14.4.3.1.7 Hours Earned or Accepted for Degree Credit. The calculation of credit hours for the application of Bylaws 14.4.3.1-(a), 14.4.3.1-(c) and 14.4.3.1.6 shall be based on hours earned or accepted for degree credit at the certifying institution in a student-athlete's specific baccalaureate degree program, as follows: (Adopted: 1/14/97, Revised: 1/9/06 effective 8/1/06, 3/12/12, 3/27/18, 1/29/19 effective 8/1/19 for certification of eligibility for competition that occurs on or after 8/1/19.)

(a) During the first two years of enrollment, a student-athlete may use credits acceptable toward any of the institution's degree programs;

(b) By the beginning of the third year of enrollment (fifth semester or seventh quarter), a student-athlete shall be required to have designated a program of studies leading toward a specific baccalaureate degree. From that point, the credits used to meet the progress-toward-degree requirements must be degree credit toward the student's designated degree program;

(c) A student-athlete who changes designated degree programs between terms may comply with the progress-toward-degree requirements if:

(1) The change in programs is documented appropriately by the institution's academic authorities;

(2) The credits earned prior to the change are acceptable toward the degree previously sought; and

(3) The credits earned from the time of the change are acceptable toward the new desired degree.

(d) A student-athlete who, in accordance with institutional policy, changes designated degree programs during a regular academic term may use credits earned during the term to fulfill credit-hour requirements toward the degree previously sought or the newly designated degree; and

(e) Once a student-athlete has begun the third year of enrollment (fifth semester or seventh quarter), a course may not be used to fulfill the credit-hour requirements for meeting progress toward degree if the student ultimately must repeat the course to fulfill the requirements of the student's major, even if the course fulfills an elective component of the student-athlete's degree program.