Students
LAS Student Handbook
- Admission to LAS
- Majors & Minors
- Degree Requirements
- Course Guidelines
- Academic Standing
- Attendance & Withdrawals
- Graduation
- Dates & Deadlines
- Advising & Support
Student Enrichment
Careers and Extracurricular Development
Student Activities and Forms
Declaring or Changing a Curriculum or Major
Changing Curriculum/Major | LAS Curricular Declaration Criteria
Declaring/Changing Primary Curriculum or Major
Do not take a change of curriculum or major lightly. If you are contemplating a change, we encourage you to contact an advisor in the department into which you wish to transfer to discuss curriculum requirements.
General Guidelines for Students
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No student may initiate more than one curriculum change within each course registration period.
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International students must consult with the Office of International Student Affairs before initiating any curricular change.
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NCAA athletes should consult with DIA and departmental advisors prior to initiating a curricular change within LAS.
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For students already in LAS who are interested in double majors or minors, consult your admissions/records officer any time in the semester for more information.
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Students interested in the LAS/Combined Engineering Program or a second degree in LAS must petition the college for approval. Apply for admission to second degree candidacy.
When You Can Make Curriculum Changes
Students who are already within LAS may request curricular changes at two times each semester: at the beginning of each semester, during the week before classes through the first week of classes; or at midsemester, during the month before the early registration period begins.
If you have accumulated 90 or more credit hours, you must obtain the permission of the dean before changing your major or curriculum.
Students not already admitted to LAS must follow Intercollegiate Transfer or second degree application procedures and guidelines.
Application Periods for Changes Effective Fall 2008
| Student Status | Application Dates | Where to Apply |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Opportunities Program (EOP), President's Award Program (PAP), and Transition students who are already in the College of LAS and declaring or changing their LAS major | August 14 - September 5, 2008 | LAS Access Achievement Program & Transition Program offices at 112 English (south courtyard entry) |
| All other students declaring LAS majors from LAS-General Curriculum | August 14 - September 5, 2008 | LAS Student Academic Affairs Office |
| All other students changing from one LAS declared major to another LAS declared major | August 14 - September 5, 2008 | LAS Student Academic Affairs Office |
Initiate a request for...
- a change of major for declared curricula at the LAS Student Academic Affairs Office (complete your Change of Major form beforehand).
LAS Curricular Declaration Criteria
The policies for declaring a curriculum or major vary among the many fields within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The policies below apply to intercollegiate transfer, re-entry, and continuing LAS students.
If your major of choice is not listed below, no formal criteria have been established for declaring this major. We encourage you to consult the Programs of Study for an overview of your major. In addition, contact the departmental advisor for help regarding these criteria or course prerequisites.
Actuarial Science (effective spring 2008)
Permission required from the departmental academic advisor before processing by LAS Student Academic Affairs. Student must have completed Math 210, plus Math 408 or Math 461, with grades of 2.5 or better in each course.
Biochemistry
Written approval required from the departmental academic advisor before processing by LAS Student Academic Affairs.
Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Required U of I at Urbana-Champaign GPA of 3.10 or higher, based on at least one full semester of course work, plus "normal progress" in the following sequences: MATH 220/221-231-241; PHYS 211-212-214; and CHEM 202-203-204-205, or CHEM 102 (+103) -104 (+105) -222-223. Must obtain written approval of the departmental academic advisor before processing by either office in LAS Student Academic Affairs.
Chemistry
Students must have earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all courses applying to the chemistry major as well as a minimum GPA of 2.0 in each of the following courses: CHEM 102 (+103) and CHEM 104 (+105) or equivalents, as well as MATH 220 or 221 and MATH 231 or equivalents. Students not earning their Calculus I and II and/or General Chemistry I and II credits at U of I at Urbana-Champaign must obtain written approval of the chemistry departmental academic advisor before processing of a curricular declaration in LAS Student Academic Affairs.
