Graduation Requirements

The First-Year Seminar (3 cr)

All first-year students and qualifying transfer students begin their college careers by enrolling in a First-Year Seminar. First-Year Seminars enable students to experience a small and lively learning community while encountering the essential elements of academic inquiry: analytical reading, critical thinking, and well-reasoned writing. The seminars also offer students the opportunity to become part of a vibrant community of learners while focusing on a specific topic that poses challenging intellectual questions. Students are encouraged to read complex texts with care, to think about complicated ideas with discrimination, and to write essays with efficacy and force. Topics vary from seminar to seminar. Incoming students have the opportunity to rank their preferences for different seminar topics.

Pre-modern Civilization (3 cr)

In a rapidly changing world, the past can seem irrelevant. Understanding and actively engaging in a changing world, however, requires an understanding that all of modern life has historical origins that determined the shape of today. This requirement provides students with exposure to pre-1800 historical developments that form the foundation of modern systems of thought and ideals of education, thus conveying essential knowledge of the basic dimensions of Western or World intellectual cultures. Its purpose is to lay a twofold foundation: a factual foundation concerning the people and ideas that have shaped conceptions of liberty and the liberal arts tradition of education; and a sound foundation in historical methodology through the interpretation of historical texts and their impact on ideas, events, and people.

Uniqueness Policy

The College of Idaho does allow classes to count for multiple degree requirements with the following restriction:

Students are only permitted to apply one-third of credits completed for a single major or minor to the requirements of any other major or minor.

To clarify, two-thirds of the credits completed for each major and minor must be unique to that major or minor and not applied to any other major and minor (with the exception of the PFE minor). For example, students completing a 15-credit minor may only use 5 credits from that minor to count toward a major requirement or the requirements of a different minor.

PEAK Credit Limitations

• 8 credits each may be counted in activity courses in debate, applied music lessons, music ensembles, physical education, theatre, or POE-199/399 (Model United Nations).

• 18 credits of P grades may be counted. (Please see Pass-Fail regulations.)

• 12 credits may be counted in correspondence and extension courses.

Note: Students wanting assurance that such courses will be acceptable upon transfer or will fulfill College requirements should consult the Registrar in advance. Seniors should note possible conflict with the residence requirement.

• 70 credits (106 quarter credits) from all community college work may be counted. Please see transfer credit policy for specific course and grade acceptance.

• Credit by examination: The College of Idaho does not grant credit by examination or for prerequisites met by challenge, prior experience, or instructor permission.

• Double use of courses: Individual courses may be used to fulfill more than one major or minor program, except where expressly prohibited.

Winter Term

The College of Idaho academic calendar includes a 4-week winter term, intended to give students an intensive experience focused on a single course. A course may be taken on campus or through a C of I off-campus program. Students admitted with first-year standing must complete nine credits in Winter term; students admitted with sophomore standing must complete six credits; and students admitted with junior standing or above must complete three credits.

PEAK for Transfer Students

The College of Idaho accepts up to 70 transfer credits from accredited community colleges and up to 90 transfer credits from accredited four-year colleges and universities. Please see the Transfer Credit policy for specific course and grade acceptance.

There is often a challenge, however, in transforming the credits transferred to the College into a coherent liberal arts course of study on the PEAK model. As far as possible, students, in concert with their advisors, are expected to shape their course of study according to the expectations of the PEAK curriculum.

• 50+ Completed Credits: 1 Major, Professional Minor, Transfer Core

  • Cover 1 Academic PEAK with Major

  • Completed Professional PEAK Minor

  • Complete Transfer Core

• 28-49 Completed Credits: 1 Major, 2 Minors, Transfer Core

  • Cover 2 Academic PEAK with Major and Minor

  • Completed Professional PEAK Minor

  • Complete Transfer Core

• 0-27 Completed Credits: 1 Major, 3 Minors

  • HFA Program

  • NSM Program

  • SSH Program

  • Professional PEAK Minor

Alternative Credits (AP and IB) and concurrent/dual-enrollment credits are not considered transfer credits. Although these types of credits may allow a student to enroll in the College with advanced standing, they do not count toward the 28 transfer credits that would allow a student to complete less than the full PEAK curriculum.

Transfer Core

Students transferring to The College of Idaho with 28 or more transfer credits are required to complete the transfer core. The requirements of the transfer core are listed below:

Transfer Core

PEAK Major and Minor Limitations

While students must complete a combination of majors and minors covering all four PEAKs, in order to ensure appropriate liberal arts breadth, students may earn no more than a combined total of five PEAK majors and minors.

Students can complete no more than two specializations.

Liberal Arts Expectations

While it is impossible to anticipate every combination of majors and minors students might choose, College of Idaho graduates are expected to complete a broad and thorough liberal arts course of study. Although most combinations of majors and minors will ensure liberal arts breadth, students are expected to engage in each of the areas listed below as part of their academic program. Academic advisors encourage and assist students in meeting this expectation.

• Writing
• History
• Mathematics
• Natural Science
• Foreign Language
• Social Science
• Literature
• Philosophy/Religion
• Fine Arts
• Cultural Diversity

Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirements

In order to meet the grade point average requirements for graduation, students must have earned:

• An institutional grade point average of at least 2.00.

• A grade point average of at least 2.00 in the major field

  • In the College of Idaho record; and

  • In the entire undergraduate record (cumulative GPA consists of institutional and any transfer work).

• A grade point average of at least 2.00 in each minor

  • In the College of Idaho record; and

  • In the entire undergraduate record (cumulative GPA consists of institutional and any transfer work).

For purposes of calculating grade point averages, only those courses that are applicable to the College of Idaho degree are considered.

Residency Course Requirement

A minimum of 30 credits must be earned in courses taken on the College of Idaho campus. Ordinarily the student must earn this credit after attaining senior standing (90 credits). Dual-degree candidates in pre-engineering must earn this credit after they have attained junior standing (60 credits). For students who want to take advantage of a special educational opportunity away from the campus during their senior year, the Provost may waive the requirement that this credit be earned after attaining senior standing.

Degrees and Graduation Application

A student may earn a Bachelor of Arts degree at The College of Idaho with a major chosen from a variety of fields.  Although a student may have more than one major, it is not possible to earn two Bachelor of Arts degrees.

Candidates for graduation in spring or summer of any year must make formal application in the Registrar's Office not later than May of the preceding year. Candidates for graduation in fall or winter must make formal application no later than the February of the preceding academic year. Candidates for graduation under dual-degree programs must make formal application not later than October of their junior year.

Students may qualify for graduation under the catalog of any year in which they are matriculated (degree-seeking) and regularly enrolled, provided the catalog listing the requirements went into effect no more than six years prior to the year of graduation.

Participation in Commencement

Students may participate in Commencement with no more than two outstanding courses (7 credits) that can be completed in the following Summer or Fall terms.

This policy does not constitute a waiver of these credits, and the credits must be completed in order to fulfill the student’s degree at The College of Idaho. The student must complete a graduation exception contract, and the Commencement program will reflect that the degree has not been completed. The student will be required to reapply for graduation after one year from the date of Commencement. 

Gipson Honors Program

The Gipson Honors program serves outstanding individuals who have demonstrated broad intellectual curiosity and a developed aptitude for academic leadership. The Honors program offers selected students guided opportunities for leadership development, academic growth, and professional preparation. Admission to the Gipson Honors program is by invitation only.