NCAA Certification FAQ

Have a question about NCAA certification? Start by viewing the FAQ below.

What does “degree-applicable” mean?

For a course to be considered degree-applicable, it must move the student closer to completing his/her degree and ultimately graduation. In other words, it must complete/satisfy some degree requirement which also comprises part of the credit total needed for the degree. If the student completes all remaining requirements and can graduate without including this course, then it is not degree applicable.

What are the situations in which a course would not be considered “degree-applicable”?

Generally a course would not be considered degree applicable for one of the following reasons: a) the course was successfully passed in a previous semester (repeat course) and/or the course has already been counted for credit the maximum number of times; b) the student did not earn the minimum grade required for the course or the course was an excess elective that is not required for the degree and does not need the course to meet the overall credit-hour requirements for the degree. 

For example, say a student took HN&F 171 and earned a D and is in a major which does not require that course. Then the student later re-took the course since it is eligible for a D/F repeat and earned a grade of B. The 2nd attempt (B) would not be degree applicable since the first attempt previously counted. Also, if a student has previously passed PE 108 two times (which is the current limit on all PE activity courses) and then passes it a third time, the third attempt would not be degree-applicable because the student had already counted the course for the maximum number of allowable credits (two)

What are the NCAA academic eligibility rules that student-athletes must meet to compete at WVU?

• All students must earn at least 6 degree applicable credits each semester.

• All students must earn at least 18 degree applicable credits each academic year (fall & spring only combined).

• All students must have a certain part of their degree completed by the start of their 2nd year (24 total credits), 3rd year (40%), 4th year (60%), 5th year (80%).

• All students must maintain a minimum overall GPA by the start of their 2nd year (1.8), 3rd year (1.9), 4th year (2.0), 5th year (2.0).

There are some additional specific rules and/or exceptions, but most undergraduate students must meet the four rules listed above to meet the NCAA academic eligibility requirements.

A graduate/post-baccalaureate student must pass at least 6 hours each semester that can be applied toward any degree.

I’m using Degree Works to certify this student-athlete but the audit that shows in Degree Works doesn’t match the academic information listed on the certification form.

Degree Works will show an audit based on the current academic information present in STAR, the University’s Student Information System. Accordingly, there may be several reasons why an audit in DegreeWorks does not match a certification form.

• The student changed his/her major during the semester – If a student changes his/her major during the middle of a semester, he/she can be certified towards either the old or new major for both the 6 & 18 hour rules only. Thus, a student may be certified towards an old major since the courses he/she registered for were degree applicable to the old major but are not degree applicable to the new major.

• The student may have specified a major and/or declared an area of emphasis and/or minor via an NCAA Declaration of Degree form – If a student is not yet able to be admitted into a major code, but needs to specify which major and/or which area of emphasis he/she is pursuing for certification purposes, he/she can do so by completing the NCAA Declaration of Degree form (see #5 below for more on this form). You should certify the student towards the information listed on the certification form and use the WHAT-IF feature in DegreeWorks if necessary.

• The student is in his/her first two years/four semesters – Any student who is in his/her first 2 years, or four full-time semesters, can be certified towards any major. Thus, a student may have more degree applicable credits towards a different major than what he/she has listed in STAR. Please note that once a student in his/her third year/ fifth full-time semester or later he/she must be certified towards the degree information listed in STAR only.

What is the NCAA Declaration of Degree form? Why is it used?

To certify whether a student-athlete has completed 40/60/80% of his degree, the student must have declared a major and in some cases, a specific area of emphasis attached to that major. However, there are certain cases where this information cannot be declared in STAR.

For example, if a student is currently listed in the Pre-Business & Economics major but is not yet admissible into a specific B&E major, that student cannot be certified until he/she specifies which major in Business & Economics he/she plans on pursuing. The Pre-Business & Economics major is not a degree-granting major, so the student must indicate the degree-granting major he/she plans to pursue. In addition, some majors require an area of emphasis which is not possible to declare in STAR if the student is not in the major to which it is attached. The indication of an intended major and area of emphasis can be done by completing the NCAA Declaration of Degree form, which both the student and the academic advisor will sign. These forms are kept on file with the Athletics Certification Specialist in the OUR and are used for NCAA academic certification purposes only.