Academic Planning

To receive a bachelor’s degree from the University, students must earn a minimum of 120 credit hours. Some degrees or programs may require more. Regardless of the required minimum credits, students must have a C average (2.0) or better, as well as a C average (2.0) for all work done at the University of Miami.

Students must also meet all of the degree requirements of their respective schools. They should not expect requirements in composition, mathematics, foreign languages, or other subject areas to be waived for any reason.

• In addition, each student must complete at least half of the credit hours specified for his or her major in residence at the University of Miami; some programs may require more.  
• Not more than 30 credit hours of correspondence work and extension work combined will be accepted toward a degree, and neither correspondence nor extension work may be credited as a part of the last 45 credit hours of the student’s program. Correspondence or extension coursework taken elsewhere must be evaluated and approved by the appropriate academic department.
• Not more than 30 credit hours based on military experience will be awarded toward the degree. Military experience is evaluated and approved on an individual basis and may or may not be accepted for credit or toward degree requirements. 
• Credit hours earned in a manner other than by course registration, i.e. proficiency examination, CLEP, placement tests, etc., may not be used to meet the final 45 credit hour residency requirement, however such credit by examination may be earned while the student is enrolled in the courses needed to meet the final 45 credit-hour residency requirement. The awarding of credits outside of course enrollment must be approved by the appropriate academic department(s).
• Once a degree has been awarded, no changes will be made to the academic record. This includes but is not limited to transfer work, course enrollment, grades, and credits awarded. 

Learn more about degree requirements*

*Please be sure to check the academic bulletin for your year of admissions to UM.

All students must declare, as part of their degree, a major, minor, and/or cognate. The required declarations may vary depending on the degree program. These declarations may be done during the admission process and/or during their time as an enrolled student. Each school has a procedure for declaring majors, minors, and cognates. Please consult with the school to ensure you are familiar with their process.  

The Cognates Program comprises the Areas of Knowledge component of the University of Miami's framework for General Education. Students fulfill the Areas of Knowledge requirement by selecting and completing a cognate in the three areas of the university curriculum:

1. Arts & Humanities (A&H)
2. People & Society (P&S)
3. Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)

A cognate requires a minimum of at least three courses, for at least nine credit hours. A major, minor, thematic cognate, or an individualized cognate will satisfy the requirement.

Learn more about Cognates

The University Bulletin is the guide to every program and department at the University of Miami. It includes essential information like admission and graduation requirements, financial information, and academic procedures. 

The Bulletin from the year you were admitted to UM contains all University and Department requirements for your major. 

Review Academic Bulletin

CaneLink is the University's Student Information System (SIS). Students, faculty, and staff use CaneLink to search for classes; view course schedules, course history, class rosters, registration shopping carts, advisees, and other advisee academic data; release advising holds; run degree progress reports and what-if scenarios for advisees; add classes to a shopping cart; sign up to be on a waitlist for classes that are filed to capacity; check for conflicts, missing enforced requisites, missing permissions, etc.; and select classes for future semesters using class planner.

Learn more about CaneLink

The Degree Planner provides University freshman and sophomore students with a user-friendly, term-by-term sequenced pathway to plan your course selections and complete your remaining degree requirements to graduate on time.

Degre Planner Tip Sheet

The Degree Progress Report (DPR) in CaneLink tracks your progress towards completion of degree requirements.

The Schedule Builder provides an easy way to quickly build a class schedule that accommodates multiple activities. Noteworthy is the schedule builder's ability to visually display multiple combinations of classes to ease the process of choosing their desired schedule.

Learn more about Schedule Builder