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University Degree Requirements, Graduation, and Commencement University Degree Requirements
University Degree Requirements UIC has several degree requirements that apply to all students pursuing an undergraduate degree, regardless of major. University degree requirements serve as minimum standards; many colleges set higher standards than the minimum required by the University. A student must always fulfill the degree requirements outlined by the major college. University degree requirements bring a level of consistency and quality to all undergraduate degrees awarded at UIC. By setting standards that are met or exceeded by the colleges, the University ensures the integrity of all the degrees it awards. University degree requirements include the following: Course Requirements
Other Requirements
The minimum University degree requirements are outlined below. Important Note: Students should consult their college section of the catalog for specific information on how to meet the degree requirements set by the college. Cultural Diversity RequirementAll students at UIC are required to fulfill the cultural diversity requirement by studying the culture, social and political institutions, and value systems of social groups, regions, or nations different from those present in the dominant American culture. To fulfill this requirement, students must choose one course from the list of approved cultural diversity courses in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section of the catalog. Some of the courses on the cultural diversity list may also satisfy program major requirements or other University general education requirements in the humanities or social sciences, or may count as an elective. Students also may fulfill the cultural diversity requirement by completing an academic year abroad in a non-Western country. Foreign nationals and students who have received their high school education (or its equivalent) in a non-Western country are exempt from this requirement. Students should consult their college section of the catalog for more information on fulfilling the cultural diversity requirement as part of their degree program. English Composition Requirement Students must demonstrate proficiency in written English by earning passing grades in English 160 and English 161 or by achieving proficiency in one or both of these courses certified in writing by the Department of English. The Department of English reserves the right to require a student to take a preparatory course as a prerequisite for English 160 if the student’s score on the English Composition Placement Test reveals the need for such a course. Whenever questions arise with regard to the fulfillment of the University’s English composition requirement through transfer courses, a writing portfolio, or standard examinations, the Department of English will determine whether to grant a student an exemption from the requirement. Students should consult their college section of the catalog for more information on fulfilling the English composition requirement as part of their degree program. General Education Requirements Important Note: All UIC students complete general education requirements as part of their degree program at UIC and should consult their college section of the catalog for specific information on fulfilling general education requirements for their chosen major. Normally, students should complete their general education course work before they begin to concentrate on their majors in the junior year. Students are required to complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of general education course work, distributed as follows:
Any excess hours earned in one of the three areas can count toward the six additional hours required. To fulfill the general education requirements, students must take courses from at least two departments in each of the three broad areas of knowledge. Courses listed or cross-listed under the rubric of a student’s major area of study may not be counted toward University general education credit. If a student has a double major, courses in only one of the major areas may be counted toward University general education credit. Students should be aware that some courses fulfill the general education requirement only when taken together with other courses in ways specified in an individual college’s list of approved courses. Courses that concentrate on a narrow aspect of a single topic of study may count for general education credit when linked, as specified in a college’s list, to another course or courses providing a broad context for such subject matter. The same course cannot be used to satisfy the general education requirement in more than one of the three areas (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences). Courses at the 300- and 400-levels and independent study or variable topics courses do not ordinarily carry general education credit. The colleges are authorized to increase the minimum requirements outlined above and some have done so. Students must consult their college section of the catalog for specific information on fulfilling the general education requirements outlined by their degree program. The college also indicates the approved list of courses to be used in satisfying the general education requirements. Enrollment in general education courses is determined in consultation with the college office. Areas of Knowledge General education involves coursework in three broad areas: the natural sciences (sometimes subdivided into life sciences and physical sciences, but also including mathematics), the social sciences (sometimes subdivided into social and behavioral sciences), and the humanities. The method of investigation varies greatly among these three, but increasingly their concerns have tended to merge and overlap. All attempt to describe underlying and longstanding questions