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Applying for a Second Degree in LAS
Within available resources, LAS offers students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the opportunity to earn second degrees in LAS.
Any student wanting a second degree in LAS (including students already in an LAS degree program) must apply, be reviewed, and receive approval from both department and college for second degree candidacy. LAS has specific criteria which must be met in addition to the general University regulations for second degrees. LAS rules, procedures, and deadlines are noted below.
- Simple accumulation of credit hours in LAS does not qualify a student for a second degree in LAS.
- LAS does not accept applications for second degrees in LAS majors administratively housed in another college (e.g. LAS Finance, LAS Music, LAS Art History, LAS Physics).
- Submission of application materials does not ensure admission to a second degree program in LAS.
LAS students in Science and Letters curricula are expected to declare multiple majors and minors. There is no limit on the numbers of major/minor programs that an LAS Science and Letters student may declare. On occasion, a Science and Letters undergraduate may have specific graduate school, research, or career plans which provide a compelling academic reason for completion of a second degree instead of additional majors or minors, but these cases are rare.
An LAS second degree is most appropriate for:
- Students in LAS Specialized Curricula for whom multiple majors are not otherwise an option.
- Undergraduates in other colleges at U of I’s Urbana campus for whom formal certification in a liberal arts and sciences field may be obtained only via a second degree or a minor.
Specific University rules govern the awarding of second degrees.
Student Code, Art. 3: 801 (2005-2006)
(b) Second Bachelor’s Degree
- A student who has received one bachelor’s degree may be permitted to receive a second bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, provided all specified requirements for both degrees are fully met and provided also that the curriculum offered for the second degree includes at least the final 30 semester hours 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.
- Candidates for a second bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois must meet the same residence requirement as for the first degree. If any of the first three years of credit has been transferred from another institution, the student must spend the last year (two semesters, or the equivalent) earning a minimum of 30 semester hours in uninterrupted residence on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
- 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.
Student Code, Art. 3: 801 (2006–2007)
(b) Second Bachelor’s Degree
- A student who has received one bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign may be permitted to receive a second bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, provided all specified requirements for both degrees are fully met and provided also that the curriculum offered for the second degree includes at least thirty semester hours of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign credit that is not counted for the other degree.
- The second bachelor’s degree may be earned either concurrently with or subsequent to 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.
LAS second degree programs are expected to be distinctive in several respects:
- In degree of integration of second degree with primary degree program, or in specific applicability to educational or career objectives. Why does the candidate believe the two proposed degrees provide a distinct educational opportunity not otherwise available?
- In intentionality of planning...as demonstrated in student engagement in appropriate LAS advising and timely submission of all application materials for candidacy.
- In academic performance of the candidate...as demonstrated by the candidate meeting or exceeding set GPA criteria which currently include: meeting GPA eligibility standards for declaring the second disciplinary program, and, for students earning degrees in two colleges, GPA eligibility standards for (re-admission) to the primary degree program.
- Students seeking second degree candidacy must complete the full application process, including securing appropriate advising and being approved at the departmental and college levels according to the required schedule. Part of the planning process involves meeting with the advisors in each of the proposed majors to determine appropriate class choices and to assess whether a second degree is an appropriate path in achieving educational goals.
- Students must complete all of the requirements specified for the additional LAS degree as well as an additional 30 hours over and above those required for the first degree. NOTE: No LAS degree or program requirements are waived and substitutions are rare.
- An applicant whose first bachelor’s degree is being pursued in a college other than LAS must take courses to satisfy any unmet LAS requirements immediately upon admission to LAS (for example, Non-Primary Language Requirement).
- A course cannot count toward requirements of more than two programs (majors, minors, or double degrees).
- Students desiring to complete a second degree must earn at least 12 hours of distinct, advanced level coursework in the LAS major discipline. Careful planning is important because the courses used as distinct advanced coursework in the LAS major cannot be used in meeting another degree program’s requirements.
NOTE: These hours do not include supporting coursework or technical electives, nor may students earn a degree in MCB and a second degree in Biochemistry.
Students must meet GPA eligibility standards of the two colleges and the individual programs. Beginning with students matriculating in Fall 2005, a UIUC GPA of 3.25 will be required of all students at the time of application for a second degree in LAS.
University regulations on second degrees require that the 30 additional hours for the second degree must be completed on the Urbana campus.
All second degree candidates in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must be enrolled in LAS for a minimum of two semesters. In addition, the candidate must complete 12 distinct advanced hours in the LAS major that are not used in meeting the requirements for any other degree program.
Normally, approval for admission to a second bachelor’s degree will be granted only if the requirements for the degree can be satisfied within two semesters. Note that all candidates for LAS degrees are accorded a maximum of 10-semesters of total university enrollment to complete their degrees.
LAS students approved for candidacy for two LAS degrees must complete their degrees concurrently. Students completing a degree program in another college in addition to LAS have two options:
- they may complete their LAS second degree concurrently with their first degree in another college, or
- they may complete LAS as their first degree, then return for a second degree form the other college.
Term
for Which Applying
|
Deadline for Priority Application |
Decision
on Priority Application |
Last Possible Date for Completed Application |
| Summer Term |
March 1 |
May 1 |
April 30 |
| Fall Term |
June 1 |
July 15 |
July 15 |
| Spring Term |
November 1 |
December 15 |
November 30 |
Student must observe the following submission deadlines:
- For students planning to complete undergraduate degrees in 8 semesters, we recommend you submit all application materials to the College, after departmental review, in the fifth term of enrollment. Submission is required by the first week of classes of the seventh term of enrollment.
- For students planning to complete undergraduate degrees in 10 semesters, we recommend you submit all application materials to the College, after departmental reviews, in the seventh term of enrollment. Submission is required no later than the first week of classes of the eighth term.
Students who matriculated Fall 2004 or after will be strictly held to this submission timetable to ensure that appropriate planning and consultation has taken place in anticipation of a dual degree program. Students who matriculated earlier than Fall 2004 are strongly encouraged to follow these guidelines.
Eligible students should obtain a copy of “Procedures for Planning a Second Degree Program—College of Liberal Arts & Sciences” available at the LAS Student Academic Affairs Office, then follow the detailed directions as they develop their application materials in consultation with departmental advisors. The completed application submitted to the college consists of a student petition, plus a planning form, already reviewed and approved by the department, and a student resume.
You will be asked to present a compelling explanation in your petition for how a second degree award (as opposed to additional course work or an additional major or minor) is needed to achieve specific educational or career goals and how work in the second degree will be integrated with your work towards a first degree. You also must meet all other criteria noted in University rules and LAS rules.
A student whose candidacy for a second degree is subsequently approved by the college, and who is successful in following the appropriate course of study identified in the Planning Form (or an approved revision of such), will be approved for official declaration and auditing of the second degree during the penultimate term of enrollment. Entry of the second degree into the Banner system will occur during the final graduation auditing.
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