Degree Requirements Check List

You can view the requirements for the BA in Environmental Studies here . Note that many of the geology classes are offered only once a year. Keep this in mind as you plan out your semester-by-semester schedule for your remaining years at Pitt.

When Can You Sign Up for Classes?

Everyone is assigned a date and time after which you can sign you up for classes. This time is based on the number of credits you’ve got. To find out this time, go to my.pitt.edu, click on ‘Student Center Login’, then ‘Self Service’, and then (under Enrollment) ‘Enrollment Dates’.

Available Gen. Eds. and Full Course Descriptions

The General Education Requirements webpage includes lists of classes that fulfill each Gen. Ed. for a given semester, plus course descriptions for all classes that are more detailed than the generalized all-caps descriptions found with the standard class searches.

Searching for Open Classes

To find open classes go to my.pitt.edu, click on PeopleSoft, Self-Service, and finally Class Search. Note: You can see all possible sections of whatever you are searching for if you deselect the “Show Open Classes” box.

Double Majors / Dual Degrees 

The requirements of the undergraduate programs make it possible to pursue a double major in many other disciplines. Students who declare Geology/Environmental Science/Environmental Studies as a second major should consult with their Geology/Environmental Science/Environmental Studies advisor as soon as possible to ensure that all requirements are fulfilled.

Students who meet the major requirements of two or three departments may declare, and have recorded on their transcript, a double or triple major, but they will earn only one degree. If one major leads to the BA degree and another to the BS degree, students must decide at graduation which degree they wish to receive. A maximum of six credits in core classes can overlap from one major to another.

Dietrich School students may choose to simultaneously pursue more than one undergraduate degree, either within the Dietrich School (i.e., both a BA and a BS) or in another undergraduate school of the University. In general, earning two degrees requires a minimum of 150 credits and completion of the curriculum requirements of both schools. Detailed information about these options is available in the Advising Center, 201 Thackeray Hall.

Graduation

All Dietrich Arts and Sciences' undergraduates require a minimum of 120 passing credits to graduate, as well as a GPA of at least 2.00, and completion of all General Education classes ("gen eds"). In addition, students must fulfill required classes (including internships and field experiences/camps) for individual majors. Each student is responsible for tracking registration appointments, required classes, credits, general education courses, and graduation deadlines.

Students apply for graduation in the term before graduation. Check with Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences' Student Record Office for deadlines (140 Thackeray); this is also the office where students pick up and return graduation applications.

In the month prior to April graduation, check Graduation Central on Pitt's home page for information about tickets and regalia. Candidates for graduation are encouraged to appear in person at commencement, usually held the Sunday after the spring term ends. Although degrees are conferred at commencement for all graduation periods, the official certification for April and May graduates occurs several weeks after the ceremony.

With the exception of students who receive their diplomas at individual school ceremonies, all diplomas are mailed to students approximately four weeks after the official certification date for each graduation period.

NOTE: December graduation ceremonies are usually held at the conclusion of finals. Traditionally, December commencement takes place in Soldiers and Sailors Hall.

Getting Your Own Degree Progress Report

Your Degree Progress Report will tell you exactly how close you are to graduating. Click this link for instructions on how to get your Degree Progress Report (helpfully prepared by the College of General Studies).

Problems in your Degree Progress Report?

Visit Student Records (140 Thackeray Hall) to sort out any Gen. Ed. issues. Sometimes, for example, a Gen. Ed. is put in one spot when you’d rather have it in another. They’ve got a form for this.

If there are problems with your major requirements, please see your advisor. Note: PeopleSoft doesn’t show that History of the Earth and Sedimentology and Stratigraphy fulfill the W requirement, but the people in Student Records know that they do. 

Resources for Academic Stress and Other Issues

By nature, college is a time for transition and growth; it can also be a time for stress and adjustment. The University Counseling Center (UCC) is the primary mental health service for students. The UCC offers a variety of mental health services to students utilizing a short-term, time-limited approach, including assessment, counseling and psychotherapy services (individual, group, and couples), and psychiatric services.

In addition, the UCC provides crisis intervention, consultation, referral, and outreach services to students, as well as faculty and staff of the University of Pittsburgh. Specialized counseling, consultation, and outreach services are offered through the UCC’s Sexual Assault Services and Substance Abuse Services programs. UCC services are provided by a multidisciplinary staff of mental health professionals that includes psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and advanced graduate trainees in various mental health disciplines. The UCC, as part of the University of Pittsburgh community, is committed promoting the health, as well as the personal, academic, and career development of all University students. 

For information, contact

University of Pittsburgh Counseling Center /Wellness Center
2nd Floor Nordenberg Hall
119 University Place
Pittsburgh, PA  15260

http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/cchome

Telephone Number - 412-648-7930