Economics (effective fall 2007)
Students must have completed Econ 102, 103, 202 and 203, must have completed at least two economics courses at U of I at Urbana-Champaign, and must have earned a 2.5/4.0 grade point average for all economics/statistics courses taken at U of I at Urbana-Champaign (excluding Econ 199 and 399).
Engineering—LAS Five-Year Curriculum
Must have the prior approval of Dean Rich. Expected to have completed at least 60 hours of credit, including basic sequences in chemistry, mathematics, and physics, and have a GPA of B- and above. These students will be reviewed individually depending on the engineering curriculum that they intend to follow.
History
Beginning with the entering class of fall 2004, students declaring the history major after freshmen year must have passed two 100-level history courses and must have completed and earned a grade of 2.0 or better in History 200 on this campus. (Off-campus transfers must enroll in HIST 200 during their first semester on campus. All students must have taken HIST 200 before enrolling in the research seminar, HIST 498.
Individual Plans of Study (IPS)
Students who meet the college ICT admissions policy and have been accepted into an LAS department may obtain an application for admission to this program at 270 Lincoln Hall. Written approval of admission from the LAS Student Academic Affairs is required before a curriculum declaration may be made of IPS.
Integrative Biology (effective August 2007)
Written approval required from the departmental academic advisor before processing by LAS Student Academic Affairs.
International Studies
Students must meet the college ICT requirements and are required to consult with an International Studies Advisor to consider the feasibility of timely completion of the major.
Mathematics
Students must receive permission of the director of Undergraduate Studies in 313 Altgeld Hall. Minimum expectations at the time of transfer are that the student has completed Math 347 and Math 241, 242, or 243 with an on-campus math major GPA of at least 2.50.
Mathematics/Computer Science or Statistics/Computer Science
Students must have completed CS 125, MATH 220 or 221, and either CS 173 or MATH 213, with a GPA of at least 3.20 in these and any other MATH and CS courses counting toward the major. Apitionally, students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20.
Molecular & Cell Biology (effective August 2007)
Written approval required from the departmental academic advisor before processing by LAS Student Academic Affairs.
Physics
Must have completed PHYS 211-212-213-214 and MATH 220/221-231-241 with a GPA in these courses of 2.00 or higher for the Science and Letters concentration (BSLA) or 2.50 or higher for the Specialized Curriculum (BS). Freshmen already declared in either the Science and Letters concentration or the Specialized Curriculum may initiate a curricular change to the other program during either of the curricular declaration periods during their first term of enrollment without consultation with the department. All other students must see the departmental academic advisor before processing a curriculum change in LAS Student Academic Affairs.
Psychology (effective spring 2008)
Students must have completed three psychology classes for grades at U of I at Urbana-Champaign. Course work will include PSYC 100, 103 or 105; PSYC 235 or PSYC 301 or equivalent; and one course from among PSYC 210, 217, 224, 230, 248, 296, or 358. Students must have earned a minimum 2.75 GPA in all U of I at Urbana-Champaign psychology courses.
Students who have taken a statistics course other than PSYC 235 or PSYC 301 will be required to take some other U of I at Urbana-Champaign psychology course to satisfy the declaration criteria of three graded psychology courses at U of I at Urbana-Champaign.
NOTE: AP credit for PSYC 100, AP credit for STAT 100, transfer work from another institution, or any non-psychology statistics course may apply to program requirements but will not apply to meeting the psychology curricular declaration barrier.
Secondary Teacher Education Programs
Students are admitted only in the fall semester during their junior or senior year. A competitive application process takes place in the semester preceding admission, with applications accepted between the first day of spring classes and February 1. Interested students should contact the LAS Director of Secondary Education Programs in LAS Student Academic Affairs. Ask about the State Basic Skills Test requirement for application.
Undeclared
Students moving to "undeclared" status now apply to the Division of General Studies (formerly LAS General Curriculum) and must have completed no more than four semesters of full-time enrollment either at U of I, or when combining U of I enrollments with regular semester enrollment at other institutions, and must have, minimally, a 2.0 GPA at U of I at Urbana-Champaign. Students are encouraged to make an appointment with an academic advisor in the Division of General Studies to personally review requirements for the transfer.