about the physical universe, about human nature, and about the human potential for enduring expression. Quantitative reasoning, mathematics, statistics, and computer science are particularly significant in the natural and social sciences but may also have a role in humanistic studies; the study of texts, other human artifacts, and the records of the past are common to disciplines in both the humanities and social sciences. Essays, statistical analyses, and case studies may be appropriate forms for conveying results in any of the three areas; laboratory experience and the modeling and write up of experiments are features of much work in the social as well as the natural sciences. Despite these overlaps, useful distinctions can still be drawn among the three areas. An acquaintance, however selective, with the subject matter and investigative modes of all three is essential as part of a general education. Humanities. Studies in the humanities develop an understanding of the struggles and aspirations, the comedies and tragedies, and the achievements and failures of human beings engaged with such questions as identity, beauty, courage, love, good and evil, truth, justice, and ethics. In examining the dreams, traditions, and values of people throughout time, students focus on examples of individual human self-expression in philosophy, historical agency, and the arts over many centuries. Social Sciences. Through study in the social and behavioral sciences, students learn to analyze the past, develop insight into contemporary social life, and explore the implications of individual and social actions for the future. Individual and social behavior, political and economic institutions, and historical change both within and across cultural boundaries, are all the objects of study in the social sciences, and prepare students for understanding their own individual lives in the context of society. Natural Sciences. Human beings have always sought an increased understanding of the mechanisms that govern the natural world. The natural science portion of the general education requirements is designed to give each student an experience with the emerging picture of the world. The ultimate goal of such study is to stimulate each student’s ability to appreciate the wonder and complexity of nature, and to acquaint students with some of the tools employed in science and mathematics. Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement All candidates for a degree must have at least a 2.00/4.00 grade point average in all work taken at the University of Illinois at Chicago, in all work taken in the major field, and in all work accepted by the University (transfer work plus work taken at UIC). A student may be required to meet higher minimum grade point averages in certain degree programs. Students should consult their college section of the catalog for more information on the grade point average requirement for their degree program. Enrollment Residence Requirement The enrollment residence requirement must be satisfied. In all academic units except the College of Business Administration, either the first 90 semester hours or the last 30 semester hours of University work must be taken at UIC. In the College of Business Administration, the last 30 semester hours must be taken at UIC. In addition, at least one-half of the semester hours required in the student’s major area of study must be completed at UIC. Concurrent attendance at the University of Illinois at Chicago and another collegiate institution, when approved by the student’s college, does not interrupt the UIC enrollment residence requirement for graduation. Credit earned through CLEP and proficiency examinations and through the University of Illinois Guided Individual Study and extramural courses neither applies toward nor interrupts the enrollment residence requirement. Under exceptional circumstances, the enrollment residence requirement may be waived by the dean of the student’s college upon petition of the student. Enrollment Residence Requirement in the Minor A student must complete at least one-half of the coursework required for the minor field in enrollment residence at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The minimum number of semester hours required for a degree is 120. The required number of hours varies within the colleges, schools, and degree programs. The student should refer to the section of this catalog that covers the college and curriculum to determine the hours required for a particular degree. The college office also provides this information. Policies Affecting Degree Requirements and Graduation All admission requirements for the student’s chosen degree program must be met. A student’s catalog year refers to the catalog in effect during the term for which the student is admitted. Students admitted for the Fall 2005, Spring 2006, Fall 2006, and Spring 2007 terms will follow the degree requirements and academic policies outlined in the 2005–2007 Undergraduate Catalog, unless otherwise indicated by the following policy. When degree requirements change, continuing students and those whose attendance has been interrupted for no more than two years may choose either the new requirements or the degree requirements in effect at the time the students were admitted. Students whose attendance has been interrupted for more than two years are responsible for meeting the requirements of the University and college as well as the degree program in effect at the time of the student’s re-enrollment. If a curriculum is eliminated in its entirety, or if required courses are eliminated from a particular All deficiencies in entrance credit must be removed prior to graduation. If a college, school, department, or program changes the name of a major or curriculum or the title of a degree program as a result of reorganization, continuing students in the affected major, curriculum, or degree program will be transferred to the newly titled/named major, curriculum, or degree program. Students must meet all requirements of their chosen college and degree program. Students who do not meet the grade point average requirement may graduate if they satisfy the minimum GPA in accordance with the following policy:
