Graduation and Commencement

• Check the College Catalog for the credit and GPA requirements for your major.
• You must earn a 2.0 in the major to graduate. Some majors may have additional GPA requirements. Any coursework fulfilling major requirements will be calculated in the major GPA.
• Students must earn a minimum of 12 credits in the major at Hood. This means that 12 of the credits listed under the major must be completed at Hood, regardless of the number transferred
• Double majors: Courses used to fulfill both majors are listed under both majors, but the credits are counted only for one major. For example, you are majoring in computer science and mathematics—MATH 207 is required for both majors, but the credits are counted only once under mathematics.

Minors are designed to be independent of the major field. For example, a student majoring in sociology may not minor in sociology or social science research. A list of approved minors can be found in the current catalog.

• At the time of graduation, a student must have an average of 2.0 in the minor or it will be removed from the student’s record.
• Because students are not required to complete a minor in order to graduate, the Registrar’s Office will automatically withdraw a student’s minor if the requirements are not fulfilled by the date of graduation.
• If any course required for the minor is not offered or is dropped from the curriculum, an acceptable substitute may be counted. The appropriate substitute must be approved by the coordinator or department sponsoring the minor and the Registrar’s Office must be notified by the department.
• A minor is declared on the Declaration of Minor form which is available in the Registrar’s Office. 
• Students must take a minimum of nine credits in the minor AT HOOD.
• Courses in the minor MAY count for the Core.
• A minimum of 12 credits for the minor must be taken outside the student’s major requirements and may not overlap with the major. If there is additional overlap, the credit must count in the major field. The course may be used to fulfill a requirement in the minor, but the credit may count only in the major.
• No more than 3 credits of a minor may overlap with a second minor. The course may be used to fulfill a requirement in the minor but the credit may count only in the first minor. A student may have to take an additional 3 credits to fulfill the requirement of 15 credits in the second minor.
• A maximum of 21 credits may be counted in the minor (unless a particular minor requires more than 21 credits, such as chemistry).
• No advisor will be assigned for the minor, but you should consult the coordinator of the minor for any questions you may have about the minor.
• Students are limited to two majors and a single minor or a single major and two minors.
• Students may develop their own minor, with the approval of the Committee on Academic Standards and Policies, provided they meet the minimum number of credits and course levels required of minors.

Athletes who participate in intercollegiate sports may be exempted from all or part of the 2-credit physical education requirement.

A ½ credit of exemption will be granted for each season of participation. No credit is earned for these exemptions.

Excludes Honors papers and student teaching

Credit Limits for Internship/Independent Study

INTERNSHIP credits include: any course numbered 399 (internship); internship credits from other institutions (except American University); any course numbered 370 (practicum); ART 300 (Gallery Assistantship); PSCI 325 (Field Work in Politics); SOWK 445, 446 (Social Work Field Practice).

INDEPENDENT STUDY credits include all courses numbered 375 and any X-credits completed.

Independent study credits in the major field may not exceed 12 credits or 1⁄4 of the major field, whichever is less:

• 24 credits earned in major = 6 credit maximum in independent study 
• 36 credits earned in major = 9 credit maximum in independent study 
• 48 credits earned in major = 12 credit maximum in independent study
• 60 credits earned in major = 12 credit maximum in independent study

As shown above, if 1⁄4 of the major field is more than 12 credits, you may not exceed 12 credits of independent study in the major.

TOTALS: The total number of self-directed credits in the major may not exceed 18. Therefore, if you complete 15 credits of internship, you are limited to 3 credits of independent study. If you complete 6 credits of internship, and have completed at least 48 credits in your major, you may take 12 credits of independent study for the maximum of 18 credits of self-directed study.

S/U credit (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)–the total number of S/U credits allowed depends on your length of time at Hood.

• 1 year or 30 credits at Hood = 3 credits of S/U
• 2 years or 60 credits at Hood = 6 credits of S/U
• 3 years or 90 credits at Hood = 9 credits of S/U
• 4 years or 120 credits at Hood = 12 credits of S/U

REMINDER: Students may not choose the S/U option for any course in the Core, in the major field, the minor field, or an independent study. (If a course is only offered for S/U credit, this policy does not apply.) Students may not change from letter grade to S/U grading after the drop/add period.

