisites for the courses.
Changing/Adding majors
According to the U.S. Department of Education, about a third of students earning bachelor’s
degrees change majors at least once.
Our
Change/Add Majors Tool
makes it easy to find requirements and directions for changing or adding a major
at Chapman.
Additional requirements
As part of or in addition to your General Education or major programs requirements,
you will need to satisfy the following:
Introductory math requirement:
All students must satisfy an introductory mathematics requirement. You can learn more
about the requirement in the
Chapman Catalog’s Undergraduate Degree Requirements
.
Incoming students must complete a math assessment to potentially satisfy this requirement
and/or place you in the math class that is appropriate for your level.
Global Citizen requirement:
All students are required to complete a course that incorporates and addresses global
citizen issues in meaningful ways.
Language Inquiry requirement
: This requirement ensures students have a demonstrated competency to speak, read
and write in a language other than English.
You can place into a higher language course, or have your language requirement waived,
via a language exam.
You learn more about these requirements below:
Math Assessment
GLOBAL CITIZEN Requirement
Language Exams
Undergraduate Advising
Every undergraduate student has an assigned advisor. Your advisor is a partner in
your success at Chapman. They can help ensure you start off and stay on track to graduate
on time.
You can learn more on our Undergraduate Advising website or, if you are an incoming/current
student, find your advisor.
Undergraduate Advising
Find Your Advisor
Degree Requirements
Degree & Graduation Requirements
General Education Requirements
Major Requirements
4-year Plans
Contact Us
Email:
undergrad@chapman.edu
Back to top
Back to top
©