Guidelines Regarding Academic Integrity The University of Illinois is dedicated to learning and research, and hence is committed to truth and accuracy. Integrity and intellectual honesty in scholarship and scientific investigation are, therefore, of paramount importance. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
Students are governed by the Student Disciplinary Procedure (October 1993) available online http://www.vcsa.uic.edu/MainSite/departments/dean_of_students/Our+Services/Student+Judicial+Affairs.htm. This document contains specific definitions of misconduct (such as plagiarism and falsification of data), procedures used for investigation of charges, and the consequences of misconduct. If a student is granted permission by the dean of his or her college to repeat a course for which the student has already received credit either by class work at UIC or by advanced standing previously allowed for work done elsewhere, the student forfeits the original credit. Both grades are counted in the student’s cumulative grade point average. Unless otherwise stipulated in course descriptions, credit may be granted only once for repeated courses. If a course is repeated more than once, all grades received, pass or fail, are computed in the student’s cumulative grade point average. For the specific college requirements that must also be met, see the appropriate sections of this catalog. A student in any college of the University of Illinois at Chicago can earn a second bachelor’s degree either concurrent with or subsequent to the first bachelor’s degree. The second degree may be earned either in the college that offered the first degree or in another college. The following provisions must be met:
When a student requests permission to earn a second bachelor’s degree in another college, the second college should base its admission decision upon normal requirements of the college. The college of record will provide, at the student’s request, copies of the student’s current records to the second college in order that it may maintain an advising file for the student. The student will be responsible for notifying the second college of his or her intention to graduate. In all instances, the student is responsible for making arrangements with the second department in which he or she enrolls. Each department retains the right to determine the requirements of the additional field of specialization above course distribution and enrollment residence requirements. The UIC Senate and the University of Illinois Board of Trustees establish the criteria under which students are awarded department, college, and University honors. Campus standards for college and department honors are described below. Currently applicable standards appear in the appropriate college and department sections of this catalog. Departmental Distinction shall be based on grade point average and on other criteria considered appropriate by the department in which the major is completed and by its college. The transcripts carry the designation distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction, as appropriate. General College Honors shall be awarded to a specific percentage of students, to be decided by the college, but not to exceed 15 percent of the students graduating in the college. The diploma and transcript carry the notation of such an award. Graduation with college honors benefits the student when being considered for a graduate fellowship, job placement, or some other competitive opportunity. University Honors are awarded to graduating students whose overall (UIC institutional plus transfer work, if applicable) grade point average falls within the following honors categories:
Transfer students must have earned a minimum of 42 hours at the University of Illinois at Chicago at the end of the term prior to the term of graduation and have a minimum of 60 hours completed at UIC upon graduation. In addition, transfer students must have an institutional (UIC) grade point average of 3.50 in order to qualify for University Honors. A degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago is awarded by action of the Board of Trustees on recommendation of the appropriate college and the Senate. Degrees are awarded three times a year, at the end of the fall, spring, and summer terms. The student receives the degree in a stated curriculum. The colleges hold their own commencement ceremonies at the end of the spring semester. At each college ceremony, undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree students are individually recognized as degrees are conferred. Graduates from the preceding summer and fall terms and current spring semester are eligible to participate in the Spring Commencement ceremonies. Check with the college for eligibility requirements. Additional information, including the schedule of ceremonies, maps and parking, and cap and gown information, can be found online http://www.vcsa.uic.edu/MainSite/departments/commencement/home. Diplomas for both undergraduate and graduate students are mailed approximately three to four months after the degree award date. To be reflected on the diploma, name changes must be submitted to the Office of Registration and Records, 1200 Student Services Building, by the last day of the degree expected term. If the original diploma is destroyed, a duplicate diploma may be ordered by contacting the Office of Registration and Records, 1200 Student Services Building. There is a fee for the replacement diploma, and it bears the signatures of the current officials of the State and University. |
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