EXEMPTION/CREDIT BY EXAM—this includes CLEP, AP, DANTES, INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE and Hood College departmental tests.

YOU MAY NOT EARN credits through any of the exams listed above during the last semester of your senior year (during the final 15 credit hours if a student is part-time), nor can the credit count in the minimum of 30 Hood credits required for a Hood degree, or in the 12 credits of coursework required at Hood for the major.

TOTALS: Add all totals for S/U, Exemption/Credit by Exam, and Portfolio. The total for all may not exceed 30 credits.

Teaching Assistantships: 

A total of 4 credits of Teaching Assistantship may be counted toward the degree.

• 124 credits (if admitted prior to Fall 1993)
• 124 credits at 100-level or above (if admitted Fall 1993 or later)
• 2.00 cumulative grade point average (gpa) and 2.00 major grade point average (gpa)

You can monitor your credits and cumulative grade point average (gpa) by viewing your transcript and/or Degree Progress on Self-Service. You need to plan for enough credits in your senior year to earn a minimum of 124 credits (100-level or above).

• Transfer students with an AA, AS, or AAT degree or the equivalent are exempt from the Foundation and Methods of Inquiry sections of the Core with the exception of the Global Perspectives requirement which may be fulfilled with appropriate transfer courses. 
• All Core requirements must be taken for a letter grade—no S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) grades.
• The Foreign Language requirement is fulfilled by six to eight credits in an elementary (101 and 102) foreign language course sequence or exemption through a placement test. 
  Students may also exempt without credit the six-credit foreign language requirement by placement at the 201-level or above on the foreign language placement test.
  International students, for whom English is a foreign language, may meet the requirement by placing into and completing a 100-level English course. If, however, English is the official language of the country, a foreign language is required. 
• Students who participate in intercollegiate sports may be exempted from all or part of the PE activity requirement. A half-credit of exemption will be granted for each season of participation. No credit is earned for the waiver. Please contact Athletics to ensure that all waivers have been applied to your record. 
• Honors Program students who have completed HON 102, HON 201, and HON 202 may apply up to 3 Honors courses toward the seven classes required in the Methods of Inquiry section of the Core. No Honors credit may be applied to the laboratory science requirement.

B-2 Visitor’s Visa Invitation Letter Template

Consular Officials from the U.S. State Department have stated that invitation letters from Universities/Colleges are not required for B-2 visitor visa applicants, and that such letters are not helpful. To confirm what documents are required for B-2 visitor visa applicants, please visit the Visitor's Visa section of the US Department of State website to locate the specific embassy or consulate where your visitor will be applying for the visa.

When reviewing applications for B-2 visitor visas, Consular Officials seek to confirm that the applicant has ties to their home country and that the applicant is not likely to stay in the U.S. Often, evidence like property deeds, proof of employment, and a letter from their employer authorizing the vacation time can be used to demonstrate ties to the home country. If your visitor would like an invitation letter, you may write one yourself. Click here for a template to use as a guide for your letter. The letter should be written in English, and should include:

1. The name of the invited person
2. Their relation to you
3. The purpose of their visit: to see your graduation ceremony? Tourism? If your graduation is the purpose of the visit, you may complete the International Student Commencement Verification form to aid in this request.
4. The dates of their visit
5. How their visit will be funded (who will be paying? If you are funding, you should provide financial documentation to the visitor)
6. The location(s) of their visit (are they staying with you or at a hotel? What is the address where they are staying?
7. Itinerary of the visit
8. If you are an F-1 or J-1 student, you can include this information in the letter, and indicate the dates of your study in the U.S. You can also include a copy of your immigration documentation.

Remember: Visa applicants must qualify on the basis of the applicant’s residence and ties abroad, rather than assurances from U.S. family and friends. A letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support is not needed to apply for a visitor visa. If your family member chooses to bring the letter of invitation or Affidavit of Support to the interview, please remember it is not one of the factors used in determining whether to issue or deny the visa.