Graduation Requirements

BACHELOR'S DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES CONFERRED

A candidate for a bachelor's degree must meet University requirements with respect to registration, residence, general education, and English, and the minimum scholarship requirements of the student's college or division; must pass the subjects prescribed in his or her curriculum; and must conform to the requirements of that curriculum in regard to electives and the total number of hours required for graduation.

The Senate Committee on Student Discipline has the right to withhold the conferral of a degree. When dismissal from the University is a possibility because of a disciplinary infraction, the conferral of the degree is withheld until the disciplinary action has been resolved.

Bachelor's Degrees

Baccalaureate degrees conferred at the Urbana-Champaign campus are listed below, together with the minimum number of hours required for graduation.

HOURS UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL, CONSUMER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in

126 Agribusiness, Farm and Financial Management

126 Agricultural and Environmental Communications and Education (Agricultural Communications option)

130 Agricultural and Environmental Communications and Education (Agricultural Education option)

126 Animal Sciences

126 Commodity, Food and Textile Marketing

126 Crop Sciences

126 Food Science and Human Nutrition

130 Food Science and Human Nutrition (Food Science option)

130 Forestry

126 Horticulture

130 Horticulture (Ornamental Horticulture option)

126 Human Development and Family Studies

126 International, Resource and Consumer Economics

126 Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

126 Technical Systems Management

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.S.Ag.)

158 Agricultural Engineering-Agriculture Science

COLLEGE OF APPLIED LIFE STUDIES

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in

128 Community Health

128 Leisure Studies

128 Kinesiology

128 Speech and Hearing Science

COLLEGE OF COMMERCE AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in

124 Accountancy

124 Business Administration

124 Economics

124 Finance

COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATIONS

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in

124 Advertising

124 Journalism

124 Media Studies

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in

128 Early Childhood Education

124 Elementary Education

124 Special Education

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in

134 Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

128 Agricultural Engineering

128 Ceramic Engineering

133 Civil Engineering

128 Computer Engineering

122 Computer Science

128 Electrical Engineering

128 Engineering Mechanics

128 Engineering Physics

131 General Engineering

132 Industrial Engineering

128 Materials Science and Engineering

132 Mechanical Engineering

128 Metallurgical Engineering

128 Nuclear Engineering

COLLEGE OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS

Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in

130 Art Education

122 Crafts

130 Dance

122 Graphic Design

122 History of Art

130 Industrial Design

122 Painting

122 Photography

122 Sculpture

128 Theater

128 Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.)

130 Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.)

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in

127 Architectural Studies

130 Bachelor of Music Education

120 Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning (B.A.U.P.)

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in

120 Liberal Arts and Sciences

120 Teaching of French

120 Teaching of German

120 Teaching of Latin

123 Teaching of Russian

123 Teaching of Spanish

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in

120 Biochemistry

129 Chemical Engineering

120 Chemistry

126 Geology

120 Liberal Arts and Sciences

126 Physics

120 Teaching of Computer Science

Certificates

Certificates are conferred upon completion of each of the curricula listed below. A candidate for a certificate must meet the general requirements of the University with respect to registration and minimum scholarship requirements; successfully complete all prescribed subjects and special requirements for the student's curriculum; and conform to the requirements regarding electives and hours required for graduation. The semester hours required for certification are given below.

HOURS UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM

INSTITUTE OF AVIATION

65 Professional Pilot

GRADE-POINT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE

All candidates for a degree must have at least a 2.0 (A = 4.0) grade-point average on all University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign credits counted for graduation requirements and at least a 2.0 grade-point average on the combined transfer and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign credits counted for graduation requirements. Certain colleges have established higher scholastic graduation requirements for specific curricula. (Grades in courses taken at the other campus of the University are counted as transferred.)

When a course has been repeated, both the original and subsequent grades are included in the average if the course is acceptable toward graduation, but the credit is counted only once. An original grade is not removed from the student's record for a course subsequently passed by special examination.

Students who do not meet the requirements stated above may graduate if they have the minimum grade-point average calculated by either of the following alternative methods:

-Courses in which grades of D or F have been recorded are excluded, not to exceed a total of 10 semester hours completed prior to the last 30 hours of work completed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and counted for graduation requirements, or

-A grade-point average of no less than 2.1 is calculated for the last 60 semester hours of work counted for graduation requirements and completed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, except in those curricula for which a higher scholastic graduation requirement is specified.

Each college office, on request, will inform students regarding the scholarship regulations of that college.

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION

First Bachelor's Degree

In addition to meeting specific course and scholastic requirements, each candidate for a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign must spend either the first three years earning not fewer than 90 semester hours or the last year (two semesters, or the equivalent) earning not fewer than 30 semester hours in residence at the Urbana-Champaign campus, uninterrupted by any work in another institution. Only those courses that are applicable toward the degree sought may be counted in satisfying the above minimum requirements. (Either three twelve-week terms or four eight-week sessions are the equivalent of two semesters).

Concurrent attendance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and another collegiate institution does not interrupt the residence requirement for graduation.

