Guidelines for Second Bachelor's Degree

Admission Policies

Applicants must have a 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) from all previous institutions attended. Exceptions may be granted on an individual basis.
Applicants who have less than a 2.00 GPA in post-baccalaureate work may enroll as a non-degree student and complete a minimum of 6 units. If they obtain at least a 2.00 GPA, they will be re-evaluated for admission to the second bachelor's program.
Declaration of a screened major on your university application does not automatically apply you for a screened major, and university admission into the second bachelor's program does not guarantee acceptance into a competitive or screened major. Students must also follow application procedures and meet the admission requirements for any screened or competitive major.
The second bachelor’s program is designed for studying a new and different field. Students are not eligible to complete a second bachelor’s degree in the same field as their first degree, including all concentrations and tracks. Second bachelor’s students are eligible to pursue a double major and/or minor; these may also not be the same as a student’s first degree.
Students who completed a minor in their intended new major or whose first degree is in a field closely related to their new major will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students must be eligible to meet the degree completion policies of the second bachelor’s program (see “Degree Completion Policies” below).
F-1 or J-1 visa holders must complete International Admissions requirements.
Students with international coursework must submit a course-by-course evaluation from one of the following international credential evaluation companies: WES, SpanTran, IERF, or ECE. Internationally earned degrees must be deemed equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree by the credential evaluation service in order to be eligible for second bachelor’s admission.
Non-native English speakers must demonstrate English proficiency. Questions regarding transcript evaluations or English proficiency may be directed to englprof@towson.edu.
Students must maintain continuous enrollment during the fall and spring terms to remain active in their program. If the student does not attend the university for at least one regular academic term (spring or fall) and wish to resume their second bachelor’s program under the same major must reenroll through the Office of Reenrollment. Students who wish to reenroll in the second bachelor’s degree with a new major must submit a new application for university admission to be reviewed for program eligibility.
Students who wish to pursue a second bachelor’s and a master’s degree at the same time must apply and be admitted to each program separately. Concurrent enrollment in undergraduate and graduate programs of the same or overlapping disciplines is prohibited. Graduate coursework may not be applied to the second bachelor’s degree.

Transfer Policies

Upon enrollment, all second bachelor’s students will have a bulk of 90 transfer credits posted to their TU transcript. This is the maximum of transfer credits any student may receive.
A student’s first degree is recognized as satisfying the Core Curriculum, TU’s general education requirements, except for the Advanced Writing Seminar (Core 9). This is an institutional requirement that cannot be satisfied in transfer unless a student is deemed exempt by Admissions.
Core 9 exemption is automatically granted to TU alumni and any applicant with a completed master’s degree. Exemption from Core 9 does not exempt students from any advanced writing requirement within their new major.
Second bachelor’s students will be reviewed for Core 9 exemption when their 90 transfer credits are posted. Any students not exempted from the Core 9 requirement will be expected to complete the requirement as part of their second bachelor’s degree. Once a student’s 90 credits are posted, they can consult their Academic Requirements to determine if they must complete the Core 9 requirement and whether they will satisfy the requirement via major coursework. If a student feels they have met this requirement within their first degree and will not complete an advanced writing course in their new major, they may contact Admissions to appeal for exemption.
Second bachelor’s students do not receive a course-by-course evaluation of their transcripts. Individual courses will only be posted separately from the 90 credit sum if they are deemed necessary for degree completion by the academic department of a student’s major. Any coursework from the first degree, as well as any undergraduate courses completed after the degree at regionally accredited institutions, may be reviewed for application to the second bachelor’s degree. Official transcripts from all institutions must be provided for department review.
Second bachelor’s students are not eligible to transfer new credits to TU after they have enrolled at TU. This is because they have already received the maximum of 90 credits in transfer from their first degree. This applies to students who are continuously enrolled as well as any reenrolling second bachelor’s students. Students seeking an exception to this policy may contact Admissions to appeal for an exception.

Degree Completion Policies

Second bachelor’s students must complete a minimum of 30 new units at Towson University as part of their second degree.
Students must complete at least half of their new major in residence at TU. This may exceed the 30 unit minimum if a student’s major requires more than 60 units.
While prior TU coursework may satisfy second bachelor’s degree requirements, TU alumni must be able to complete at least half of their new major after the completion of their first degree.
A minimum of 15 units must be taken as a degree candidate before one can graduate from Towson University.
Students may not use units gained through Credit for Prior Learning unless they are earned at TU. Prior learning units may be used toward completion of the second bachelor's degree, but they may not count toward the minimum of 30 units.
Most TU programs lead to a Bachelor of Science degree by default. If a student has studied a foreign language through the intermediate level in either their first or second degree, they are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree instead.
To be evaluated for Latin Honors in the second bachelor's degree, a student must first complete a minimum of 60 units of undergraduate work at TU within their second degree. Students may contact the Graduation Office for more information.
Second bachelor's students must meet major department requirements from the catalog year under which they were officially admitted. Students have 10 years to graduate under that catalog.
Students pursing a non-thematic option within the interdisciplinary studies major must have a course of study approved by the College of Liberal Arts program director of that major.