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Comparable Bachelor's Degree

  1. For applicants applying for Spring 2014 and onward terms, the requirements for a comparable bachelor's degree below do not apply.
     
  2. For applicants applying to terms before Spring 2014, the following requirements apply:

    A comparable bachelor's degree from a U.S. institution must meet the following criteria:

    • The institution must be accredited by one of the following regional accrediting organizations:
      • Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Middle States Commission on Higher Education
      • New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
      • North Central Association of Colleges and Schools The Higher Learning Commission
      • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
      • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
      • Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities
    • The academic major must be a comparable major to those of the University of Illinois. A list of these majors can be found at http://courses.illinois.edu/programs. Most non-traditional programs with academic majors such as General Studies will not be accepted as a comparable bachelor's degree. Other non-traditional programs such as Board of Trustees and Board of Governors degrees, or degree programs that do not grant course grades to the majority of courses, will not be accepted as a comparable bachelor's degree.
       
    • In addition, you must have fulfilled a standard residency requirement at your undergraduate institution. We generally require 60 hours at the degree-granting institution; however, students with 45-59 hours at the degree granting institution will be reviewed for full status on a case-by-case basis. Students with less than 45 hours at the degree granting institution will not be accepted as having a comparable bachelor's degree.

    If your undergraduate program is one that is not considered a comparable bachelor's degree, your department may wish to consider your admission for limited status.

For undergraduate degrees obtained at institutions outside the United States, please review our minimum admission requirements by country site to determine if your degree would be accepted as a comparable bachelor's degree.

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