Credit earned through the Advanced Placement Program is included in the first 90 semester hours and is not considered as interrupting residence.

Credit allowed toward graduation for completion of courses of study offered by the religious foundations located in Urbana-Champaign is not counted as interrupting residence or counted toward satisfying minimum residence requirements for graduation.

Attendance at another institution under the Committee on Institutional Cooperation Program or participation in the University of Illinois foreign study programs or the Study Away from Campus Programs for which students are registered in Urbana-Champaign courses does not interrupt residence, and credits earned through these programs are counted as residence credit toward graduation, provided that within the last two years of study at least 30 semester hours have been earned in courses taken on the Urbana-Champaign campus.

Transfer students from community colleges must, after attaining junior standing, earn at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign or any other approved four-year institution at least 60 semester hours acceptable toward their degrees, in addition to meeting the usual residence requirement for degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Students transferring from the University of Illinois at Chicago or from the University of Illinois at Springfield to the Urbana-Champaign campus as candidates for degrees must satisfy the residence and academic requirements for graduation established for the curriculum entered on the Urbana-Champaign campus. Since the campuses do not have identical academic programs, a student who is contemplating a transfer should consult with the college into which he or she expects to transfer.

A student attending as "visitor only" is not considered a "student in residence."

A student who requests that the residence requirement for graduation be waived must submit a petition to the dean of his or her college, who will take action on the petition.

A student on drop status may not graduate until he or she has been reinstated by the dean of the student's college. A student who meets the conditions stated in the first paragraph of this section must notify the dean of his or her college of the student's intent to apply credit earned elsewhere toward the degree requirements and arrange to have a final official transcript from the other collegiate institution(s) attended sent to the Office of Admissions and Records.

Second Bachelor's Degree

A student who has received one bachelor's degree may, with college approval, be permitted to receive a second bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, provided that all specified requirements for both degrees are fully met and that the curriculum offered for the second degree includes at least the final 30 semester hours that are earned in residence at the Urbana-Champaign campus and not counted for the other degree.

The second bachelor's degree may be earned either concurrently with or subsequent to the first degree.

A candidate for a second bachelor's degree must meet the same residence requirements as for the first degree.

Only those courses that are acceptable toward the degree sought may be counted in satisfying the above minimum requirements. This includes the 30 additional hours required for the second degree.

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Undergraduate education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign includes general education as an essential complement to major fields of study. General education uses the theories, concepts, and methods of the disciplines to broaden students' understanding and appreciation of human thought and achievement-and to provide a richer context within which to understand their own specialized fields. The campus general education component is intended to help students understand and appreciate diverse areas of scholarship, to develop and enhance a wide range of intellectual abilities, and to strengthen students' abilities to develop and communicate ideas effectively and responsibly.

The Campus Senate, the faculty General Education Board, and the colleges and departments have implemented enhanced general education requirements. Thus, new students should confirm their general education requirements by consulting college and departmental offices, handbooks, or advisers.

A minimum of six hours each in the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences is required for graduation in all undergraduate curricula. In addition, all students must also fulfill a two-part English Composition requirement, a Quantitative Reasoning requirement, and six hours of Cultural Studies (three hours in Western Culture and three hours in Non-Western or U.S. Minority Cultures). Approved courses should be distributed over at least three years. Upon request, the individual colleges will provide students with the general education requirements for their curricula and the list of courses acceptable for this purpose.

Students in teacher education programs must consult the Council on Teacher Education general education course list when selecting their courses to meet general education requirements. All other students should consult their advisors about selecting the general education courses which best fit their programs of study.

COMPOSITION I AND II REQUIREMENT

Satisfactory proficiency in the use of English is a requirement for all undergraduate degrees awarded at the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University. This proficiency will be certified by the fulfillment of a two-part requirement identified as Composition I and II. The Composition I requirement can be met by the satisfactory completion of one of the following courses or course sequences: Rhetoric 101 and 102; Rhetoric 103 and 104; Rhetoric 105 or 108; or Speech Communication 111 and 112 (Verbal Communication). A student with a sufficiently high score on either the ACT English Subtest or the SAT Verbal Test and high performance on a written essay examination may satisfy the Composition I requirement for graduation. Students may also proficiency the requirement by scoring 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) Test in language and composition, or on the AP Test in literature.

If the academic credentials of a transfer student do not indicate fulfillment of course work equivalent to the University of Illinois's Composition I requirement, the student may be administered the Rhetoric Placement and Proficiency Examination, the ESL Placement Test, or the Transfer Writing Examination.

Under certain conditions, students may satisfy the Composition I requirement for graduation through satisfactory completion of courses offered by the Division of English as an International Language. Satisfactory completion of courses (ESL 114 and ESL 115) satisfies the Composition I requirement. Evidence that a student is eligible to enroll in these courses is established by a satisfactory score on the ESL Placement Test, a test of oral and written English administered by the Division of English as an International Language. On the basis of this test, the student will be enrolled in the course or courses appropriate to his or her English needs.

