Earning a Second Bachelor's Degree
Second baccalaureate/postbaccalaureate degrees (post-bac) are available to students who have completed a baccalaureate degree at an accredited institution. Academic advising for post-bac students who are completing a second bachelor’s degree, certificate or pre-professional program is provided by their academic department or advising pathway.
Requirements are as follows:
1. Residence Credit & GPA Requirement:
- If first degree is from PSU:36 credits
- If first degree is NOT from PSU: 45 credits
- Minimum GPA: 2.00
2. Major Requirements:
Students should consult with an advisor from their academic department or advising pathway to learn about their program requirements. Courses taken for the first degree can be applied to these requirements.
Students can identify whether they have completed this requirement in their first bachelor’s degree by meeting with their academic advisor.
If the second degree is the same type as the first degree (e.g., both are Bachelor of Arts degrees), no additional courses are required.
If the second degree differs in type from the first degree (e.g., a Bachelor of Arts is sought, and the first degree awarded is a Bachelor of Science), then the student must complete any relevant coursework needed for obtaining the second degree. This also applies to students with degree types that are not offered by PSU (e.g., Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Architecture); the degree requirements for the second degree must be satisfied. Courses used to fulfill major requirements may also be used to fulfill the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science requirements.
Note about the BA Language Requirement for International Students: For students who were required to submit a satisfactory TOEFL score upon admission, the BA language requirement may be waived. However, students who have had the language requirement waived will need to complete an additional 4 credits in Arts and Letters. Students should consult with their advisor about this.
4. Writing/English Language Requirement for International Degrees:
If the first degree is not from an institution in the United States or an institution in English-speaking Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, or Ireland, WR 323 is required.
General Education Requirements:
Postbaccalaureate students are not required to complete PSU's general education requirements.
Earning a Postbaccalaureate Certificate
Post-bac students may also complete certificates (but not minors unless accompanied by a major). Requirements are as follows:
- Residence credits at PSU after earning first degree: A minimum of 16 credits or 3/4 of the course credits required for the certificate, whichever is higher;
- Certificate requirements (courses taken for first degree can be used);
- WR 323 (if the first degree is from an institution where the language of instruction is not English).
Other Postbaccalaureate Students
Students taking courses towards pre-health programs should meet with a pre-health advisor by calling 503-725-3822.
Students taking courses as prerequisites for other graduate or professional programs should contact the Office of Graduate Studies at gradschool@pdx.edu.
Evaluating Previous Transcripts
Credits from other institutions are not automatically evaluated for post-bac students. Students who want to utilize coursework from other institutions to meet PSU requirements and/or pre-requisites at PSU should contact an academic advisor from their department who can submit a request to the Registrar's Office for a post-baccalaureate transfer evaluation.
Please see the Admissions website for information about how to apply as a postbaccalaureate student.