Degree Requirements

Degrees Conferred

Casper College grants the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Business, Associate of Fine Arts, and Associate of Applied Science degrees. Certificates are also available in many areas.

Graduation Requirements

Application for Graduation

A candidate for graduation must file an application for graduation with the Office of the Registrar. A degree or certificate evaluation and an application for graduation should be completed and on file in the Office of the Registrar before the candidate’s final semester registration.

Catalog Governing Graduation

Students are expected to fulfill the requirements for graduation stated in the catalog effective at the time of their graduation. They may, however, elect to graduate under the requirements in efect at the time of their first enrollment as a degree seeking student in their program if they have not interrupted that program for more than one year.

Institutional Requirements

To graduate from Casper College a student must:

• Complete a minimum of 64 approved semester hours with a grade point average of 2.0 or better in those courses counted toward graduation.
• Earn at least 24 of the semester hours applied toward graduation through the completion of Casper College coursework, including at least six hours within the desired major. This requirement cannot be modified without the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• Complete at least 12 of the last 15 semester hours applied toward graduation as a degree-seeking student at Casper College. This requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• Complete at least one physical education activity course. This requirement will be waived for any student who presents a physician’s statement of medical restriction. No more than four semester hours of credit in activity courses will count toward an associate degree.
• Complete a course or pass a test on the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions as required by the Wyoming statutes. This requirement may be satisfied by completing one of the approved courses or by obtaining a satisfactory score on a test covering the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions. Complete instructions may be obtained from the dean of the school of social and behavioral science.
• Complete the requirements for one of the five degrees listed ni this section.
• If the degree sought is a second associate degree, the student must complete (in addition to all general and departmental degree requirements) 15 semester hours beyond the study requirement of the first degree.

Schools and Departments

The college is organized by schools and the schools by departments. A student majoring in engineering, for example, is in the “school of science, engineering department,” but may also take course work from other departments and other schools.

There are five academic schools: business and industry, fine arts and humanities, health science, science, and social and behavioral sciences.

Noncredit courses are offered through the Casper College Office of Continuing Education/Community Partnerships.

Course Identification

The engineering major, to continue the previous example, would identify courses taught in the engineering department by the abbreviation ES. “ES 1060 Introduction to Engineering Computing” would be such a course. Further, the “1000” number indicates that the course is typically for freshmen, as freshman courses begin with the number “1”; a course beginning with a “2” would indicate a course normally taken by sophomores. A course numbered below 1000 (example: ENGL OR MATH 0900) is a pre-college or remedial course and typically does not transfer toward a baccalaureate program.

Lecture, Laboratory and Credit Codes

Explanatory information appears in parentheses following each course title, for example: BIOL 1010 - General Biology I (3L,3LB,4CR).

1. The number “3” preceding the letter “L’’ indicates three 50-minute periods of lecture, recitation and testing each week for one semester. Normally, each period requires considerable outside preparation.
2. The number “3” preceding the letters “LB’ indicates three 50-minute periods in a laboratory or an activity each week for one semester.
3. The number “4” preceding the letters “CR’ denotes four semester hours credit for the course.
4. An asterisk (*) in any position indicates a special situation explained in a following note.
5. [E] denotes University of Wyoming equivalent.
6. [I], [WA], [O], [QA, QB], [S, SB, SP, SE], [C, CH, CS, CA], [V], [P], [L], [WB, WC], [G], and [D] after the course title and credits denotes University of Wyoming University Studies requirements.

General Education Philosophy Statement and General Education Requirements (GERs)

While education within a major field of study prepares each student to achieve success within a chosen vocation, general education provides the cornerstone of understanding in areas that prepare him or her for life. The goal of general education is to provide the skills necessary for one to be an educated member of society.

To achieve this goal we must ensure that each student who is granted a degree has the ability to explore and participate, the ability to communicate, and a comprehension of the relationship between the individual and the wider world. Students are required to take courses in the following areas:

Reasoning and Inquiry in Science Requirement

Courses used to satisfy the reasoning and inquiry in science requirement for graduation must be selected from the following departments or courses and must include a lab: astronomy (ASTR), atmospheric science (ATSC), biology (BIOL), chemistry (CHEM), GEOG 1010 , geology (GEOL), molecular biology (MOLB), physics (PHYS), zoology (ZOO).

As a result of completing general education courses in this area, students will be able to comprehend and to apply the basic principles of science and methods of scientific inquiry.

Depending on the course, students will:

1. Learn to apply the scientific method through methodological observations, hypothesis formulation, experimental design and testing, and analyses of data.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of science, its limitations, processes, capabilities, and potentials.
3. Demonstrate the use of the scientific reasoning necessary to arrive at a proper conclusion.

Math Computation Requirement

Courses used to satisfy the math computation requirement for graduation must be selected from the following departments or courses:  BADM 1005  (AAS degree only), mathematics (MATH), statistics (STAT).

As a result of completing general education courses in this area, students will be able to comprehend and to use quantitative concepts and methods to interpret and to critically evaluate data and to effectively problem-solve in a variety of contexts demanding quantitative literacy.

Depending on the course, students will:

1. Learn to analyze a nontrivial problem, choosing an appropriate tool for its solution and then interpreting and communicating this solution.
2. Be able to accurately express and translate concepts and conclusions between the language of spoken and written words and the language of mathematics.
3. Be able to develop conjunctures by recognizing and analyzing mathematical patterns.
4. Develop an appreciation for the power, beauty, utility, and significance of mathematics and its role in society.

