Individual Plan of Study
Students who do not find that any of the offered LAS majors meet their objectives may consider designing their own major through the Individual Plan of Study (IPS) program.
The Individual Plan of Study (IPS) requires an application. IPS students should be aware that their official transcripts will only designate IPS as the major and not the specific area of study. Most intended areas of study through IPS can be realized by using existing majors and minors in combination.
IPS applicants must have:
- a minimum grade point average of 2.50 (A=4.0)
- completed less than 90 hour at the end of the term in which they apply or have a program that has at least 30 hours of yet-to-be-taken courses. Students are encouraged to inquire about acceptance of an IPS proposal much earlier than the beginning of the junior year to take advantage of faculty mentoring.
IPS applicants must submit a proposal to LAS during the first weeks of the term; additional information may be requested by the review committee. The students will be informed in writing of the acceptance or rejection of their proposal. A student’s IPS proposal must:
- explain the goals of the proposed program
- list all courses for the proposed program, indicating those which have been completed, and explain how each course selection fulfills the student's educational goal
- explain why the program cannot be pursued under any existing UIC major
- identify a faculty member who has been consulted in drawing up the program and has agreed to serve as an advisor
- include a transcript showing all previous course work and a schedule showing courses currently being taken
Students accepted into the IPS program:
- must complete all UIC and LAS graduation requirements course and hour requirements
- must complete at least 33 hours of major field course work at UIC, of which 30 must be at the 200- or 300-level and cannot apply more than 6 hours of transfer credit in the major
- may not complete an existing UIC major in addition to the IPS program
- must meet with their IPS faculty advisor at least once a term
- must meet with an LAS Academic Advisor once a year for a written evaluation of their progress in meeting UIC and LAS graduation requirements
The diploma of a student who completes satisfactorily an IPS program is noted as a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences and the transcript identifies the major as an Individual Plan of Study.