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Effective Date: Fall 2025
Last Reviewed: Spring 2025
Last Revised: Fall 2010
Next Review: Fall 2031
Policy Statement
Residence is defined as academic credit earned at Kent State University. In this context, residence does not refer to whether a student lives in Ohio or on campus; it refers to the Kent State credit hours required to earn a degree or certificate from Kent State University.
Undergraduate Students
- Associate degree programs: Students must complete a minimum of 15 passed hours in residence.
- Bachelor’s degree programs: Students must complete a minimum of 30 passed hours in residence, of which 9 passed hours must be at the upper division (30000, 40000) level in the major.
- Certificate and minor programs: Students must complete a minimum 50 percent of the program's total required passed hours in residence. Some certificate and minor programs may require more.
Passed hours comprise graded coursework, including those receiving an S (satisfactory) or Y (pass) grade. Information on specific degree or certificate requirements may be obtained in the college section of the University Catalog. Credit hours for Kent State courses completed through a study-abroad and study-away experience will count toward the student's residence requirement.
Credit earned by means of transfer courses does not count toward residence. Transient study will not count toward the hours of residence, but it will not invalidate residence requirements in progress. Students eligible to take transfer coursework at other institutions are discouraged from taking these courses during their last semester because of the time necessary to receive and process transcripts, which may delay clearing the student for graduation. Under unusual circumstances, students may request a minor modification of this requirement by contacting their college prior to registration elsewhere.
Graduate Students
Residence requirements for graduate degree programs are determined by their respective department, school and/or college. Please consult with the program's coordinator (and/or program catalog page) as to its residence requirement for the degree.
Students admitted to a graduate certificate or graduate minor must complete a minimum 50 percent of the program's total required in residence. Some certificate and minor programs may require more.
More information on the transfer of courses may be found in the Transfer of Graduate Credit policy in the University Catalog.
Reason for Policy
It is expected that students who graduate from Kent State will have completed a minimum amount of coursework taken at the university. The requirement allows the faculty to ensure students meet the program, college and university standards of achievement. This policy implements criteria and requirements for accreditation established by the Higher Learning Commission.
Procedures
There are no procedures associated with this policy.
Forms/Instructions
There are no forms associated with this policy.
Additional Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
- How are the credit hours "in residence" determined? For example, for a bachelor's degree, are they the first 30 credit hours or the last 30 credit hours of the degree?
"In residence" includes credit hours for all Kent State courses no matter when they were earned. For graduate students, all credits earned at Kent State beyond what’s allowed in the transfer policy count toward “in residence”. - How do I know what are the upper division courses in my major that count toward the 9 credit hours for residence for a bachelor's degree?
Those 30000- and 40000-level courses will be listed for your program in the University Catalog under the headers "Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)" and (if applicable)"Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA)." Your GPS degree audit will track fulfillment of the residence requirement. - I'm searching for the Ohio residency policy for tuition. Where can I find that?
You can find the policy regarding Ohio student residency for state subsidy and tuition surcharge purposes in the Kent State Policy Register.
Definitions
Passed hours for undergraduate programs: Credit hours earned from courses that were graded A to D+, S (satisfactory) or Y (credit).
Passed hours for graduate programs: Credit hours earned from courses that were graded A to C or S (satisfactory).
Residence: Credit hours earned from Kent State courses. Residence does not include credit hours awarded for courses transferred from another college or university or exams (e.g., AP, CLEP) or industry-recognized credentials.
Transient study: Kent State degree- or certificate-seeking student who is taking coursework at another institution with the intention to transfer the courses back to their Kent State program.
Related Information
Revision History
Amended August 2025: Revised policy adds a residence restriction for graduate certificates and minors. This restriction was previously only in the graduate transfer policy.
Amended August 2010: Revised policy updates minimum requirements in residence: from 30 credit hours to 30 GPA credit hours (9 credit hours upper-division in the major) for a bachelor's degree; and from first 45 or final 15 credit hours to 15 GPA credit hours for an associate degree. Revised policy removes mention of correspondence study and addresses transient study.