Second Bachelor's Degree

Persons holding baccalaureate degrees from regionally accredited institutions may apply to Rhode Island College for a second undergraduate degree.

At the time of application, students must have completed a baccalaureate degree with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (3.0 for Nursing and 2.7 for Radiologic Technology applicants). Previous college course work must be comparable to coursework currently taught at Rhode Island College.

Candidates for a second degree must successfully complete a minimum of 30 credit hours at Rhode Island College. Some programs, such as elementary education, may include over 90 credit hours, depending upon the student's first undergraduate major.

In those areas where an advanced degree is offered, approval by the department chair and divisional dean is required for admission under the provision of the second-degree program. Admission to a second bachelor's degree program does not guarantee admission to those programs with a secondary admission process (i.e. education, nursing, social work, medical imaging).

Students interested in transferring to Rhode Island College should submit:

1. a completed Common Application and RIC Supplement, and nonrefundable $50 application fee
2. official transcripts from all colleges attended showing date bachelor's degree was earned (transcripts for RIC graduates will be printed by the Admissions Office)

The Plan of Study must specify which courses the student needs to complete in order to satisfy the requirements for a second degree. The Plan must include a minimum of 30 credit hours to be completed at Rhode Island College, at least 15 of which must be taken in the department of the major.

In addition, at least 21 of the credits included in the Plan must be completed as a degree student at Rhode Island College. There is no guarantee that courses taken at the College prior to acceptance will be counted in the Plan of Study.

Course/credit proficiency, field experience, prior learning credit, transfer credit, or credits taken in the first baccalaureate degree may not be counted towards the required 30 semester hours.

The application process is not complete until the Plan of Study is signed by the advisor, department chair, academic dean and the student and reviewed by the Admissions Office. An acceptance letter will then be sent to the student. To become enrolled as a degree student, a non-refundable $200 enrollment deposit must be paid by the deadline stated in the student's acceptance letter.

The completed and signed Plan of Study must be returned to the Admissions Office by July 1 for fall, December 1 for spring. Plans of Study received after the start of a semester will not be processed until the following term and the student may need to reapply.

Students should contact the Admissions Office to confirm receipt of the signed Plan of Study if they have not received an acceptance letter within 4 weeks of their meeting with the advisor in their intended major. It is the student's responsibility to follow up with their academic advisor if the signed Plan of Study has not been submitted to the Admissions Office.

All general education requirements and the college writing and mathematics requirements are waived for accepted second degree students. They begin their program with a block of 90 credits:

• 36 credits applied as general education
• 54 credits applied as elective

• Students may not pursue a concurrent second bachelor's degree and a master's degree.
• Students may not double major, major and minor, nor be in pursuit of a certificate program on a second degree plan (with the exception of Health and Physical Education).
• An individualized degree program is not an option for second degree students.
• Students may not change majors on an approved plan. A new application for admission must be submitted and the student must complete the entire admissions process again. The new Plan of Study must contain a minimum of 30 credits, no more than 9 credits of which may be already completed.
• All applicants interested in Education, Nursing, Social Work, and Medical Imaging must be admitted and enrolled at the college prior to the department’s secondary application. For students interested specifically in Nursing, applicants cannot apply for Nursing until the subsequent semester and when they have met the School of Nursing requirements.