If a student's score on the ESL Placement Test is high enough so that he or she does not have to take ESL 113, the student is free to take either ESL 114 and ESL 115 or Rhetoric 105. If the student chooses to do the latter, he or she must take the Rhetoric Placement and Proficiency Examination offered by the Department of English.

The Composition II requirement may be met by satisfactory completion of any course that has been approved and designated as satisfying the demands of the Composition II requirement. The Composition II requirement cannot be met by passing a proficiency examination.

A list of courses that fulfill the Composition II requirement is available from departmental and college advising staff, or on the Web at http://www.uiuc.edu/providers/provost/gened.html.

QUANTITATIVE REASONING

The quantitative reasoning requirement became effective for new freshmen entering in fall 1993. The quantitative reasoning requirement applies to courses in the fields of mathematics, computer science, probability and statistics, and formal logic. The various colleges and programs of study differ on the specific courses which fulfill this requirement; courses which fulfill the campus quantitative reasoning requirement may not meet a specific college's requirements (or vice versa). Students should contact their college or departmental adviser for more information about fulfilling the quantitative reasoning requirement.

Cultural Studies

Students entering the University in fall 1995 or later need to complete the Cultural Studies requirement. This requirement consists of one course in Western Culture and one course in Non-Western/U.S. Minority Culture, or students may fulfill the requirement by completing two courses in Comparative Western/Non-Western Cultures.

Students opting to take a course approved for Comparative Western/Non-Western Cultures must complete two comparative courses to meet their entire Cultural Studies requirement. Completion of two comparative courses will fulfill both the Western and Non-Western requirements; completion of just one will fulfill neither.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE COURSES

Except as prohibited or limited by the established policy of the student's college, credit in University foreign language courses taken to remove high school entrance deficiencies may, at the discretion of the college, be counted in the total hours required for graduation or be accepted in partial or complete satisfaction of the foreign language requirement for the degree.

Normally no more than 10 hours of proficiency credit for the study of a single foreign language at the elementary and intermediate level shall be counted for graduation in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Additional credit may be granted for advanced courses emphasizing literature and language structure rather than communicative competence in the language.

RELIGIOUS FOUNDATION COURSES

Courses of study offered by the religious foundations located in Urbana-Champaign that have been approved by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Committee on Courses and Curricula are accepted for credit by the University provided that the student is currently registered in University courses. Registration in these courses is limited to students of sophomore standing or above who are currently registered on campus in University courses and must be approved in advance by the dean of the student's college. Grades in these courses are not included in the student's all-University scholastic average, and the courses are not counted as interrupting residence or toward satisfying minimum residence requirements for graduation.

A maximum of 10 semester hours of credit in religious foundation courses may, with the approval of the dean of the college concerned, be counted toward graduation. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has different restrictions which are given in detail in the LAS Student Handbook.

The above credit limitations and other restrictions apply to religious foundation courses only and not to courses offered by the University of Illinois Program in Religious Studies.

CORRESPONDENCE AND EXTRAMURAL COURSES

After matriculation, a student may count toward his or her degree, with the approval of the dean of the student's college, as many as 60 semester hours of credit earned in extramural and/or correspondence study, provided that:

- The student completes all of the remaining requirements for the degree in residence at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or

- The student presents acceptable residence credit for work done elsewhere and completes requirements needed for his or her degree in residence at the University. In all cases, the senior year (two semesters of not less than 30 semester hours) must be done in residence at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

A student who has completed the first three years in residence at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning a minimum of 90 semester hours, may do all or part of the senior year in correspondence or extramural study, subject to meeting all of the requirements for the degree.

Credit for correspondence work taken with fully accredited institutions may be allowed, but only on approval of the dean of the student's college.

THESES

If a thesis is to be submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a bachelor's degree, the subject must be announced by the end of the sixth week of instruction in the first semester of the student's senior year. The work must be done under the direction of a professor in the department concerned and must be applicable to the curriculum in which a degree is expected. A maximum of 10 hours of credit in thesis work may be counted toward a bachelor's degree.

UNDERGRADUATE CREDIT FOR SERVICE AND EDUCATION IN THE ARMED FORCES

The University grants registered students college credit for certain training and experience in the armed forces of the United States. A student who completes military service in the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, or Coast Guard, including basic or recruit training of six months or more, is awarded 4 semester hours of credit in basic military science upon presentation of evidence on Form DD-214 of honorable discharge or transfer to the reserve component.

Correspondence courses for which the student has passed the end-of-course examination prepared by the U. S. Armed Forces Institute, that are baccalaureate-oriented, and that correspond in level and content to courses offered at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are recognized for credit.

Credit recommendations in the Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experiences in the Armed Forces (published by the American Council on Education) for military service school training will be considered for transfer credit as follows: (1) credit will be granted for college-level, baccalaureate-oriented training and education, (2) vocational credit related to the student's curriculum choice will be referred for consideration to the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled, and (3) duplicate credit will be deleted. Applicability of military credit toward a particular degree is determined by the dean of the college. Additional information may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Records.