Degree Options

Certificate of Completion

St. Catherine University awards certificates in both the College for Adults and the College for Women. These certificate programs range from the vocational to the professional level and equip students with specialized knowledge, skills and decision-making competencies necessary for working in a variety of settings.

Associate Degree

St. Catherine University awards the associate of applied science (A.A.S.) degree to students upon successful completion of academic requirements.

Baccalaureate Degree

Bachelor’s degree options at St. Catherine University include the Bachelor of Arts  and the Bachelor of Science. Nursing majors are awarded the discipline-specific Bachelor of Science-Nursing degree. Students should choose their degree option in  consultation with their faculty mentor and academic advisor. There are many  similarities and a few notable differences between the two degrees.  

The BA and BS degrees at St. Kate’s are similar in rigor and similar in length and  both degrees prepare students for further education and a range of career options.  The BA degree emphasizes arts, humanities, languages, and social sciences  coursework while the BS degrees include more courses in the major or closely  related disciplines, often in math & science. The key difference between the majors  is that the BA typically includes more credits from courses outside the major. 

General Major Requirements 

All degrees comprise a minimum of 120 total credit hours. All majors at St.  Catherine University must be composed of a minimum of 30 and maximum of 50  credit hours. Additionally, 50% of credits in the major must be at the 3000-4000  level. Both BA and BS degree options should allow room for elective credits unless  obligated by external accreditation requirements.  

• Typically, no more than 40 credits in a BA program are from courses in the  major. 

• For BS degree programs, major courses should not exceed 50 credits. 

Students should review sections of the academic catalog for their major to  understand the specific courses required for a BA or BS degree in any given field.  Students may earn a BA and a BS in two different majors provided the credits do  not overlap to a substantial degree. Students must complete all degree  requirements for both programs. Students are not permitted to earn a BA and a BS  in the same major.