Communication Requirement

Courses used to satisfy the communication requirement for graduation must be selected from the following departments or courses: BADM 1020 , BOTK 1540 , communications (CO/M), ENGL 1010 , ENGL 1020 .

As a result of completing general education courses in this area, students will be able to effectively use the English language, writing and speaking with clarity, coherence, and persuasiveness.

Depending on the course, students will:

1. Develop proficiency in the reception, analysis, evaluation, and interpretation of information and information sources, both oral and written.
2. Improve and refine their understanding of how to communicate appropriately, demonstrating a heightened awareness of diverse cultures.
3. Learn to express complete thoughts in an organized, comprehensible, and persuasive manner.
4. Learn to apply audience-appropriate conventions to the preparation and presentation of meaningful oral or written arguments.

Human Behavior Requirement

Courses used to satisfy the human behavior requirement for graduation must be selected from the following departments or courses: anthropology (ANTH), addictionology (ADDN), criminal justice (CRMJ), economics (ECON), geography (GEOG), history (HIST), political science (POLS), psychology (PSYC), sociology (SOC), GNDR 1000 .

The following courses can be used to satisfy the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions requirement for graduation: HIST 1211 , HIST 1221 , HIST 1251 , POLS 1000 , POLS 1010 . However, POLS 1010  does not meet the degree requirement at the University of Wyoming.

As a result of completing general education courses in this area, students will have developed a deeper understanding of the relation of self to world through investigation of the influence of social, cultural, economic, and political institutions in shaping human thought, value, and behavior.

Depending on the course, students will:

1. Develop an awareness of cultural diversity, either through the identification and articulation of related individual contributions or through commentary about current related events and issues with a program-specific emphasis on their interconnectedness.
2. Develop an understanding of both the complex and dynamic nature of cultural, social, political, and economic systems and the social scientific methods for hypothesis development and testing.
3. Learn to identify and explain at least one social force effecting cultural change.
4. Develop an understanding of the behavior, values, and belief systems of individuals and human institutions.
5. Develop an understanding of the historical and spatial interactions within and between groups of people, either by identification and explanation of the development, persistence, and mutability of requirement-specific relationships, or by critical evaluation of historical periods from the viewpoint of developments – political, demographic, geographic, social, or cultural – influencing societal actions or thoughts.

Cultural Environment Requirement

Courses used to satisfy the cultural environment requirement for graduation must be selected from the following departments or courses: art (ART);  ASL 1200 ; ASL 1220 ; CO/M 2380 ; ENGL 2006 ; ENGL 2050 ; ENGL 2025 ; ENGL 2055 ; ENGL 2060 ; ENGL 2080 ; ENGL 2130 ; ENGL 2140 ; ENGL 2150 ; ENGL 2185 ; ENGL 2210 ; ENGL 2220 ; ENGL 2230 ; ENGL 2235 ; ENGL 2270 ; ENGL 2310 ; ENGL 2320 ; ENGL 2340 ; ENGL 2350 ; ENGL 2270 ; ENGL 2440 ; humanities (HUMN); music (MUSC) [a maximum of four credit hours in music studio and ensembles]; philosophy (PHIL); POLS 2460 ; RELI 1000 ; theater (THEA); WMST 1080 ; world languages (FREN), (GERM), (JAPN), (LATN), (RUSS), (SPAN).

As a result of completing general education courses in the fine arts concentration area, students will have a deeper appreciation and understanding of the creative process, the pleasures and challenges of artistic expression, and the role and value of the fine arts in society and culture.

As a result of completing general education courses in the humanities concentration area, students will have a richer understanding of the human condition through investigation, appreciation, and evaluation of the aesthetic, historical, philosophical, and literary dimensions of human experience.

Depending on the course and the area of concentration, students will:

1. Develop a deeper understanding of aesthetic, cultural, historical, and philosophical dimensions of traditions.
2. Be able to interpret and make critical judgments about the arts or language through the analysis of structure, form, and style of specific works.
3. Learn to create, recreate, or evaluate art and other creative endeavors based upon techniques and standards appropriate to the genre.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied.

Physical Education Requirement

Courses used to satisfy the physical education requirement for graduation must be selected from the following departments or courses: physical education activity (PEAC).

Associate of Arts, Associate of Business and Associate of Science Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Associate of Arts, Associate of Business or Associate of Science degree must complete a minimum of 32 hours in general education at the 1000 level or above, including at least one credit hour in physical education activity, and a course in the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions. Students must fulfill the minimum course requirements of categories A, B, C, D, and E as listed below. Students must select the remainder of their general education from areas one, two, and/or three. Courses can be taken from within or outside the student’s major field of study.

Associate of Fine Arts and Associate of Applied Science Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Associate of Fine Arts or Associate of Applied Science degree must complete a minimum of 17 hours in general education, including a minimum of one credit in physical education activity and a course in the U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions. Students must complete at least one course in each of the three general education areas listed below. Courses can be taken from within or outside the student’s major field of study.

Certificate of Completion

Casper College is a degree granting institution and all certificates derive from and are an integral part of our degree programs. To qualify for a certificate of completion a student must be enrolled as a degree seeking student and complete, with a grade point average of 2.0 or better, one of the certificate programs listed under the various department curicula.